One lens

[bsmith]

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Hi, if you have to focus at the tip of the noise of the person you are portraiting in order to get the eyes (M8 with 35 lux asph) sharp in a desparate trial and error process with a multi thousand euro gear, you tell me who is "neurotic"

 

Best

 

My one lens definitley 35 Lux .btw I just tried the above "portraiting" test at f4, focusing on eyes, the eyes tact sharp. Not necessary to focus on the nose.

 

second lens 75 cron

[hankg]

1 lens kit: 35/1.4

2 lens kit: 28/2 + 50/1.4

[innerimager]

I love the 35 lux, and use it as standard on my M7. For the M8, only one lens... 50/lux asph. First as I do like that equivalent 66mm FL for people shooting, and mostly because I think it's the finest lens I have ever used.....Peter

[Woody Campbell]

More about the 35mm 1.4 (which I noted above is my "one lens" choice).

 

There's something odd going on here in terms of focal length. I use this lens as if it were a modest wide, very much like a 35 mm on a full frame camera - 35 was my standard focal length in my 1Ds/5D days. 35 mm continues to be my standard on the M8. It's as if my mind's eye is ignoring the focal length multiplier. I had expected that the 24 or 28 would be my most used lenses, but that hasn't turned out to be the case.

 

I don't fully understand why this is the case.

[Guest guy_mancuso]

For me the 28mm cron but the day i have to pick just one lens than that is the day i will probably pull my hair out. I like a lot of choices and pick lenses on more than just the focal length alone but the look and also how i want the foreground and background to be a part of or not of the image. For me there are many factors why i grab a certain lens than just focal length alone. i do like ocassionally to just go out with one lens for fun but for work not a chance, 3 or 4 minimum.

[hahn73]

More about the 35mm 1.4 (which I noted above is my "one lens" choice).

 

There's something odd going on here in terms of focal length. I use this lens as if it were a modest wide, very much like a 35 mm on a full frame camera - 35 was my standard focal length in my 1Ds/5D days. 35 mm continues to be my standard on the M8. It's as if my mind's eye is ignoring the focal length multiplier. I had expected that the 24 or 28 would be my most used lenses, but that hasn't turned out to be the case.

 

I don't fully understand why this is the case.

 

My guess is that part of it is that, when you look through the viewfinder, the view doesn't change and with crop factor of only 1.33, the frameline isn't drastically different. At least not enough to catch your attention. On an SLR, I suspect it would be different. Most have a larger crop factor AND you actually see the change in focal length.

[bsmith]

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For me the 28mm cron but the day i have to pick just one lens than that is the day i will probably pull my hair out. I like a lot of choices and pick lenses on more than just the focal length alone but the look and also how i want the foreground and background to be a part of or not of the image. For me there are many factors why i grab a certain lens than just focal length alone. i do like ocassionally to just go out with one lens for fun but for work not a chance, 3 or 4 minimum.

 

Try and learn to "see" with just one lens, you'll be surprised what you'll get when you don't have all the choices.

[Guest guy_mancuso]

I have been seeing for 35 years as a pro if i can't see by now than i got real troubles. LOL

 

i

[bsmith]

I have been seeing for 35 years as a pro if i can't see by now than i got real troubles. LOL

 

i

 

36 for me, never too old to learn

[wag]

Do you think the 28 Cron is superior enough to the new 28 Elmarit to be twice as expensive? $1500 vs. $3000?

BRAD W

[Guest guy_mancuso]

I don't know about superior because i have not tried or tested the other 28mm elmarit but i looked at the cron as the fastest wide angle Leica produces and main reason i did get this one plus it is a fabulous lens wide open also and has nice bokeh to boot. Very very nice lens and for me it is the lens cap on one of my M8's . Now i have seen and heard very good reports on the new 28mm elmarit so is it worth the price difference. That can only be determined by the buyer and what they are looking for . One thing about leica glass i learned with the R lenses it is really hard to say one is better than the other leica lens. They simply don't make crappy lenses and in the M system that is even more a fact, than you throw in the Zeiss and CV lenses and the choices are wild. Honestly i am of the simply rule of buy it , try it and see what works best for you. i just think you can't go wrong and depends on the character of the lens your after also. We have folks that love there pre -asph glass over the new glass because the way the lens draws. So there are many ways to to look at a lens than price alone or even f stop. personnally i buy them and if it don't work than sell it and try something else until you find one you love better.

 

BTW the Cron you can get for 2600 and the 28mm elmarit I think is 1600 now but need to shop around also.

[Woody Campbell]

Do you think the 28 Cron is superior enough to the new 28 Elmarit to be twice as expensive? $1500 vs. $3000?

BRAD W

 

I have both (I'm a lens junky).

 

Not so much superior as different. The Elmarit offers very high local and global contrast. It is extremely flair resistant. It's ability to render fine detail is excellent. No one has suggested that it backfocuses. The very compact form factor is a huge plus (it's small enough that the camera practically disappears).

 

The chron has a less contrasty fingerprint. Also excellent at rendering fine detail. Wonderful mid-tone transitions and shadow transparency. Some people believe there are focus issues with it (this has not been my experience). And one more stop of light gathering capacity. Excellent "creamy" out of focus images (the Elmarit is a bit harsh). The 28 chron would be my second choice for the "one lens".

 

Both are drop-dead perfect (within 0.5% or so) in terms of absence of linear distortion. Both are sharp corner to corner wide open - stopping down may bring a slight improvement in contrast and resolution but it isn't visible in practical use.

 

To my eyes the 24 Elmarit, 28 chron, 35 lux and 75 chron all have very similar character - these are my favorite lenses.

 

Many people rave about the 28 Elmarit and would prefer it at any price (you will notice that it's backordered everywhere), but it tends to bring out the worst in me.

[Morten Grathe]

35mm summilux. I have always loved 50mm's on my SLR's, and this is as close as it gets. I haven't had any focusing issues, not even wide open. This lens rocks!

[hdrmd]

35mm summicron ASPH. Very hard to beat. Faster is rarely necessary in the digital age where one can easily change the ISO from frame to frame. Also it is small and light. DR

[sean_reid]

Do you think the 28 Cron is superior enough to the new 28 Elmarit to be twice as expensive? $1500 vs. $3000?

BRAD W

 

I've tested the 28s (including these two) extensively for a review and the Summicron is different - not superior. In fact, its almost impossible for one to pick lens A as superior to lens B before he has defined what his priorities are. Every lens design involves compromises and different photographers expect different things from lenses.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

[martinb]

35mm cron ASPH on the M8. Compact and zero lens blockage without hood and very little with hood. Outstanding performance too of course!

For film it would probably be the 50mm lux ASPH even though I haven't tried it.

[Skippy Sanchez]

The National Press Photographer Association magazine, "News Photographer" has a feature story on photojournalist James Whitlow Delano, an American-born Tokyo-based photographer who sees the world through one - and only one - lens, the 35mm f2 that's always on his Leica M-2.

 

While the story isn't online, here's his website: http://www.jameswhitlowdelano.com/

[lars_bergquist]

Do you think the 28 Cron is superior enough to the new 28 Elmarit to be twice as expensive? $1500 vs. $3000?

BRAD W

 

It must certainly be twice as expensive to make.

 

A few years ago I asked my Leica dealer: "I have a last version Tele-Elmarit. The current Elmarit-M weighs seventy percent more. Is it also seventy percent better?" And the man answered, truthfully but loyally:

 

"It's seventy percent more lens!"

 

And we didn't even discuss the price ...

 

The old man from the Age of the 9 cm Elmar