ZM black aint finish

[jonatdonuts]

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Hi guys,

 

Was wondering if any of you could advise me on how the black ZM lenses look on the black paint M bodies (i.e. MP, M6 Millennium, M9 etc). How close is the finish of the two?

 

Pictures welcome!

 

Thanks

[frame-it]

google search ?

 

 

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[Ecar]

These are VM, not ZM lenses. Need to work on those searching skills 

[lct]

No experience with black paint bodies sorry but my ZM 50/1.5 and 35/2.8 lenses look pretty well the same as Leica black anodized ones besides red instead of yellow or orange engravings, silver bayonet for hoods, focus bump and blue dot if i don't forget anything.

[frame-it]

i know..but the black finish is the same

These are VM, not ZM lenses. Need to work on those searching skills 

[Beena22]

Sorry for the terrible photos but you get the idea.

 

 

 

[jdlaing]

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i know..but the black finish is the same

No. It’s not. And then there is the silly silver nose.

[Csacwp]

Ugly looking lenses.  Leica's offerings are smaller and aesthetically better.

[Ko.Fe.]

Ugly looking lenses.  Leica's offerings are smaller and aesthetically better.

Don't know if you have seen 50/2 ZM in black for real, I have seen. And f2.8 35, 28mm. They are not big. 

[lct]

Ugly looking lenses.  Leica's offerings are smaller and aesthetically better.

 

I would not generalize this way. ZM 50/1.5 and 35/2.8 lenses are very small, nicely made and have a superb IQ with very smooth focus action. I don't find them ugly at all but this is subjective obviously. Better use the 50/1.5 with an EVF though as it suffers from focus shift. But if you're after a portrait lens forgiving at f/1.5-f/2 and very sharp above this one is my favorite ever. Now the tiny 35/2.8 is very contrasty and is not forgiving at all. But what a sharp lens. It has virtually no flare, no CA, no distortion but vignettes more than its Leica counterparts. Here with the Summicron 35/2 asph v1.

 

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[Csacwp]

I can’t speak to the image quality, but that 35 f/2.8 is nearly as big as Leica’s f/2, and it has no aspherical element in it!

[jaapv]

Ugly looking lenses.  Leica's offerings are smaller and aesthetically better.

Actually the Zeiss Biogon-C 35/2.8 is the best looking lens on my Monochrom 1, the red numbers match the red on the camera markings- also the 35 that works best on that camera, BTW. It doesn't need an aspherical element, it seems. Matter of design.

[microview]

To answer the OP: the Leica cameras in black have a dull black finish, whereas the ZM lenses (eg, the 50mm f1.4) have a satiny, more reflective finish. However, these differences are slight. Agree about the chrome outer ring on the Zeiss lenses (7, above): wish they didn't have them but they look less obtrusive on the silver finish lenses. Blue dot rather than red, of course      .

[Nordvik]

Ugly looking lenses.  Leica's offerings are smaller and aesthetically better.

Some are smaller, but not all. The 50mm Planar have the exact same length as a Summicron, but have a 43mm filter (Leica 39mm). The 2,8/28 Biogon is bigger than the Elmarit, but the 2,8/35 Biogon-C and 1,5/50 Sonnar-C is really small.

 

I like how the Zeiss lenses look on a Leica.

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[lct]

To answer the OP: the Leica cameras in black have a dull black finish, whereas the ZM lenses (eg, the 50mm f1.4) have a satiny, more reflective finish. However, these differences are slight. Agree about the chrome outer ring on the Zeiss lenses (7, above): wish they didn't have them but they look less obtrusive on the silver finish lenses. Blue dot rather than red, of course      .

 

+1 about glossy vs satin matte finish but the chrome outer ring of ZM lenses is a bayonet for use of the sturdy ZM hoods. Same about CV lenses like 35/1.2, 35/1.4 or 40/1.4 BTW. Any painting would wear out there unless plastic is used for the bayonet i guess. Better way to hide the bayonet is to use it i.e. to put a lens hood on .

Edit: Zeiss Ikon lenses for Contarex and perhaps Contaflex (not sure) had that same bayonet if memory serves.

Edited February 9, 2018 by lct

[lct]

+1 about glossy vs satin matte finish [...]

 

Not so sure. Just checked and i don't see any significant difference actually. My black anodized Leica, ZM and CV lenses have the same satin matte finish more or less. I mean on ZM 35/2.8 and 50/1.5 as i have no experience with other ZM lenses though.