How has the M11 influenced your lens choices

[PaulJohn]

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With the huge cropping potential of the M11, have your lens choices changed. Do you now carry fewer lenses or different focal lengths?

 

[robsonj]

Lens choice unchanged, the more pixels the better. My main draw to 60mp is a better ability to create panos... 16x9, 2.7x1 etc

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[FlashGordonPhotography]

I buy cameras because of the lenses, not the other way around. And I only crop for reframing such as aspect ratio. Never to simulate a longer lens.

Gordon

[SJH]

Well I still have the same number of lenses but in truth I probably don't take as many with me now I have an M11P, for example I'm out in New York next week (I'm based in London) so I'll probably just take my 21 SEM and the 35mm M APO - so I'll travel lighter than I might have done with an M10 or even M10R.

60mb is more than enough to crop the 35 APO into 50 or even 75 if you need to but say 24mb was pushing it and even 40 not quite enough, it does make life simpler in some ways but it doesn't of course stop me using the 50mm 1.2  for example or a 75 when I need it and the situation warrants it.

[jakontil]

Lens choice still the same but now the battery is amazing, i wont hesitate to use evf or liveview when needed to use the closer focusing lens 

[Jon Warwick]

Lenses the same - a mix of APOs, 75mm Summarit, 50 v5, etc. I don’t crop.

Separately, I’m starting to favor less modern lenses like the 50 v5 because the 60mp sensor provides such a good base of resolution already (and does so much heavy lifting of capturing fine detail) that I can be a bit freer with the lens choice and am enjoying the “gentler rendering” of the non-APOs in combo with the high resolution 60mp. A little like when I shot 5x4 film whereby that “sensor” recorded so much detail anyway that the lens choice was not such a key driver for image quality. 

Edited January 16 by Jon Warwick

[DrM]

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I use the 50 lux II as a portret lens with some cropping if needed, so I didn’t get the 75 or 90 for that. At the moment that keeps my kit nice and small (21 SEM,35APO,50LuxII) and the room for cropping works nice and overlapping when I don’t have time to swap lenses. Maybe in the future I’ll get a 90 for macro and landscape, but I’m not happy with the options on the market atm.

Best,

Marc

[LikameLeica]

1 hour ago, DrM said:

I use the 50 lux II as a portret lens with some cropping if needed, so I didn’t get the 75 or 90 for that. At the moment that keeps my kit nice and small (21 SEM,35APO,50LuxII) and the room for cropping works nice and overlapping when I don’t have time to swap lenses. Maybe in the future I’ll get a 90 for macro and landscape, but I’m not happy with the options on the market atm.

Best,

Marc

Agree with this selection of these three lenses, although I have the 35 Summilux FLE.  ~80% of my pictures since buying the M11 are with the 35 Summilux.  This lens provides so much versatility on the M11, such as low light capability and the ability to crop in having 60MP.   I also have a 90 APO, and use this on occasion, but not normally in my travel kit like the other three lenses.

[PaulJohn]

My reason for asking is because I currently have the Q3 and just the 50 lux II on the M11. That pretty much covers all my needs for travel but I still want some more lenses for M11.

My heart wants the 75 summarit (previously had it on M10) and an 'interesting' 35 but my head says the 50 covers my 75 needs and my Q3 covers 35mm without breaking a sweat.

I can't decide if I am sold on the 35mm steel rim plus if I don't keep it I will lose too much money compared with other options. I have a diffusion filter for the Q3 anyway.

Maybe the 35mm cron v4 would be fun or even a Voigtlander classic.

At least while I am undecided my head gets to win over my heart.

[lct]

18 hours ago, PaulJohn said:

With the huge cropping potential of the M11, have your lens choices changed. Do you now carry fewer lenses or different focal lengths?

 

I don't crop normally but in answer to your topic title, the M11 has influenced my lens choices in that it works better than earlier M bodies with symmetrical lenses like CV 15/4.5 v2, CV 21/4, S-A 21/3.4 or ZM 21/4.5 i'm using more often with it.

[Knightspirit]

The M11 has me getting a little different lens bundle than I might have with a different sensor. I prefer a 28mm over a 35 - so I started with that (2.8  Elmarit asph) and decided for a 40mm instead of a 35 or 50 since I can crop the 28 to 40 (Voigtlander 1.2 asph) and since I can crop the 40 to 75 - I went to the 75mm f2 APO. Since I can crop that to 100mm or so my next lens will either be the 135 f3.4 or an 18mm. That will cover all of the bases for me!

[Jewl]

I initially thought it would but eventually it is 28 (will be added soon), 35 and 50. And yes, I crop but this is independent of the lens 😉 

[TomSchmitt]

Definitely ! I have a whole cabinet of lenses, but usually only take a 28 Elmarit and a 50 Lux out. That gives me 28,35,50 and 75 with at least 40MP (that’s M10R resolution) or even 90mm at 20 MP (thats close to M10 resolution). I only use other lenses for the different rendering or if I need the resolution for big prints. For me a game changer ! 

[geesbert]

Wider, slower, smaller, less Leica, more Voigtländer. From M9 to m10 my Luxes got unemployed, with the M11 my apo-Asphs stay at home most of the time. More resolution and higher sensitivity show me how crap I am at focusing fast lenses. 
 

I really love the smaller footprint 

Edited January 17 by geesbert

[PaulJohn]

3 hours ago, geesbert said:

Wider, slower, smaller, less Leica, more Voigtländer. From M9 to m10 my Luxes got unemployed, with the M11 my apo-Asphs stay at home most of the time. More resolution and higher sensitivity show me how crap I am at focusing fast lenses. 
 

I really love the smaller footprint 

One thing I found out very quickly is that cropping the M11 is very different to cropping the Q3 with its stabilisation benefits. 

[Al Brown]

Cropping a lens does not equal changing a focal length. A crop is surely different than using equivalent focal length.
This whole thread has already been debated here.

Edited January 17 by Al Brown

[costa43]

I am not a fan of the idea of planned cropping. One of the reasons I use primes is to see in that focal length. To learn the lens and to use it as it was designed with all the fall off and character that brings. If I go out wit the intention to crop due to high megapixel count then it changes my whole approach and mindset to photography.  I understand the practical benefits but it will take away some of my joy I think. When I want to crop my lens, I pull out that m8.

[T25UFO]

Interesting discussion.  My only M lenses are now two APOs, 35mm and 50mm plus the reissue 50mm f1.2 Noctilux.  I bought M11 Mono to use alongside my Q3.  Both 60 mpx and this set covers all my current needs.

I also have M10R Black Paint, which is lovely but only cosmetic.  It is used a lot less now and I do wonder whether I should swap for M11P.  I actually prefer the finish of the M11 Mono to the Black Paint.  Not sure if the finish of the M11P is the same as the Mono.

[acalmplace]

On 1/15/2024 at 2:56 PM, PaulJohn said:

With the huge cropping potential of the M11, have your lens choices changed. Do you now carry fewer lenses or different focal lengths?

 

In my case, it changes what I end up bringing, especially when there are more time, volume, or weight constraints. The possibility of cropping makes it easier to listen to the voice inside my heart that encourages me to bring fewer lenses (often just the 35 or just the 50). In the end, I probably don't crop much more, but it's there, available, and I have it if/when I need it. I like that. And because it's there and I brought only one lens, I spend less time thinking about whether I should swap to a different lens. It becomes freeing.

Just my experience. Happy to hear that others have different viewpoints.

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[ianforber]

I love to crop and specifically bought my Q2 and M11 because they are so well suited to it. I bought the M11 because of its potential to have a smaller form factor than the Q2 and with the aim of getting the 90mm f4 Elmar, which would let me crop to circa 200mm (yes, I know it’s not the same but, crucially, it’s what I want). I’ve been playing around with what other lenses to have alongside a 90mm. 

I bought the M11 with a 50mm Summicron and used that exclusively for 12 months. I’ve now been using a 35mm f1.5 Voigtlander almost exclusively for 12 months. I’m pretty sure I don’t need the 50mm Summicron. The question I’m now thinking through is whether I should have a 28mm rather than a 35mm. My Q2 demonstrates that cropping 28mm to 35mm works well. 

I’m holding off making a decision until I have a 90mm. The M11 certainly simplifies lens choice for those who wish it. Still plenty of reasons for lots of lenses if that’s what you want though!