Your favorite Leica lens?

[Hayek]

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I got bored of Noctilux Bokeh  after  a few month, just as  long exposures on waterfall , I changed it for the 50 APO

 

I take it then that you're satisfied with the swap?

 

The Noctilux always held mystique for me but as a lens I'd rent as needed. The APO seems more practicable for day-to-day shooting.

[taosantamonica]

a 35 fle and 50 noct are my two most carried on a mm and m240. i also have a 75 lux or 80r lux in my bag. Since i finally got my m9 back from a sensor change i carry a 28 cron on that. 

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[roelandinho]

Wow, nobody chose a Noctilux? Perhaps too specialized?

Too fat! :-)

 

 

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[gberger]

Whichever lens happens to be on my camera

[menos I M6]

35 f2 Konica UC-Hexanon LTM

 

… see what I did there?

[Gregm61]

1a. 35mm f2 Summicron ASPH

1b. 75mm f2 Summicron APO

1c. My newest acquisition, the 18mm f3.8 Super Elmar, an incredibly sharp lens. Not sure which is sharper, this or the 75. It's really close.

[Paul J]

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Favourite lens of all time is my Noctilux.

[jip]

For me currently it's the 70mm Summarit-S ASPH. CS, I can do fill in flash up to 1/1000 and it is great from close focus to infinity. 

[A Almulla]

When I got my M240 I also bought 2 lenses a few weeks apart, a 35 cron and 50 lux.  I think if I bought a 50 cron and 35 lux I would have been just as happy.

 

I love the 50 lux but shoot mostly with the 35 cron. Like 90+% with the cron.

 

 

In my case I'd word it as whats my preferred focal length rather than lens.  35mm.

[NB23]

No idea. When I start to think deeply about all my lenses and which I prefer I start to hate them all. Which is probably a own-too-many syndrome.

 

 

 

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Edited July 2, 2016 by NB23

[asiafish]

Such a difficult choice.

 

i own three Leica lenses at present, not to mention some very nice ancient (how about 1937?) Zeiss and a few Jupiters (Russian Zeiss).  I'm torn between 35 and 50mm and enjoy them both about equally.   I own the 35 Lux FLE and the 50 Lux ASPH and consider them both as close to perfect as possible at their respective focal lengths, but if I had to choose one, it would be the 35 Lux FLE.  There is just something about the way it draws.

 

50 Cron v5 and 35/2.5 Summarit woud be my choices of a budget, but yes 35 Lux FLE is, in my humble opinion, the one Leica lens that rules them all.  It is sharp, fast, renders beautifully, is small enough, light enough, and is probably Leica's most versatile rangefinder lens.  Light or dark, indoors or out, near or far, this lens covers more, and does it better than anything else I can imagine.  I rarely take it off of my M-E, and when I do it's usually to put it on my M Monochrom.

[steppenw0lf]

The Summilux-M 35 AA is my favorite.

But I use the Elmarit-M 28 (IV), the Summicron-M 35 (IV) and even the Summicron-M 50 more often with Ms.

 

The old Elmar 4/135 from 1961 is also nice, it really "sticks out" (silver color, and very sharp, "apo like"). Quite useful with the SL. See http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/186858-the-view-through-older-glass/page-143?do=findComment&comment=3056586

 

 

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Edited July 4, 2016 by steppenw0lf

[steppenw0lf]

I thought it is restricted to Leica M lenses. But to open up the field:

My all time favorite is the Apo Macro Elmarit-R 100 . A perfect lens at all apertures at all distances.

Great that there is the SL who revives the R lenses and combines the R and M range to a single collection.

Next comes the Apo Elmarit-R 180.

 

Finally the WATE rounds up the collection of favorites.

Edited July 5, 2016 by steppenw0lf

[ramosa]

50mm Summicron IV.

 

Pip.

Can't beat the Cron 50 in my book either.

[pgk]

My favourite Leica lens is the 35mm pre-aspheric Summilux, BUT .....

 

Its my favourite because to me it encapsulates all the attributes that a a Leica M lens should; its small, light, ergonomic, state-of-the-art in its day, has a fascinating history and more.

 

Whilst its a lens that I own and use its not the lens that I use most, in fact its a lens I only really use when I want to enjoy using it and for what its good at.

 

So what I am saying is that favourite may mean different things to different people.

[tobey bilek]

I have enough that it would be hard to pick.   They all have useful properties and all have one thing in common,  they are not fast ones except for 50 1.4 ASPH.  

 

So will will pick a list 24 3.8, 35 2.0 ASPH,  50 2.8 last version,  90 4.0 macro.  If I absolutely had to get it to one lens,  50 2.8

[tobey bilek]

 

I always enjoy a good discussion regarding "The Look"......I really don't think it exists ......or ever did........ at least not intentionally?

 

However  as Pico suggests  

"it  occurs in my opinion  when using an early soft  lens, usually 50mm with a large aperture with strong side-light. The film of the time was as responsible as the lens for the look"

 

There is a "special" combination of sharpness ,contrast and warmth that appears on my M240 and my new summicron  lenses.....It doesn't happen on my secondary market brand lenses...and I'v no experence with used Leica lenses ...yet

 

I am no expert on Leica and its history. I am an expert in that I have used many many brands of cameras over 40years.Nikon Hasslelblad, Mamiya, Canons, combinations of view camera, etc. all look different.

Professionally I would seek out equipment/lenses that had qualities that had a special look beyond being the correct focal length for the shot

 

IE:  T* Zeiss Hasselblad had a great look.....in B&W (FP4) and Ektachrome (EPP).

There is nothing like an 8.25 Gold Dot Swiss Dagor on Ektachrom (EPP)

 

Nikon's "look" always need something either in print or filtering and many of their lenses were different from each other. Some were great some not

 

That said today's Leica and Leica's choices in manufacture coatings and firmware do produce a more desirable "look" than my current Nikon's....At lease to me.

 

Yet another reason I prefer shooting with my 240.....I just love  the quality of the pictures ....even before I tweak them...in LR or PS

 

I'm giving you all  my two cents because I'm putting together my Leica kit and want to tap into your wealth of experience ....Near as I can tell all the reasonably current film and digital lenses have special qualities because Leica has tweaked their sensor to work and look great with all their stable of lenses old and new.

 

From the way this forum has answer my lens questions .....there is not a bad lens in the bunch....just different great qualities......And you guys are a picky bunch;-)

 

 

 

 

 

You need to learn to process the Nikon files.  You can get there. Make a preset

[Jeffry Abt]

The 35mm f2 Summicron ASPH is perfect !

[faxao]

The 35mm f2 Summicron ASPH is perfect !

+1 

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[michaelwj]

My favourite Leica lens is the 35mm pre-aspheric Summilux, BUT .....

 

Its my favourite because to me it encapsulates all the attributes that a a Leica M lens should; its small, light, ergonomic, state-of-the-art in its day, has a fascinating history and more.

 

Whilst its a lens that I own and use its not the lens that I use most, in fact its a lens I only really use when I want to enjoy using it and for what its good at.

 

So what I am saying is that favourite may mean different things to different people.

+1, BUT...

 

It is also my most used lens