Closer-Focus 24mm. Is it coming/You Interested?

[tappan]

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I have a 24mm Elmarit. I have always loved this lens. I am not really excited about the newer closer-focus offerings from Leica, however, I think for the 24mm I would be.
Anybody else? Any guesses regarding Leica updating their 24mm M line of lenses?
Cheers,
Mark

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[patrickcolpron]

Not interested in close focusing with a range finder, anything closer than 70mm seems strangely un-natural.

I purchased an APO 35 when it first came out and only used the close focusing on a handful of occasions. 
 

I know I always wanted close focusing with an M but it ended up not necessary. I'd rather use a 50 to get a closer composition than using the 35 mil close focusing because...

... I find it more accurate to nail perfect focus or critical focus with the range finder than with live view. 
 

You can't close focus with the range finder, one must use Live View.

It's nice to have but, a bit gimmicky in my opinion. 

[Alberti]

As regards 24mm . . . good news  it might be in  the making

I use close focus very much in museums (ceramics,  historical objects) with my 50mm.

But 50mm in CF also gives too little depth, often. Even 35mm. So wider? But it might be more difficult to  use.  The Hologon had it (advertised 'for architectural maquettes').

 

[jaeger]

32 minutes ago, Alberti said:

As regards 24mm . . . good news  it might be in  the making

I use close focus very much in museums (ceramics,  historical objects) with my 50mm.

But 50mm in CF also gives too little depth, often. Even 35mm. So wider? But it might be more difficult to  use.  The Hologon had it (advertised 'for architectural maquettes').

 

will it be Summilux, Summicron or...?

[spydrxx]

Not of interest to me, possibly others.

[delta100]

I shoot with a film MP camera trying to find a new Leica 50m lens is becoming difficult unless you can afford the 50APO. I have been looking for something more upmarket than the normal Summicron 50m f2. The 50m 1.4 Summilux is no longer made. I cannot use CF on my camera. The future for film shooters in the Leica world is looking grim! Leica is pushing CF lenses. 

[lct]

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Sorry but i'm not interested in 24mm lenses I have a couple of them but i hardly use them. I prefer 21 or 28. Just me...

[lazyhusky]

Would definitely be interested for a new 24mm.

Not sure about close focus as I mainly shoot film M. Perhaps, if it comes with focus lock past 0.7m.

[Danner]

Kind of hoping for a dainty Summicron version.  Although, already  having a 28 Elmarit, and the external finder ...

[costa43]

It’s one of my favourite focal lengths and I would be interested in anything released at 24mm.  I’m not sure if this is technically possible but a dual magnification rangefinder would be great. Switching between 0.72 to something lower that would allow wider framelines for 24mm and improved viewing for 28mm would be very cool.  

As for close focus, it’s definitely a limiting factor on a wide angle but I’m used to having the hard stop with all my lenses at 0.7 or above and the new closer focusing lenses are a little less intuitive to use for me. I know there is an indent at 0.7 but I’m just not as big of a fan on a rangefinder. The same goes for infinity locks on the other side. I like to freely move between close and infinity. On an evf camera, the close focus would be very welcome. 

Edited March 19, 2024 by costa43

[sebben]

Close focus for the M is a gimmick that nobody needs. Those who need it have an SLR or mirrorless camera.

Leica lately is making products that are aimed only at consumption. They have lost their way of focusing on the essentials. 

 

[lct]

2 hours ago, sebben said:

Close focus for the M is a gimmick that nobody needs.

Call me nobody then 😄 Leica used to make close focus lenses in the past. The Super-Angulon 21/3.4 goes down to 0.4m for instance. Here on M11 (FF & crop).

https://photos.smugmug.com/Diverse/n-QFBj4/Leica-M11-Leica-2134/i-HGqQpck/0/XfXx4Zc96JfFpLs2rMKFvDcb6rcpGDGXm5m8gwwL/X4/M1002692_matrix-X4.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/Diverse/n-QFBj4/Leica-M11-Leica-2134/i-xNVjtKp/0/DwZgVMsZX52zsgJrr88DbbWMLCVDjZJrZQqWsvkdL/X4/M1002692_crop_red_matr-X4.jpg

[pippy]

16 hours ago, delta100 said:

...trying to find a new Leica 50m lens is becoming difficult unless you can afford the 50APO...

I don't know why you think that to be the case. The non-APO Summicron is still readily available (and for 1/3 the price of the APO);

https://www.reddotcameras.co.uk/m-lenses/39-leica-summicron-50mm-f2-m-6-bit.html

As far as a close-focus 24mm goes? Not for me; but then none of my M cameras has the possibility of Live View / EVF. Even were I to have that option, though, I can't imagine any situation where I'd want to get closer than 70cm with a 24mm lens.

Philip.

[patrickcolpron]

38 minutes ago, lct said:

Call me nobody then 😄 Leica used to make close focus lenses in the past. The Super-Angulon 21/3.4 goes down to 0.4m for instance. Here on M11 (FF & crop).

Hi Nobody!

So does the Tri-Elmar WATE which goes down to 50cm, and partially thanks to its wide depth of field the Tri-Elmar Wate close focusing goes all the way down to 35cm, but that's besides the point.

Range Finder coupling is good down to 50cm with the Tri-Elmar WATE, that is not gimmicky as I can use it with a Leica MP analog camera unlike more modern iteration of close focusing capable lenses where you need Live View or an EVF to focus closer than 70cm with them.

It is really nice to have, just not a necessity. I have an APO 35 which I purchased mostly for its close focusing capabilities for food photos and ended up only using close focusing a handful of times with it since September 2021... so yes gimmicky is the correct way I feel about close focusing with modern M lenses, and it seems I am not the only one.

That said the Super Angulon 21 is a fantastic lens as is, I still wish Leica would re-issue it with modern glass and coating. 

Edited March 19, 2024 by patrickcolpron
schpielling and clarity

[overexposed]

a closer focus setting would be interesting for 24 and 21 summilux replacements, to create a better bokeh

at 70cm the bokeh is nice, but 1.4 lenses can do better

[lct]

8 minutes ago, patrickcolpron said:

The Range Finder coupling is good down to 50cm with the Tri-Elmar.

My WATE goes down below a bit less than 0.6m in RF mode, the same way as the S-A 21/3.4 or the ZM 21/4.5, so i guess it is the mechanical limit of the rangefinder (M11).

[RexGig0]

My quite like-able Zeiss Biogon 25mm f/2.8 ZM will focus as close as 0.5m, though with a magnification spec of 1:18, is not exactly impressive, but that is true of most lenses in this local length rage. And, of course, every millimeter matters, so, 25mm is noticeably different than 24mm.

I do have adapters for using Leica R lenses on M cameras, including one with a 6-bit code that will enable me to select specific R lenses* in the menu, so, it might be worth looking into the specifications of the Leica Elmarit-R 24mm lens. If I have to use Live View or an EVF/Viso-flex to to focus closer than 0.7m, anyway, it may well be worth the effort to bring the R lens, plus the adapter. Here is one discussion, that also mentions the Zeiss 25mm Biogon, but does not seem to discuss the Minimum Focusing Distance aspect:

Apparently, there were several iterations of the Elmarit-R 24mm lens, with the final ROM version being the best-regarded. (Edited to add: the MFD specification is 0.3m, but Leica Wiki does not show a reproduction/magnification factor.) 

In my early days of using the M system, in 2018, in order to spend less money, I bought two Leica R Elmarit lenses, a 28mm and a 35mm. (I was already comfortable using distance/scale/“zone” focusing, from having done so with some older SLR lenses on SLRs/DSLRs.) The 28mm is a rather mundane early version, but I only recently realized that the 35mm is a later version, quite well-regarded by some, visually quickly distinguishable by its E55 filter thread, and with a true MFD on only 0.2m. This has caused me to further open my eyes, regarding other Leica R lenses, which often appear among the pre-owned equipment at a nearby large camera store.

As for whether I am “excited” about a closer-focusing 24mm M lens, well, I have to be realistic about my budget, and also consider that I have close-range and macro SLR lenses, with more-useful magnification/reproduction specifications. These lenses were acquired when I had an occupational purpose for them, and my wife and I continue to have a “citizen scientist” role for our macro and close-range lenses, and DSLR cameras. So, if closer-focusing 24mm M lenses appear on the market, I will be glad for those who want them.

*Not all Leica R lenses are in the M cameras’ menu.

Edited March 19, 2024 by RexGig0

[wlaidlaw]

The Zeiss 25 Biogon is somewhat better than my 24 Elmarit R, particularly its rectilinearity and corner sharpness (I have both lenses). I have pretty much given up using the 24 Elmarit, now that I have a 21-35 Vario-Elmar-R, which notwithstanding it being a Zoom lens, also outperforms the 24 Elmarit-R. Like a number of the Minolta manufactured R lenses the 24 is not quite up to Leica standards. I have an early three cam Elmarit-35-R type 1, which is OK but nothing special and underwhelming compared with my excellent 35 ROM Summicron R-II. 

Wilson

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[snz]

8 hours ago, sebben said:

Close focus for the M is a gimmick that nobody needs. Those who need it have an SLR or mirrorless camera.

Leica lately is making products that are aimed only at consumption. They have lost their way of focusing on the essentials. 

 

I don't understand comments like these. That 70cm limitation is one of the biggest drawbacks of the M-System and Leica finally addresses this. That's GREAT. If YOU don't use it then that's also great. But these general statements are not helpful or insightful.

Edited March 19, 2024 by snz

[sebben]

15 minutes ago, snz said:

I don't understand comments like these. That 70cm limitation is one of the biggest drawbacks of the M-System and Leica finally addresses this. That's GREAT. If YOU don't use it then that's also great. But these general statements are not helpful or insightful.

The idea of the M System is that it is very specific aka. Rangefinder photography. Its uniqueness is its main feature not a draw back. If you remove them then the system becomes boring because it’s the same as all the others. 
 

Close focus doesn’t work with the rangefinder so it’s a gimmick to add that. It’s really simple. If you want all the other stuff use a different camera system they all have those features. 

Edited March 19, 2024 by sebben