Menu
What's new

Which lens should i buy

G

Guest

please help me!

i own a m6 ttl 0,72 - summi 50 und summi 90.

now i want to buy a wildangle lens!

which one should i buy?

a 24mm or the 28mm ??

buj
 
G

Guest

I have the 35 and 50 'crons and am thinking of going for the 24. The 28 seems a little too close to the 35. Go to the shop and try them.
 
G

Guest

>or a 21 mm... I have a 21 mm f 2.8 Leica M ASPH newest, mint for >sale at $1630. USD overnight delivery, Fed Ex included...if that >by chance interests you...Steve
 
G

Guest

have the 24mm and it is an exceptional lens. I think if you are deciding between a 28 & 24, you would be well advised to go for the 24 for the extra coverage.
 
G

Guest

It depends on what you like to photograph. For architecture, something a bit wider like a 24mm or even a 21mm is superb. Also is super for landscapes.

I have a 21mm and it is simply amazing.

35mm is border wide and even with the 28mm you might be frustrated to not be able to get the foreground object you want in with the fleeting landscape in the background. For buildings, forget about it, 28mm is just not wide enough. I'd think about a 21mm or a 24mm.

What you could do is buy the viewfinder for 21/24/28 and take it along with you to have an exact idea of what each focal length takes in and then decide.
 
G

Guest

Dear Jürgen,

though you just have finshed the discussion, since you have settled for 24mm-lens, please let me tell you my experience with lenses. I have got following wide angle lenses for my Leica M6: 35mm, 28mm, 21mm and 15mm. The lens that I use most frequently is the 35mm lens. On the other hand I would not do now without any of mine.
 
G

Guest

Hello everyone,

I am new to both Leica and this forum. I have been using both the Contax N1 (24-85, 70-300)and G2 (28, 45, 90) for awhile, and on Christmas day my wife gave me a little present, a Leica M7 body!!! She said that it was so expensive that she couldn't afford any lens to go with it, and I feel so guilty for having her buy me this expensive gadget.

Since Boxing Day I have been contemplating which lens (or combination of lenses) I should get to accommodate the lonely M7 which is now sitting underneath my bed. As I love shooting portraits the 90 Summicron is a natural fit. Apart from this, I have been struggling with the following alternatives:

1. 28 Summicron + 50 Summicron. This combination is a bit similar to my current G2 setup, but I do find the faster lenses appealing. But then the drawback is the price and also the inconvenience with changing lenses all the time. Finally, my reservation on this package is whether Leica would upgradethe current 50mm lenses as they are really old designs.

2. Tri-Elmar + 35 Summicron or Summilux. This seems like the best of both worlds: a high speed wide-angle plus a versatile "zoom". Drawback again would be price. The quality of the 35 Summilux is very tempting but it is unlikely that I can afford it. I am also a bit concerned about the speed of the Tri-Elmas as I take quite a lot of pictures indoors with my 2-month old daughter. I am getting excellent results with the N1 with TLA 360 flash but would like to take more black and white pictures without using flash.

3. 35 Summilux. In fact it is so legendary that I might just get the 35 Summilux to go with the 90, and save some money for future purchases.

Any of your comments are highly appreciated. And by the way, the G2 package was borrowed from a friend who rarely uses it, and now it is returned to its original owner, so I won't be able to use that simultaneously with the M7. Thanks.

Ken
 
G

Guest

Dear Ken,

As you suggested start with a 90mm lens then add the 35mm Summicron. The two will cover most situations encompassed by Leica range-finder photography.

Sincerely,

Justin
 
G

Guest

Since you don't have any money, you could just drill a hole in the cap and spend some time doing Leica pinhole photographs.
 
G

Guest

I completely agree with Justin.

35mm and 90mm would cover most needs.

You can then add either a wide or super wide angle lens or on the contrary another onthe telephoto side once you're comfortable using the 35mm and 90mm - and have the cash!

If you don't need the really wide apertures, I'd recommend going with the 35mm Summicron (f/2.0)and the Elmarit 90mm (f/2.8).

I recommend the Elmarit for several reasons:

1. Excellent quality lens
2. Much cheaper than Summicron 90mm
3. f/2.8 is still a pretty decent maximum aperture (Worth extra cash to you for the 1 extra stop?)
4. At 90mm and f/2.8, you can still get the depth of field effects you will be looking for in your portrait shots or whatever
 
G

Guest

Ken,

Further to Mark's sensible advice, it is rare that one needs f/2. With modern films it is easier and cheaper when required to use one of the fast films.

As Erwin Puts has written the 1:2,8/90 Elmarit-M is the best lens of that speed ever made by Leica. I found it superior to the 1:2/90 Summicron-R.

Considering your budget, start with the 90mm Elmarit-M which you can buy second-hand in mint condition very reasonably.

All the best

Justin
 
G

Guest

B&H often has several used Elmarit 90mm.

I just had a look and they have a chrome one in "9" condition for $599.

I have in past months seen in both black or chrome in 9, 9+ or even 10 condition (10 being the highest rating). You might also check out Tamarkin although I've never bought from them.

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!


Have a look at their site. They have several used Elmarit 90mm ranging from about $550 to $1050 depending on condition. The best being $1050 and is unused.

Anyone here used to dealing with Tamarkin in New York?

Mark
 
G

Guest

> > > I just saw these ones too: =20
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3D3330&item=3D1946645756 and =20
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3D30063&item=3D1946673215 > > >
 
G

Guest

If you are interested in a 90 for portraiture I will recommend the 2nd 90 f/2.0 Summicron. This would be the early version with the telescoping lens shade and E48 filter size. It is an excellent lens and is slightly soft wide open which makes it better for portraits than any of the other Leitz 90s. But you may still find with experience that you will need to use a soft focus attachment.
 
G

Guest

> Anyone here used to dealing with Tamarkin in New York =============================================================

I have met and talked with Stan Tamarkin severaql times. He runs a areputable business, but like KEH, his prices tend to be at the top of the market range. But iof he has what you want, you can always try a little negotiation.
 
G

Guest

> I bought an M4-P from them - it was advertised as Exc+ I think but in reality there was not one mark. I have never even HEARD a complaint unlike Ury, Chatterton or some others. Very reputable.
 
G

Guest

I have 35/1.4, 50/1.4 and 90/2 and I love them all. I have used the 50/1.4 for portraiture and it give very nice "out-of-focus" area at f/1.4 at close range ( in order to get head and shoulder portraiture.) I think the 90mm is a bit havey and the frame is small in my 0.72 M6ttl. Maybe I will have a 0.85 M6 later to fit the 90mm lens.
 
G

Guest

Thank you everyone for your kind inputs. While I think I would definitely get the 90 and 35 combo, I am quite surprised that nobody mentioned anything about the Tri-Elmar because from both this forum and Erwin Puts' article I have read great things about this "zoom" lens. Having been spoiled by the use of slr's for years, it seems always inconvenient to change lenses all the time. And that's why I think the Tri-Elmar would come in handy. Any further comments on this piece as an addition to the 35+90 combo?

There is one more question I have regarding the Leica lenses. Over the weekend I visited many camera shops in HK and looked around both new lenses and second hand prices. And amazingly I found many old lenses in descent conditions are selling at extremely high prices. I talked with some shop owners and was informed that the quality of old Leica lenses are different and better compared to the latest versions. They claim that the new ones provide images that are too "sharp and fake" like Japanese made and lack the original Leica elements, and these comments are somewhat different from what Erwin Puts described. I find there is little conflicts of interests among these shop owners because while they sell both new and used, they seem to be able to make more profits out of selling brand news than the consignments old lenses. What are your opinions on this issue?

I apologize for writing so much and hope that this hasn't bored anyone. I am just a Leica beginner trying to learn more...

Kindest regards,
Ken
 
G

Guest

Ken: I use the Tri Elmar more then other Leica lens that I own, and I own almost all of the modern ones. In Europe I tend to take the Tri Elmar on the M7 along with the 35/1.4 Asph for lower light on an M6 body. I often take the 21 Asph for the really interesting wide angle opportunities, but the 28 on the Tri Elmar is usally adequate and quicker then changing lenses of course. If I have room I will pack the 90 Asph. The Tri Elmar is wonderful lens. As others have stated, the newer faster films make the higher aperature a non issue. I try to use the shade as much as possible. It is unfortunate that Leica has not ( to my knowledge ) made a cover to fit directly on the front of the shade allowing one to leave the shade permanently affixed to the lens. I cannot comment on the point concerning the dealers and used lenses. I agree with Erwin that the newer lenses are probably sharper, but in the ususal day to day applications one would suspect that the older lenses will perform amazingly well. Indeed, the older summicron 35mm is one of the gems...very compact and light, and makes great images. Buy one if you've the chance. Others might be able to give you a range of fair prices. Alternately, check Ebay. Don't ever apologize for asking a question.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top