Which 28mm M would you choose?

[Agricola]

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[TomB_tx]

Nice images! I coveted the 28 Elmarit Asph, but couldn't justify the Leica price for as little as I use a 28. (I tend to use SLR for wider than 35.) So I got a tiny TTA 28 5.6 and find it more useful than I expected. May have to reconsider on the Elmarit...

[Markionno]

Hi everyone,
Thanks for all the information. I've been reading a lot about the M-mount system. I realized 50mm isn’t for me — I mostly shoot wide-angle, and 28mm feels just right. I'm really happy with the Voigtländer Ultron II.

I come from a full Micro Four Thirds system and added my first Leica M this year — an M240 in excellent condition. Some photographers told me the Ultron II doesn’t compare to the Summicron f/2, but after looking at many photos, I don’t see a big difference.

I like the 3D pop, swirly bokeh, and even the vignetting at f/2 — it helps isolate the subject. I usually shoot in RAW and adjust white balance later, so no issues with colors so far.

That said, has anyone used both lenses and noticed a real difference in color rendering? Is it something clearly visible?

[Derbyshire Man]

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1 hour ago, Markionno said:

Hi everyone,
Thanks for all the information. I've been reading a lot about the M-mount system. I realized 50mm isn’t for me — I mostly shoot wide-angle, and 28mm feels just right. I'm really happy with the Voigtländer Ultron II.

I come from a full Micro Four Thirds system and added my first Leica M this year — an M240 in excellent condition. Some photographers told me the Ultron II doesn’t compare to the Summicron f/2, but after looking at many photos, I don’t see a big difference.

I like the 3D pop, swirly bokeh, and even the vignetting at f/2 — it helps isolate the subject. I usually shoot in RAW and adjust white balance later, so no issues with colors so far.

That said, has anyone used both lenses and noticed a real difference in color rendering? Is it something clearly visible?

Just the ultron 2 and agree with you. Not tried the 28mm summicron but have got the 28mm summilux, it can do things at 1.4 the ultron 2 can only dream of but as the 28mm summilux is a black dwarf of a lens with the density to match, the 28mm ultron can get into places where the summilux doesn't dare to tread! 

That being said I prefer 24mm and 35mm to 28mm anyway!

[Kiwimac]

Summilux. 
 

I wasn’t necessarily planning it. However, the local dealer had a mint one for 60% of the new cost, so….

[Markionno]

Of course, the Summilux is a 1.4, so it can do more than that. I didn’t choose the Voigtländer 28mm f/1.5 or the Thypoch 28mm f/1.4 because I didn’t really need that much aperture. I also preferred the swirly bokeh of the f/2 version, its 3D pop, and the warmer colors compared to the f/1.5 Voigtländer.

At some point, someone put the idea in my head that the Voigtländer wasn’t as good as it looks to me, but I’m actually very happy with the 28mm VT now.

I’m also looking for a 50mm. I saw the Voigtländer 50mm f/1.5 II and the Zeiss f/1.5, which I really liked, but I didn’t buy the Zeiss because of the focus shift issue.

I like a film-like look—3D pop, vignetting, warm flares—combined with a more modern rendering when stopping down the aperture.

I also watched the review of the new Leica Summilux 50mm f/1.4 and I really love its rendering, colors, and bokeh. It looks perfect to my eyes, and I like its design as well. I just didn’t buy it because of the price (around €4000), but I’m thinking about buying a few lenses, testing them, and reselling them.

I’d also like to test the 25mm f/1.2 oly for Micro Four Thirds and a 50mm m mount lens, trying to apply the correct colors lens profiles in Lightroom. 

[catacore]

Need mentioning here the newly released Voigtlander APO-Lanthar 28mm f/2 lens, the first and only 28mm APO design for the M system.

[catacore]

1 hour ago, Markionno said:

Of course, the Summilux is a 1.4, so it can do more than that. I didn’t choose the Voigtländer 28mm f/1.5 or the Thypoch 28mm f/1.4 because I didn’t really need that much aperture. I also preferred the swirly bokeh of the f/2 version, its 3D pop, and the warmer colors compared to the f/1.5 Voigtländer.

At some point, someone put the idea in my head that the Voigtländer wasn’t as good as it looks to me, but I’m actually very happy with the 28mm VT now.

I’m also looking for a 50mm. I saw the Voigtländer 50mm f/1.5 II and the Zeiss f/1.5, which I really liked, but I didn’t buy the Zeiss because of the focus shift issue.

I like a film-like look—3D pop, vignetting, warm flares—combined with a more modern rendering when stopping down the aperture.

I also watched the review of the new Leica Summilux 50mm f/1.4 and I really love its rendering, colors, and bokeh. It looks perfect to my eyes, and I like its design as well. I just didn’t buy it because of the price (around €4000), but I’m thinking about buying a few lenses, testing them, and reselling them.

I’d also like to test the 25mm f/1.2 oly for Micro Four Thirds and a 50mm m mount lens, trying to apply the correct colors lens profiles in Lightroom. 

You said above you don't really like the 50mm FL....but still looking for a 50mm Summilux? You can buy the v1 ASPH for less than 3000 EUR. Or the 50mm f1.4 Simera for far less, if you need f/1.4.

 

[Markionno]

Because on a full frame is different render and view against a m4/3 crop sensor. I want also   force me to use the 50 focal lens, than after will got it to trained enough, i could see if I can live just with 28 or keep a 50 film look lens m mount considerino that i use other systems. The new leica classic is also a lens collection and i thought to keep untill i could resell for something more after enjoy it to use. I have different plans but I need a lot of money anyway 😅...

[mheine]

Using this thread for my lens choice problem. I am between two lenses, the Nokton 28mm f1.5 and the Ultron 28mm f2 II.
I am currently owning the Ultron 35mm f2 which I love. It‘s the best 35mm that I have ever used for the M system and „I had / tested them all“. 
So, I am looking to get a trio of lenses, 28mm, 35mm and 50mm. For the 50mm I am going with the Color-Skopar f2.2 version, I realize that I don‘t need any faster glass on 50mm as it‘s my least used focal length - that decision was easy.
But the 28mm is really a problem, I am not sure if f2 is enough for that focal length, also, what lens renders more like the Ultron 35mm (I like imperfections) and about the Type I design of the 28mm f1.5 lens. The Type II would be my favorite but it‘s just too heavy on my M10, I know from my Distagon ZM days that every lens that exceeds 300g is nothing I am going to use on a M camera anymore.
I am using the lens for travel, portrait, street and EDC purposes - mostly for portraiture, so does anyone can show me portraits at f1.5 / f2?
That would help me a lot. 

[Derbyshire Man]

I can help and hinder!
 

I was looking for a fast 28mm and tested the Thypoch, CV 28 1.5 and summilux 1.4. They were all good but the resolution wide open was for me noticeably better with the summilux and although I loved the form factor of the CV 28mm 1.5 it was softer off centre than the summilux. I was using it for portrait so I settled on the summilux. I like environmental portraits and I think these often work better with the subject off centre rather than what we see so often on the rangefinder, a where’s Wally head in the middle of the shot (where the patch is) and a load of inelegant space above. The CV lenses often come in a smaller package but they seem to sacrifice peripheral sharpness to do so, it looks odd if the subject of the portrait is less sharp than the centre. For some purposes and styles this is not going to be noticed however so it depends on one’s purpose. 
 

For reference the Thypoch was only just behind the summilux but I didn’t like the form factor and focus lock of the first version. I have to say that if I needed to release money I’d seriously think about selling the summilux 28 and getting the mk2 of the Thypoch with focus tab without lock, especially as I now have a preowned Q3 for 28mm duties in inclement weather.

My staple 28mm is however the ultron mk 2 but I don’t like the lack of indent as it heads into close focus and I still consider picking up a 28mm summicron asph v3 (used) if one comes up. There aren’t many of these about it seems, probably because the CV 28mm f2 ultron mk2 is such a compelling optic in the 28mm space and not that many have been sold, let’s face it £4.5k new is a lot of money when in some respects, according to tastes, the £600 lens is better if one can handle the risk of undershooting the rangefinder close focus.

Worth noting that those portrait differences I mention are not going to be visible on a screen and require pixel peeping or printing large. The other element to consider is that I found the focal plane of the summilux the easiest to deal with on a focus and recompose laterally. 

Edited October 15 by Derbyshire Man