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First Leica: M240 + Voigtlander 35mm or...?


FirstLeica

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Hey guys. I'm looking to buy my first Leica M. Played with it in store and I'm in love.

 

The only issue is my budget. I have about $4000 to burn. And I need advice to know how to spend it. Good thing is, I already know I'm married to the 35mm FOV because of Fuji X100 series.

 

SO... Question:

 

Should I get a Leica M240 with a 'cheaper' Voigtlander 35mm f1.4 or the f2.5 Color Skopar...

 

OR

 

Invest in a Leica Summicron-M 35mm (dream lens) + pick up an 'older' M9 (and upgrade the body in the future)?

 

Any input will be much appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance.

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My vote is for M9+Summicron. I️ went back to M9 after “upgrading” to the M240 last year and have no regrets. The only thing I️ miss is live view for certain situations/lenses.

 

Also don’t rule out Zeiss ZM lenses, the 35mm Biogon is usually around $800 used.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Welcome to the forum FirstLeica. Camera bodies lose value but the M240 is holding value well because it is an exceptionally good body.

 

Lenses rarely lose value after the initial loss of VAT, TVA, Sales tax, or whatever tax your government loads onto new sales.

 

Best bet is to buy second hand where the sales tax has been paid by someone else. IMO Leica glass is far superior to cheaper alternatives, and has a better resale value if you decide to change a lens.

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I own a 240 with both a Biogon 35mm 2.0 and an LTM Voigtlander 35mm 1.7

 

Both lenses are great.  The only issue with the Voigtlander is minimum focus is .9M.  I tested both against 3 samples of the Summicron ASPH.  All three Summicrons had very noticeable focus shift when stopped down and were out-resolved by the Voigtlander and Zeiss.  I was shocked. 

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I started my Leica digital life with an M240 and Nokton 35mm f1.4, but soon realised the limitations of this lens. I quickly upgraded to a Zeiss Biogon 35mm f2.8 and although I now also possess the 35mm FLE Asph I still love the look of the Zeiss files. This would be my recommendation. M240 and Biogon.

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I've had the 35 Skopar 2.5 for yrs - was bought used.  No complaints.  Love the size & weight as well

 

Since you're new, I'd shoot a lot first and not worry about expensive new lenses.  Over time your needs / style will dictate what you need next.

 

And please print a lot too!

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Hi First Leica,

 

Another option is M240 ( which I own ) and look for a second hand Summarit which are superior to to CV lenses.

​And the big advantage is, that the LEICA lenses are 6bit coded.

Do you have a LEICA Dealer ? For sure, he will let you test the quite good Summarit lenses.

​For beginners with Leica System I think a 50 mm or 35 mm is quite good.

I do not use another brand than LEICA Lenses with my LEICA Camera ( M2 , Monochrom 1 and M 240 )

 

​I which a good choice.

 

Greetings 

Andreas

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Thanks guys. I think I’ll go for a used 35mm Summicron ASPH, as most of you have recommended—since the lens holds its own value.

 

Will probably go for a used M9 and upgrade in the future.

 

Be it an M9 + ‘cron or M240 + Voigtlander, I don’t think any of those options will disappoint!

Good choice... but not because lens holds value, because the image is 90% (maybe more) from lens. The impact of sensor characteristics in final output is much less in comparison. Of course, haptics of body matters too but in your options (M9, M240), they are same.

 

BTW, welcome to the forum. :)

Edited by jmahto
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The M9 is a far trickier camera to handle than an M240 what with the M9's narrower dynamic range and low ISO ceiling, so if the OP is coming from another camera system this may be a stumbling block. It just seems a bit mad to start out with one arm tied behind your back when an M240 with a 2.5 35mm Skopar is a dream ticket. It may not be the most glamorous lens given the predilection for bling, but a good one will hold it's own against far more expensive options. After the initial excitement and spending fury has died down and the OP has taken stock of which direction they want to go regarding lenses that is a good time to review the Skopar and if a Summicron would be better.

Edited by 250swb
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The 35mm Summicron is a beautiful lens and also being an X100 user, it’s also my go to lens with the M240.

 

I purchased a new M240 and 35mm Summicron but had to wait ages for the lens to arrive. So, I picked up a fantastic used 50mm summicron but pre 6-bit coded for a bargain price. It was 1/3 of the price of my 35mm lens.

 

Furthermore, I 6-bit coded it myself using a coding ring I bought from eBay for $15. Money well spent as Leica charge £300 for this in the UK.

 

There is nothing quite like a Leica lens attached to a Leica camera. I have tried other lenses but I’m really not keen but that is my personal experience and preference. I believe you should have at least 1 Leica lens and the 35mm summicron won’t disappoint you.

 

Another point to note, I thought about buying an M9 as a backup and still might but I was dissuaded by finding out that they have a sensor rotting issue which is why so many have had replacement sensors. I don’t know a whole lot about this but something to check out if you go down the M9 route. I need to research this more myself also.

 

I love my M240 and can’t imagine shooting with anything else now.

 

Have fun researching and let us know which setup you go for.

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