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Getting an M240, now I need a starter lens, would love to hear your input :-)


jcatral14

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Hello all,

If you were starting out and had roughly a $5k budget, what would you get?

I initially wanted to pick up the Summaron 28/5.6 and look for a pre-loved Summilux 50/1.4. The Summilux 35/1.4 FLE is also a good choice in my opinion and I can see myself happily using that lens exclusively for 2 years. Now a good friend told me to give the Summicron APO 50/2 a good look :o

Would love the hear your thoughts.

Many thanks and have a great weekend!

Jay

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Welcome Jay!

 

Base your decision regarding focal length on your accrued experience pre-Leica ownership. That should inform your choice far more convincingly than strangers. We all have personal preferences.

 

Once you have settled on focal length, set a budget and buy the best lens in that sector. Good lenses last a very long time if used sensibly, and hold value better than camera bodies. So buy the best that you can afford. My guess is that 35mm or 50mm meet most requirements for a first lens.

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The APO 50mm Summicron is a brilliant lens ... but, and a very big but, is the high cost. Until you know if you will stick with a rangefinder then it is an expensive first lens. If you do buy one and keep the M240 you will never regret it. 

 

My advice, if you want 50mm, is the f/1.4 ASPH Summilux. It gives excellent results and is nearly as good as the APO Summicron. It is much cheaper.

 

Summarons tend to be even cheaper, and then there are Voigtlander bargains that are the cheapest but don't have 6 bit coding.

 

You need to assess your budget and work from there. Good luck.

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If it were me, I'd go for either a pre-ASPH Elmarit 28mm or a Summilux or Summicron 35 and a Summilux 75mm.  But I'm weird that way.  Beyond echoing wda's advice above, I'd suggest spending a reasonable amount of time here and on internet photo sites like Flickr or 500px in search of renderings that most appeal to your personal sensibilities.  Buying into others notion of best without doing your own homework can be a dissatisfying, not to mention expensive, learning experience. 

Edited by Tailwagger
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There aren't any bad Leica lenses. Pick a focal length. Summarits and Summicrons are typically good values (forget the 50 APO). Find a good dealer, with warranty and return policy.

 

I still use a 35 Summicron after starting with one 35 years ago.

 

Jeff

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what do you take photos of ? without knowing my general advice would be 35 & 75 Summicrons .

 

The 35 summicron is a classic view, light, high quality. The 75 summicron balances it well, a very different angle of view, also light weight compared to the 90. both these would very likely remain in your kit.  

 

The best way to decide is to think about where you want to end . for example if you will end up with a 3 lens kit i would make different choices then having a 4 lens or 2 lens kit. Given my experiences - like many things ,  knowing where you want to be (end) is the determining factor - from there there are likely many ways to start.   

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You have to decide which focal length you like most. 28 is tiny, small and very slow lens. Daylight and flash only lens. 35,50 APO, FLE are in the opposite. And heavy. 

If you are OK with 5.6, do you really need 1.4?

If it is 5K$ for starter lens, do you need to start with prestige lens or good two lenses to start? :)

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Thank you all :)

I really like the 28/5.6 for travel and reportage type photos and despite the slow 5.6 aperture I think with the 240 it can be used indoors no problem. If I got that lens I would still have enough for a used 50/1.4 Lux ;) I can substitute the Elmarit 28 and get a bit faster and still be around my budget.

The 35/1.4 was what I really wanted originally and still do. Reading up on it, it appears to be a perfect all-round lens for what I like to do (mainly travel, landscapes and family) and can extend to low light photography with the 1.4 aperture :)

The APO Summicron 50/2, well, what can I say? :wub: I may be able to find a used one for a stretch more than $5k :D

HAGWE!

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I would read reviews for 28/5.6 first or ask one specific question. Is this lens works fine without hood in terms of getting finger on exposure? I have 28/6 little lens and I really have to watch my index finger. It is annoying. Putting hood on it to avoid this problem voids compact factor and 28 2.8 Asph would be the same in size, I guess, but superior in performance. IMO.

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Nice question :)... I have a 28 5,6 (the "old one", indeed)and never had problem of fingers : the reason is that, being the focus operated via knob, the way I use it has never brought to the issue; the only "intrusion" that 2 or 3 times I experienced (but was at film times - M4) was from the case... I used often M4 with its "pronto" case and in vertical takings , with front of the case "floating" at side... it happened (of course, this happened some times with the SA 21 too...)

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A big fan of the 50 mm length. It is so versatile. Move out and it behaves like a mild wideangle, move in and it is like a short tele.

Cropping is all fine, but where do you stop? One could crop a 50 mm FOV out of an 18 mm lens shot, but what is the point?

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If you don't have enough experience to know which focal length you prefer i would avoid too long or too wide focal lengths and make a choice between 35 and 50mm, for a first lens, based on your preference only. Then choose the wider aperture you need. And then, and only then, choose the lens you prefer. Happy snaps :).

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If you don't have enough experience to know which focal length you prefer i would avoid too long or too wide focal lengths and make a choice between 35 and 50mm, for a first lens, based on your preference only. Then choose the wider aperture you need. And then, and only then, choose the lens you prefer. Happy snaps :).

Hi “ltc”!

It is the value advice! The 35 and 50mm len will be the first start of len, then select the focal which is suitable for.

I paid a lesson for selecting the focal lens!

Have a nice day!

Thanks!

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If you are partial to the 28mm focal length, the 28 Emarit ASPH II is stunning. I bought one in April for a trip to Japan, and I'm very pleased :)

 

Add a 50 Summicron (non APO) and you are done. Both new and in budget, too. What more could you want?

 

I'd get the 28 and shoot that for a good while before acquiring a second lens, though. You will learn more from taking photographs than listening to us, anyway ;)

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