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50mm Noctilux f/1 good single lens with M9-P?


leicafan!

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Not true, the 50/2.5 is cheaper! Though the difference is so marginal (a few hundred quid) I can't imagine why anyone would buy that lens...

 

Maybe someone would rather spend the "few hundred quid" on something else (or might not have the extra money to spare)?:rolleyes:

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...

Further down the line:

- 75mm f/2.5 Summarit

- 21mm F3.4 Super Elmar

...

 

Daniel,

 

Also consider the 24mm f3.8 Elmar-M, an underappreciated lens, in my opinion. It also rounds out very well as a 3rd lens in a 50 and 35 mm outfit.

 

Guy

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I'm starting to think a 35 Summilux FLE and a 75 might be a good 2 lens solution to get me going with a view to getting a 50 Noctilux later.

 

The advantage of this, is the 75mm and 50mm share the same framelines. For a two lens kit, it's hard to beat.

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If looking for a fast 75mm consider the now discontinued Summilux, similar to the Noctilux rendition wide open and sharp stopped down. My finding with the 75mm Summicron is nice contrast and good sharpness, 75mm Summarit is sharpest of the three with higher contrast that is somewhat difficult to tame on sunny days, the mtf curves bear this out.

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It seems everyone is "fanning" the OP's desires for lenses.

 

I am bit confused now. Are you planning on a $4-5k 75/1.4 plus a $5k 35/1.4 now and with a later addition of the 50/1.0 for $6-7k or more?

 

Somehow when it all started I thought we were talking one 50mm lens.

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If you go over to an M, think about getting the best lens(es) you can afford even if it is just one.

 

The 50/f1 is great for Monochrom use.

 

Some are thinking that future sensors Leica will bring out in future cameras might just require lenses like the new APO 50/2.0.

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Lets step back and go to your original post and what you stated you wanted.

 

You want a 50mm lens as I assume you are most comfortable with and much of your best work has been with this versatile focal length (please correct me if I'm wrong). If so, to not get the best 50 that will do the job seems crazy - hence the 1.4/50 Summilux ASPH, or the 0.95/50 Noctilux ASPH if you really want the all-in-one expensive monster. Although I'm an E1.0/50 Noctilux fan the 1.0/50 should be a second specialised lens, not the first one, for the reasons we've discussed before - it should be for later on when all of the main prime FLs are covered.

 

However if you think that a 35 would be your main FL then get the 1.4/35 Summilux ASPH (current FLE version).

 

Then comes the difficult job of 2nd lens.

 

Might I suggest that you go back through your favourite photographs and calculate the proportion of these shot with each focal length. This will confirm how you see the world through your camera and starting with a first lens of less-used focal length may not be the best thing to do. This may be an easy solution to your problem. Please let us know.

 

For me it's easy. In no particular order the bulk of my favourite/best photographs have been fairly evenly distributed amongst three focal lengths: 50mm (1.4/50 Summilux ASPH, and then E60 1.0 Noctilux), 2.0/28mm Summicron ASPH, and 21mm (1.4/21 Summilux ASPH or 3.4/21 SEM ASPH).

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If you go over to an M, think about getting the best lens(es) you can afford even if it is just one.

 

Good advice.

 

 

 

The 50/f1 is great for Monochrom use.

 

I completely agree with you. Its reduced contrast softens the 'harshness' of the sensor but still brings out those lovely B&W tones. Very versatile files.

 

But it still wouldn't be my choice as a first lens.

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Thank you all for your continued views and discussion on this. I realise that I may appear to be pretty indecisive and, to a point, this is accurate!

 

When I look at the pictures I have taken over the last few years I am very much the type of person who works primarily with a single lens (and I never use zooms).

 

With my M8 I shot probably 80-90% of the time with a Leica 2/35 Summicron ASPH

With my Canon 5D I only owned one lens, the Canon 1.2/50 L

With my Fuji X-Pro 1 I have all three lenses, have used the 18mm a handful of times and use the 35mm 80% of the time with the 60mm making up the rest of my shooting

 

As we can see I tend towards the 35 on a crop sensor camera and a 50 on full frame.

 

One thing I would add is that I did find the 50 just a little too narrow in field of view when I shot on my 5D and have similar feelings about the 35 on the X-Pro 1 (equivalent FOV 52.5mm).

 

I found the 35 on the M8 to be just about perfect with it's slightly more relaxed equivalent FOV of 46mm which is what has piqued my interest in considering a 35mm on full frame rather than a 50. There's obviously a risk associated with this as I'm going that little bit wider than I am used but the results I see from 35s on full frame certainly suggest that I'd enjoy shooting with this focal length.

 

As a single lens on an M9 I imagine the 35 strikes a good balance between a lens that cna be used for many, many different applications. As a compliment to a Noctilux further down the line this feels like a good choice, as opposed to having another 50 - of course, we are all different.

 

In having a look at my lens use on the X-Pro 1 in more detail I realise that I would never use a lens in the 28mm range so I'm going to take this out of the equation for now.

 

Perhaps getting the best 35 I can get right now (the Summilux FLE) and then getting a 0.95/50 Noctilux later will be all the lenses I will ever need on an M, perhaps not!

 

I am definitely the type of photographer who enjoys photography more when I have less choice in terms of lenses and feel less encumbered. I often find if I have more lenses I spend time worrying about whether I have the right lens on the camera half of the time! I'm sure others are familiar with that.

 

Daniel

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Guest borge
Thank you all for your continued views and discussion on this. I realise that I may appear to be pretty indecisive and, to a point, this is accurate!

 

When I look at the pictures I have taken over the last few years I am very much the type of person who works primarily with a single lens (and I never use zooms).

 

With my M8 I shot probably 80-90% of the time with a Leica 2/35 Summicron ASPH

With my Canon 5D I only owned one lens, the Canon 1.2/50 L

With my Fuji X-Pro 1 I have all three lenses, have used the 18mm a handful of times and use the 35mm 80% of the time with the 60mm making up the rest of my shooting

 

As we can see I tend towards the 35 on a crop sensor camera and a 50 on full frame.

 

One thing I would add is that I did find the 50 just a little too narrow in field of view when I shot on my 5D and have similar feelings about the 35 on the X-Pro 1 (equivalent FOV 52.5mm).

 

I found the 35 on the M8 to be just about perfect with it's slightly more relaxed equivalent FOV of 46mm which is what has piqued my interest in considering a 35mm on full frame rather than a 50. There's obviously a risk associated with this as I'm going that little bit wider than I am used but the results I see from 35s on full frame certainly suggest that I'd enjoy shooting with this focal length.

 

As a single lens on an M9 I imagine the 35 strikes a good balance between a lens that cna be used for many, many different applications. As a compliment to a Noctilux further down the line this feels like a good choice, as opposed to having another 50 - of course, we are all different.

 

In having a look at my lens use on the X-Pro 1 in more detail I realise that I would never use a lens in the 28mm range so I'm going to take this out of the equation for now.

 

Perhaps getting the best 35 I can get right now (the Summilux FLE) and then getting a 0.95/50 Noctilux later will be all the lenses I will ever need on an M, perhaps not!

 

I am definitely the type of photographer who enjoys photography more when I have less choice in terms of lenses and feel less encumbered. I often find if I have more lenses I spend time worrying about whether I have the right lens on the camera half of the time! I'm sure others are familiar with that.

 

Daniel

 

I share a lot of your background.

I also come from a full X-Pro1 kit (18, 35, 60).

I also thought that the 35mm on the X-Pro1 (53mm equalent) was a bit too tight and that the 18mm (27mm) was a bit too wide.

I thought the perfect FL for me would be 35mm on full-format from my experience with the 35mm and 18mm lens on the X-Pro1.

 

I sold my kit and purchased a MM with a 50mm 1.4/50 Summilux ASPH and used it for 9 months as my only focal length.

 

I recently purchased a 1.4/35 Summilux FLE after saving up for almost a year but I find myself not using it too much to be honest. In 90% of the situations I always prefer the view that the 50mm lens gives me.

 

I advise you to try shooting with the 35mm focal length first. See if you can rent a Fuji X100 for example which has a 23mm lens (35mm equalent on full frame) just to see if that's really your focal length.

 

Personally I have discovered that I'm a 50mm guy. And that I don't like lenses that are wider than 35mm (28mm is too wide for my taste). And as of now I usually only end up using the 35mm lens when I'm either shooting indoors (dinners, parties, etc where the 50mm often is a bit too tight) or in very narrow spaces (If I were to go back to Venice again I would definitely use the 35mm FL there instead of 50mm for example).

 

I'm already toying with the idea of selling both lenses if I end up not using the 35mm much and getting a 0.95/50 Noctilux to have the ultimate all-in-one 50mm.

 

Good luck on your decision.

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Well then it's decided - the 1.4/35 Summilux ASPH?

However, you shot done the bulk of your work with the equivalent of a 50mm FF lens

 

Order now before you change your mind ;)

 

I've sent the mail to my dealer saying that I want to change my order from the 50 'cron I had originally looked at to a 35 Summilux FLE.

 

It's highly likely that I will end up with a Noctilux before I head to Hong Kong in May - I am going to sell all of my Fuji kit so this will go some way towards the financial outlay of a second lens.

 

I will then have a really nice 35 for most work and a Noctilux when I want to experiment with the specific looks that this lens can provide - all in all a pretty versatile kit I think.

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Great decision! However, be careful that you may fall in love with the Nocti f/1 and leave the 35 gathering dust! My favorite lens was a 35 'Lux pre-asph for a long time, then the 50 'Lux for the last 8 months, and the Nocti for the last 3 days since I got it. I have a feeling the Nocti will reside on my MM for a good while:)... For the 35 mm focal length, I have enjoyed the Fuji X100S very much!

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Alas, it wasn't to be. My dealer does not have a 35 FLE in stock and is unable to commit to getting me one before my trip to Hong Kong at the end of May.

 

I've decided to put my purchase plans on hold as there's no point in having a camera body with no lens or worse, buying a lens I don't really want in order to use a camera body I have stumped up for.

 

I found myself considering compromise which is completely crazy when I'm looking to spend £7k on a camera body and single lens!

 

Will watch the market closely and see what happens.

 

Thanks all for your help

 

Daniel

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Alas, it wasn't to be. My dealer does not have a 35 FLE in stock and is unable to commit to getting me one before my trip to Hong Kong at the end of May.

 

I've decided to put my purchase plans on hold as there's no point in having a camera body with no lens or worse, buying a lens I don't really want in order to use a camera body I have stumped up for.

 

I found myself considering compromise which is completely crazy when I'm looking to spend £7k on a camera body and single lens!

 

Will watch the market closely and see what happens.

 

Thanks all for your help

 

Daniel

 

Perhaps you should reconsider the 50 Summilux ASPH (if available) it's still the outstanding one-lens solution. Although you are contemplating going wider to 35mm much of your fine work has been done with a 50. You can always get the 35 Summilux (ASPH FLE) later :)

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