Some Thoughts on Lenses: From M8 to M9

[delander †]

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As I contemplate the M9 I'm wondering how my lenses will be used.

 

I have a 12mm CV, it will be superwide on the M9 so I might keep it just for fun but use it only for B&W.

 

My WATE lens I expect to become the lens it is designed to be and I can use the frankenfinder without mental recalculation everytime I change focal lengths. Really looking forward to it.

 

My 24mm is not really that wide on the M8 but on the M9 could become my standard wide angle and I'll probably use it without an external finder. It gets relatively little use on the M8.

 

On the M8 I use my 28mmm as one of my standard lenses and it gets a lot of use, somehow I feel that I'll use it less on the M9.

 

My 35 gets relatively little use on the M8 I expect that to change with the M9 as it becomes a medium wide displacing the 28mm to some extent.

 

My 50mm lens is effectively a 67 on the M8 and I like the effective focal length being just a bit higher than 50. As I have not been using my 35mm much on the M8 perhaps my 50mm on the M9 will see a reduction in use.

 

I'm expecting my 75mm to see increased use on an M9, used much like a 50mm on the M8.

 

My 90 is little used on the M8, I'm expecting higher usage on the M9.

 

I'm also looking forward to removing the filters, especially on the WATE!

 

Just my thoughts and all based on my photography style being the same with the M9 as it is with the M8. Perhaps that will change and the lenses will be used in new ways.

 

I think this is an area worth exploring so any comments on these thoughts welcomed. I think the one thing to do is not rush into selling/buying new lenses, just see how it pans out at first.

 

Jeff

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[jonoslack]

As I contemplate the M9 I'm wondering how my lenses will be used.

 

I have a 12mm CV, it will be superwide on the M9 so I might keep it just for fun but use it only for B&W.

I'll be interested to see how good it is. I think there will be a cyan shift for the colour

My WATE lens I expect to become the lens it is designed to be and I can use the frankenfinder without mental recalculation everytime I change focal lengths. Really looking forward to it.

That's what I've found - it's great

 

My 24mm is not really that wide on the M8 but on the M9 could become my standard wide angle and I'll probably use it without an external finder. It gets relatively little use on the M8.

I've found myself using it less - it really does need a viewfinder, the 21 of the WATE is very close, and the 28 seems pretty wide

 

On the M8 I use my 28mmm as one of my standard lenses and it gets a lot of use, somehow I feel that I'll use it less on the M9.

It's turned into my standard wide on the M9 rather than the 24 (actually I have a 25 Zeiss). It's also the widest with framelines - I'll be interested to hear how you get on.

 

My 35 gets relatively little use on the M8 I expect that to change with the M9 as it becomes a medium wide displacing the 28mm to some extent.

 

My 50mm lens is effectively a 67 on the M8 and I like the effective focal length being just a bit higher than 50. As I have not been using my 35mm much on the M8 perhaps my 50mm on the M9 will see a reduction in use.

 

I'm expecting my 75mm to see increased use on an M9, used much like a 50mm on the M8.

 

My 90 is little used on the M8, I'm expecting higher usage on the M9.

 

I'm also looking forward to removing the filters, especially on the WATE!

 

Just my thoughts and all based on my photography style being the same with the M9 as it is with the M8. Perhaps that will change and the lenses will be used in new ways.

 

I think this is an area worth exploring so any comments on these thoughts welcomed. I think the one thing to do is not rush into selling/buying new lenses, just see how it pans out at first.

 

Jeff

 

I think I agree with the rest. Except that my 75 is getting less use.

[delander †]

Thanks Jono for your comments. I was hoping to get away without a finder for the 24 on the M9. As you say the 21 is very close and I have just remembered that the frankinfinder has 24mm frames. In fact the frankenfinder, big as it is, might become more useful on the M9 than it is on the M8.

 

Jeff

[jaapv]

Jeff, my bag contains :

 

24 Summilux

35 Summicron asph

50 Summilux asph

90 Summicron AA

 

 

I find that I use the 24, 50 and 90 most and about equally, the 35 rarely.

At home I have the CV 15, ZI 21 and TE 135, which I only will take if I anticipate using them.

The shift in use has been relatively minor. I use the 24 slightly less, the 50 and 90 slightly more. Actually it is more balanced.

I tend to use the 24 without finder, but I do find I use a finder more often than I did with the 21 on the M8. I use the CV 25 btw. I have never been able to convince myself I wanted the Frankenfinder .

 

Hope this helps.

[delander †]

Hi Jaap,

 

I think the frankenfinder is something that you get with the WATE , however if you can live with its look and size it is a great viewfinder and now more versatile than ever.

 

You have four big lenses there in your bag, all luxes and a 90 cron.

 

I could trade in my 24 elmarit and 28 elmarit (I also have the 28 cron) and get a 24 lux but its size worries me, in practical use how much bigger is it than the 24 elmarit with hood?

 

I could imagine an M9 fitted with 24 lux and frankenfinder at almost the same size as a 'threatening' DSLR.

 

Jeff

[jaapv]

Yes-they are not super-compact, everybody has his own comfort zone in that respect. I find the 24 very good, considering the specifications, but then, I am not a small guy;) I would not call the 50 Summilux a big lens, partly because of the very clean design. The 90 - yes it is biggish, but then, I have it as a replacement for a 75 Summilux, and it is a lot better than that one. The Summicron 35 is of course a traditional small lens.

[sean_reid]

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The M9 finder barely shows the coverage of a 28, much less a 24.

[jaapv]

Move the eye from left to right, Sean, you will find quite a space between the frame and the edge. It is a bit of a kludge, of course as you kind of scan the image. Looking straight, of course, it is far less to nil. As I said, I use the finder more often than I did the 21 on the M8. Far more comfortable.

[ptarmigan]

The thing I like about the M9 is that it seems a number of M8 users are trading in and replacing lenses to suit the new FF format.

 

Just found up a totally mint 75 APO cron at a great price as the guy had traded it for a 90mm cron. Excellent.

[DeLosLindos]

What is the actually angle of the M9' viewfinder (outside the framelines)? It not comparable with the 24mm lens but bigger then the 28mm lens. Is a 25mm (Zeiss) covered completly?

I'am considering to switch from my heavy and bulky Canon gear to Leica but don't like the fact that wide angle photography is so laborious with two finders, one for composing and one for focussing. So I'm trying to find the pro's and cons. Thanx in advance.

[microview]

I cannot help wondering if the concern for exact composition on the wider lenses isn't a throwback to the days of film, given the ease of DNG conversion/cropping in our software programs etc. Even with the (preferable?) framelines on the M8 one usually had more than you thought captured by the sensor.

[yanidel]

I currently own :

- 24mm Elmarit

- 28mm Cron

- 35mm Lux Asph

- 60mm Hex

- 75mm Lux (coming in the mail).

I could never find a stable combination on the M8. Each lens had its pros and cons but I found the 28mm Cron + 60mm Hex to be the best combo in terms of FOV which matters a lot to me.

 

I will experiment for a few weeks but I believe I will end up 35mm Lux + 75mm Lux for a common look. I will probably also keep the 24mm (best lens of all IMO) for specific shots (landscapes, architecture) but the rest will go.

[danyves]

IMHO, for the M9 i do suggest classic kit : 28/35/50. All summicron.

 

ASPH for both the 28 and 35. I do also have if convenient the 35 Summicron IV and previous.

 

Moving back and forth and they do are sufficient.

 

You may add a 24mm later with the 2.8 Elmarit 24mm. A fantastic lens.

[jonoslack]

Well, lots of interesting theories. All I can say for sure is that things won't be quite what they seem - the best piece of advice I can think of is:

 

1. don't sell your 28 'cron until you are REALLY sure

2. don't sell whatever 90 you have!

[delander †]

The thing I like about the M9 is that it seems a number of M8 users are trading in and replacing lenses to suit the new FF format.

 

Just found up a totally mint 75 APO cron at a great price as the guy had traded it for a 90mm cron. Excellent.

 

Good for you Ian.

 

One of my points was that when you change cameras with different crop factors you get the urge to immediately look at your lens line up. Perhaps an urge that should be resisted until you have settled in with the new camera.

 

Jeff

[delander †]

What is the actually angle of the M9' viewfinder (outside the framelines)? It not comparable with the 24mm lens but bigger then the 28mm lens. Is a 25mm (Zeiss) covered completly?

I'am considering to switch from my heavy and bulky Canon gear to Leica but don't like the fact that wide angle photography is so laborious with two finders, one for composing and one for focussing. So I'm trying to find the pro's and cons. Thanx in advance.

 

Use of wide angle lenses and even medium telephoto lenses on RF cameras does require some compromises, but these are only part of the equation and IMO outweighed by the sheer pleasure of using a RF camera. Extra viewfinders that you only use for composition are an added complication but they have always been part of Leica. You get used to them and for wide angles pre-set zone focusing can be used in many situations.

 

I have a big and bulky Canon system, I'm considering parting with some of it and actually going to one of the latest 1.6 crop factor cameras, for telephoto and macro work. The rest and most enjoyable photography is with Leica.

 

Jeff

[delander †]

Well, lots of interesting theories. All I can say for sure is that things won't be quite what they seem - the best piece of advice I can think of is:

 

1. don't sell your 28 'cron until you are REALLY sure

2. don't sell whatever 90 you have!

 

Excellent advice I think, but I'm still waiting to find out for sure.

 

Jeff

[okram]

Jeff, my bag contains :

 

24 Summilux

35 Summicron asph

50 Summilux asph

90 Summicron AA

 

 

I find that I use the 24, 50 and 90 most and about equally, the 35 rarely.

At home I have the CV 15, ZI 21 and TE 135, which I only will take if I anticipate using them.

The shift in use has been relatively minor. I use the 24 slightly less, the 50 and 90 slightly more. Actually it is more balanced.

I tend to use the 24 without finder, but I do find I use a finder more often than I did with the 21 on the M8. I use the CV 25 btw. I have never been able to convince myself I wanted the Frankenfinder .

 

Hope this helps.

 

How is, in your opinion, 35 cron performing on M9? Especially wide open- I will trade my 28cron ASPH for it, and wide open 28 is incredible.

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[jaapv]

I haven't tried it yet, but I have no fear about quality. I will take the Summicron 35 asph over the Summilux 35 asph any time - as long as I don't want 1.4;)

[jaapv]

What is the actually angle of the M9' viewfinder (outside the framelines)? It not comparable with the 24mm lens but bigger then the 28mm lens. Is a 25mm (Zeiss) covered completly?

I'am considering to switch from my heavy and bulky Canon gear to Leica but don't like the fact that wide angle photography is so laborious with two finders, one for composing and one for focussing. So I'm trying to find the pro's and cons. Thanx in advance.

Welcome . Actually "old rangefinder hands"are not that bothered about using extra finders. With experience one learns to judge the field of view by eye. It is a rangefinder thing to "see" the photograph before even taking the camera to your eye. That is quite different from an SLR, where one tends to compose the image in the viewfinder on the screen.