Jeff S Posted November 16, 2014 Share #41  Posted November 16, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration)  .... if there is a FAQ on this,  ...Whereabouts in San Francisco Bay Area should I go where the salespeople will be knowledgeable and patient  FAQ... Read it all.  Go to Keeble and Shuchat and ask for Jeff Alford…nice guy and knows everything Leica. Camera West, as already mentioned, is another alternative.  And consider renting as I already posted here.  Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted November 16, 2014 Posted November 16, 2014 Hi Jeff S, Take a look here One Lens to rule them all? Which 50mm?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
thighslapper Posted November 16, 2014 Share #42 Â Posted November 16, 2014 Â A couple questions, is the lens speed the basic difference between the various Leica 50mm lenses? What else makes a particular lens a summicron or a Elmer etc. if there is a FAQ on this, would appreciate it you can point me to it. Â A lot you suggested actually playing with it as the form factor, the weight and fit matters a lot to me. Â And finally -- surely there are more women in this forum? Seriously guys? Â Elmar/Elmarit = 2.8 Summicron = 2.0 Summilux = 1.4 Â The summicron (non apo) is a nice compact lens The old Elmar 50/2.8 collapsible is a lovely little lens and even smaller - super value even for an almost mint used copy (I have 3 ..... don't ask ....) Â As said before .... almost any Leica 50 ......even those going back to the 60's is going to give you more than acceptable performance..... Â Women on the forum ???? A few .... but most have more sense and are out taking photos rather than wasting time here .... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
otto.f Posted November 16, 2014 Share #43 Â Posted November 16, 2014 Elmar = 4.0 or 3.8 or 3.4 or 2.8 The rest of the names are more consistent Elmarit is always 2.8, but 2.8 is only once Elmar but that's probably because it's an unbelievable lens Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
platypus Posted November 16, 2014 Share #44  Posted November 16, 2014 Dee, you certainly put yours to good use  Thank you Mark...the MM/APO50 combo is an absolute weapon! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
platypus Posted November 17, 2014 Share #45 Â Posted November 17, 2014 And finally -- surely there are more women in this forum? Seriously guys? Â Hi Lals, I'm one of those fairly rare species on this forum...a female. If you stick with the forum after a while you will (probably) understand why there aren't so many of our gender involved here......but don't get me wrong, it can be worth it.....so do stick around! Â Regarding your lens purchase query. I have both the 35 Lux and the APO 50 Cron. The 35 Lux would be my suggestion for a "first and maybe only lens" for you. It is petite too and a very forgiving little lens being slightly wide angle. It is sharp as a tack and the rendering is very pretty. You couldn't go wrong with it really. I would also suggest an M9 rather than an M240 (if you can find a "mint" used unit) for the delightful simplicity of operation and reliability that the M9 offers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bocaburger Posted November 17, 2014 Share #46 Â Posted November 17, 2014 OP: As a woman you will understand when I say that men often tend to make a competition out of almost everything. If bragging rights to the most theoretically superior optical properties and/or the most conspicuous display of wealth, then the APO Summicron is undoubtedly the one to get, followed closesly by the ASPH Lux. In practical use, producing images with either lens which exhibit a huge and obvious superiority to the most recent non-APO Summicron will be a challenge to say the least, although I'm sure owners of those lenses will be loathe to agree. Â For a light weight 50 with excellent performance, the so-called "tabbed" Summicron ca. 1979-1993 is hard to beat. The following version with pull-out hood (fairly short and to my thinking less effective than the vented clip-on hood of the tabbed version) is optically identical. It is also easily found 6-bit coded although the only real advantage to it is it imparts the lens ID to EXIF. Â I disagree about the M9 being a simpler and more reliable camera than the M240, having owned both. Sensor issues seem to be significantly prevalent with the M9, as are SD card issues, battery issues, lockups and drifting of rangefinder calibration (although I confess, none of them happened to mine). And if you don't want to do post processing, and intend at some point to shoot jpegs, you'll definitely appreciate the M240 over an M9. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Universalb50 Posted November 17, 2014 Share #47 Â Posted November 17, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) ...Thank you Bocaburger! Finally a sensible and realistic response to the initial question!... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hakku Posted November 17, 2014 Share #48  Posted November 17, 2014 Elmar/Elmarit = 2.8 The old Elmar 50/2.8 collapsible is a lovely little lens and even smaller - super value even for an almost mint used copy  Lals, if you go for an Elmar 50, it should be mentioned that Leica gives a warning in their manual not to put that lens on their M bodies in collapsed status but in extracted mode only.  H. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leohong Posted November 17, 2014 Share #49 Â Posted November 17, 2014 I would suggest the 40 mm Summicron which I purchased for my M8 then used it on M9. It is small, light , and it comes between 35 and 50. You can get a nice copy for $700. After you decide on a 50, Then sell it with little loss. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pop Posted November 17, 2014 Share #50 Â Posted November 17, 2014 Welcome to the forum! Â I strongly favor the Summarit. I have the 1:2.5 but I presume the more recent 1:2.4 will be just as good. Â When doing gardens and landscapes, I don't think you will use even a Summarit wide open, while it is on record for being quite resistant to flare. You don't have to give the sun even a glance in most situations. Â Personally, I like very much how it renders the image. I think "being invisible" describes the lens best: it does not seem to impose itself on the image but just depicts what's in front of it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgk Posted November 17, 2014 Share #51 Â Posted November 17, 2014 I've not used the current Summarit, but if size matters then this is certainly a lens I would look at very carefully (I've used the 35 and 75 Summarits and they are very good indeed). Otherwise I'd go for the 50 Summilux Aspheric - a really fabulous all-rounder, and a lens you won't lose much money on if you ever decide to change it (unlikely in my opinion if you want a 50mm). Â To put things in perspective, ALL the current 50s and recent 50s from Leica are very good lenses indeed, and no doubt the Zeiss ones are too though I've no tried one. So bragging rights aside;), its about what you enjoy using unless you really need speed or ultimate precision - the Summilux aspheric is not too heavy, is better wide open than the pre-aspheric and is ergonomic - for me. But you really need to try one if at all possible, to see if it suits you. At this level of lens quality, there are currently no 'bad' lenses, but for the level of investment (of even the 'cheapest') you want to be certain that you have the lens that you will enjoy both using, and the results from, the most. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
01af Posted November 17, 2014 Share #52  Posted November 17, 2014 There is no single 50 mm lens that rules them all. Which one is the "best" depends on the photographer's intents, requirements, and preferences.The Noctilux rules in terms of lens speed but is awfully big and heavy ... and expensive.The Summilux is the best compromise between fast speed and manageable size—only one f-stop slower than the Noctilux but much smaller and lighter.The Apo-Summicron rules in terms of optical performance but isn't the fastest or lightest. Very expensive, too.The Summicron offers very good performance at an affordable (in Leica terms) price but has one quirk that rules it out for me: it tends to flare in a bad way (veiling glare across the whole frame) even in just moderate back-light.The Summarit rules in terms of small size and affordable price, with no penalty regarding performance, except lens speed. Only slightly slower than the Summicron but much better flare resistance.So for speed, pick the Summilux; for exceptional performance, pick the Apo-Summicron; for portability and light weight, pick the Summarit. I'd recommend against the Noctilux for the bulk and against the Summicron for the flare. For the Summilux or Apo-Summicron, I'd get one of those cheap vented screw-in hoods from China, plus a snap-in cap that goes onto the hood (52 mm cap for E39 hood; 55 mm cap for E46 hood). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Branch Posted November 17, 2014 Share #53 Â Posted November 17, 2014 ........or alternatively, as it is a "first lens", look long and hard at the 35mm Summilux -M ASPH FLE. And then do yourself a big favour and get one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lpeeples Posted November 17, 2014 Share #54 Â Posted November 17, 2014 I can give you a new user perspective. Consider the 35 (lux 1.4). For shooting subjects, it allows you capture them and the surrounding scene. Its also wide enough for just landscapes. As others have said, it depends on your style of shooting. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted November 17, 2014 Share #55 Â Posted November 17, 2014 What about the new Zeiss 35 1.4? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Branch Posted November 17, 2014 Share #56 Â Posted November 17, 2014 What about the new Zeiss 35 1.4? Â I had the impression the OP wanted something portable. I'm sure the Zeiss equivalent to the 35mm Lux is a very good lens - but - it is enormous. Â As a first lens a 35mm has a great deal to commend it - the Leica 35mm Lux is outstanding on M240. Â One advantage of starting with a 35mm Lux is that a second lens, there is always a second lens, can be the 75mm Cron. In total not much more expensive that a 50mm APO and a much more versatile outfit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgk Posted November 17, 2014 Share #57 Â Posted November 17, 2014 One advantage of starting with a 35mm Lux is that a second lens, there is always a second lens, can be the 75mm Cron...... a much more versatile outfit. I'll second this - an excellent 'walk around' pairing - but it does leave the 50 Summilux Aspheric in no man's land rather - too good to dispose of though;). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
indergaard Posted November 17, 2014 Share #58  Posted November 17, 2014 I had the impression the OP wanted something portable. I'm sure the Zeiss equivalent to the 35mm Lux is a very good lens - but - it is enormous. As a first lens a 35mm has a great deal to commend it - the Leica 35mm Lux is outstanding on M240.  One advantage of starting with a 35mm Lux is that a second lens, there is always a second lens, can be the 75mm Cron. In total not much more expensive that a 50mm APO and a much more versatile outfit.  The Zeiss 35mm 1.4 is enourmous? The difference is not that big, come on. The price and performance difference is much bigger. The fact of the matter is that the new Zeiss 35mm 1.4 performs significantly better than the 35mm FLE at every f-stop, and costs less than HALF of the FLE new.  If I were to buy a 35mm 1.4 lens now, I would never ever consider the FLE - even though I own one! The Zeiss is a much better buy! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wda Posted November 17, 2014 Share #59 Â Posted November 17, 2014 Lais, Welcome to the forum. I think you would be extremely satisfied with the 50mm Summicron which is often under-rated in the company of its expensive siblings. It is a proven design and one lens I have had for 48 years. Only fairly recently did I buy a Summilux, which I really like; but the Summicron gets more outings because of its size/weight/ advantage. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted November 17, 2014 Share #60  Posted November 17, 2014 I had the impression the OP wanted something portable. I'm sure the Zeiss equivalent to the 35mm Lux is a very good lens - but - it is enormous. As a first lens a 35mm has a great deal to commend it - the Leica 35mm Lux is outstanding on M240.  One advantage of starting with a 35mm Lux is that a second lens, there is always a second lens, can be the 75mm Cron. In total not much more expensive that a 50mm APO and a much more versatile outfit.  Portable? The Summilux weighs 320 grams, the Zeiss 380. I don't think an added weight of 60 grams is THAT enormous.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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