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I like the glow of the Lux-pre in some situation. This photo a 'portrait'  @1.4 in low light conditions late in the evening. Adjusted only the exposure to my taste, sharpened after LUF-specific sizing, c'est ça.

The lens is perfect for travelling as it doesn't need any space in my backpack.

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Then I've become a lucky owner of a mint 35mm Summilux-M pre-ASPH v.2 with original box, filter and hood. Almost too nice to be used. 😉

I've already learned a lot of how to "tame" it when used wide open. For example it's a good idea to avoid recomposing as much as possible (better to crop afterwards). Because the lens is much sharper in the center, and recomposing moves the most important part away from the "sweet spot".

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Congratulations! It's a challenging lens, with a steep learning curve (particularly at f/1.4), which is why many users like it - and others hate it...

However, I'm also a bit puzzled by this idea of "taming by cropping" in order to only keep the "sweet spot". Surely, there are more recent lenses that would save you the trouble if what you are after is a cleaner image across the frame. Since IIRC you are also a Noctilux user, I guess it can't be that. Can you explain what you mean? Perhaps you had different expectations? No hidden internet traps here: I'm genuinely interested.

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42 minutes ago, Ecar said:

Congratulations! It's a challenging lens, with a steep learning curve (particularly at f/1.4), which is why many users like it - and others hate it...

However, I'm also a bit puzzled by this idea of "taming by cropping" in order to only keep the "sweet spot". Surely, there are more recent lenses that would save you the trouble if what you are after is a cleaner image across the frame. Since IIRC you are also a Noctilux user, I guess it can't be that. Can you explain what you mean? Perhaps you had different expectations? No hidden internet traps here: I'm genuinely interested.

I don't think learning how to get the best out of a lens necessarily is the same as "avoiding the character".

In a portrait I want the subject's face to be as sharp as possible (as expected from the lens). The rest of the image doesn't need to be sharp at all. So what I mean is that it's stupid to move the best part of the lens away from the most important part of the image (as we do when recomposing).

And I don't mean cropping away everything else, but just a little bit of one side to get a little more dynamic composition.

Edited by evikne
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16 hours ago, evikne said:

In a portrait I want the subject's face to be as sharp as possible (as expected from the lens). The rest of the image doesn't need to be sharp at all. So what I mean is that it's stupid to move the best part of the lens away from the most important part of the image (as we do when recomposing).

With a 35mm featuring a ~0.9m minimum focusing distance, the person portrayed will be much less magnified than with a 50 or 75mm lens close-up,  as a consequence fine details are expected to be much less resolved as well, yet on the photo on top of this page where the subject is slightly off-center, his ear not far from the cross from lines of thirds, I don't see a noticeable difference between its forehead, much closer to center and his ear. Granted, the subject does not have much fine detail to be resolved, its eyelashes being inexistent and being itself totally beardless…

I would not avoid recomposing with this lens even wide open, the trick is doing it in a way that does not move the focus plane (which is not that plane) out of your subject.

Edited by Jul
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I have always practiced recomposing with all my lenses, and I will of course do it with this lens as well. But I have always read that wide open it is much sharper in the middle, and my first impression also confirmed this. So I thought it would be a good idea not to recompose too far out the edges, but I will of course continue to explore this lens and learn how to get the best out of it.

I didn't expect everyone to be so skeptical of my purchase. Of course I would not spend more than $ 2000 on a lens if I didn't appreciate its character.

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1 hour ago, evikne said:

I didn't expect everyone to be so skeptical of my purchase.

I for one am definitely not, this lens fits perfectly with the other one you use. I did not comment before you made your choice because to me it is personal matter but I know where I stood…

Enjoy it fully without worrying too much about the mint aspect, if you are that much into Mandler's lens, this one is probably as the others a lens for life.

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2 hours ago, evikne said:

At least my feeling.

Just use and enjoy your lens as you see fit.

21 hours ago, evikne said:

I don't think learning how to get the best out of a lens necessarily is the same as "avoiding the character".

Quite right ! I don't understand where the "avoiding the character" comment came from.

Edited by ianman
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  • 3 weeks later...

Sebastian, 5:42 AM Monday morning portrait over bridge to Basta rock and foaming ocean, weekend 'till the last drop.

The funny (or scary) thing is that neither him nor I remember we stopped there and shot that. He was shocked when he saw the picture as he actually never stands a pose. We both assumed there was something fishy with the drinks which were served to us during the night.

@1.4, 1/15s., M9, slight crop.

Regardless of content, I'm also happy with the outcome as it makes me feel confident I can use a rangefinder under adverse settings …  

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Edited by Jul
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  • 1 month later...
On 9/18/2019 at 5:27 PM, evikne said:

Then I've become a lucky owner of a mint 35mm Summilux-M pre-ASPH v.2 with original box, filter and hood. Almost too nice to be used. 😉

I've already learned a lot of how to "tame" it when used wide open. For example it's a good idea to avoid recomposing as much as possible (better to crop afterwards). Because the lens is much sharper in the center, and recomposing moves the most important part away from the "sweet spot".

@evikne I've just bought a 35mm summilux pre-asph v2 in exactly the same condition you described. How did you get on with yours?  I couldn't find any pictures taken with it on your otherwise excellent website.

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On 9/20/2019 at 12:41 AM, evikne said:

I have always practiced recomposing with all my lenses, and I will of course do it with this lens as well. But I have always read that wide open it is much sharper in the middle, and my first impression also confirmed this. So I thought it would be a good idea not to recompose too far out the edges, but I will of course continue to explore this lens and learn how to get the best out of it.

I didn't expect everyone to be so skeptical of my purchase. Of course I would not spend more than $ 2000 on a lens if I didn't appreciate its character.

Just use it.  On my first outing with mine, I discovered flare.  I’d forgotten the issues with older lens, but it’s fun making discoveries.  I enjoy having combinations of old and new lenses. That’s the charm of the M system.

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50 minutes ago, phototrope said:

@evikne I've just bought a 35mm summilux pre-asph v2 in exactly the same condition you described. How did you get on with yours?  I couldn't find any pictures taken with it on your otherwise excellent website.

Thanks a lot! I am very satisfied with the lens. It is just too new, so I haven't taken so many pictures with it yet, but I am sure it will soon be represented on my website too. From f/2.0 it renders very similar to the 35 Summicron v.4, so you would hardly be able to tell them apart.

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  • 1 month later...
On 1/12/2019 at 12:00 PM, Malabito said:

So to keep the thread going, i wanted to share more images of this little gem, but this time with the m10

The problem with these old lenses is you could tell me you took these pictures with an M8 or 9 or 240 or 10 and I would buy it.
If I had to decide whether to switching from my M240 to an M10 or not, basing on the quality (very good, in general) of your previous pictures with M240 and the ones you took with the M10, I would keep my M240.
But this is a general consideration on the scarce improvements (at very high costs) of the digital M new models since the M9.

Edited by epand56
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1 hour ago, Artin said:

Lovely light, and beautifully composed.  I also have this lens.  Aside from it’s susceptibility to flare, the issue I have with it (and all 35mm lenses) is that I look at the images and instinctively wish they were either more tightly or more generously framed.

Even if framed the same with a 28mm lens or wider, would either image gain a little more drama?  Pure speculation, I know, and hard to improve such lovely images.

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Au Gaou by JM__, on Flickr

35 Summilux pre asph 1966 on M9

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Au Gaou by JM__, on Flickr

35 Summilux pre asph 1966 on M9

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Untitled by JM__, on Flickr

Untitled by JM__, on Flickr

35 Summilux 1960 on M10

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