New m8 Buyer...need lens advice

[carlc]

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I just purchased a M8 and need some advice on a first lens purchase. I am a Nikon D2Sx shooter and want to lighten my load and get into street shoting and am considering a lens somewhere between a 24 and 35mm. Seems like there are several options available here and right now I'm thinkng of a 28mm f2.8 but also a 28 f2.0. Any advice would be appreciated. Also keeping in mind an overall 3-4 lens "kit"... is this a good place to start?

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[mat_mcdermott]

I would say starting with a 28 for street shooting is a great place to start. Both Leica 28's are excellent, though the 2.0 is over double the price of the 2.8 at the moment. Sean Reid has reviewed all you 28mm options for the M8 on his website: http://www.reidreviews.com. It's a subscription based site, though inexpensive. It will give you side-by-side comparison photos, pros and cons of all the lenses, etc.

 

After reading the reviews I went with the 28/2.0 and have been very satisfied. If you choose this option, spring for the lens hood for the 35 Summilux as the stock hood for the 28 is a monster, obscuring a healthy chunk of the viewfinder window.

[cme4brain]

I just purchased a M8 and need some advice on a first lens purchase. I am a Nikon D2Sx shooter and want to lighten my load and get into street shoting and am considering a lens somewhere between a 24 and 35mm. Seems like there are several options available here and right now I'm thinkng of a 28mm f2.8 but also a 28 f2.0. Any advice would be appreciated. Also keeping in mind an overall 3-4 lens "kit"... is this a good place to start?

 

Congrats on taking the plunge and getting an M8- you won't regret it. Rangefinders were made for wideangle lenses! If you had to have one lens to start with, I would think about a 28mm or 24mm. Either one has framelines in the M8 viewfinder so you don't have to fiddle with a separate viewfinder. You can get the 24mm at first, then add either the 50mm or the 75mm. Many Leica photographers have "two lens kits" for most of their shooting. Film Leica oweners could sometimes carry a 35mm and a 75/90mm as a pair. To do that with the M8, you would need the 24mm and 75mm. I like a bit wider myself so I would buy the 21mm lens (that is an effective 28mm FOV), and I can approximate the lens FOV by the looking at the extremes of the viewfinder. Please consider buying Voigtlander or Zeiss lenses- if you are not sure what focal length to use, get a Voigt lens and try it out. The cost is minimal compared to Leica glass.

[gmaurizio]

I just purchased a M8 and need some advice on a first lens purchase. I am a Nikon D2Sx shooter and want to lighten my load and get into street shoting and am considering a lens somewhere between a 24 and 35mm. Seems like there are several options available here and right now I'm thinkng of a 28mm f2.8 but also a 28 f2.0. Any advice would be appreciated. Also keeping in mind an overall 3-4 lens "kit"... is this a good place to start?

 

While I would not put to sleep the D2Xs yet.... I would grab the 28mm F2.8 ASPH for $1500. It is a bargain... Do not forget your uv/ir E39 filter (add $100) and you can be a happy camper doing some serious street shots. That is the lens we use 99% of the time during normal hours.

After dark, it does not hurt to go for the CV 35mm F1.2, which will make a hole of $900. Since this lens is mostly used under low light high contrast situations, while a filter might help in the case of black polyester, you do not need to code it.

Go from there, then.... beware of GAS....

At some point in time you might just miss Nikon 28-70mm F2.8, a fantastic lens, but the Leica way has many compensations...

[grduprey]

Congrats on teh new M8. Don't get frustrated by the extreme change in viewfinder and focusing differences, a bit of practice and all will be fine. I would recdomend either the 28.2.8 Asph lens or the 35/1.4. These two are the most used of my leica lenses, but you may want a 50 also after a while. If you want wider than the 28 then the 24 is a real jewel of a lens, or if you want a faster 28 then the 28/2.0 is another jewel, but both of these are rather expensive, but this is the norm for Leica glass, but you will find they are well worth the cost.

 

Gene

[lars_bergquist]

My advice is to get one lens first and learn to use it. The best choice would be either 35mm (a standard lens, in full frame terms) or 28mm (slight wide angle, like 35mm on 24x36). If 35mm, you don't need anything faster than f:2, i.e. a Summicron. Leica lenses can be used wide open with excellent results, and f:2 and ISO 320 will handle most anything.

 

When you feel comfortable with your first lens, get another. Here, the advantage of 28mm is that 75mm will give you a classical combo close to the old 35+90mm (= 37+100mm). With 35mm, the natural step up is more like 90mm (= 47+120). But, depending on your habits and tastes, 28+50 and 35+75 are also viable combos.

 

The great advantage of M cameras is that the frame selector gives you the opportunity to try out the angles of view of lenses you don't have! Another argument for starting out with just one lens.

 

The old man from the Age of the M3

[carstenw]

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The older 28/2.8 non-Asph is also meant to be rather good, so if you wanted to save a little money, you could try that. This lens and the 28/2 Asph are both lower contrast than the unusually-for-Leica quite high-contrast 28/2.8 Asph, which might be desirable if you live somewhere with stronger light.

[Eoin]

28mm is an excellent choice for a starting lens and perfect for street shooting. I'll bet it will become the most used lens even after you add the other 2/3 later. As for Summicron or Elmarit, we're talking more about fingerprint here rather than the obvious 1 stop advantage of the Summicron. The elmarit has a lot of contrast which may close out the subtle tones. I choose the Summicron, more so because I found it at quite a reasonable price compared to the elusive elmarit, yes I like the extra 1 stop when needed and I can always add more contrast in post if needed.

 

My ideal 2 lens setup would be 28 & 75 Summicron Asphs or a 3 lens 28, 50 & 90. it's obvious by my choices I'm not a huge WA fan but on the RF the 28 is in "the zone" for most usable FL.

[jothiratnam]

Hi, congratulations on the new camera. Just a few ideas for you. Some old screw-mount (with adaptor ring) or m-mount lenses might be worth considering, though this of course depends on your style of photography (some of the older lenses are good buys, and their rendition of the image may be just the thing for you, as some are sharp but luminous/soft/low-contrast). One of the lenses I very often have on my M8 is a 3,5cm/f3,5 Elmar from 1935. By no stretch of the imagination is it a fast lens, but it is remarkably flat, produces a very good image, is rather unobtrusive, corresponds more or less to a 50 mm full frame, and makes the entire ensemble pocketable ( albeit in a large-ish pocket). An interesting combination of older and newer lenses might be say: 1) A new 21 or 24 (or even wider); 2) The aforementioned 35 (ideal for pocketability and discreet shooting); 3) If you need lenses in the 50mm range, then one or more of the following: a 50/2 Summitar or Summicron (Safer to get non-retractable versions of these lenses, as Leica does not recommend retracting them into the M8); or if you need the speed/shallower depth of field a Summilux f1,4 or a Noctilux f1 (really expensive but wonderful in low light); and 4) Either a newer 75, or an old 90/2,8 Elmarit (depending on which focal length would suit your uses more). Such a lens-selection would give you a fairly polyvalent collection. Anyway, enjoy the Leica experience, but be forewarned, it can become an addiction!

[luigi bertolotti]

Compliments for your choice and for having joined us... you'll find a lot of useful info on your M8, here.

 

As a first lens, I think the best buy is surely the 28 2,8, not too costly and excellent : if you'll really feel the need for a superluminous, better to think, after to some 1,4 (35 or 50, but 50 is imho a "strange" focal on M8)... and there is also a Voigtlander 35 1,2 that I do not have, but is generally appreciated.

Your envisioned set of 3-4 lenses, of course, can be of a variety of compositions, depending on your needs, habits, tastes ... just some examples supposed you now buy the 28:

 

- Leica 21, Voigt 35 1,2 or Leica 35 1,4, Leica 75 (a not expensive 2,5 is arriving)

- Instead of 21 : Leica 16-21 known as WATE , lot of money !!!

- Instead of luminous 35s : Leica 50 1,0 Noctilux, lot of money !!!

- Instead of 75 : the 90 Macro, excellent also as standard tele , even if limited to f4

 

... and more to think about... with Leica lenses, one doesn't know how to end... have you hever heard of a device named Visoflex....?

[Ecaton]

I just purchased a M8 and need some advice on a first lens purchase. I am a Nikon D2Sx shooter and want to lighten my load and get into street shoting and am considering a lens somewhere between a 24 and 35mm. Seems like there are several options available here and right now I'm thinkng of a 28mm f2.8 but also a 28 f2.0. Any advice would be appreciated. Also keeping in mind an overall 3-4 lens "kit"... is this a good place to start?

 

Congratulations to your purchase!

My preferred three lens kit is 21-35-75, with the M8's crop factor being the equivalent to 28-47-100mm.. And I would start with buying a 35mm (my choice the Cron 35/2 Aspherical). As already suggested by others, Sean Reid's reviews is a great place to learn more about the many lens choices there are, with CV, ZM and certainly Leica manufacturing excellent lenses, being sold at quite different prices, though.

My lens set up is a mix of Leica, ZM and CV glass.

[carlc]

First of all I'd like to thank everyone for there recomendations and input. You are sure a very responsive and knowledgable group of Leica users! Right now I decided to go with the 28/2.8 to get some shooting experience. Overall this lens is somewhat reasonably priced and available locally. My only reservation are the comments on the high contrast of the lens. I ordered the lens and should have it in two days. Thanks again to all of you!

[carlc]

Congrats on teh new M8. Don't get frustrated by the extreme change in viewfinder and focusing differences, a bit of practice and all will be fine. I would recdomend either the 28.2.8 Asph lens or the 35/1.4. These two are the most used of my leica lenses, but you may want a 50 also after a while. If you want wider than the 28 then the 24 is a real jewel of a lens, or if you want a faster 28 then the 28/2.0 is another jewel, but both of these are rather expensive, but this is the norm for Leica glass, but you will find they are well worth the cost.

 

Gene

 

Gene,

You're right about getting frustrated by the extreme change in the viewfinder and focusing difference between the M8 and my Nikon SLR. I just got my first lens (ended up with a 28mm f/2 and took a couple dozen shots late this afternoon. Not very may keepers and I do sure miss the f stop not being recourded in the metadata. I plan on doing some additional reading over the next day or so and will have some time this weekend to go out and shoot around town. The learning curve may be a little steeper that I initially thought!