28 F2 ASPH or 35 1.4 ASPH for M8 ?

[proenca]

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Ok, the 50 Summilux 1.4 is too long for general purpose shooting on my M8.

 

I love the way it renders the bokeh areas though, creamy and dreamy... ( its the latest version, non ASPH , bought it for that and Im veryyyyyy pleased ).

 

But for general use is too tight.. any recommendations, if possible with pictures, of these lens on a M8 ?

 

Cheers,

 

Goncalo Proenca

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[Eoin]

Goncarlo, The only advice I can offer is my own personal experience with these 2 lenses. I had the 35 Summilux Asph and found it to narrow for general shooting. It's really a super lens perfect in almost all respects. I would still own it today were it not for the fact I purchased a 28 Summicron Asph which better suited my needs. While the Summicron is also superb in what it does. It lacks some of the punch in contrast the summilux had and is not as critically sharp, it some how seems smoother in it's tones and transitions from focus to out of focus.

Naturally due to the focal length and max aperture it has a harder time in wiping the background into bokeh, but sometimes the summilux would give strange results in this regard.

 

Best advice is choose for the focal length not for the max aperture, play with the frame line selector switching between the 28/90 and 24/35 frames to judge the angle of view that would best meet your needs in any given number of situations. Don't forget you already have the 50mm, the 35 is closer to that so the 28 may make more sense.

[BerndReini]

A lot of times you can frame things a little tighter or step back a few steps. I own both, but the extra stop makes the 35lux more useful to me.

[chris_tribble]

28 is the lens cap on the M8. 35 cron V4 was the lenscap on the M7 and M6.

 

With the M8, the 28 + the 75 lux is my interiors default combination. When I'm out in nature I take the 28 + 135 APO TELYT...

 

Enjoy the decision ...

 

Best

[j. borger]

Nobody can answer this for you, this is very personal ........ i am a 50mm guy so ... the 35 mm is my lens for general shooting on the M8 .... and it already feels wide to me ..... 28mm is too wide for me for general shooting.....

[gogopix]

28 is the lens cap on the M8. 35 cron V4 was the lenscap on the M7 and M6.

 

With the M8, the 28 + the 75 lux is my interiors default combination. When I'm out in nature I take the 28 + 135 APO TELYT...

 

Enjoy the decision ...

 

Best

 

Dear Chris

 

My combo exactly for trekking with M8; except I take the old and venerable 135mm tele-Elmar

 

Regards

[tom0511]

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Love the 28/2.0 and use it much moreoften than 35mm (which I also own).

But as others said-its a personal question and probably a matter of taste.

Cheers, Tom

[bayerische]

I don't have the 28mm, but for me it's easy, I go with the faster lens, therefore I have the lux 35mm asph.

[sean_reid]

Spend an afternoon walking around holding the lever for the 28 lines in place, then the 35, then the 28. Note which one seems to show a better FOV for the distance you, naturally, seem to want to be away from your subjects.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

[Jack_Flesher]

It's been said you can only decide this for yourself and I agree.

 

That out of the way, I too *love* the way my 50 Pre-Lux paints and it may well be the last M lens that leaves my hands. I have owned ALL of the 35's, including the Pre-Lux, Asph Lux, ver IV Cron and Asph Cron, and three 28's; the 28 IV Elmarit, 28 Asph Elmarit and 28 Asph Cron. Of this I kept the 35 IV and 28 Cron... In case it matters to you, it is my opinion that of all of those, the 28 more closely matches the 50 Pre in the way it renders than the others do.

 

PS: I also own the 75 Lux, and while it renders similarly as well, the two lenses I keep on the M8 are the 50 Pre and 28 Cron.

 

Cheers,

[xrogers]

They are both beautiful lenses. I had both, and just sold the 28. I found that the 35's extra f-stop meant more to me than the 28's somewhat wider view and somewhat lighter weight. The 28 was a wonderful lens, though, and I understand why people make it their primary.

 

I also no longer believe in the "see what you use on a film camera and translate the focal length to the cropped camera" school of thought. My primary lens on both film and M8 is the 35. Over time I've realized that for me, there's more to this choice than focal length.

 

--clyde

[t024484]

It's been said you can only decide this for yourself and I agree.

 

That out of the way, I too *love* the way my 50 Pre-Lux paints and it may well be the last M lens that leaves my hands. I have owned ALL of the 35's, including the Pre-Lux, Asph Lux, ver IV Cron and Asph Cron, and three 28's; the 28 IV Elmarit, 28 Asph Elmarit and 28 Asph Cron. Of this I kept the 35 IV and 28 Cron... In case it matters to you, it is my opinion that of all of those, the 28 more closely matches the 50 Pre in the way it renders than the others do.

 

PS: I also own the 75 Lux, and while it renders similarly as well, the two lenses I keep on the M8 are the 50 Pre and 28 Cron.

 

Cheers,

I can add my preference, which is quite similair, 28 Cron, 50 Cron and 15mm CV.

Although I have a 75 Cron, I never use it.

I do not need a 35mm either.

[AGeoJO]

Like others before already mentioned, only you can make the call. But I would go with the 28mm f/2.0 ASPH if I were you. Don't get me wrong, I love my 35mm lux and you gain one stop, but it is too close FL-wise to the 50mm for my taste. Add a 90mm ASPH and you are set .

[Paul Hart]

The advantage of the 35 over the 28 on the M8 is that there is still a good sized margin round the framelines in the viewfinder, which to my mind is part of the beauty of a rangefinder. There is still some margin with the 28 (naturally, as there are framelines for the 24), but it's not a lot.

[woodyspedden]

I don't think it is just an issue of FOV. The 28 cron and 35 lux draw entirely differently. The cron is one of the sharpest tools in the Leica stable and the lux is faster and draws the out of focus areas very differently from the cron. Horses for courses as they say. i own both and am not a bit sorry for the investment. You may want to read the articles on Sean Reid's site http://www.reidreviews.com for much more in depth information.

 

Woody Spedden

[pklein]

Alfred Eisenstadt was once asked how he tested lenses. He said he bought a lens and used it. If he liked it, he kept it. If he didn't, he sold it. Now there's an approach that breaks "analysis paralysis!"

 

That said, there is an easy way to make an informed initial choice. If you prefer a 50mm lens with film, go with a 35. If you prefer a 35mm lens with film, go with a 28. Either of the lenses you mention are superb. It's which type of drawing you prefer.

 

Me, I prefer 50mm with film. I already have the 35/1.4 ASPH, and it's wonderful on the M8, including wide open. So I'm happy. I picked up used VC 28/1.9 and 28/3.5 lenses to see if I will use a 28 more or not. The small, light 28/3.5 is a keeper for travel--I love the way it drew on vacation in Yellowstone last month. I haven't used the 28/1.9 much yet. It is not scary-sharp like the 35/1.4 wide open, but looks like it will serve well. If I like, I keep. If not, I sell.

 

I suggest you get the focal length you will use most. If you need speed, there's nothing like the Leica lenses wide open. If you're more of an outdoor shooter, a buying a used VC lens as a trial risks less money, which you'll probably get back anyway if you sell later. And many of the VCs are as good as you need.

 

If the 35/1.4 is too "clinically" sharp for you, consider a pre-aspheric 35/2 Summicron, or one of the VC 35mm lenses.

 

For my uses, the 35/1.4 is kind of a widish normal, so it often works in situations I would have used a 35mm for on film, and I step a little closer where I would have used a 50.

 

But don't sell your 50 'Lux. You'll use it more than you think.

 

--Peter

[tom0511]

I am too lazy to do it but I would be interested if someone shot the same subject from same distance with the 28/2.0 and the 35/1.4, crop the 28 shot to get the same crop - how many here could identify which lens was used.

cheers, Tom

[Daniel Ortego]

"... the two lenses I keep on the M8 are the 50 Pre and 28 Cron."

Cheers,

 

Thanks for the confidence check, as I just purchased a 28 Cron' today.

Regards,

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[ptruman]

The first lens I used with an M8 was a 50mm f2, and used it all the time. Then I bought the 28mm f2 and used that all the time. Then a 35mm f2 and use that all the time, and still do except when I swap it for the 75mm or other lens! The most often used lens is still the 35mm though. It's what you feel happiest with and what you shoot.

 

When I used film M I used a 50mm f2 almost all the time and only very occasionally used a 35mm lens.

 

Sorry, not the most useful or analytical response, but I believe its more about the "feel" and what you are happiest with. Get used to the fact that its an expensive business and you will eventually have spent an awful lot of money BUT you will find there are a small number of lenses that you find just great.

[LichMD]

Both are great lenses.

It depends on what your optimal FOVs are and in your preference in how these lenses draw.

I'd read through Sean Reid's excellent reviews of these lenses.

I tried both and wound up keeping the 28/2.0, as I didn't need the extra stop that much.

Recently picked up the 35 Cron Version IV and fell in love with the way it draws, a keeper.

Both lenses spend about equal time on my M8 currently.

Try them both and see which you want to keep.