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35mm Lens for M9


Edwin Ho

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Just had a look at some of the photos shot with the 28mm Elmarit ASPH, quite hard to part with it. Just love it.

Perhaps I shall keep it and get the CZ 35mm instead of  Leica 35mm Summarit.

I am sounding rather fickle now  but I know I am not alone behaving like that 😃.

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My dealer managed to get his hands on the last 75mm f/2.4 from Leica Australia and because it was on the display shelf, I was given a price reduction and of course the 2 year warranty stands. I should be able to have it once shipped after the Easter holidays.

As for the 35mm Summarit, I was further informed the production priority was given to "higher" lenses, hence none is available in Australia. At worst I am able to source from Cathay Photo in Singapore. I suppose "higher" meant the better lenses.

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I don't know 'higher" lenses.

Depending on use, more expensive lens is not always the "best choice".

Some lesser lenses can be good enough to have the job done.

Funny thing as life is in continous changing, the best choice at one moment will not be the best choice for ever.

 

I use those lenses (and many more) in 35mm before discovering Summarit-M 2.5/35mm ...

 

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His use of "higher" meant more profitable for Leica.

Decades ago a Leica Rep told me the faster Leica lenses were more expensive because they were more complex and harder to make, not because they were better. Yet my "marketing sense" tells me a higher price makes people think the item must be better - so a higher price may just be a lure to customers - as well as more profitable.

Edited by TomB_tx
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  • jaapv changed the title to 35mm Lens for M9
On 4/2/2020 at 3:12 AM, Shameetman said:

It depends on your preference, in my experience:

  • Summarit, colorfull soft rendering
  • Biogon, much more crisp / clarity and a bit cooler

My own preference for landscape would be de Summarit. I love the Zeiss when shot in B&W, together with the M9 it creates really film-like pictures. 

I have never shot the Summarit but did own the 35/2.8 and agree that it is crisp and cool.  I liked it a lot— very modern look for good price.  I shoot with opposite side of that spectrum now, a pre-asph 35/1.4, and highly recommend it although the look is quite different wide open.  With the 35/2.8, it’s sharp at every aperture.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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On 4/2/2020 at 7:21 PM, ianman said:

Why not a 35mm Summaron f/2.8? They are still relatively cheap and a lot of people say it's as good as the very "in" and thus expensive 8 element Summicron.

I am still after a 35mm and have started searching on the internet to get as much info as I can on the Summaron. The relatively low cost is  a factor of consideration.

And if you own one please share your experience with it.

I have now a 28mm Elmarit f/2.8 ASPH and 75mm Summarit f/2.4 (just purchased last week). Loving this twin lens combination. The 35 will be a supplement and I would also like to experience images from a vintage lens design. I do not need fast lens as I am not a low light shooter.

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I own the Summaron 35/2.8 without goggles, it’s from 1961 if I’m not mistaken. It truly is a forgotten pearl, although the last year prices has gone up. You’re still better off than with a new Summarit in the price/quality department because:

- very sharp but not a harsh contrasty sharpness (which I see sometimes with the Summarit)

- very smooth out of focus rendering, maybe even better than the 35mm king of bokeh summicron iv

- built like a brick, very sturdy, a true carefree and loyal companion on hiking and trekking and just as small as the summicron 35 iv which is more vulnerable.

- recessed front glass so hardly any need for a hood. 
- what’s the problem with that 0.4 stop slower than a Summarit? The 2.8 is a fully grownup aperture.

- together with your 28 Elmarit you have a very nice compact set

Ok, sometimes I’m a bit in doubt about the colors because I’m a bit spoiled with the 35 FLE in that respect. But there’s something to say for its not too saturated colors also. 

Edited by otto.f
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2 hours ago, LucisPictor said:

Check that one out (in German, though):

 

https://retrocamera.blog/2020/03/27/ein-ttartisan-1-4-35-im-garten/

I wish I had continued my attempt to learn the German language. I used to be the Representative for Cologne International Trade Fair in Singapore, marketing and promoting 39 trade shows held in Cologne each year - including Photokina. Regrettably I had zero interest in photography then.

Edited by Edwin Ho
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I did a quick price check on ebay and the f/2.8 is about USD 1800.00. For this reason I may have to scale down and go for the 35mm Summaron f/3.5 instead which will be more affordable. The 35mm will only be a supplement to my 28/75mm combo.

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I'm not a big fan of the 35mm focal length so I can't say I have a lot of experience with my Summaron. Although I don't get on with the focal length, I do like the rendering of this lens. Here are two examples with it attached to my M9.

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and of course... it looks fab :)

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21 minutes ago, Edwin Ho said:

I did a quick price check on ebay and the f/2.8 is about USD 1800.00. For this reason I may have to scale down and go for the 35mm Summaron f/3.5 instead which will be more affordable. The 35mm will only be a supplement to my 28/75mm combo.

This is way overdone, you should be able to get for 1000$ or less

http://zwartwitfotosmaken.nl/summaron-35mm-2-8-te-koop-e39/

Edited by otto.f
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1 hour ago, Edwin Ho said:

Thank you Lot, will do further search on internet. I can take my time to search for one at a reasonable price.

Yes, best tot test it on your own body. I’m not sure if they are all that sharp as my current version. I had a 3.5 when I started with Leica in the 90’s but I cannot remember being baffled at that time by its sharpness. What did blow me off my feet was, compared to Nikon 35mm, the possibility to dodge the shadows in wet printing without losing contrast. But that counts for almost any Leica lens. 

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LTM versions of the Summaron 2.8/35 lens are usually quite a bit more expensive (as they are rarer) than M mount versions, so if you do not need LTM, make sure you do not pay for what is allegedly an LTM lens. They are easy to distinguish: True and original LTM lenses have a minimum focusing distance of 1m (as indicated on the lens barrel), whereas M mount lenses have an indicated minimum focusing distance of either 0.7m (if they are without goggles) or 0.65m (the ones with goggles for Leica M3).

I own both an LTM Summaron 3.5/35 and a Summaron 2.8/35, and must say that the image quality of the latter is noticeably better.

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vor 4 Stunden schrieb Edwin Ho:

I wish I had continued my attempt to learn the German language. I used to be the Representative for Cologne International Trade Fair in Singapore, marketing and promoting 39 trade shows held in Cologne each year - including Photokina. Regrettably I had zero interest in photography then.

Try Google Translate. Terrible English, but readable:

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fretrocamera.blog%2F2020%2F03%2F27%2Fein-ttartisan-1-4-35-im-garten%2F

In short: Lens is highly recommendable. 

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1 hour ago, LucisPictor said:

Try Google Translate. Terrible English, but readable:

Or just read an original English review, there are plenty around such as:

https://www.kenrockwell.com/leica/35mm-f28.htm

https://fieldphotographer.org/2019/07/10/the-leica-summaron-35ƒ2-8-m/

There are flickr groups too with the usual good, bad and ugly: https://www.flickr.com/groups/549233@N24/pool/

 

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