Which single Leica lens?

[rpsawin]

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On 3/14/2023 at 8:11 AM, rramesh said:

1. Examine your current lenses. Are they the more modern type? If so, you might want to consider an older Leica lens. Or vice versa.
2. Then decide on your preferred focal length.
3. Then buy within your budget.

Repeat as often as necessary...

[Pulvyrider]

I use the summicron-m 50mm f/2 (v5) on my M11 and I really like it a lot.

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[AceVentura1986]

Like you, I have one Leica lens and a selection of third-party lenses. My sole Leica lens is a 50mm Summicron version V manufactured in 2000. Although I shoot w a variety of FLs, I find the 50 to be the most versatile of all, followed by the 40mm, which is a bit rare. The 50 can serve as a landscape and a street lens and can even serve as a portrait lens in a pinch.  No other FL can serve in all these capacities , IMHO. Can’t go wrong w a 50. 
 

[Jewl]

like many others here, I started with the 35mm Summilux FLE (replaced the Nokton 35mm 1.4 after I felt the M was the right camera) - will add a 28mm Summicron as I really miss the view of my Q in different scenarios. But cannot really tell yet whether the one or the other FL will be "better". But I believe, if in doubt, I'd pick the 35mm which is more of an allrounder than 28 or 50mm. 

[AceVentura1986]

3 hours ago, SuperPuppet said:

I'm betting there is at least on Voigtlander in that set.

Yes. I have a 50mm Leica Summicron and Voigtlanders in 15, 35, and 75mm. 

[budjames]

My desert island lens is the Leica APO-Summicron-M 35mm f2. It virtually stays glued to the front of my M11 and M10-R before the M11.

When I go on my frequent travel vacations, my M11 and this lens is the only thing that I take with me.

Regards,
Bud James

Please check out my fine art and travel photography at www.budjames.photography.

[Al Brown]

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I bet the OP has bought the lens they wanted in these past 10 months before the thread resurrection, but if not - the most useful single (one to rule them all) focal length for a M setup is surely 35mm, sometimes even 28mm, but as far as the lens is concerned - the king and queen of M lenses (criteria affected by speed, focal length and price/performance) must be this one.

Edited January 26 by Al Brown

[RexGig0]

The author of the original post has not been active since April 2023, with a post in the Q forum being most recent, but, with the discussion having been resurrected, I will say that my personal “one Leica lens,” with other roles being filled by Zeiss ZM and Voigtlander VM system, would be the lens with which I started the Leica M system, the Summilux-M 50mm ASPH. Multiple years years of internet research, perhaps starting as early as 2010, then, when I retired, in 2018, multiple visits to a nearby Leica dealer, trying a well-preserved, pre-owned Summilux-M 50mm ASPH on pre-owned and demonstrator M9 and M Type 240 cameras, resulted in my decision to buy this lens, on a day in April 2018, before I knew which camera I would be acquiring, upon which to use the Summilux.

My motivations? Well, the character of human subjects, when photographed at or near f/1.4, plus the overall character of the background blur, were most important. I knew that some apertures, and some conditions, would result in distinctive jagged-edge or “ninja star” bokeh shapes, rather than nicely round “bokeh balls.” I simply accepted this, and was willing to work around it. The size and shape of the Summilux 50 was not a problem; I like a lens with some amount of heft and gripping surface. Perhaps my being left-handed contributes to this, but a lens serves as a nice “accessory” to grip a relatively small camera body.

Notably, I was not an avid fan of the 50mm focal length, when using DLRs, from 2010 to early 2018. I had found 45mm and 60mm to be more interesting. I learned to like 50mm, and the Leica M system, with the Summilux-M 50mm ASPH lens.

I do not seem to be much interested in 18mm, but, to experiment with this focal length, I bought a Zeiss ZM. At 21mm, I use Zeiss ZM and Voigtlander VM; both excellent lenses. The C Biogon 21mm f/4.5 ZM, and Nokton 21mm f/1.4 VM, are both so good, that I do not feel a need to buy “real” Leica 21mm lens. While I would appreciate the “focus fall-off” of a Summilux-M 21mm ASPH, I cannot foresee being able to justify the price of this lens, new or pre-owned.

In the mid-twenties focal lengths, I had Voigtlander and Zeiss 25mm, for some time, before I acquired an Elmar-M 24mm lens. I really do like the Elmar, but, not nearly as much as I like the Summilux 50, and, 24mm and 25mm are less-inspiring than 21mm or 35mm.

At 28mm, I like the Elmarit-M Version III, and have a threaded-mount Summaron, but, I simply find 28mm to be less-inspiring than 35mm.

35mm is very important to me, in the Leica M system, but, I could do quite well with Zeiss and Voigtlander, at this focal length, with the Zeiss Distagon f/1.4 ZM being a particular favorite. My Leica 35mm lenses are a Summaron 3.5cm f/3.5, and a “Re-Edition” Summilux Steel Rim. I really do like the latter one, and it is special, in being the only Leica-brand M lens that I have bought new, rather than pre-owned, but, it does not dethrone my Summilux-M 50mm ASPH, from its most-favored status.

If I need a flare-resistant, glare-resistant, sunny-day 50mm lens, my Voigtlander APO Lanthar serves well. If I need an ultra “fast” fifty, the Voitglander Nokton f/1 Aspherical serves well.

In the short telephoto range, I really do like the APO Summicron-M 75mm ASPH, but, the 75mm focal length is not nearly as important, to me, as 35mm and 50mm, when using M cameras. Notably, Peter Karbe designed this APO 75mm ‘Cron ASPH to be very much like his Summilux-M 50mm ASPH. It is at 90mm that a Leica lens is able to do what no other manufacturer’s lens can duplicate. My Thambar-M is a very special lens. Special, however, does not mean that it can displace my Summilux 50, as THE most important of my M lenses. Plus, I so very rarely use the 90mm focal length, with any system.

[shirubadanieru]

I might have answered this thread in the past, can’t remember, but by far the most versatile focal length on a rangefinder for me is the 35mm.

Reasoning being:

- While 28mm is better for zone focusing / street, it’s not great for portraits or bokeh (unless you buy a summilux 28mm f1.4, but given the huge size and weight it defeats the purpose of a 28mm from my PoV at what it does best (street / zone focusing)

- While 50mm is better for portraits / bokeh / separation, it’s not great for zone focusing. The 50mm range definitely has the most interesting lenses, so it’s fun to try all the way from the 1930s elmars to today’s summilux asph. 

 

The 35mm is a great in between these two focal lengths, allowing you to easily do zone focusing at f8 or f11, while being able to still shoot beautiful portraits with interesting bokeh at f1.4 or f2 (think summicron 8 elements, summicron v4, summilux pre-asph, asph fle)

[shirubadanieru]

7 hours ago, SuperPuppet said:

It’s all relative eh!  I own the 28 Lux. In my view it’s tiny… after years of shooting with Hasselblad and Canon 1DS systems nothing from Leica M is remotely huge.

Of course, I was specifically referring to Leica gear. Within that space the summilux 28mm is a big and heavy lens. I heard it’s a great performer though.

[Al Brown]

8 hours ago, SuperPuppet said:

It’s all relative eh!  I own the 28 Lux. In my view it’s tiny… after years of shooting with Hasselblad and Canon 1DS systems nothing from Leica M is remotely huge.

"It is not the size of a lens but the size of its aspherical surfaces".
                                                                          --- Peter Karbresson

[costa43]

My nerd personality loves these questions even though there isn’t and never will be a correct answer for all. When I don’t know what to take, I always go for a 35mm. Its rarely the best at anything but it can do almost everything. 

Edited January 27 by costa43

[IkarusJohn]

I see the OP went for a 35-75 combination.  Good choice.

But it was an interesting question, not really based on which focal length would work best for him, but for one iconic Leica lens, what would you buy?  Having tried or owned a lot of Leica lenses, I find this a difficult question.

The M3 was based around the 50mm focal length.  Like many, that was a lens which I did not use or like - a 55mm lens came as part of a “kit” with my first Nikon, and I never used it.  Then I got an M9.  I started with a 35 Summicron ASPH on the recommendation of the shop (Meister in Berlin).  It was great.  But then I added a 50 Summilux ASPH, and came to understand the pleasures of the 50mm field of view.

So, what is the iconic Leica M lens between 21 and 90?  The 21 Summilux (a fast ultrawide); the 28 Summilux (magical); the 35 Summilux pre-asph (a Mandler classic) or the extraordinary APO with its close focus; one of the 50s; or 75s?  Everyone has their favourite, and my “dead hands” lens changes with each lens I use.  There are many reasons to favour a particular version in a specific focal length, but that’s not how I read the question.

Like great music, iconic for me means the quintessential lens which endures with time.  That for me is the 50 Summilux-M ASPH.  It’s an APO lens, with floating lens elements, yet it retains that softness wide open you get with the Noctilux 0.95 without the weird bokeh of the f/1 version and it is sharp (enough) stopped down.  Erwin Puts also liked it a lot.

[BillCB]

I have the 50 Summilux-M ASPH. I was not aware that it is an APO lens? 

[IkarusJohn]

11 minutes ago, BillCB said:

I have the 50 Summilux-M ASPH. I was not aware that it is an APO lens? 

Not designated with the APO name, but it is an APO lens.  IF you search the forum, you will find this has been discussed a lot.  Similarly, the Noctilux 0.95.

[Pierre68]

If I had to keep only one, then it would be the 50 lux Asph.

[RexGig0]

On 1/27/2024 at 3:40 PM, BillCB said:

I have the 50 Summilux-M ASPH. I was not aware that it is an APO lens? 

When specifically asked, by interviewers, Peter Karbe has said that the Summilux-M 50mm ASPH is “APO.” Multiple sources exist.

As I understand it, the Summilux-M 50mm ASPH lens was released before “APO” was generally used by Leica, as a marketing term. “APO” is exactly that; a marketing term, based upon the word “apochromat.” Some lenses are more apochromatically corrected than others. 

 

[mfunnell]

On 1/28/2024 at 7:23 AM, IkarusJohn said:

I see the OP went for a 35-75 combination.  Good choice.

But it was an interesting question, not really based on which focal length would work best for him, but for one iconic Leica lens, what would you buy?  Having tried or owned a lot of Leica lenses, I find this a difficult question.

The M3 was based around the 50mm focal length.  Like many, that was a lens which I did not use or like - a 55mm lens came as part of a “kit” with my first Nikon, and I never used it.  Then I got an M9.  I started with a 35 Summicron ASPH on the recommendation of the shop (Meister in Berlin).  It was great.  But then I added a 50 Summilux ASPH, and came to understand the pleasures of the 50mm field of view.

So, what is the iconic Leica M lens between 21 and 90?  The 21 Summilux (a fast ultrawide); the 28 Summilux (magical); the 35 Summilux pre-asph (a Mandler classic) or the extraordinary APO with its close focus; one of the 50s; or 75s?  Everyone has their favourite, and my “dead hands” lens changes with each lens I use.  There are many reasons to favour a particular version in a specific focal length, but that’s not how I read the question.

Like great music, iconic for me means the quintessential lens which endures with time.  That for me is the 50 Summilux-M ASPH.  It’s an APO lens, with floating lens elements, yet it retains that softness wide open you get with the Noctilux 0.95 without the weird bokeh of the f/1 version and it is sharp (enough) stopped down.  Erwin Puts also liked it a lot.

I'm going to disinter this - again! - before too much more dirt gets piled onto it.

My interpretation of the OP's question (which has long since been answered by the OP) is that he was looking to have at least one Leica lens, within a set of no-doubt good but non-Leica lenses. Not necessarily "the best" lens (however that might be interpreted) but "just one Leica lens" - which is something I can recognise.

When I first got into "M-style" rangefinder cameras, I did so via a Konica Hexar RF with M-Hexanon 50mm/f2 lens. I then bought other M-Hexanon lenses (hey, Konica made good lenses) and also Cosina-Voightlander, Zeiss ZM and older Canon and Nikon lenses in LTM. But there wasn't a single Leica lens among them. (Note: the range of excellent lenses available for the M system - many not from Leica - is one of its enduring strengths).

When I bought my first Leica camera (an older-than-I-am DS M3) I decided I wanted at least one Leica lens in my quiver. To me, the obvious choice was the Elmar-M 50mm/f2.8, which was still available new back then. Reasons: it was Leica; collapsible 50mm Elmar lenses are, well, somewhat "iconic" for Leica; it was compact and convenient; it was a modern 'take' on a classic design; it was (relatively) affordable (and I was somewhat funds-limited); and the M3 finder really 'wants' to be used for 50mm lenses. The stars all seemed to align - and I'm glad they did, because that Elmar-M is still something of a favourite lens of mine (despite having acquired rather more Leica lenses since then).

Even these days, I still think a (now 2nd hand) Elmar-M 50mm/f2.8 lens would be a good choice for someone wanting "only one Leica lens", and I also think it's a bit of a shame that Leica discontinued it. It's a connection (however distant) to Leica's earliest days, in a more modern package - and can still be used to take good photos, whether on film or with digital.

   ...Mike

Edited February 16 by mfunnell
emphasis

[costa43]

The most quintessential Leica lens for me growing up was the 50mm Summicron, when I got to the stage of being able to purchase it, I went for the Summilux instead. 

Edited February 16 by costa43

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[mfunnell]

44 minutes ago, costa43 said:

The most quintessential Leica lens for me growing up was the 50mm Summicron, when I got to the stage of being able to purchase it, I went for the Summilux instead. 

I now have one - an early M-mount collapsible (which is still a very nice lens). I have non-Leica fast 50s (ZM C-Sonnar 50mm/f1.5; Canon 50mm/f1.4 in LTM) so: much though I see the attraction, I’m thinking more seriously (as in: buy next week) about the latest Summilux 35mm. I don’t have a fast 35mm so I can con myself into it. I’d like the 50mm equivalent as well, maybe: but I just can’t convince myself.

   …Mike