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The Wide-Angle Choice: 21'lux or 28'cron


Guest odeon

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Guest Marc G.
I will use it with landscape and architecture photography in travel. For example i need a wide-angle lens in my last trip to Barcelona.

 

 

 

I have a 50'lux ASPH.

Let's look at current Leica lenses and their production dates:

 

Leica Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21mm f/4.0 ASPH - 2006

Leica Super-Elmar-M 18mm f/3.8 ASPH - 2009

Leica Summilux-M 21mm f/1.4 ASPH - 2008

Leica Super-Elmar-M 21mm f/3.4 ASPH - 2011

Leica Summilux-M 24mm f/1.4 ASPH - 2008

Leica Elmar-M 24mm f/3.8 ASPH - 2008

 

Leica Summicron-M 28mm f/2.0 ASPH - 2000

Leica Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 ASPH - 2008

Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH (Floating Lens Element) - 2010

Leica Summicron-M 35mm f/2.0 ASPH - 1996

Leica Summarit-M 35mm f/2.5 - 2007

 

Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH - 2008

Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH - 2004

Leica APO-Summicron-M 50mm f/2.0 ASPH - 2012

Leica Summicron-M 50mm f/2.0 - 1979

Leica Summarit-M 50mm f/2.5 - 2007

 

Leica APO-Summicron-M 75mm f/2.0 ASPH - 2005

Leica Summarit-M 75mm f/2.5 - 2007

Leica APO-Summicron-M 90mm f/2.0 ASPH - 1998

Leica Summarit-M 90mm f/2.5 - 2008

Leica APO-Telyt-M 135mm f/3.4 - 1998

Leica Macro-Elmar-M 90mm f/4.0- 2003

 

 

You can see, the elder lenses are 35'cron, 90'APO-cron, 135'APO-telyt and 28'cron. I think Leica will announce the newer versions of there lenses.

 

Let's have a look at some of these "elder" lenses you mentioned.

 

90 APO-Summicron f/2 ASPH is (one of) the best medium telephoto lenses ever created.

135 APO-Telyt f/3.4 ASPH... see above.

28 Summicron f/2 ASPH is simply a stunning lens and only 13 years old. Very sharp, low field curvature, low distortion and a pleasing out of focus rendering.

 

I know Leica tries to refine lenses but renewing these 3 named examples would be extremely hard and would show in a significant price increase.

 

After all you own a 50 Summilux ASPH which is from 2004 :eek::eek::eek:. Are you going to replace this lens in 4 years? Otherwise this whole point is none.

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Let's have a look at some of these "elder" lenses you mentioned.

 

90 APO-Summicron f/2 ASPH is (one of) the best medium telephoto lenses ever created.

135 APO-Telyt f/3.4 ASPH... see above.

28 Summicron f/2 ASPH is simply a stunning lens and only 13 years old. Very sharp, low field curvature, low distortion and a pleasing out of focus rendering.

 

I know Leica tries to refine lenses but renewing these 3 named examples would be extremely hard and would show in a significant price increase.

 

After all you own a 50 Summilux ASPH which is from 2004 :eek::eek::eek:. Are you going to replace this lens in 4 years? Otherwise this whole point is none.

 

Well, well, well.

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m-lenses/305987-dilemma-50s-50lux-50apo-cron.html

:)

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odeon

Why not spend very little on a superb 28 the 28/2.8 and then if your lux 28 surfaces decide then if you want to spend $7-8k or more on it.

I must whisper... I reserved a 28'cron. I will see the lens in Amsterdam, two weeks later. The waiting is too bad.

:)

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Guest Marc G.
I must whisper... I reserved a 28'cron. I will see the lens in Amsterdam, two weeks later. The waiting is too bad.

:)

 

Congratulations. Certainly one of the best wide angles Leica produces:cool:

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I must whisper... I reserved a 28'cron. I will see the lens in Amsterdam, two weeks later. The waiting is too bad.

:)

 

Excellent choice, it is a superb lens. I would not part with mine.

As for the 21mm, unless you are in a great rush, sit back and wait a year for the Leica toting hordes to descend on Istanbul and them I'm sure you'll be able to play with one (or several), to your hearts content :).

 

Falstaff

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OP seems more concerned about having the latest rather than the one most appropriate for his photo needs.

 

Just let's say you get the 28 Summicron. And it is replaced in two or three years. You can do one of several things:

 

1) Keep the 28 as it may work best for you, plus you will have used it for those years, or

 

2) Sell the old 28 and purchase the new 28 or

 

3) Some other combination of buying new 21, 18 or 28 and keeping 28 Cron

 

If you take door 2, I bet you will be out not that much moolah, at least not enough to fuss if you are considering the 21 Lux. As others said older lenses can be prized and you may not feel the need to upgrade. That's how I feel with my 135 Tele Elmar vs new 135 APO. Know the APO is theoretically better but just don't think will get the added utility for the extra cost.

 

OTOH, door 2 is what I just did going from M9P to M240 and the net cost was relatively small over 3.5 years had the M9P.

 

Never used the 28 Cron but given what everyone says it's a very special lens that will do you proud and it's value should hold up over time.

 

Ed

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Both focal lengths will work well with the 50 but personally I think that the 28 is a more useful and versatile focal length than the 21. As others have written above and elsewhere, the 28 Summicron ASPH has extraordinary rendering and pairs perfectly with the 50 Summilux - these are my two most used lenses (and then 21mm).

 

 

+1.

 

I have undergone the 28 vs 21/24 dilemma before and have to come into conclusion same as the above. No regrets. I like how the 28 renders the wide, it's not too wide that can do other things without being obviously wide (/distorted).

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Guest malland

Just want to add these thoughts: (1) while shooting with a 28 mm lens is very different from shooting with a 50 mm lens, it is also quite different from shooting with a 35 mm lens, although many people think 28 and 35 mm lenses "are quite close" to each other; (2) having a 28 mm lens does not obviate shooting with a 21 mm lens, which, again, is quite different from shooting with a 28 mm lens; and (3) there are essentially two ways of shooting with 28 and 21 mm lenses: one can either shoot to give a feeling of (i) "lensy" wide-angle space, or (ii) "normal" space.

 

My feeling that many people find it difficult to get used to shooting with either a 28 pr 21 mm lenses because they tend to shoot in the first "lensy space" style by not getting close enough to the subject (which works well only for some subjects). The other way is to get close to the subject and "close off" the back plane of the scene by not letting obvious perspective lines go off deep into the frame to infinity. Here a couple of examples on the latter way of framing with the Summicron-28 (first two pictures) and Elmarit-21 ASPH (pictures 3 and 4):

 

 

 

M9-P | Summicorn-28 | ISO 320 | f/5.6 | 1/250 sec

9036568681_5f57402ea3_b.jpg

Bangkok

 

 

 

 

M9-P | Summicorn-28 | ISO 640 pushed 3 stops | f/2.8 | 1/60 sec

9216826188_9098d1627a_b.jpg

Bangkok

 

 

 

 

M9-P | Elmarit-21 ASPH | ISO 160 | f/4.0 | 1/750 sec

9403237389_519a92af7b_b.jpg

Pak Nam Pran

 

 

 

 

M9-P | Elmarit-21 ASPH | ISO 320 | f/4.0 | 1/750 sec

9398054770_9e2f2d5c90_b.jpg

Pak Nam Pran

 

 

—Mitch/Bangkok

Tristes Tropiques [WIP]

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Good points, Mitch.

 

Congrats on the purchase, odeon.

 

I know the OP caught some flak for wanting a newer design lens, but I think there are a few reasons where this makes sense. Leica's been moving away from traditional RF lens design, and moving towards "retro focus like" designs which have desirable qualities when mated to digital sensors. Leica's been committed to mirrorless cameras, Sony's thrown their hat in the ring, Canon/Nikon will likely enter the market (at some point), Fuji's making fabulous cropped sensor mirrorless cameras (maybe they join in with FF of their own)...lenses that work well across these platforms are desirable for long term investments.

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The code for a Summilux-M 28 mm was found a few years ago in the M9. Interesting to see if/when it gets released.

The codes for a new 50/2 and a 14/3.8 also were found in the M9 a few years ago. Meanwhile, the new 50/2 has materialised (more or less) in the shape of the Apo-Summicron-M 50 mm Asph whereas the 14/3.8 obviously was cancelled (at least for the time being).

 

So—finding a code for a new lens in an M camera's firmware may or may not mean something.

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