Suggestions for 35 and 50mm lenses

[SNJ Ops]

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4 hours ago, Jeff S said:

With no RF experience, and no 40mm frame lines, this will present a bit more of a learning curve.  Still manageable, but not ideal IMO.  Are you not able to rent or demo a 35 and/or 50mm?  In the US, CamerQuest offers a 30 day, no questions asked, return policy on new CV lenses.

Jeff

I’m in the UK 🇬🇧, I did find a shop that has the Zeiss Planar in stock and they do trade ins so I’ll see what they offer me for 1 or 2 of my Sony lenses that I no longer need.

[1joel1]

You should be able to get the Zeiss 50 f2 and 35 f2 or 2.8 within your budget. They're all fantastic lenses and I've used both extensively.

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[Almizilero]

Good choice with the Zeiss. Was my first M lens as well. Great value for money! Be careful with selling your Sony gear. It's great to be able to trade it in, but usually this way you get way less than selling it privately (if you have the time and nerves for that).

[SNJ Ops]

2 hours ago, Almizilero said:

Good choice with the Zeiss. Was my first M lens as well. Great value for money! Be careful with selling your Sony gear. It's great to be able to trade it in, but usually this way you get way less than selling it privately (if you have the time and nerves for that).

My local camera shop has a silver 50mm f1.5 Sonar in stock so i’ll try that and if I like it I’ll ask them to order me in a black one.

As for trading Sony gear again my local camera shop makes things hassle free and quick. Plus they let me pay for gear monthly with cash as I’m one of their regulars. 
 

 

[jimmielx]

@SNJ Ops The Zeiss Sonnar is a very well regarded lens, that is said to have a very special rendering. However, it is also famed for having a pretty extreme focus shift - that is the focus point shifting backwards away from the camera as the aperture is stopped down. The rangefinder mechanism has no way to compensate for this. So when you nail focus in the rangefinder patch and take a photograph at f/1.5, your plane of focus will be exactly where you expect it. However if you use an aperture of say f/2 or f/2.8 the plane of focus will be behind where you expect it. In fact many lenses do suffer from this, it’s just that the Sonnar is well know for having extreme focus shift. On most lenses the increasing depth of field is enough to keep the point of focus within the zone of acceptable sharpness as you stop down. This is not the case with the Sonnar. Whilst the Planar or Nokton Vintage II or indeed the regular Summicron do have a bit of this, it’s minimal and you’d be unlikely to notice it and it would not be something to worry about.

For this reason, because I think you a looking for your first M lens and have not used a rangefinder before I would be cautious about going for the Sonnar. I’m not knocking the lens, it has a fine reputation, I would just be inclined towards something more straightforward as a first lens. 

[Jon Warwick]

As per above, the Sonnar is quite a distinctive lens and for me personally, it wouldn’t be my first choice as a “general” lens. Voigtlander has many different lenses in the 35 and 50 range, however, including the optically superb APO Lanthars, which can be found at < £1k new. 

[Ouroboros]

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For someone who enjoys street photography but is a newcomer to rangefinder photography, I think the CV 35mm f1.4 Nokton ii would be a good starting point.  

With a little more experience of using a Leica M, I’d definitely add a ZM 50mm c-sonnar for a fast 35 & 50mm set with bags of ‘character’ for a combined new cost around the same as a single used summarit.

[SNJ Ops]

1 hour ago, jimmielx said:

@SNJ Ops The Zeiss Sonnar is a very well regarded lens, that is said to have a very special rendering. However, it is also famed for having a pretty extreme focus shift - that is the focus point shifting backwards away from the camera as the aperture is stopped down. The rangefinder mechanism has no way to compensate for this. So when you nail focus in the rangefinder patch and take a photograph at f/1.5, your plane of focus will be exactly where you expect it. However if you use an aperture of say f/2 or f/2.8 the plane of focus will be behind where you expect it. In fact many lenses do suffer from this, it’s just that the Sonnar is well know for having extreme focus shift. On most lenses the increasing depth of field is enough to keep the point of focus within the zone of acceptable sharpness as you stop down. This is not the case with the Sonnar. Whilst the Planar or Nokton Vintage II or indeed the regular Summicron do have a bit of this, it’s minimal and you’d be unlikely to notice it and it would not be something to worry about.

For this reason, because I think you a looking for your first M lens and have not used a rangefinder before I would be cautious about going for the Sonnar. I’m not knocking the lens, it has a fine reputation, I would just be inclined towards something more straightforward as a first lens. 

Thanks for the heads up, may have to look at alternatives if the focus shift is really that bad. Does the 50mm f2 Planar also suffer from the same issue?

[pgh]

On 3/29/2023 at 8:30 AM, spydrxx said:

35, 40 and 50 sounds too close to really differentiate. I suggest you select only one focal length and master it, see if you really connect with rangefinder photography before funding additional lenses.

While I understand this, they are quite different - especially 50 and 35mm. After more than 20 years behind a camera in fact those are the only lenses I tend to use, and again, yield quite different results. I used to use a 40 as well and to be honest if there were frame lines for a 40mm I would probably pick one up. The subtle differences in FOV can be key for someone like myself who tends to want to render the world through more or less "normal" perspective.

Anyways, to OP, I'd get a 35mm summicron - and find a used one, look hard, save up, stretch your budget if in shooting street you mean people moving through space. The Zeiss's and Voigtlanders are nice but just not the same. 

[Ouroboros]

2 minutes ago, pgh said:

While I understand this, they are quite different - especially 50 and 35mm. After more than 20 years behind a camera in fact those are the only lenses I tend to use, and again, yield quite different results. I used to use a 40 as well and to be honest if there were frame lines for a 40mm I would probably pick one up. The subtle differences in FOV can be key for someone like myself who tends to want to render the world through more or less "normal" perspective.

Anyways, to OP, I'd get a 35mm summicron - and find a used one, look hard, save up, stretch your budget if in shooting street you mean people moving through space. The Zeiss's and Voigtlanders are nice but just not the same. 

OP’s  budget is £1000.  He won’t find a 35mm summicron anywhere close to that.

[SNJ Ops]

2 minutes ago, pgh said:

While I understand this, they are quite different - especially 50 and 35mm. After more than 20 years behind a camera in fact those are the only lenses I tend to use, and again, yield quite different results. I used to use a 40 as well and to be honest if there were frame lines for a 40mm I would probably pick one up. The subtle differences in FOV can be key for someone like myself who tends to want to render the world through more or less "normal" perspective.

Anyways, to OP, I'd get a 35mm summicron - and find a used one, look hard, save up, stretch your budget if in shooting street you mean people moving through space. The Zeiss's and Voigtlanders are nice but just not the same. 

Yes for me there’s a huge difference between 35mm and 50mm, for my portrait work I happily use both alongside an 85mm but for street photography I really do favour 50mm. Even when I have used 35mm for street I almost always crop. If money was no object I would buy a brand mew 50mm Summicron but that isn’t an option at the moment.

[Nimar]

Can recommend the 35 Ultron. I own the Ultron and Lanthar but Ultron is on the camera most as it’s so wee and plenty performant. Stacks up very well with the 35 Summicron v4/5  

 

~£600 from https://www.robertwhite.co.uk/voigtlander-35mm-f2-vm-asph-ultron-vintage-line-type-ii-black-lens.html if you watch a few MrLeica videos and find his coupon code. 

Also decent used deals on https://www.mpb.com/ if you keep looking. 

Edited April 4, 2023 by Nimar

[Greenhilltony]

Another vote for 35 Ultron II. Many reviewers claim it is almost the same performance as the 35 Summicron ASPH and even surpasses it a bit in terms of sharpness. I bought my copy from Japan and shipped to Hong Kong. The focus ring is a bit stiff at the beginning, but after a week of heavy use, it eventually becomes butter smooth without any wobbling. And even if it starts to wobble, fixing is quite easy, just use a tweezer to push the inner ring with two notches from the back of the lens, and it will become solid again.

[jimmielx]

@SNJ Ops The Planar does not suffer from focus shift in a way that you are going to notice. I’ve had a Planar for about ten years and have never noticed it. Really I have very little to complain about with the Planar - I find it very easy to use, the focus throw (how far you have to turn the focus mechanism to go from close focus to infinity) feels just right, focus resistance is minimal but smooth, so I find it very fast to focus and it is very resistant to lens flare. 

One objective plus for the Planar over the Sonnar, is that the Planar focuses down to 0.7m which is the close focus limit of the mechanical rangefinder in the M, the Sonnar focuses to 0.9m.

You will very likely in time come to want another lens for your M, a different focal length, something with a wider aperture, something with a more vintage draw, something from the Leica mothership, etc.. But I think the planar is a very solid first M lens.

I’d give a final shout out to the Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 Nokton Vintage II (importantly the current II version) MC (also important!). Very similar size and handling to the Planar, but does open up to f1.5 if you might want that. Focus shift is not a real issue on this either. It is a little more expensive though. It’s principal Achilles heal is that it vignette is quite strong even as you stop down. It’s rendering is perhaps also a little more towards the vintage than the Planar.

[Anbaric]

On 3/30/2023 at 6:19 PM, 1joel1 said:

You might be able to find a V1 35mm Summicron ASPH near your budget. It's tiny and sharp. I use mine a lot.

It's a great lens, but you'd probably have to stretch your budget by at least 50% to get any sort of 35mm Summicron in the UK unless you are very lucky (some overseas dealers are cheaper, but you'd have to allow for import tax). 50mm Summicrons turn up closer to the £1000 mark and could be a good choice, especially if you are planning to add something wider later. 40mm Summicrons are cheaper again - you could pick up the lens and the CL it was designed for with that budget. But the framelines are a bit of a problem. Unless someone has attacked the mount with a metal file to 'fix' this, it will bring up the 50mm frame, which is a bit undersized in a modern Leica finder even for a 50mm lens, let alone a 40mm. The 35mm framelines are closer, but you'd have to select them manually every time or guesstimate (unless you use the Visoflex EVF/LCD/optical external finder for framing).

[ibramr]

Greetings.  I am confident that you will find the older Summarit 35mm f2.5 a very competent lens both performance and price wise.  Yes, you will always think about the Summicron but till it is within range, you are enjoying the use of an almost excellent native Leica product.  Enjoy in good health.  

[mpw]

I would get the Voigtlander Nokton VM 50mm f/1.5 version II. From all reports that I have read it is an outstanding lens. Try to find one used on Ebay. Keep your Sony lens as you can switch back in forth from the M10 to the Sony. Hope you enjoy your new M10 - great choice!

Note: I am not a Leica user but I plan on getting the Nikon Z6 along with an M to Z adapter to use with the Voigtlander mentioned above.

[ktmrider2]

The Zeiss 35f2.8 C Biogon has my vote in 35mm.  I don't have any experience with the faster Zeiss 35's so cannot recommend them based on personal experience but they have great reviews except they seem to be on the larger end.  The 35 C Biogon may be the sharpest non APO lens made.  I have also had great luck with the 35f1.2 Nokton but since it is rather big, the CBiogon lives on my M4.

I don't think I would purchase all three focal lengths.  35, 40, and 50 are rather close but would go 28/40 or 28/50 or 35/50. My travel kit is a 35/90 combo and lots of users here enjoy a 35/75.  I think I would pick one lens in 35, 40, or 50 and live with it for a couple months to get the rangefinder experience.  And I don't think you will make a mistake with either Zeiss, Voightlander or a used Leica lens.

Have fun.  Most on the forum here probably would not admit it but we are all equipment geeks.

[SNJ Ops]

Update.. Thanks for the all of the suggestions.

Today I picked up a 35mm f2 Biogon from my local shop. I’ll see how I get on with the 35mm focal length for the time being.

Been taking some test snaps to get used to the rangefinder. I expected the experience to be engaging but surprisingly its very enjoyable as well. Looking forward to going out and capturing more images.

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[jimmielx]

Congratulations on your purchase. The Biogon is a fantastic lens, hope you enjoy shooting it and get some great images.