mactonio Posted June 16, 2014 Share #1  Posted June 16, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi, I'm new to the forum so for the Leica world.  I'm think to buy an M, but I'm a bit confused abt all the lens names, can someone please explain me the differences between:  -Elmar -summilux -elmarit -summicron -summarit -vario  Thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted June 16, 2014 Posted June 16, 2014 Hi mactonio, Take a look here Lens nomenclature. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Gerard Posted June 16, 2014 Share #2 Â Posted June 16, 2014 Some are fast (wide aperture) like the Summilux. Some are compact like the Elmar. Some are even cheap (for Leica) as with the Summarit range. All are great, if not outstanding. Leicas site gives a breakdown.The photopool here, Facebook groups, and Flickr pools will somewhat help you understand how they draw - but not totally. Â Great thing about Leica M lenses is that you can buy used, try for a while, then decide if you want to keep or sell and try something else (with little cost penalty). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mactonio Posted June 16, 2014 Author Share #3 Â Posted June 16, 2014 And what abt Zeiss lenses to begin with? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmielx Posted June 16, 2014 Share #4  Posted June 16, 2014 The names refer to the speed (maximum aperture) of the lens  Noctilux - ultra-fast f/1.2, f/1.1, f/1, f/0.95 Summilux - f/1.4 Summicron - f/2 Summarit - f/2.5 (also a old 50mm f/1.5) Elmarit - f/2.8 Elmar f/4  the last two don't seem to be applied consistently.  Vario - variable focal length (only two options in M-mount)  See this page for a very useful list of all Leica M lenses. http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/M_Lenses_x_Focal_Length  Either a 50mm or a 35mm would make an excellent first lens.  I'd highly recommend a Zeiss lens. I have both the Planar 50mm f/2 and the Biogon 35mm f/2. Both are fantastic lenses, from what I've read both are very comparable in performance to the Leica Summicrons, though significantly cheaper.  The Leica Summarits are also excellent and represent great value for money in Leica terms.  It's certainly worth starting with one of the more reasonably priced options. If you buy second hand then you can always sell on again with little loss if you decide you want something different.  Good luck! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalArts 99 Posted June 16, 2014 Share #5  Posted June 16, 2014 A glossary of lens names here: Leica FAQ — Glossary of Terms  The wiki on this forum is also good for Leica lens information: http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/Main_Page Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted June 16, 2014 Share #6  Posted June 16, 2014 A glossary of lens names here: Leica FAQ — Glossary of Terms  Must be a very old list; the only definition of Summarit is f1.5; Noctilux only f1, etc.  Also contains some pretty crazy slang terminology, e.g., "aperture nazi", "butt photographer", etc.  Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalArts 99 Posted June 16, 2014 Share #7  Posted June 16, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) Must be a very old list; the only definition of Summarit is f1.5; Noctilux only f1, etc. Also contains some pretty crazy slang terminology, e.g., "aperture nazi", "butt photographer", etc.  Jeff  Yeah, it's not exactly current.  I only posted it because it's where Overgaard originally got his lens naming info from... "Courtesy of Oxford American and www.nemeg.com." leica.overgaard.dk - Thorsten Overgaard's Leica Pages - Leitz and Leica Lens Compendium  I don't think Nemeg has done anything with his site since 2010. Although there is some good stuff there, and I'm glad he's kept it online. Leica FAQ — Main Topic Index   Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mactonio Posted June 16, 2014 Author Share #8  Posted June 16, 2014 The names refer to the speed (maximum aperture) of the lens Noctilux - ultra-fast f/1.2, f/1.1, f/1, f/0.95 Summilux - f/1.4 Summicron - f/2 Summarit - f/2.5 (also a old 50mm f/1.5) Elmarit - f/2.8 Elmar f/4  .... I'd highly recommend a Zeiss lens. ....  Good luck!  Very useful post, I think I will start with Zeiss, so I will be able to buy either the 35 and th 50  THANKS Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bernd_muc Posted June 25, 2014 Share #9 Â Posted June 25, 2014 Very useful post, I think I will start with Zeiss, so I will be able to buy either the 35 and th 50You might want to have a look at the Summarits. For Leica lenses, they are quite affordable. Also, they got the 6-bit codes so the camera knows what to do with it (digital Ms). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mactonio Posted June 25, 2014 Author Share #10 Â Posted June 25, 2014 I've decided to start with only one lens (50mm) and as having a fast lesn is important for me, I think I will buy a summilux anyway despite his cost. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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