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Elmar 24 f/3.8: Is it any good?


BjarniM

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  • 2 months later...

MarkP, thanks for your (as always) excellent photos posted in this thread and most particularly for #6 = spectacular and #10 = utterly spectacular!

After some indecision I went ahead and bought a 24 Elmar earlier this afternoon, before finding and reading this thread, your lovely shots confirm my decision to buy.

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The 24 Elmar is, according to datasheet published by Leica, a technically extremely good lens. However, the 24mm FOV seems not "wide enough" quiet often for landscape and architecture, in which case 21mm or wider may be better choice. I am thinking about getting a 24 Elmar or Zeiss 25/2.8 biogon since I am using a film MP with 0.58x viewfinder, and 24/25mm FOV seems to be the widest I can use without an external viewfinder (I'm going to use the outer frame of the viewfinder as composition frameline).

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  • 1 year later...

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I love this lens a lot!

Small, light, sharp like a razor at any aperture. Fun to use!!!

 

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I second, it is a superb lens. There is always at least one compromise and here it is the aperture. Nothing else. I think I paid $1’900 for a mint example from an authorised dealer. If 24mm is right for you and f/3.8 is not an issue you’l never look back.

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On the TL2 – even better with the M10!

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Agree that this gem of a lens is plenty sharp enough and 'fast' enough. Buy and enjoy.

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24mm Street

 

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How does the 24 compare to the 21 SEM and 28 Cron Asph that bracket it?

 

Obvious FOV differences aside, in my experience, there's very little (if anything) in rendering between the 21 and the 24. The Summicron ASPH seems to be smoother, more subtle, with less contrast and a more progressive transition from one plane to the other. In fact, I find the Elmarit 28/2.8 a better match to the 21/3.4 and 24/3.8 than the Summicron. My copy of the Summicron ASPH also shows more vignetting, but this may be down to the fact that it's not the latest version. Subjectively, I find colours from the 21/24 somewhat more neutral, with those from the Summicron being a bit warmer to my eyes.

 

Edit: forgot to mention that there is substantially less viewfinder blockage (esp. with the hood) on the 21/24 (and 28/2.8) than on the 28/2.

Edited by Ecar
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I also have all these lenses and completely agree with Ecar's statement, including that the more transparent and modern 'rendering' of the 28 Elmarit is more sympathetic (except for still higher contrast) with that of the 21 & 24 than that of the 28 Summicron which has a more 'gentle and subtle' look to it.  These are very subjective terms as the lens qualities are indeed quite hard to describe.

 

Ecar,

I don't think the vignetting differs much between v1 and v2 2.0/28 Summicron ASPHs.

Who still uses the original 'frankenhood' of the v1 28 Summicron? I have used alternative Leica hoods since I first got mine.

Mark

Edited by MarkP
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Ecar,

I don't think the vignetting differs much between v1 and v2 2.0/28 Summicron ASPHs.

Who still uses the original 'frankenhood' of the v1 28 Summicron? I have used alternative Leica hoods since I first got mine.

Mark

 

Thanks Mark. I was hoping the vignetting on the current version would be somewhat reduced - it would have given me a good reason to upgrade  ;)

To be honest, the 28/2 ASPH is a fantastic lens on all counts, but it has never really 'wowed' me. Maybe the Summilux would?...

And you are right, the stock hood is an ungodly creation and I also use alternative hoods. But even the vented ones would block a bit more of the viewfinder than the tiny ones that grace the 21/3.4 or the 24/3.8.

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