Hakku Posted November 21, 2008 Share #21 Posted November 21, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) They are certainly great achievements. But one asks oneself, is this what Leica should must urgently have achieved? I agree with you that two Summicrons would have been a lot more practical. By the way, the 24mm Elmarit is discontinued, and the 21mm will probably be replaced too with something around f/3.8. And yes, on a M8, 21mm becomes just measly 28 ... The old man from the Age of the Standard Lens I hope your prophecy towards an f/3.8 lens will not materialize, at least not without a 2.8 or, better, 2.0 lens also being offered. The gap between f/3.8 and f/1,4 is just too wide, IMO. That would kick the door wide open for Cosina Zeiss Biogon. So the Summicron would be the right lens. Horst Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted November 21, 2008 Posted November 21, 2008 Hi Hakku, Take a look here LFI: Summilux-M 21mm f/1.4. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
lars_bergquist Posted November 21, 2008 Share #22 Posted November 21, 2008 Leica's touching belief that the WATE cum Frankenfinder is all the super wideangle gear we need has already kicked the door wide open for Carl Zeiss. A few months ago I acquired (and coded) a ZM 1:4/18mm and I am very happy with it. Such speeds are acceptable at very short focal lengths; but 32mm (a 24 on a M8) is not realy short at all. The old man from the Age of the Contax 21mm Biogon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest maddoc2003jp Posted November 22, 2008 Share #23 Posted November 22, 2008 I will get one. In good hands, just as the Noctilux, this will be a secret tool for some magical work. You won't replace your Super-Angulon-M 21/3.4 ?? :eek: .. Will you ? I absolutely agree with you. Leica created an outstanding masterpiece again and I am keen to see photos taken with the Summilux 21/1.4. I can't afford one but ... Cheers, Gabor Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spylaw4 Posted November 22, 2008 Share #24 Posted November 22, 2008 Picking up Lars' point re the LFI pictures being "ho-hum" .... They certainly were not IMO by any means the best of the shots Brett took at Goodwood to show what could be acheived with this lens. I also have a funny feeling that there's more to come through 2009. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
biglouis Posted November 22, 2008 Share #25 Posted November 22, 2008 I read it, and I have to admit the article (read: the pictures) had the desired effect on me: I want one... and God knows prior to this I thought the notion of a wide fast lens was pointless. And I'm pretty curmodgeonly in terms of new stuff... I like what I have. Somehow, I will get my hands on one... I also read the article and I agree.... for early morning work.... if the edge to edge is as good as a 35-lux asph then it would be a dream lens (at a nightmareish price). Maybe if interest rates on loans come down as far as on mortgages........ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted November 22, 2008 Share #26 Posted November 22, 2008 Leica's touching belief that the WATE cum Frankenfinder is all the super wideangle gear we need has already kicked the door wide open for Carl Zeiss Where have Leica said that they will not be making any more wide angle lenses? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lars_bergquist Posted November 22, 2008 Share #27 Posted November 22, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) Where have Leica said that they will not be making any more wide angle lenses? Nowhere. But a reasonable superwide prime lens was certainly a more urgent need than a 21mm Summilux. The fact that they ignored that need does speak volumes about the priorities in Solms. They are not geared toward practical photographers. And I do seriously doubt that the task of bringing out even the first four promised lenses for the S2 will leave much development capacity for M lenses. That old man Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted November 22, 2008 Share #28 Posted November 22, 2008 But the 21 and 24 are a direct result of the work done for the S2. This is one of the big advantages of Project AFRika - the work being done benefits all three lines of cameras, the M, R and S Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhoersch Posted November 22, 2008 Share #29 Posted November 22, 2008 I find Brett's images in LFI rather uninspiring. Even less inspiring are the sample photos in the Leica product catalogue, handed out at photokina - three images with the new 21, one with the new 24, and all of them taken at f2. By the way, at a distance of 2m the DOF of a 21mm lens at f1.4 on 35mm film is about 0.8m. I wonder where 5.000 EUROS' worth of magic will come from... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted November 22, 2008 Share #30 Posted November 22, 2008 Just wait until some of the members of this forum get their hands on them, Manfred. You'll see your magic then... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
toyfel Posted November 22, 2008 Share #31 Posted November 22, 2008 just replace the words Summilux-M 21mm f/1.4 with Noctilux and you will not be able to distinguish this thread from some older threads Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted November 22, 2008 Share #32 Posted November 22, 2008 Just wait until some of the members of this forum get their hands on them, Manfred. You'll see your magic then... I have seen a 21 Summilux wedding photograph that would blow your socks off. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgk Posted November 23, 2008 Share #33 Posted November 23, 2008 But the 21 and 24 are a direct result of the work done for the S2. This is one of the big advantages of Project AFRika - the work being done benefits all three lines of cameras, the M, R and S My guess is that Leica will have learned a lot from designing these ultrafast wides - I'd suggest that this information may well eventually filter through into slower but wider lenses. The 21/1.4 is a dream lens as far as I'm concerned but it IS pricey.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bybrett Posted November 23, 2008 Share #34 Posted November 23, 2008 As if by magic some poppies for inspiration. 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! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/69054-lfi-summilux-m-21mm-f14/?do=findComment&comment=724471'>More sharing options...
Guest noah_addis Posted November 23, 2008 Share #35 Posted November 23, 2008 When I saw the prices for the new 21 and 24 'luxes, and seeing the huge size as well, I decided to pick up used 21 and 24 Elmarit Asph lenses instead. For less than the price of one of the 'luxes I got two lenses providing more flexibility and also redundancy which is nice since backups are important in my line of work. I had been waiting for a faster 24 to round out my kit now that the M8 is my main camera, and I was hoping for a summicron, since I figured the price and size would not be too outrageous. I'm sure the new 'luxes are incredible lenses and certainly unmatched by other lensmakers. But I'm also sure we'll see tons and tons of mediocre to bad 'examples' of shallow dof pictures from them over the next few months and years. The main reason I decided against one of the new lenses is that I'm not into the super shallow dof look. In fact one reason I like rangefinders is that I can see the whole composition from near to far in perfect focus, so I can avoid distracting background elements instead of blurring them. I prefer layered complex images. But for those who do like that look, or really need the low-light ability, these lenses offer something unique. And they will allow photographs in places where it is difficult to shoot with other lenses. For me, f/2 or even 2.8 is sufficient for most needs. I shot a candlelight vigil the other day with the M8 at 640 and the 24 at f/2.8 and around 1/15th. The images were quite sharp and had great depth. Some motion blur added to the depth, I think, but overall the images were quite sharp. I know if I had shot at F/1.4, I would have had more focus misses and some of the contextual detals in the backgrounds and foregrounds would have been concealed by the shallow dof. I was nervous about shooting a vigil with an M8, and wanted black and white, which is always tough with a candlelight vigil since the blacks tend to turn to mush. My client, a nonprofit, was thrilled with the images and any fears I had about the M8 being my only digital system were put to rest. It's a real shame if the 24 and 21 Elmarits are being discontinued. The 21 is a great lens on the M8 and the 24 is actually fast becoming my favorite lens. This is a technical forum so it's fine to talk about the qualities of particular lenses, but I think sometimes people get too caught up in technical quality and forget about content and composition. If you look back at the most memorable photographs throughout history, many are blurred or otherwise technically 'flawed'. But somehow they're infinitely more interesting than a picture of a boring subject with razor-thin dof and beautiful out of focus highlights. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lars_bergquist Posted November 23, 2008 Share #36 Posted November 23, 2008 This is a technical forum so it's fine to talk about the qualities of particular lenses, but I think sometimes people get too caught up in technical quality and forget about content and composition. If you look back at the most memorable photographs throughout history, many are blurred or otherwise technically 'flawed'. But somehow they're infinitely more interesting than a picture of a boring subject with razor-thin dof and beautiful out of focus highlights. Noah, I am with you all the way. Who cares that Robert Capa's or Cartier-Bresson's pictures are not all that sharp sometimes? Sharp lenses are good to have, but the sharpness of an image is a very minor aspect of it. Sharpness is the fetish of people who take boring pictures. The old man from the Age of Roll Film Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lars_bergquist Posted November 23, 2008 Share #37 Posted November 23, 2008 As if by magic some poppies for inspiration. And how do I see that this picture was not made with a 90mm at 4.0? We cannot judge the distance to the dark trees and buildings in the background, so differences in their scale—the only difference from a 90mm picture that the viewer can see—makes no difference to the impression the picture makes. The old man from the Age of the 90mm Elmarit (first edition, 1958) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted November 23, 2008 Share #38 Posted November 23, 2008 So what DO you want Lars? Brett posts a shot taken with a new 21 lux and you are questioning his integrity, or the validity of his shot. Maybe he'll be kind enough to post another, or maybe he'll question whether to bother. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NB23 Posted November 23, 2008 Share #39 Posted November 23, 2008 You won't replace your Super-Angulon-M 21/3.4 ?? :eek: .. Will you ? I absolutely agree with you. Leica created an outstanding masterpiece again and I am keen to see photos taken with the Summilux 21/1.4. I can't afford one but ... Cheers, Gabor Gabor, Old friend, How are you? I answered your email the other day. Sorry it took so long, I was in the caribbeans shooting 3 weddings. I dislike the fact that the auper angulon cannot allow metering but I totally love it when I'm using it with my M4-P and guesstimating the exposure (quite accurately might I add!). It's such a unique lens. If there's a lens that might come close to it, as far as unique image character, the new 21 f1.4 might be it. But no, I'm not and won't be selling the super-angulon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
christoph_d Posted November 23, 2008 Share #40 Posted November 23, 2008 ...By the way, the 24mm Elmarit is discontinued, and the 21mm will probably be replaced too with something around f/3.8... Lars, I am curious as to the source of your information. Regards, C. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.