astrostl Posted June 19, 2021 Share #1 Posted June 19, 2021 Advertisement (gone after registration) I have a lot of M lenses. Way too many M lenses. A lot of this is because of how much I enjoy gear, how much I love researching gear, much my tastes change, and how picky I am with ergonomics and shape. Inspired a bit by @BastianK over at PR, my latest quest is to have a personally-definitive kit of M lenses with some of the following attributes (may have to edit later as I think of them): 200g or less in weight f/2 or faster preferred (but not a big deal on wides) character/oddness wide open preferred (but not a big deal on wides) no color cast issues on a base M10 as much of a mix of brands as I can get So far that has resulted in the following (links to some of my favorite public reviews) 21mm: Voigtlander Color-Skopar 21mm f/3.5 Aspherical (owned) 28mm: Leica Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 ASPH. v2 (11677/11711) (probably buying) 35mm: Voigtlander Nokton Classic 35mm f/1.4 II MC (owned) 50mm: MS-Optics ISM 50/f1.0 M (owned and shipping to DAG to correct its on-arrival backfocus) I feel like the VM 35/1.4 II MC is the perfect emblem of what I'm trying to do here: tiny, light, wild soap bubble bokeh through f/2, much more modern stopped down. I do own a ZM 35/2.8 that fits the size parameters and is an optically cleaner lens, but I want something faster and also a bit weirder when it's wide open. I'm very open to ideas and also mixing in more focal lengths. The 200g limit is definitely crushing, and I might consider upping it to 225-250. 15mm for example could be a ZEISS Hologon 15/8 or VM 15/4.5 II if not for color cast (fits within weight), or a VM 15/4.5 III (which I already own!) if not for its 247g weight. Going longer than 50mm looks doomed even at 250g outside of toy lenses. Any suggestions? Do you have weird parameters of your own for your kit? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted June 19, 2021 Posted June 19, 2021 Hi astrostl, Take a look here Quest for the definitive <= 200g hipster kit. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
astrostl Posted June 19, 2021 Author Share #2 Posted June 19, 2021 (edited) I'd also consider a two-lenses-for-each-FL "kit" with one light/weird and one unlimited/quality. I have a 21 SEM, a ZM Distagon, and a VM 50 APO-LANTHAR already for example, which could open the door for the Elmarit 28 to shift to unlimited/quality and to get replaced by something weirder in the light/weird kit. Edited June 19, 2021 by astrostl Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
a.noctilux Posted June 19, 2021 Share #3 Posted June 19, 2021 (edited) 37 minutes ago, astrostl said: I have a lot of M lenses. ... Going longer than 50mm looks doomed even at 250g outside of toy lenses. Any suggestions? Do you have weird parameters of your own for your kit? A real (not toy lens in my use) 90mm at 225g ? or this macro 90 in black (230g) and so on ... 😉 Elmarit or Summarit-M lenses are great for size/weight but really nice rendering in my "kit". Happy searching for your kit 😇 Maybe you have the kit already, just kidding ! Edited June 19, 2021 by a.noctilux 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hdmesa Posted June 19, 2021 Share #4 Posted June 19, 2021 (edited) That's a lot of pondering – sounds like you've about exhausted your options on that kit idea. Why not expand your kit combinations to include the below? That would give you two entirely new kits to put together for a total of four. Weight limit + high-IQNo weight limit + character Edited June 19, 2021 by hdmesa 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigelG Posted June 19, 2021 Share #5 Posted June 19, 2021 My MS-optics Sonnetar 73mm f1.5 is exactly 200g and certainly has character wide-open... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrostl Posted June 19, 2021 Author Share #6 Posted June 19, 2021 (edited) 2 hours ago, a.noctilux said: A real (not toy lens in my use) 90mm at 225g ? or this macro 90 in black (230g) and so on ... 😉 Elmarit or Summarit-M lenses are great for size/weight but really nice rendering in my "kit". Happy searching for your kit 😇 Maybe you have the kit already, just kidding ! It wouldn't be a bad assumption that I have it already 😅 Longer than 50mm on M I have the Kipon 75/2.4 which has seen only a bit of use. I don't usually need stuff longer than 75 in general (esp. with even harder RF focusing), but I'll definitely use stuff as wide as 15mm though. Edited June 19, 2021 by astrostl Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrostl Posted June 19, 2021 Author Share #7 Posted June 19, 2021 Advertisement (gone after registration) 1 hour ago, NigelG said: My MS-optics Sonnetar 73mm f1.5 is exactly 200g and certainly has character wide-open... I did track the review at https://phillipreeve.net/blog/review-ms-optics-73mm-1-5-sonnetar/ and it looks okay to me. I was pretty annoyed to wait three months (COVID air shipping limitation) for the 50/1 ISM to arrive only to have major out-of-the-box backfocus issues with the rangefinder. I could ship it back to Japan for addressing, but it came from them to me that way and the cost and time would be awfully annoying too. Which is a ranty way to say: I might buy one if I could be assured proper RF coupling. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigelG Posted June 19, 2021 Share #8 Posted June 19, 2021 9 minutes ago, astrostl said: I might buy one if I could be assured proper RF coupling. The 73mm is user-adjustable internally but whether you can get accurate RF focussing at both minimum distance and infinity is debatable...maybe I just haven’t cracked it. I set mine to focus accurately at near distance wide open and either use the Visoflex or rely on DOF at mid/longer distances. It’s also not the most “robust” lens - the aluminium mount is integral with the barrel (and the aperture is unclicked which I don’t like) 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrostl Posted June 19, 2021 Author Share #9 Posted June 19, 2021 1 hour ago, NigelG said: It’s also not the most “robust” lens - the aluminium mount is integral with the barrel (and the aperture is unclicked which I don’t like) The 50 ISM is the same both counts: unit focus, declicked aperture.It doesn't have the "coma adjustment" feature which can also be used to adjust focus, though Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BastianK Posted June 21, 2021 Share #10 Posted June 21, 2021 Am 19.6.2021 um 17:16 schrieb astrostl: Inspired a bit by @BastianK over at PR Generally I should not be an example for anyone, as I clearly own more lenses than necessary and due to the review work have used even more than that. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee S Posted June 21, 2021 Share #11 Posted June 21, 2021 Voigtlander 50mm Nokton f1.5 ii. 197g - great lens https://jacktaka.com/voigtlander-50mm-f15-ii 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danner Posted June 21, 2021 Share #12 Posted June 21, 2021 (edited) 4 hours ago, Lee S said: Voigtlander 50mm Nokton f1.5 ii. 197g - great lens https://jacktaka.com/voigtlander-50mm-f15-ii That lens is on my short list of what to get next, as an adjunct to my 50 'Cron. Also, for the OP, the ZM C-Biogon 35/2.8 , while not f2.0, is so sharp, compact, light and fine in every other way, it's worth considering. I recently got the VM 35/1.4, but have no plans to sell the C-Biogon. ETA: R.I.F., I see you already have the Biogon. Edited June 21, 2021 by Danner 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrostl Posted June 22, 2021 Author Share #13 Posted June 22, 2021 9 hours ago, Lee S said: Voigtlander 50mm Nokton f1.5 ii. 197g - great lens https://jacktaka.com/voigtlander-50mm-f15-ii I have one of those already too 😅 I prefer the ISM. Swirly bokeh at 1.5 isn’t for me. I think it’s swell, though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stef63 Posted June 22, 2021 Share #14 Posted June 22, 2021 I have the Leica Elmarit 28 ASPH as well, but if you also want to explore the LTM route I can also recommend the W-Nikkor 28 f3.5. Only 125g. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
feelssadman Posted June 24, 2021 Share #15 Posted June 24, 2021 May I ask for what purpose you are being so strict about weight? Is it, perhaps, the need to reduce the weight of your ultralight backpacking kit? 😉 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simone_DF Posted June 24, 2021 Share #16 Posted June 24, 2021 The Lomo Minitar would probably fit in your list, but sadly it has a magenta color cast on a M10 https://shop.lomography.com/en/minitar-1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregm61 Posted June 24, 2021 Share #17 Posted June 24, 2021 On 6/19/2021 at 10:16 AM, astrostl said: I have a lot of M lenses. Way too many M lenses. Not possible, LOL... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ko.Fe. Posted June 24, 2021 Share #18 Posted June 24, 2021 On 6/19/2021 at 11:16 AM, astrostl said: Are you saying anyone who owns 35 Lux Pre ASPH is not a hipster? It is not perfect @F1.4. At least. Is owning compact non-Leica lenses makes us hipsters? Last time I was called hipster due to gear after I switched to film. The person who called me so was photo correspondent, then run two photo studios. All during film only era. Two years later, at exact same place he called me hipster, he was wearing odd film SLR... CV 35 1.4 II VM only gives nervous bokeh (sometimes) and Leica glow @f1.4 (sometimes). The rest of apertures are just fine. I was waiting for this corrected II version for years... As I mentioned, it is not always odd @f1.4: Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Here it is @f1.4 with Leica glow: If you are looking for small lens with character (which is often polite word for lens with flaws) MS-Optics has 35 1.4 lens which is better for so called "character". I just don't know if it is any good on M10 for no color casts, shifts. I can't see why. Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Here it is @f1.4 with Leica glow: If you are looking for small lens with character (which is often polite word for lens with flaws) MS-Optics has 35 1.4 lens which is better for so called "character". I just don't know if it is any good on M10 for no color casts, shifts. I can't see why. ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/321976-quest-for-the-definitive/?do=findComment&comment=4225507'>More sharing options...
astrostl Posted June 24, 2021 Author Share #19 Posted June 24, 2021 7 hours ago, feelssadman said: May I ask for what purpose you are being so strict about weight? Is it, perhaps, the need to reduce the weight of your ultralight backpacking kit? 😉 Just an arbitrary round-number cutoff for "extremely light" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrostl Posted June 24, 2021 Author Share #20 Posted June 24, 2021 3 hours ago, Ko.Fe. said: Are you saying anyone who owns 35 Lux Pre ASPH is not a hipster? It is not perfect @F1.4. At least. Is owning compact non-Leica lenses makes us hipsters? Last time I was called hipster due to gear after I switched to film. The person who called me so was photo correspondent, then run two photo studios. All during film only era. Two years later, at exact same place he called me hipster, he was wearing odd film SLR... I am using the term "hipster kit" to personally define lenses that meet the parameters listed in the bullets. I am not calling anyone anything, or judging them for their choices. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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