Which 35mm lens?

[lct]

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I was tempted by the CV 35/1.7 as well but its size and old style focus ring are not my cup of tea. I just miss the tiny size of my 35/2 v4 with the 35/2 asph but the latter is the best compact 35 i've ever used between f/2.8 and f/1.4 so far. My favorite 35 in good light remains the ZM 35/2.8 though.

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[michaelwj]

I'm with you on the odd styling on the CV 1.7. If it had a focus tab I'd be all over it.

[james.liam]

I'm with you on the odd styling on the CV 1.7. If it had a focus tab I'd be all over it.

They mimicked the 'retro look' of the 1,5/50. Cosina has done the same with the SLR lenses. I imagine it is their point of aesthetic distinction that probably has the greatest appeal in the quirky Japanese market.

[lct]

The point was to mimick legacy Ultrons i guess.

 

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[Myvalko]

Hi Carcam

 

I am myself also looking for a 35mm which would be a general pupose lens. As Ex-Newbie said above, Zeiss lenses are good alternatives. Ok, it might not be super fast but being lighter, you can use slower speeds. I've read svereal good comments about the zeiss. In a book on the M9 and lenses, the Zeiss c-biogon 35mm was rated 5 stars. I've read also that it is nearly as sharp as the Leica 35mm asph. But keep it mind that it is using other filter size

 

I did not personally tried these lenses, only infos I got from the net. But I am using a Zeiss 28mm and the lens is very good, for a fair price.

 

Indeed cropping is an alternative but you don't get the same angle of view.

 

Just my 2 cents. I hope it helps...

[Gregm61]

There's actually an Ultron that Voigtlander (the original German company) made in Leica screw mount from the 1950's that's much closer looking to the modern "classic" versions being made today by Cosina..

 

[michaelwj]

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They mimicked the 'retro look' of the 1,5/50. Cosina has done the same with the SLR lenses. I imagine it is their point of aesthetic distinction that probably has the greatest appeal in the quirky Japanese market.

 

 

The point was to mimick legacy Ultrons i guess.

 

Ultron_5020_si.jpg

 

 

There's actually an Ultron that Voigtlander (the original German company) made in Leica screw mount from the 1950's that's much closer looking to the modern "classic" versions being made today by Cosina..

 

 

 

Yeah I get the whole 'classic' line thing they've got going on, but I suppose there must have been a reason that they stopped making lenses with that awful focus ring a few decades ago. Sometimes ideas of the past are best left in the past.

[lct]

[...] Sometimes ideas of the past are best left in the past.

 

You mean like sans video cameras?

[michaelwj]

You mean like sans video cameras?

I must admit you've lost me sorry.

But yep. Like that

[Gregm61]

LOL...

 

The ribbed ring on the 35/1.7 C/V Ultron isn't so bad in actual use. To be honest, at typical distances you do not have to turn the ring very far to achieve focus as the throw is on the very short side, much like the 75mm f2 Summicron.

 

It's so short there's not enough room to show depth of field markers for f2 or f2.8 and you just have to barely tweek it short of infinity to maximize the depth of focus at f4. For f2.8 and wider I just focus on the subject.

 

I do love shooting the Ultron close to, if not wide open. The focus point is nice and sharp, allowing one to single out a subject from a pretty respectable distance considering the focal length, and the out of focus rendering is quite nice..

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jared]

Like you, I own the 50mm APO and I love it.  The problem with that lens for me is that I don't take very compelling pictures at 50mm.  I tend to do better either wider or with a short telephoto.  Of course, that varies from one photographer to another.  You mentioned that your family was more impressed with the pictures you took with the 50mm than with the 35mm Summarit.  I'd recommend asking them why.  I suspect it has more to do with you as a photographer than with the capabilities of either lens.  Perhaps you simply "see" better at 50mm and are therefore choosing more effective framing.  I'd give a little thought to that possibility before deciding to switch 35mm lenses or you may be disappointed in the results.  

 

I have never owned the 35mm Summarit, but from what I understand it is an exceptional lens as long as you don't mind the speed.  I have owned the 35mm Summicron Asphere in the past and was never very happy with it.  I suspect mine needed calibrating, but I never got it done.  Most people who own one rave about them, so I'm willing to accept that mine was an aberration.  I currently own the current 35mm Summilux (often referred to as the FLE).  It's a great lens, and I can recommend it highly.  Perfectly usable at f/1.4 for almost any purpose, and in my experience it's less prone to flare than the Summicron.  At f/5.6 and f/8 it is very nearly the equal to the 50mm APO in terms of contrast.  Field curvature is a little wonky on this lens, which is something you might want to keep in mind depending on the types of subjects you shoot.  By wonky, I mean it isn't a simple crescent shape--it seems to go in and out a bit as you move across the frame.  Not a huge deal on a 35mm, but you'll occasionally see the effects and it can come across as a little odd since most people expect sharpness to consistently decline as you move away from the subject across the frame.  

 

Personally, if you are thinking of switching simply because your pictures don't look quite as good with the Summarit I'd try to spend some more time with the 35mm.  It's possible that there is something wrong with your lens, but it's more likely the photographer.  That's not intended as an insult--I'm the exact opposite and take better pictures at 35mm than at 50mm and it has nothing at all to do with the equipment.  If you simply switch lenses, you'll probably still be disappointed.  I know that's not very fun advice since you won't get to try something new if you listen to me, but I don't want you disappointed after spending a bunch of money to switch.  

 

Best of luck whatever your decision!

[cp995]

...

I have never owned the 35mm Summarit, but from what I understand it is an exceptional lens as long as you don't mind the speed...

 

I own the 35mm Summarit too, but my Ultron 1.7/35 for me blows it away in every usecase ...

... except the size.

And so I may keep it?

[Gregm61]

I am going to hold on to my Summicron ASPH. May even send it to DAG now to check out, because the 35/1.7 Ultron is the one getting used.

[ECohen]

My 2¢
Go for the  Summicron-M 35mm f/2 ASPH lens.
Its small, easy to carry and shoot with .....not to mention sharp and a tack! You really cant go wrong with this classic.
And lets face it your working on a  collection ...this will be your 35

Its also the perfect walking around lens
 

[NB23]

Joy is when you open the cabinet and choose according to your mood.

 

You need one of each.

[ECohen]

I totally agree with the above statement ....twice!

[mdemeyer]

+1 for the Zeiss ZM 35 F1.4

 

As long as you don't mind the weight, it's nothing short of spectacular as stated below.

 

 

 

 

A 28mm is often spoken of as a 'natural' complement to a 50, but you must see for yourself.

If ƒ/2 isn't an absolute necessity, the CV 2,5/35 is an inexpensive option for a little-used FL if you don't need the speed; doesn't focus-shift and a great lens. Another stellar but overlooked choice is the Zeiss 2,8/35 'C'; tack-sharp from ƒ/2.8, nearly flare-free and high-contrast. Both are really (really) small.

The Zeiss 1,4/35 has received accolades as perhaps the best 35 in a generation. Big. Heavy. Spectacular colors. Zero focus shift and a flat field. Did I mention big and heavy?

The Leica 35/1.4 FLE is one of my favorites, but whilst the floating element dramatically reduced the focus-shift issue of its immediate predecessor, it didn't eliminate it. Handling wise, it is a dream.

 

"lct" appears to possess a 35 Summicron ASPH that doesn't focus-shift and in this, may have an outlier sample because many users report the issue from ƒ/2.8-5.6.

Really loved the look at ƒ/2 but mine shifted like crazy and ruined its share of shots at ƒ/4 before I realized the issue.

[01af]

Switching from a Summarit-M 35 mm Asph to a Summicron-M 35 mm Asph does not mean an upgrade (well, except with regard to lens speed). If you're unhappy with the results from the Summarit then maybe there's something wrong with the lens. In any case, the Apo-Summicron-M 50 mm Asph is an extremely strong competitor for any lens to be compared to. Maybe you want to look into the 28 mm focal length ... it's my impression that the Summilux-M 28 mm Asph and the (new) Summicron-M 28 mm Asph are even better than any 35 mm M lens.

 

If 28 mm is not an option then your best choice would be the Summilux-M 35 mm Asph; your second-best, to keep the Summarit-M 35 mm Asph. If you're willing to consider non-Leica lenses then the Zeiss Distagon T* 35 mm 1:1.4 ZM.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[autograph]

ditto...

[sdw]

I've never been in love with a lens as much as the 35mm Lux ASPH-FLE. It's just stellar. Lacks the sterile rendering of its 50mm counterpart, yet incredibly sharp.