Lens recommendations for an M11-D?

[johnson184]

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Decided to jump into the deep end of the rangefinder pool with an M11-D as my first ever Leica! I plan to keep this camera in my everyday bag and foresee myself primarily shooting street and some portrait photography with it for both day and night time. I am coming from a Sony A7RV (And plan to still use it for landscape, wildlife, and night shoots). 

Would love to get some lens recommendations! I hear 1.4 and faster lenses may be challenging to focus wide open on the M11-D especially in a street shooting scenario, but I could always capitulate and get a Visoflex 2 if need be.

I did go ahead and order the 35mm APO as my first M lens as I've heard nothing but fantastic praise for it. Would love to hear some recommendations that could pair well with the 35mm APO. Thanks!!!

 

[me111]

I mostly shoot street, but I hardly shoot wide open since I (and most street photographers (I guess)) like to include a relatively clean surrounding in the frame.

To me, street and portrait require different types of lenses. I like my street lens to be pretty sharp. In contrast, I like my portrait lens to be a little soft.

 

[RexGig0]

Use your APO 35 for street. Done! Yes, it can be that simple. There is much to be said for starting with a 35mm or 50mm lens, and learning to use it really well, before adding another lens.

“Street shooting,” as a genre, is rarely done at wide-open apertures. A “fast” lens is no more difficult to focus than a “slow” lens, of the same focal length, if both are shot at the stopped-down apertures typical of street shooting. The shorter the focal length, the deeper the depth-of-field, so, a 35mm lens will be more forgiving than a 50mm lens, while learning to focus with the rangefinder.

[johnson184]

5 hours ago, Al Brown said:

This is what people who buy the Visoflex for their -D model Leica look like in the street:
https://imgur.com/more-water-please-hb2a9kI

Hahahaha I should have specified for shooting something like the 0.95 Noctilux wide open. But yes! I plan to just shoot the APO 35 for the street. Just was excited about getting my first Leica and curious what other people like to pair with the M11-D.

[DigitalHeMan]

Start with the 35mm and stick with that for a while. It's more than enough lens to help you get used to the camera. Later on you could go wide with a 21mm Super Elmar or longer with a 75mm Summicron, but restricting yourself to a single lens is a good plan for street.

[shirubadanieru]

Vintage lenses go great with it! Any pre asph summicron or Summilux

[shirubadanieru]

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Vintage lenses go great with it! Any pre asph summicron or Summilux

[pippy]

I'm another who would advise you to work with the 35 until you are very familiar with the shooting experience. If you find focussing manually a bit hit-and-miss to start with just practice; it really isn't that difficult.

Once you know what your 35 does - and how it renders - then you can think about what it can't do which, in turn, will give you an idea of what sort of lens to pair with it.

Best of luck!

Philip.

[TomB_tx]

Agree - stick with the 35. After years of carrying a kit with 35, 50, 90 (& either 21 or 135) I'm back to just 35 nearly all the time. The 35 f2.5 Summarit is my favorite lens - never need 1,4 with an M10 or 11.

[Tseg]

I’m pretty happy with the 28mm Summicron with my M11-D, actually very happy.  For 12 years I shot almost exclusively with a Zeiss 35mm prime on my Sony RX1 (and still have that setup).   I wanted a change, and I have no complaints.   For a rangefinder I have a wider DOF for focusing / zone focusing at 28mm.   Of course there is a lot of crop ability if desired.   And don’t mind those that chuckle at a Visoflex 2 for a D camera…. My 28mm has close focus capability… the VF2 really turns the M11-D into a different camera when desired…. I think it makes less sense to own a Visoflex if you already have a big LCD slapped on the back of your camera, but that’s just me.  From my experience of owning several fixed prime lens cameras, I think anything between 28mm and 50mm is fine for a single lens.  Any single lens will help get the creative juices flowing.  At some point I may add a 50mm Summilux, but for now, the 28mm is all I need for my rangefinder experience.

[hdmesa]

21 minutes ago, Tseg said:

...I think it makes less sense to own a Visoflex if you already have a big LCD slapped on the back of your camera...

Punching down on M11-D users for using a Visoflex is 🤡 behavior anyway.

I don't laugh at everyone else because they bought an optical rangefinder only to use the rear LCD 🫣

[IkarusJohn]

On 12/3/2024 at 11:56 AM, RexGig0 said:

A “fast” lens is no more difficult to focus than a “slow” lens, of the same focal length, if both are shot at the stopped-down apertures typical of street shooting.

Often forgotten!

Practice with your optical viewfinder.  For street (not that I do any of it) and fast evolving situations, rather than trying to maintain focus while following a moving subject, anticiapte the spot they will be on, wait for them to get to your focused spot, then take the pisture.  Antipation is something to practice.

As for lenses, rather than thinking “fast” lenses have this or that character (which may be true), think about depth of field, and set your aperture accordingly.

[jimtong]

Use the 35 APO for now until you are super confident with the FL. This should be your hero lens. I have the same setup with M11 Silver. No regret. Most do not use wide open for street. I prefer using F8 with zone focusing.

 

Good luck!

[pedaes]

38 minutes ago, jimtong said:

Use the 35 APO for now until you are super confident with the FL. This should be your hero lens. I have the same setup with M11 Silver. No regret. Most do not use wide open for street. I prefer using F8 with zone focusing.

 

Good luck!

35APO at f8. Why pay all that money and then introduce diffraction degradation. Stick to max of F5.6, at which aperture it will equal any half decent 35mm.

[jimtong]

23 hours ago, pedaes said:

35APO at f8. Why pay all that money and then introduce diffraction degradation. Stick to max of F5.6, at which aperture it will equal any half decent 35mm.

No issue here. F8 is a sweet spot. I will be worry if I shoot at f16.

[Jewl]

Started with a 35 ended up with 28, 35 and 50 lol. Mainly use 28/35. 

[Sebastian S]

depends. crowded streets in big citys with close to person in your face shots (bruce gilden style) i would go 24/28, general street photography 35, HCB style street details 50 of course. best would be a set of those 3. APO is an absolute overkill imo and only for pixelpeeping. but i don't like clinical clean digital shoty anyways.