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The Third Lens


designdog

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Having sold off a ton of Nikon gear, and scraped enough funds elsewhere, I find myself owning a new M10, 35mm Summicron, and 50mm Summicron. Next I need the third lens of wha I foresee as a three lens Leica kit. It will either be 75 or 90mm, pretty sure.

 

In my Nikon experience I had several very fast pro lenses along with the D5: Nikon 28mm 1.4E, 35mm 1.4 Sigma Art, 50mm 1.4 Sigma Art, 58mm 1.4G, 85mm 1.4G, 105mm 1.5E. Yet I never really shoot at an aperture larger than 2.8 - pretty much F4, F5.6, F8. In fact my favorite lens of my Nikon era was the Zeiss 35mm F2.

 

What I am getting at is the reason I didn't spend even more money for Summilux lenses. I am thinking of either the 75mm Summarit 2.5 or the 90mm Summarit 2.4. The Summicron for either focal length would be nice, but I see these as occasional lenses, not primary.

 

Any thoughts?

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If it doesn't need to be new, you can probably find a Summicron in near-mint condition that will cost roughly as much as a new Summarit.

If you were planning to buy used, the Summarits are excellent value for money and you'll be hard pressed to notice a meaningful real-world difference with their Summicron siblings, particularly stopped down.

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With SLRs you going narrow, with RF you are going wide. 

I have 35 and 50 to share among two M. I was trying to use 90 multiple times and it was just not in use. 

Some long time Leica user told me about his use of 21mm. More I look into it and through 20mm VF I have, more I see why 21 is so popular among M users.

But it might be difficult after SLR. So, if 90 is to be the third lens, don't discount Elmar 90/4, they are great lenses on digital and easy to get.

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Once you've played with the M for a month or so, and it's starting to feel more second-nature, try the frameline selector to help you answer the question for your own shooting needs.

 

Here's how the selector helped me... I frequently use my M for candid shots of family and friends. I'm usually close enough that either 35 or 50 provides the intimacy I'm looking for - but when I'm further away, like at a dinner party, I found I wouldn't always have the reach to create that look. That's when the frameline selector came to the rescue! Sometime ago, I was at a party, frustrated with the shots I was getting with a 50mm lens, and so I looked first at the 75 and then the 90 frameline, and it was clear that the 90 would create the frame I was hoping for. I got the 90 APO Summicron second-hand and never looked back - I've had no problem focusing it manually (or at least I have a similar hit rate as the 50 summicron wide open), but mileage may vary.

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My personal favorite 3-lens kit is the 21/35/90.

 

However, if I were to assemble a 3-lens kit starting with the 35 and 50mm, and given a choice between the 75mm Summarit 2.5 or the 90mm Summarit 2.4, I would pick the 75 for a nice tight 3-lens kit.

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I agree what is sad before RF is more wide then tele.  30 years ago, I started with 35+90mm. Then I ordere a 50 and I've seen that I do not really "need" this lens,... 80% of all my images was taken with 35. Today, in the digital world, I moved to 21+35 or 24/28 + 50. Quality in lens design and technical facilities in post-production, make it easy to "simulate" à 75 or a 90 with a 50. 

BUT: If you a looking for a specific portrait lens, you should try! If it is for travel: take the Macro 90, an extremely good and versatile lens: 

 

https://siggigun.wordpress.com/leica/objektiv-wahl/

 

For all lenses, it is essential to know what the main criteria is: weight or light !

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Having sold off a ton of Nikon gear, and scraped enough funds elsewhere, I find myself owning a new M10, 35mm Summicron, and 50mm Summicron. Next I need the third lens of wha I foresee as a three lens Leica kit. It will either be 75 or 90mm, pretty sure.

 

In my Nikon experience I had several very fast pro lenses along with the D5: Nikon 28mm 1.4E, 35mm 1.4 Sigma Art, 50mm 1.4 Sigma Art, 58mm 1.4G, 85mm 1.4G, 105mm 1.5E. Yet I never really shoot at an aperture larger than 2.8 - pretty much F4, F5.6, F8. In fact my favorite lens of my Nikon era was the Zeiss 35mm F2.

 

What I am getting at is the reason I didn't spend even more money for Summilux lenses. I am thinking of either the 75mm Summarit 2.5 or the 90mm Summarit 2.4. The Summicron for either focal length would be nice, but I see these as occasional lenses, not primary.

 

Any thoughts?

 

I think that if you want to duplicate your Nikon kit in Leica M world, you would not be able to.

 

To elaborate a bit, here:

 

- if you come to Leica M, this means that you were not happy with your Nikon kit, so why duplicate ?

- in my experience, SLR world one tend to be far from subject, but in M world, one tend to approch the subject of picture

- for me your first kit with 35mm and 50mm may be enough for a while

 

- just use them a lot and you may plan your third or more lenses, with proud later (by then you will see what 75 or 90 or whatever)

 

Arnaud

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There is a reason that the frame lines in the M2 are 35/50/90 and also a reason these three are considered the classic rangefinder trio.  You can find a very nice used 90f2.8 Elmarit for $400-600.  It is small and teams great with a small 35 for travel.  My two lens travel kit is the 35f2.8 C Biogon and 90f2.8 Tele Elmarit M.  If I add a 50, my copy is the latest chrome version of the Summicron.  All three lenses are super small and relatively cheap compared to other lenses in the Leica universe. I have no experience with the Summarits but from what I have read, either would be a great lens.

 

I will say that if I could only have one lens, I don't know if it would be the 35 or 50 focal length.  But luckily, one can change lenses on a Leica so why not.  I do not own a 75 as like the .40 caliber, I believe it is a solution to a non existent problem.  If I had not owned a 90 since 1980, I would not be adverse to 75 but the 90 got there first.  And there are times (not often) when the extra 15mm of focal length is useful.  

 

And two of my three Leica's do not have the 75mm focal length frame lines in the viewfinder (M2 and M5) so I don't miss it.  I have owned other Leica's that did so I know what I am not missing.  Having said that I am shooting more digital and it shows up in my MP240.  Again, not adverse to 75mm but prefer 90.

 

And I see that BH Photo has 90's listed from $499 (90f2.8 Condition 7) to $1399 (90f2.4 Summarit Condition 9+) and a couple others with prices between these two. 

 

Good luck and have fun making your selection.  Honestly, it is hard to go wrong.

Edited by ktmrider2
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I think that if you want to duplicate your Nikon kit in Leica M world, you would not be able to.

 

Other the costs, I had little difficulty duplicating my Nikon kit in the Leica world.

 

I am happy with both kits. I primarily needed the Leica kit for the times when my subjects required less operational noise.

 

30918516203_f9cc4ce5c2_c.jpg

Nikon Kit by Narsuitus, on Flickr

 

30918518133_c35c48e1c9_c.jpg

Leica Kit by Narsuitus, on Flickr

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Actually, I have no desire to reproduce my Nikon kit. At one point I suddenly became aware that GAS had put me where I had bodies and lenses that I rarely used, while there was the ghost of Leica flitting around in my brain. So I have consolidated, with the M10 and the 35 and 50 Summicrons.

 

My current thought is to do one of either: first, buy a 75mm 2.4 Elmarit, or second, send back the 50mm Summicron and upgrade to a 50mm Summilux. Frankly, I was a bit disappointed in the 50mm Summicron after shooting with the 35mm...

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...

 

My current thought is to do one of either: first, buy a 75mm 2.4 Elmarit, or second, send back the 50mm Summicron and upgrade to a 50mm Summilux. Frankly, I was a bit disappointed in the 50mm Summicron after shooting with the 35mm...

 

Summarit-M 2.4/75mm (not Elmarit 75mm) you mean.

 

What went wrong with your Summicron 50mm ?

Maybe your MF focus technic or shake ?

 

I don't think that with Summilux-M 50mm you would have better photos than with Summicron 50mm at same aperture from f/2 onward.

 

Last thought : 35mm + 75mm is a nice combo :p to begin with.

Edited by a.noctilux
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I'm not sure how anybody could be disappointed with a 50 Summicron. But having at one time owned a copy of almost every Leica 50 from the Elmar to the Noctilux, I can say that it is important to determine the rendering you prefer, the weight of the lens, ease of focusing, and light capture capabilities to suit your needs. I found, after 3 years use, that the magnificent Summicron (IV) just rendered things too clinically perfect, and I preferred a more classic, lower contrast rendering - so made the appropriate shift. The beautiful 50 Summilux I had for about 10 years so rarely got used that I eventually sold it with few regrets, I'm sure you'll find your sweet spot.

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It's how you work and see of course, but I often prefer my 75 above a 50, even if it's in the street. So I see my 75 more as a 50 and the gap between 75 and 90 is more substantial than the one between 50 and 75. For me. So if I were you I'd think of the Elmarit 90/2.8, much praised here in the forum, see for examples the topic 'In Praise of Mandler lenses'.

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