Good things come in pairs . What's your favourite duo ?

[grahamc]

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On 4/14/2022 at 11:55 PM, Ouroboros said:

Mainly size, both lenses are small and light (the 50mm elmar-m is only small when collapsed, when extended it is a comparable size to a 50mm summicron, albeit one stop slower, which I also have in safari edition).  You don't even need a bag with these two lenses, a spare pocket is adequate! 

The 28mm summaron-m has a unique signature which the 50mm elmar-m does not share, but that is not something that is important to me.   I think Leica would need to reintroduce something like the old ltm 50mm f2 summitar in M mount to maintain a reasonably common 'look' between the 28mm summaron-m and a 50mm lens. 

I also regularly pair my 28mm summaron-m with the Voigtlander 50mm f1.5 Heliar Classic, which I think is one of the more interesting 50mm lenses currently available new in M mount. 

(A 75mm f1.5 Heliar Classic  with similar properties to the 50mm would be ideal, should anyone at CV be reading this thread!).  

   

Thanks.  I've been thinking about this pairing since you mentioned it, as I already have the 50:2.8 Elmar-M and have been interested in the 28 Summaron for some time..  

When I use the Elmar-M re-design I find it very sharp and (design of the lens housing aside) noticeably more modern than my other lenses which are all 70's designs (or at least it is noticeably sharper than my other lenses).    As an example here is a shot from the weekend - grain and analogue-look edit and unfortunately this image is low res, I don't have the original handy right now but the lens appears very sharp to me. 

I've looked at the 28mm Summaron images thread extensively and certain images from the 28mm Summaron also seem very sharp (although I gather this is mostly limited to the centre) .  

So I wonder if there are any other observations regarding similarities / differences that you have noticed and could share.  How is the colour rendering for example. 

I'm thinking of adding the 28:5.6 as I really like this idea of carrying both .  

Cheers !

 

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Edited April 20, 2022 by grahamc

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[FDS]

On 4/11/2022 at 3:28 PM, pippy said:

First choice would be pretty easy in that I'd almost always grab my 35mm Summilux v2 ('74 if that matters) but the decision of 'What to pair with it?' wouldn't be so straightforward. If I had to give an answer then #2 would probably be my 28mm Elmarit ASPH v1. If this WAS the chosen duo then the 35 would sport a Circular Polarising filter and be used with the M-D. The 28 would wear a Yellow filter and be used with the M Monochrom.

I, too, find that this is a difficult question.  Usually, the default 'haul around' includes  21, 28, 35, 75 (or 50 and 90). 

But if I could only take two they would probably be the 28 Summilux and 35 Apo-Cron.  These are the two that I use the most (currently with M11 or M10M). I find the focal lengths to be really quite different and each of these lenses has particular strengths (f1.4, close-focusing plus subtle differences in the results, etc.).   

 

[pippy]

38 minutes ago, FDS said:

...if I could only take two they would probably be the 28 Summilux and 35 Apo-Cron.......I find the focal lengths to be really quite different and each of these lenses has particular strengths (f1.4, close-focusing plus subtle differences in the results, etc.).

Yes; the difference between 28 and 35 (and between 35 and 50) and preferences for - or against - these f/lengths could make for an interesting topic in its own right. For some photographers the difference seems to be a bit too small yet for others, such as ourselves perhaps, it might be in the sweet spot. No rights nor wrongs, of course.

FWIW the liking for my own pairing mentioned earlier is also down to these lenses rendering in different ways. I find that the more 'classic' drawing (for want of a better term) of the old 35 Summilux suits my snapping-preferences when used on the body with colour capabilities and the 'modern' (ditto) results from the 28 asph go well with the Monochrom. This latter preference is quite possibly not shared by many other Mono-shooters here but, hey, 'to each; their own'.

Philip.

Edited April 20, 2022 by pippy

[Dennis]

On 4/11/2022 at 9:22 AM, Dennis said:

But if you ask me to pick only two lenses today, I would probably choose 35 Cron Asph I and the 90 Elmarit-M.

if I want to keep it small and light, it can also be 28TTA + 35/1.4II MC 
340gr for both lenses

[Dennis]

8 hours ago, pippy said:

Yes; the difference between 28 and 35 (and between 35 and 50) and preferences for - or against - these f/lengths could make for an interesting topic in its own right. For some photographers the difference seems to be a bit too small yet for others, such as ourselves perhaps, it might be in the sweet spot. No rights nor wrongs, of course.

Yes,

+1 for the topic 

IMHO, in the 28-50 range, in these 23mm, it's where the magic happens.

+2 for the topic, lol

[pippy]

1 hour ago, Dennis said:

Yes...IMHO, in the 28-50 range, in these 23mm, it's where the magic happens...

I agree, Dennis! I could be 100% content with nothing apart from 28/35/40/50 lenses from which to make a choice.

Philip.

[grahamc]

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10 hours ago, pippy said:

I agree, Dennis! I could be 100% content with nothing apart from 28/35/40/50 lenses from which to make a choice.

Philip.

me too, except when the choice is 'which 2 to take' 

Second thoughts...easy , 35 and 50 !    But where does that leave the 28 mmm

Edited April 21, 2022 by grahamc

[pippy]

5 minutes ago, grahamc said:

me too, except when the choice is 'which 2 to take' ......Second thoughts...easy , 35 and 50 !    But where does that leave the 28 mmm

In a huff?

Philip.

[grahamc]

3 minutes ago, pippy said:

In a huff?

Philip.

😂  giving the rest a wide berth as as usual 

[pgk]

Favourite is an interesting word. Do I even have 'favourite' lenses? I'm not sure. But if I had to I could live with 21 SEM & 35 Summilux lenses as my most used pairing and the ones which have my highest yield of 'keepers'. Perhaps I'm indecisive, but I don't think that I actually have a 'favourite' lens as such.

[Ouroboros]

16 minutes ago, pgk said:

Favourite is an interesting word. Do I even have 'favourite' lenses? I'm not sure. But if I had to I could live with 21 SEM & 35 Summilux lenses as my most used pairing and the ones which have my highest yield of 'keepers'. Perhaps I'm indecisive, but I don't think that I actually have a 'favourite' lens as such.

The majority of my digital Leica M photography  is with the 28mm summicron asph, which I suppose makes it a favourite depending on one's individual definition of favourite.  My 50mm summicron & 90mm apo-summicron are also favourites and together with the 28mm summicron asph they make up my trio of summicron safari edition lenses: 28, 50 & 90mm.  I like them as a set.

The 35mm summicron asph pairs well with either my 90mm elmarit-m f2.8 or 75mm apo-summicron f2 but I wouldn't say that any of those is a 'favourite', either individually or as a pair.  They are simply all good Leica M lenses as you would expect them to be.  

All are capable of bringing out the best from my M10-R.

 

On 4/20/2022 at 3:11 AM, grahamc said:

.....So I wonder if there are any other observations regarding similarities / differences that you have noticed and could share.  How is the colour rendering for example. 
 

 

 

I think the individual characters of the 28mm summaron-m and 50mm elmar-m are well-documented online, my experience is that both lenses are quite different.  The 28mm summaron vignettes throughout the aperture range where the 50mm elmar-m vignette is not as extreme at full aperture.  The 28mm summaron-m also has less contrast.  'Colour rendering' is more meaningfully influenced by editing software and post.

I don't consciously try to match lenses for their rendering, the image is the most important thing to me and other criteria are invariably more relevant depending on what my intent is.

 

 

   

[grahamc]

18 hours ago, Ouroboros said:

The majority of my digital Leica M photography  is with the 28mm summicron asph, which I suppose makes it a favourite depending on one's individual definition of favourite.  My 50mm summicron & 90mm apo-summicron are also favourites and together with the 28mm summicron asph they make up my trio of summicron safari edition lenses: 28, 50 & 90mm.  I like them as a set.

The 35mm summicron asph pairs well with either my 90mm elmarit-m f2.8 or 75mm apo-summicron f2 but I wouldn't say that any of those is a 'favourite', either individually or as a pair.  They are simply all good Leica M lenses as you would expect them to be.  

All are capable of bringing out the best from my M10-R.

 

I think the individual characters of the 28mm summaron-m and 50mm elmar-m are well-documented online, my experience is that both lenses are quite different.  The 28mm summaron vignettes throughout the aperture range where the 50mm elmar-m vignette is not as extreme at full aperture.  The 28mm summaron-m also has less contrast.  'Colour rendering' is more meaningfully influenced by editing software and post.

I don't consciously try to match lenses for their rendering, the image is the most important thing to me and other criteria are invariably more relevant depending on what my intent is.

 

 

   

Thanks very much for this.  
 

I had read a lot about the Summaron but for some reason I was finding it hard to summarise what the lens was about.   I perhaps came into those threads too late or didn’t see important comments so this is really helpful. 

Seems like a really nice pair, it’s a really pleasure carrying the elmar-m 

[LocalHero1953]

I don't have a favourite pair, but I do have frequently used pairs:

• 11-23TL and 60TL with the Leica CL
• Elmarit-M Asph 28mm and Apo-Summicron-M 75 Asph when I used to carry a digital M (I now own none of these)
• 24-90SL and 90-280SL with the SL2-S: an awesomely powerful package for events, drama, music

[Ouroboros]

1 hour ago, grahamc said:

Thanks very much for this.  
 

I had read a lot about the Summaron but for some reason I was finding it hard to summarise what the lens was about.   I perhaps came into those threads too late or didn’t see important comments so this is really helpful. 

Seems like a really nice pair, it’s a really pleasure carrying the elmar-m 

The 28mm summaron-m is about several things, not least as an interesting marketing exercise by Leica.  I wouldn't have it as my only 28mm, which is why I have the 28mm summicron as well (I don't need f1.4, nor do I want the bulk  of  the 28mm summilux) but I wouldn't want to be without the 28mm summaron-m. 

I like the fact that it makes my MP and M10-R jacket-pocketable and that it's sharp but has slightly lower contrast than my other Leica lenses.  I also find it complements Kodak Portra 400 nicely.  

 

 

 

[grahamc]

41 minutes ago, Ouroboros said:

The 28mm summaron-m is about several things, not least as an interesting marketing exercise by Leica.  I wouldn't have it as my only 28mm, which is why I have the 28mm summicron as well (I don't need f1.4, nor do I want the bulk  of  the 28mm summilux) but I wouldn't want to be without the 28mm summaron-m. 

I like the fact that it makes my MP and M10-R jacket-pocketable and that it's sharp but has slightly lower contrast than my other Leica lenses.  I also find it complements Kodak Portra 400 nicely.  

 

 

 

Sounds great !   The 28's I have my eye on are the Elmarit v3, which of course is a little large - and also the Summaron.

All in good time but looking forward to trying 

[robbie3]

On 4/20/2022 at 3:11 AM, grahamc said:

Thanks.  I've been thinking about this pairing since you mentioned it, as I already have the 50:2.8 Elmar-M and have been interested in the 28 Summaron for some time..  

When I use the Elmar-M re-design I find it very sharp and (design of the lens housing aside) noticeably more modern than my other lenses which are all 70's designs (or at least it is noticeably sharper than my other lenses).    As an example here is a shot from the weekend - grain and analogue-look edit and unfortunately this image is low res, I don't have the original handy right now but the lens appears very sharp to me. 

I've looked at the 28mm Summaron images thread extensively and certain images from the 28mm Summaron also seem very sharp (although I gather this is mostly limited to the centre) .  

So I wonder if there are any other observations regarding similarities / differences that you have noticed and could share.  How is the colour rendering for example. 

I'm thinking of adding the 28:5.6 as I really like this idea of carrying both .  

Cheers !

 

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[grahamc]

On 4/14/2022 at 11:55 PM, Ouroboros said:

Mainly size, both lenses are small and light (the 50mm elmar-m is only small when collapsed, when extended it is a comparable size to a 50mm summicron, albeit one stop slower, which I also have in safari edition).  You don't even need a bag with these two lenses, a spare pocket is adequate! 

The 28mm summaron-m has a unique signature which the 50mm elmar-m does not share, but that is not something that is important to me.   I think Leica would need to reintroduce something like the old ltm 50mm f2 summitar in M mount to maintain a reasonably common 'look' between the 28mm summaron-m and a 50mm lens. 

I also regularly pair my 28mm summaron-m with the Voigtlander 50mm f1.5 Heliar Classic, which I think is one of the more interesting 50mm lenses currently available new in M mount. 

(A 75mm f1.5 Heliar Classic  with similar properties to the 50mm would be ideal, should anyone at CV be reading this thread!).  

   

Hi Steve .  I'm thinking of finally getting the 28:5.6 in silver chrome.   Is the finish made of brass and in a similar silver finish as the Elmar-M ?

Not essential that they match up exactly but just curious 

Thanks 
Graham 

[shirubadanieru]

On 4/10/2022 at 5:14 PM, grahamc said:

Even though I have many lenses that I love on their own merits, I was thinking today that if I am to choose a favourite pair then for me it is a pretty easy choice:

35:1.4 v2 (Titanium, Germany, in case it matters)
and
50:1.4 v3 (E46)

As well as their practical advantages (being my favourite Focal lengths and both at 1.4), I've done some tests and find my copies of these lenses to render colour & contrast extremely similarly.    Meaning that (for me at least) they make as close to perfect a pair as I could imagine, and I love having a consistent look across 2 FL's. 

I understand from reading the forum though that some people prefer a pair of lenses to give them something the other doesn't. EG a modern rendering lens paired with a classic.  

What would you guys consider your favourite pair and why ? 

I tried to pick a duo but couldn’t because I love both equally. Given the theme is duo, here’s my favorite two duos : p 

 

Summilux 50mm v2 chrome + Summilux 35mm Steel Rim (and now that the remake is out, that’ll be the one I get hehe)

Summicron 50mm rigid + Summicron 35mm 8 elements

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[Ouroboros]

4 hours ago, grahamc said:

Hi Steve .  I'm thinking of finally getting the 28:5.6 in silver chrome.   Is the finish made of brass and in a similar silver finish as the Elmar-M ?

Not essential that they match up exactly but just curious 

Thanks 
Graham 

From memory of seeing a silver 50mm f2.8 elmar-m a few years ago (mine is the black version), I think it would match a silver 28mm summaron-m very well.  The 28mm summaron-m has a surprising heft for such a tiny lens, I assume it’s mainly brass and glass.  
Those two lenses in silver would make a nice set with a silver M, also consider a silver 50mm summarit f2.4 which might be easier to find than a silver 50mm elmarit -M, but given a choice I’d go with the 50mm elmarit-m if not only for being quintessentially ‘Leica’.

 

[grahamc]

6 hours ago, Ouroboros said:

From memory of seeing a silver 50mm f2.8 elmar-m a few years ago (mine is the black version), I think it would match a silver 28mm summaron-m very well.  The 28mm summaron-m has a surprising heft for such a tiny lens, I assume it’s mainly brass and glass.  
Those two lenses in silver would make a nice set with a silver M, also consider a silver 50mm summarit f2.4 which might be easier to find than a silver 50mm elmarit -M, but given a choice I’d go with the 50mm elmarit-m if not only for being quintessentially ‘Leica’.

 

Thanks very much Steve. That sounds ideal.  
 

I have the silver chrome elmar-m and it’s definitely similar then in feeling hefty for its size.  I think these 2 will make a great pair in silver thanks for the advice  

Its hard to find a bad word said about the 28:5.6 isn’t it 

 

 

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