Leica lens with more soul

[Terin]

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I have only recently entered the Leica world. but I have always been drawn to photographs that have the typical Leica "flavor, timbre, character, soul". Regardless of the focal length, I ask you, among the many lenses that Leica has produced and produces, which is the one that embodies the above? Would you understand that the photograph was taken with this lens?

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[grahamc]

1 hour ago, Terin said:

I have only recently entered the Leica world. but I have always been drawn to photographs that have the typical Leica "flavor, timbre, character, soul". Regardless of the focal length, I ask you, among the many lenses that Leica has produced and produces, which is the one that embodies the above? Would you understand that the photograph was taken with this lens?

I am sure you will get many different answers but for me the 50:1.4 v3 “Pre-ASPH” and 35:1.4v2 “pre-ASPH” are the lenses in my set that achieve what you are asking while still being all-rounders. 
 

There are others, 50:1v1 and 75:1.4 which scream soul...  but as the character is even more exaggerated than those mentioned above these lenses probably lend themselves more to speciality use 

[wda]

Pardon me but how can an inanimate object, made by man and machine, have a 'soul'? Much of a lens' output has to do with the photographer and the way he produces an image. It has less to do with the lens, per se.

Edited May 11, 2023 by wda

[Terin]

6 minutes ago, grahamc said:

I am sure you will get many different answers but for me the 50:1.4 v3 “Pre-ASPH” and 35:1.4v2 “pre-ASPH” are the lenses in my set that achieve what you are asking while still being all-rounders. 
 

There are others, 50:1v1 and 75:1.4 which scream soul...  but as the character is even more exaggerated than those mentioned above these lenses probably lend themselves more to speciality use 

Thank you for your intervention. Do you have to show here, some example photos?

[frame-it]

18 minutes ago, Terin said:

Thank you for your intervention. Do you have to show here, some example photos?

how about a blind test several photos taken with various lenses, and try and guess which ones are with a leica lens

[Lelmer]

2 hours ago, Terin said:

I have only recently entered the Leica world. but I have always been drawn to photographs that have the typical Leica "flavor, timbre, character, soul". Regardless of the focal length, I ask you, among the many lenses that Leica has produced and produces, which is the one that embodies the above? Would you understand that the photograph was taken with this lens?

I'd say all of them, depending on your mood of the day and what you are after...that's for sure why you'll get many different answers.

[TheBestSLIsALeicaflex]

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Generally, any old, single coated lens, from Leitz or others.  Generally, avoid aspherical, ect.  Generally the wider the aperture the more mood can created by limiting DOF.  Some classics Leica optics; 21/3.4 Super Angulon, 1st 35/2 Summicron, dual range or rigid 50/2, 75/1.4 Summilux.  The 50/1.5 summit and pre-asph Summilux can also be moody if you learn how to use it.

Plenty of other non-Leitz lenses can be moody or soulful too.  One aspherical that I find very moody when shot wide open is the 1st Voigtlander 35/1.2.

Edited May 11, 2023 by TheBestSLIsALeicaflex

[Terin]

19 minutes ago, frame-it said:

how about a blind test several photos taken with various lenses, and try and guess which ones are with a leica lens

I'm definitely not able...and that's why I'm asking

[frame-it]

2 minutes ago, Terin said:

I'm definitely not able...and that's why I'm asking

Am Sure a lot of people would not be able to

almost any lens will give a 3d pop between f1 and f4 depending on the sweet spot distance between the camera and target and the background far away.

many older lenses had a glow wide open

the organic feeling vs modern clinical feeling is perhaps what you're talking about?

 

 

 

 

Edited May 11, 2023 by frame-it

[Terin]

7 minutes ago, frame-it said:

Am Sure a lot of people would not be able to

 

the organic feeling vs modern clinical feeling is perhaps what you're talking about?

 

 

 

 

That's more or less what I meant
Someone here, in this forum, said that the Summicron 28 asph is boring, so I wonder which one is not !

[frame-it]

Just now, Terin said:

That's more or less what I meant
Someone here, in this forum, said that the Summicron 28 asph is boring, so I wonder which one is not !

that's their opinion, see what works for you!

[Terin]

1 hour ago, wda said:

Pardon me but how can an inanimate object, made by man and machine, have a 'soul'? Much of a lens' output has to do with the photographer and the way he produces an image. It has less to do with the lens, per se.

Maybe I didn't use the right words and expressed myself badly, but I'm sure you understand...

[Ouroboros]

21 minutes ago, Terin said:

Someone here, in this forum, said that the Summicron 28 asph is boring, so I wonder which one is not !

There are infinite numbers of boring images around, I personally don't blame the 28mm summicron for any of them.

[pgk]

3 hours ago, Terin said:

..... I have always been drawn to photographs that have the typical Leica "flavor, timbre, character, soul". .....

Having been using Leica Rangefinders for 40 years I should by now know what this actually is, or might if it actually existed, but I don't. The problem is that it doesn't, or at least no definable, consistent look which could be classed as a typically Leica 'look' exists. So you need to be more specific. M adapted early, uncoated (ltm) lenses can produce interesting images. Later, boundary pushing designs, like the 35, 50 and 75 Summiluxes, also have inteesting signatures but these have a quite different 'look' from the early uncoated lenses. The most recent offerings provide a high degree of precision and deliver high levels of detail across the frame, even wide open, unlike earlier pre-aspheric element lenses. So clearly the Leica 'look' is not consistent and has changed over the last century. You need to decide which era lenses provide the 'look' which you like.

Edited May 11, 2023 by pgk
typos

[wda]

Terin, Leica lenses attract a lot of subjective descriptions.  Just accept them as personal thoughts. Older lenses can be less sharp at full aperture than modern ones. However, their  rendering has its own charm, appealing to many photographers. Indeed, older Summicrons (1960s onwards) still sell for surprisingly good prices. I would go further and say that most Leica non-specialist lenses, even old Elmars, perform exceptionally well when stopped down around two stops. ( F/numbers). I hope this helps you.

[grahamc]

2 hours ago, Terin said:

Thank you for your intervention. Do you have to show here, some example photos?

Hi Terin, there are image threads here on the forum for both of these lenses, with many sample photos and comments 

 

 

Edited May 11, 2023 by grahamc

[a.noctilux]

For first lens (or last lens )

have a look at this one

quite challenging and sort of unique lens,

I use many 28mm lens, but never search for "soul".

[Terin]

I thank all who attended

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Jeremy Bunting]

 Gotta be the Noctilux f0.95 for me. I've had a hard time grabbing anything else since I got mine. It's sharp as anything whenever and wherever you need it to be, but has character for days. Its size is also greatly exaggerated but those that have never owned one and the elderly.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

 

 

[Anbaric]

Lens expert Erwin Puts wrote a booklet for Leica called Leica M-Lenses: Their soul and secrets  - maybe the answer is there? 🙂

How about the 5cm Elmar f/3.5, the lens that more than any other made the Leica's reputation in its first couple of decades? Photos taken with this lens, which has relatively low contrast by modern standards but is still sharp and well corrected, look distinctive in rather a pleasing way, though whether that's due to Soul or to the idiosyncrasies of a simple 4 element design is another matter.