Lenses for M10 and other digital M cameras - random thoughts, along with what I learned during a Red Dot Forum Camera Talk

[MikeMyers]

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3 hours ago, Herr Barnack said:

Have you thought about the possibility of pulling a Tom Brady and  "un-retiring" for long enough to acquire your copy of the M11 and maybe a 35 APO lens to go with it? 

Not really; my M10 is more than enough for my needs, and I already have it.

I also feel that way about my Nikons - I wouldn't replace my D750 or Df with one of the new technology models, even the Z9.

 

If I un-retired, the first thing on my list would be a new Land Rover 2-door Defender.  

[bherman01545]

On 1/30/2022 at 2:27 PM, MikeMyers said:

A somewhat "fuzzy" question, not sure where it leads me to....

I have a few thoughts bouncing around in my head, having watched a very long Red Dot Forum Camera Talk, a “live” broadcast last night, about the Leica M11, where David Farkas and josh Lehrer, two experts on Leica cameras answered questions that they were asked in a simultaneous ‘chat’. I asked a few questions, two of which they answered.  On a whim, I asked them about using "vintage" lenses on the new M11.  Here's a link to the YouTube recording of that presentation: Q&Q on the new Leica 11  .....and the answer to this question can be found at the 1 hour, 48 minute, 15 seconds into the video.

I came away from that discussion thinking my 50 and 60 year old Leica lenses are not "good enough" to capture the image quality in a 60-meg image from the M11.  Some time ago, I read about the Voigtlander 50mm APO-LANTHAR, and was immediately impressed, as I felt I could easily afford to buy one.  I did, and have thoroughly enjoyed the results.  For reasons I don't fully understand or appreciate, the very old Leica lenses are preferred by many people, because of their "old" design, which adds a unique appeal to photos taken with them.  I'm not experienced enough to properly understand this - but my experience is that the old lenses create visually appealing images, but the Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR captures far more detail.

I took a test photo of the city of Miami from my balcony this morning, and I will copy two snapshots below, one of the full image, and one of a small part of the scene, captured at 100% on my display.  For most of you, this is no big deal - it's what should be expected.  For me, it's one of the reasons I preferred my Leica with the old lenses, compared to my Nikon D750 with the "standard" lenses for that camera.  In every comparison, the Leica came out ahead.

 

Before I post this, there was an amazing scene, 1 hour, 10 minutes, and 42 seconds into that video, where David shows a snapshot he took in New York, and a 100% blow-up.  To my eyes, this was what I might have expected from a large format camera - that the M11 did it, was amazing, and one more reason on the "yes" side to eventually buying one.

Back to this thread - the two lenses I use most often are the 50mm and the 35mm.  While I can't see myself buying a new 35mm late model Leica lens, the 35mm f/2 APO LANTHAR is something I could order today.  If I buy it through Amazon, I can easily return it, if I'm not satisfied.  

I originally was just going to ask here in this forum what those of you who have the Voigtlander lens think of it, but I thought I'd post the whole thing, along with my thoughts on watching the Red Dot Forum Camera Talk.  There were a LOT of things they discussed in that video, and I may even watch it a second time - even the discussion on charging the M11 battery was fascinating, and I never would have known those things but for the video.  It's well worth watching.

 

Unfortunately, "working" and "retired are inversely proportional.  While I was working, I had minimal time, but enough money to buy what I wanted, and now that I'm retired, I have lots of time, but need to be careful about how much I can spend.    ......and towards the end of the video, David and Josh agreed the most important thing was to have a Leica and lenses, and be using it, and it was a secondary importance to get a "newer" model of a Leica.

 

 

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It really depends on the 'look' that you're after. According to Voigtlander, the 35 and 50 APO Lanthars are the best lenses that they have ever produced.

The Leica 35mm F2 and 50mm F2 Summicrons (non-APO) have what many would call a "classic" look. They are plenty sharp enough and have their own unique signature. The CV 35 and 50 APOs are somewhat 'clinical'. Extremely-sharp edge to edge and also very well corrected. Comparatively speaking, they are similar to the 35 and 50 SL lenses.

For example, I own a current 35mm F2 Summicron AND a CV 35 APO. Completely different tools for different use cases. I also have a CV 50 APO, but may pick up a 50mm F/1.4 LUX for portraits, primarily for its bokeh and the way that it draws. All of these lenses are fine for the M10x, M11 or Leica film bodies

The other factor is resale value. If you pickup a mint or super-clean Leica lens, they would tend to hold their value better than the CV options.

With that said, as far as these two CV lenses, (and there are other good options as well) you can't go wrong with either.

-Brad

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