What is the ideal 35/50 lens pairing with the M10R and M10M?

[KateStarr]

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I posted this in the M lens forum, but felt like it also fit here...

If you were advising someone who was going to buy two lenses from Leica's current M lens lineup (lenses that Leica is manufacturing today - nothing vintage) - a 35mm and a 50mm - for their M10R and M10Mono, which 35mm and which 50mm would you recommend? Assume that budget isn't an issue and that these are the only two M lenses and camera bodies this person will own.

Another way of thinking about it - what is the ideal 35 and 50mm lens pairing out of Leica's current lineup for the M10R/M?

[Gobert]

Depends on the characteristics you prefer. But I would say the two APO’s or the two Summiluxes.

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[Fedro]

I agree with Gobert. I personally prefer find either Apo or Lux stunning on the 10M. On the 10R I tend to prefer the Apo

[Gobert]

I prefer the APO on my M10M, while the Luxes are mostly found on the regular M10.

[KateStarr]

@Gobert @Fedro If only one could be an APO and one a Lux, which would you pick? 50lux and 35APO or vice versa?

[a.noctilux]

6 minutes ago, KateStarr said:

@Gobert @Fedro If only one could be an APO and one a Lux, which would you pick? 50lux and 35APO or vice versa?

I'd just flip a dice 😇

Coin Flip and Dice Roll

Edited June 24, 2021 by a.noctilux

[Fedro]

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11 minutes ago, KateStarr said:

@Gobert @Fedro If only one could be an APO and one a Lux, which would you pick? 50lux and 35APO or vice versa?

that would be a good combo but it depends on what you are looking for .. and how much time you have (since the 35 APO has a 6 months wait list at the moment)

The 35 and 50 APO have more similar rendering than the 35 and 50 Lux, in fact I would say that the 35 Lux is closer to the 50 APO than the 50 Lux in rendering

The 35 APO and 50 APO has a super modern rendering, very transparent. The 35 has the added bonus of close focusing. If you can get hold of one I would ...

The 50 Lux has a much more classic rendering. Its is still an amazing lens, even if almost 20 years old design

Another consideration is that the 5o Lux is supposed to get a makeover with a closer focusing version at some point soon

If it was me I would go for the 35 APO and get on a list for the new upcoming 50 Lux (but I prefer modern lenses)

[Printmaker]

With no budgetary restraints, 35 APO Summicron and 75 APO Summicron. Pure perfection. 

With a slight restraint, 35 Lux and 75 APO Summicron or 50 Lux and a 28 Summicron. Which pair would depend on your photographic vision.

[Printmaker]

Apologies, I misread this posting. Not that it answers your question but I always preferred Summicrons for their size and honest rendition. A pair of APO crons would keep me smiling for decades... still, I would turn my nose up at a pair of Luxes for the beautiful way they draw. 

[FlashGordonPhotography]

Why limited to Leica? As my *first* choice, neither would be a Leica.

Gordon

[Al Brown]

Both luxes as 50 lux is also (unmarked, according to Karbe) APO.
You can have character with luxes wide open and still have a smashing image quality stopped down to f/2.
Check also this thread for taste.

Edited June 26, 2021 by Al Brown

[Tailwagger]

AFAIC, a 35mm lens is virtually interchangeable with a 50mm from a focal length standpoint once one is dealing with 40+MPx.  I'd, therefore, go for the 50 lux with the 35mm APO.  To quote myself from a previous thread, AFAIC, the 50mm 'lux has never looked better than on the M10-R. It truly feels like the ens used to benchmark the camera. The 35 APO, as a compliment to it, affords the close focusing and, as others have mentioned, an alternative more modern look. These days, I typically pair the 50mm with the 28mm 'lux given the ease of skipping focal lengths via cropping, but the 35 APO is high on my need to acquire list for its alternate drawing capability. 

[Photoworks]

since a have a few 50's , Noctilux 0,95 Summilux and Summicron APO, if I can have only one it would be Summilux 50.

I suppose the same goes for 35mm, the Summilux was the outstanding performer on M cameras until the APO came a week later. Still I like to be able to add bokeh at 1.4

[Tp2000]

Lucky position to having tried all combinations - I find myself coming back to the Summilux pairing for the M10R with the APO 50mm making a more regular appearance on the front of the M10M. That said....there's no bad combination in all of this and it comes back to how you want your photos to render. 

I'd agree with @Tailwaggerabout the 50mm Summilux on m10r - it really is something else entirely. 

 

[roma]

Ideal for what? There are always trade-offs even if the budget is no issue. maybe you can get what’s currently available for purchase and play with it. Once you figure out what you really want, you can trade it for something different or keep it all for having a bit of a different look for different photo shoots. 

[Kwesi]

Given that budget is not an issue, I would suggest a 35FLE, a 35 APO, a 50 Lux BC and a 50/2 APO. Spend a month or two with them and decide which becomes your cold kit and which becomes your black and white kit.

[hdmesa]

On 6/24/2021 at 12:59 PM, KateStarr said:

I posted this in the M lens forum, but felt like it also fit here...

If you were advising someone who was going to buy two lenses from Leica's current M lens lineup (lenses that Leica is manufacturing today - nothing vintage) - a 35mm and a 50mm - for their M10R and M10Mono, which 35mm and which 50mm would you recommend? Assume that budget isn't an issue and that these are the only two M lenses and camera bodies this person will own.

Another way of thinking about it - what is the ideal 35 and 50mm lens pairing out of Leica's current lineup for the M10R/M?

Here's an analogy for Lux versus APO that might help: the Lux is like the wind and the APO is like a diamond. I don't know if that makes sense, but it does to me somehow. The Lux is painterly and the APOs sparkle.

I chose the 50 Lux and both 35 and 50 Voigtlander APOs, and I mix and match as it fits my mood. $2K for both Voigtlander APOs versus $9K for one Leica APO. The Voigtlander 35 APO close focuses to 50cm – not as close as the Leica does at 30cm, but it also doesn't take a long focus throw to get there. Both Voigtlander APOs also have stronger vignetting wide open than the Leica APOs, which allows them to better pair with the Lux wide open, in my opinion.

My heart always tells me the APOs shine brightest on the M10-R and the 50 Lux on the M10M. I think it's the extra component of color-contrast that makes the APOs really jump out on images from the M10-R.

 

 

[LBJ2]

On 6/24/2021 at 2:59 PM, KateStarr said:

I posted this in the M lens forum, but felt like it also fit here...

If you were advising someone who was going to buy two lenses from Leica's current M lens lineup (lenses that Leica is manufacturing today - nothing vintage) - a 35mm and a 50mm - for their M10R and M10Mono, which 35mm and which 50mm would you recommend? Assume that budget isn't an issue and that these are the only two M lenses and camera bodies this person will own.

Another way of thinking about it - what is the ideal 35 and 50mm lens pairing out of Leica's current lineup for the M10R/M?

Ideal pairing IMO : For Light and Best Optical Quality:

Leica M 50/2 APO + Leica M Lux 35/1.4 ASPH/FLE

or 

Leica M Lux 50/1.4 ASPH + Leica M 35/2 APO