Got an old beauty today

[plasticman]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Loved to feel of the M8 and the fact I could use M lenses on it

Just did not like the noise at high isos, speed and battery life of the camera (which I find slower than using a film M) and the fact it has a cropped sensor.

I bought the 5D II (which I use with Contax and Leica R lenses, as well as Zuikos and Canon Ls). Felt I could not justify the M8 being used as a second digital camera so sold it to help pay for the 5D II

 

I am very happy with the 5D II, but getting back into using M rangefinders with film, which I prefer to the M8 and often to the 5D too.

 

I understand what you mean - just don't think I can go back to an SLR even if the quality of the files can be better in some ways to the output from the M8.

As for film - I think I'll either pick up a used M4/M6 or the new Voightlander Bessa III when it finally arrives (and if I can afford it), but looking at your beautiful kit there, we'll see if my lens-envy stays under control long enough for me to actually save some $$...

[Nick De Marco]

Fast becoming one of my favourite lenses. It may be old, and I have read the 1st version Lux lacks sharpness wide open, but I am very impressed with the performance of this lens.

 

Wide open the sharpness matches any of the other lenses I won (such as 50 Summicrons) in the in focus areas and the bokeh is very pleasing to me. I think the lens has that quality/feel that some people describe as a 'Leica glow' or three dimensional effect. Italso performs superbly stopped down.

 

Here are three pics

 

 

 

 

More are here:

Leitz 50mm Summilux f1.4 (v1) Photo Gallery by Nick De Marco at pbase.com

 

For those interested there is a kind of comparison, by looking at the other galleries this is within, with the Canon 50mm f1.2 - another fast old 50 some people criticize for being soft. I have not done a scientific comparison but looking the the various photos taken in these sub-galleries I draw the following conclusions:

 

1. The Canon 50/1.2 is without doubt a little soft wide open. I still quite like the lens, but the overall image is not only less sharp than the Lux 1.4, it also lacks that 3 dimensional feel

 

2. The Canon 50/1.4 is sharper than the 1.2, but I find the results rather mediocre

 

3. The 50 Lux is the most beautiful and the best performer. Looks great too but just a shame it's so big (nothing compared to the new Nokton 1.1 or Noctilux of course)

 

Before now my favourite RF lens was the 35 Summicron f2 pre-asph 4th version. It will probably remain my favourite lns in part as 35mm is my favourite range. This old Lux is the closest lens I have come across for creating he same unique feel as the 35/2. It's been a while since I used my 50 Summicrons, and I had no complaints about them, but I do prefer this Lux.

 

I'd like to know what other people think, in part as I am a bit of a lens whore. Whilst looking at recent results of experiments with new and old lenses I got all lusty over my new CV 35mm Color-Skopar f2.5 II - a lens I bought on a whim because it is small and took to taly without a clue how it would do. It was so sharp wide open, had good bokeh that it nearly (only nearly) actually competes with my favourite lens in my impressionaistic opinion - so deserving a separate thread to this one dedicated to the lovely Lux