ChrisB. Posted April 2, 2020 Share #1 Posted April 2, 2020 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hello, I am currently a fuji shooter, looking to transition into a Leica M body. I would like to purchase a lens for now and the body in a couple of months. I will be adapting it to my fuji in the meantime. Currently I would like to stay at or under $1300. 50mm is my focal length. I am right now considering the Zeiss Sonnar C 50mm 1.5, and the Voigtlander 50mm 1.2. I have a large stock of F mount Zeiss lenses that I am happy with, and a couple of Voigtlanders also. Is there anything you can add to help me decide? Is there another option that I am completely missing for this price range that beats either of the other 2 I am considering? Once I make the move to Leica I would appreciate using a native mount lens, currently everything I use is adapted for Fuji. Thanks in advance! Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted April 2, 2020 Posted April 2, 2020 Hi ChrisB., Take a look here Soon to be new to Leica, looking for lens advice.... I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jaapv Posted April 2, 2020 Share #2 Posted April 2, 2020 If I were you I would look for a used Summicron 50, any version will do, to take full advantage of the Leica character. Having said that, there is nothing wrong with the lenses you mention, but in general just about any 50 mm lens for Leica M, or even a Canon or Nikon LTM mount on adapter will give highly satisfactory results. Vintage glass is one of the great joys of Leica life. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB. Posted April 2, 2020 Author Share #3 Posted April 2, 2020 Im a fan of vintage glass myself. My favorite right now is my Zeiss Ultron. I am not adverse to buying a vintage lens. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
a.noctilux Posted April 2, 2020 Share #4 Posted April 2, 2020 Chris, I have and use Leitz/Leica or other brands 50mm and I'm unable to advice or (choose myself) one as they are ALL different. You would discover with time, there are rarely "bad lenses" in 50mm, but with more or less character in each choice. As Jaap said, with Leica body, I'd choose Leitz/Leica lens to appreciate the combo: it would be subtle with other brands, but it's there (not really obvious, but somehow "there"). Summicron 50 made from 1951 till now let you "infinite" choices to begin with. I have version "I" collapsed LTM to the latest "not-apo", Summicron is a ( infinite ! ) lens to learn to love. Arnaud Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Kilmister Posted April 2, 2020 Share #5 Posted April 2, 2020 My experience when I moved to Leica in 2014 is that there is no better lens than a Leica lens. I tried others and ended up with the 50mm APO Summicron ASPH which beats any other lens into a cocked hat. It is small, light, and provides images that are so sharp and perfect that post processing just needs minimal attention. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomB_tx Posted April 2, 2020 Share #6 Posted April 2, 2020 If you plan on a digital full frame Leica body, I’d suggest you consider a 35mm instead. I used Leica film models for 40 years with 50 my most used lens. But on M9 & M10 35 mm quickly became my standard lens. There are many good 35s where cropping to 50 FOV holds very usable quality giving flexibility with a single lens. But cropping a 50 to 35 FOV is frustrating! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted April 2, 2020 Share #7 Posted April 2, 2020 Advertisement (gone after registration) I had the same thought about 35 but I did not want to complicate matters. The OP is entering a different world as it is. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB. Posted April 2, 2020 Author Share #8 Posted April 2, 2020 Thanks for all the info. Im not new to this, just new to Leica. The idea of cropping in is fine, but your perspective can change a bit due to your distance from your subject as you know. When I purchased my GFX I was introduced into the world of insane crop ability and it can be very nice. That being said, this is going to be my simple system. Hopefully it will be one I love to shoot my personal moments with. And 50 is what I shoot my personal moments with. It will be replacing an x-t3 and hopefully simplifying my life alittle. Thanks again, Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted April 3, 2020 Share #9 Posted April 3, 2020 You're not simplifying, you're upgrading. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB. Posted April 3, 2020 Author Share #10 Posted April 3, 2020 1 minute ago, jaapv said: You're not simplifying, you're upgrading. 😁 Thats for sure, but right now I am telling myself I won't bury myself in lenses like I have done right now....... Spoiled for choice, complicated. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted April 3, 2020 Share #11 Posted April 3, 2020 Well, to summarize - if that is your aim you cannot do better than to buy a nice 1970-ies, 1980-ies Summicron 50 from a reputable dealer (which country are you in?) It should fit your price range. and renders superb results. If it is your only lens there is not even any need to have it coded, although reputed Leica workshops offer the service at reasonable price, and can calibrate it if needed at the same time.* *lenses built in the film era and third-party lenses sometimes need calibration as digital bodies have more narrow tolerances than film bodies. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB. Posted April 3, 2020 Author Share #12 Posted April 3, 2020 Im in the US. Adorama has a used, modern, one that I can grab. Im not familiar with who is reputable or not specifically when it comes to Leica. Seems that most of the places I purchase from have very limited stock on Leica. I guess it will be Ebay if I end up going nice and vintage? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bags27 Posted April 3, 2020 Share #13 Posted April 3, 2020 (edited) this has a v 5 you might like http://leicastoresoho.com/used/ none of these currently have what you want, but they are excellent dealers, and if you wait a bit.... https://www.keh.com/shop/search?q=leica+50 http://www.tamarkin.com/products/m-series/lenses#used-section https://leicastoremiami.com/collections/used-m-lenses Edited April 3, 2020 by bags27 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
derleicaman Posted April 3, 2020 Share #14 Posted April 3, 2020 Try Sam Shoshan of Classic Connection. He has several 50mm Leica lenses listed. I've known Sam for years. Tell him Bill Rosauer sent you https://www.classicconnection.com/leica-m-mount-lenses-used/?sort=featured&page=2 I've known Dan Tamarkin for years too. Call him personally and tell him what you are looking for. I know he got in a tremendous number of lenses recently. Both Dan and Sam are top notch, and can be trusted. You might also check out Rich Pinto in New York, his shop is The Photo Village. I've known Rich for years too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ko.Fe. Posted April 3, 2020 Share #15 Posted April 3, 2020 (edited) Which M body and how bright are yours personal moments? Any plans for flash? Even with M240 you will find f2 not always wide enough if you want to take it indoors and at moderate shutter speeds and clean ISO. ZM 1.5 might drive you nuts with focus shifts. VM 50 1.2 III doesn't have this flaw. Not big lens for this aperture, either. Also keep eye on TTartisans 50 0.95. Might be on the market relatively soon. I have seen direct comparison with Leica lens and couldn't see any significant difference. Here are two camps on this, one is saying Leica only lens, another is more open in choices. I have tried some Leica 50mm lenses and all I could honestly say, they are different in color rendering. I liked Cron 50 V3 and V4 colors and contrast on digital M, they are just right, comparing to older lenses, yet they had focus shifts. Not a big problem, but images could be sharper sometimes. With third party lenses, I liked less VM f1.7 and not so much over it ZM f2. But they had next to zero focus shifts. Edited April 3, 2020 by Ko.Fe. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ccoppola82 Posted April 3, 2020 Share #16 Posted April 3, 2020 I have far too many 50s and if I was to keep only 1 it would be the Cron (I have the v2). Head to head it beats everything else I own. My 2nd choice is a ZM Sonnar but the shift may bother you. I'm actually likely selling it once I get my v2 Lux back from DAG. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jankap Posted April 3, 2020 Share #17 Posted April 3, 2020 What about a Leica SL (601)? Very decent prices second hand! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted April 3, 2020 Share #18 Posted April 3, 2020 You'll still need a lens If the OP is a Fuji user already he might not like the "big bad boy" style of the SL+native lens, nor the price, and go for an M lens. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
otto.f Posted April 3, 2020 Share #19 Posted April 3, 2020 (edited) If you stand on 2.0 per se and not slower, then I’d advise the Summicron 50 v4 with the separate hood above the v5 which is a bit more flare-prone (perhaps due to the built-in hood). If you want it for personal moments and you imply small and handy with that, I would consider the Elmar-M 50, which is as good as any other excellent 50 at 2.8 and up. With an M4 or M9 it fits in my inner jacket pocket, which I find ideal for street work. Edited April 3, 2020 by otto.f 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted April 3, 2020 Share #20 Posted April 3, 2020 I think these Summicrons are quite overpriced in the USA: https://www.meister-camera.com/en/second-hand/6973/leitz-summicron-m-2050mm 899 Euro for a nice example in a highly rated store. I think a lens speed of 2.0 is more than ample for the use described. A general-use first lens does not have to be of the black-cat-in-a-coal-cellar@ISO100 variety. On the contrary, at more regular apertures they will often outperform faster lenses. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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