Dimitriotis Posted May 10, 2007 Share #1 Posted May 10, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) I use Canon equipment (1DS Mark 2) and will be purchasing my first digital Leica, the M8. As many, I am confused about which lens(es) to use with the camera. On my 1DS I mostly use a 24-70mm (mostly at 70mm), 2.8, which does a pretty good job all round. I have the idea that a 50mm would be like using a 70mm on a full size chip. Firstly, I'm not really sure as some people different things to others. I really like 70mm on my Canon, any shorter noses start getting big for portaiture. There is a 50mm f1.0 lens which I hear little spoken of, any advice on this one? Then there are the f1.4 and f2 lenses. Has anyone had experience with these? The minimum focal length seems shorter on the f1.4 so that would be my choice I think. I'm just in the habit of asking around before spending money, so any advice would be very welcome. Some say the 28-35-50 is a good lens, but being an f4 lens I'm worried about using high iso settings on the M8 for fear of noise and colour breaking up in the dark areas. Again, any advice would be great. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted May 10, 2007 Posted May 10, 2007 Hi Dimitriotis, Take a look here Lenses for M8. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jackal Posted May 10, 2007 Share #2 Posted May 10, 2007 an expert will be a long in a minute but for 50mm i gather that the new 1.4 summilux is quite incredible. You can forget the Noctilux (the F1 lens), its more of a specialist night time lens with a very specific 'look' that many don't actually like and its definitely not for general purpose (too big, too difficult to focus) and the 1.4 lux will likely be sharper especially when stopped down. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marknorton Posted May 10, 2007 Share #3 Posted May 10, 2007 Certainly agree that if 70mm is your "normal" lens on an FF camera, the 50/1.4 will be an ideal starting point and a whole 2 stops faster than your Canon lens. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hahn73 Posted May 10, 2007 Share #4 Posted May 10, 2007 If you're interested in seeing what Noctilux photos look like, try either PBase Photo Database - Photo Hosting - Photo Sharing - Web Photo Galleries (click on "camera database", click on "Leitz", and then scroll down to the Noctilux - click on it to see pics), or Welcome to Flickr - Photo Sharing (either search for Noctilux in everyone's photos, or search for the group pool Noctilux). There's a very particular look to the lens and people either love it or hate it. Except me - I'm indifferent about it. BTW, I just got an M8 myself and was worried at first about the nose thing as well on shorter focal lengths. However, while I'm waiting for my longer lenses, I've been using a Zeiss 21mm 2.8 Biogon and I've taken some up close shots of people and there really isn't any "nose enlargement" that I can discern. I think it's less of a problem with the M system because many of the wide lenses have just about zero distortion. That's my theory anyhow. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpattinson Posted May 10, 2007 Share #5 Posted May 10, 2007 The 50 1.4 Summilux ASPH is very good on the M8, if you like a very shallow dof in your portraits it's great. I traded my 50 Summicron for one before I bought the M8, so I can't compare them on the M8, but I can say that the shots I've taken with it on film are easily equal to the Summicron. It is tricky to focus at 1.4, and if you are doing a lot of portraits then you might want to use the eyepiece magnifier. One minor advantage the 1.4 has is that the built in hood locks into place, wheras the one on the 2.0 was basically useless - I ended up having to re-deploy it all the time as it was so easily pushed in. It is however bigger than the 2.0, but on the M8 it does not obstruct the framelines like it does on my M7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dimitriotis Posted May 11, 2007 Author Share #6 Posted May 11, 2007 Thanks, I think the 50mm 1.4 will be my choice and perhaps a 28mm too. Should I be using an infra red filter to avoid wierd stuff in the darks or not necessary? I'm not very clear on this point. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lensblur Posted May 11, 2007 Share #7 Posted May 11, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) I use UV/IR for coded 28 cron, but not on the 50 lux. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lensblur Posted May 11, 2007 Share #8 Posted May 11, 2007 BTW, I used to use 50 noc with M6 for a while. Really hated it. Not so sharp at f/1.0 and very front-heavy. And I could only see about 60-70% of viewfinder as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Marks Posted May 11, 2007 Share #9 Posted May 11, 2007 You have not said what kind of photography you like to do. I do a lot of portraiture and my favorite lenses are the current 50/1.4 Asph (as opposed to the older 50/1.4) and the 75/2. I also think that the 50/1 Noctilux has a great look. At f:1 you can really isolate your subject; the drawback is that it is fabulously expensive these days. You can get a lot of good glass that costs less. Cosina/Voigtlander makes a great 50/1.5 Nocton as well as other lenses that perform well on the M8 with an adapter. There is also the current Zeiss 50/2 Planar and a discontinued, though excellent Konica Hexanon-M 50/2. There are also used lenses such as older 50 and 35 Summicrons that are great lenses in their own right. If you live near a camera store, you can march right in with an M8 and ask to try out some lenses. After all, one of digital's great advances is the instant feedback afforded the user. Good luck and have fun with your search. Sincerely, Ben Marks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dimitriotis Posted May 11, 2007 Author Share #10 Posted May 11, 2007 The sort of stuff I'm shooting is mostly lifestyle and portraiture (see: http://www.dimitri.co.uk). The toss up for me is 1.0 or 1.4 at 50mm. There is a difference in minimum focal length (the 1.4 allows you to go closer) and of course that extra stop of light but, as some have said, its heavier and more pricey. I'll most likely go for the 1.4. I'm based in sunny Cape Town so there are no M8's to even look at in stores here, I'll be in New York next month and am planning a Leica shopping spree. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Marks Posted May 12, 2007 Share #11 Posted May 12, 2007 If the choice is between the 50/1 and the 50/1.4, I would go for the 1.4, without hesitation. The 50/1.4 Asph is one of the sharpest lenses I have ever used, has great bokeh and is an all around stunner. The 50/1 has its own special place . . . and I love it, but for a general purpose lens the 1.4 would be what I was after. Now if you need the extra stop . . . then go for it. But 1.4 is still a nice fast lens. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dimitriotis Posted May 12, 2007 Author Share #12 Posted May 12, 2007 Thanks Ben, my choice is made, the 1.4 for sure. Do you know anything about the infra red problem? Is it as simple as using a filter to avoid the darks going nuts? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted May 12, 2007 Share #13 Posted May 12, 2007 Hi Dimitri, I think you chose the correct 50 - or rather you chose the one I would have chosen :-). I have a f2 Summicron and the Nocti, but if I were buying now I'd go for the Summilux to replace them both. I've only had a single day's shooting with a load Summilux but it is spectacular. Regarding the IR issue. Get a filter and the IR problem disappears. It really is as simple as that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carstenw Posted May 13, 2007 Share #14 Posted May 13, 2007 Another vote for the 50/1.4A, although I would caution that some copies have been known to either back-focus or have focus drift, so I would test it carefully before crossing equator again. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Marks Posted May 13, 2007 Share #15 Posted May 13, 2007 I am aware of the IR problem, but I have not purchased any filter to address this and do not plan on doing so in the immediate future. I did not see any evidence of this in blacks until I photographed my daughter's ballet class. I tend to convert a lot of my image to b&w anyway and so the question of purplish fabrics just doesn't make that much a difference to me. Good luck with the lens purchase! Ben Marks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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