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Archive 2011 · 35 mm for Leica M

  
 
JonasY
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · 35 mm for Leica M


Hi!

I'm looking for a new lens around 35mm to replace my Voigtlander 28/2 which unfortunately was a tad too wide for my taste on the M8 (difficult to isolate subjects with the FL in combination with a 0.7m MFD).

I've tried to do my homework and given my restricted budget I've found a few lenses that caught my interest

* Zeiss ZM35/2
* Leica Summicron-M 40/2 / Rokkor-M 40/2
* Leica Summicron-M 35/2 (type I-III, IV and ASPH out of budget)
* Voigtlander 40/1.4
* Voigtlander 35/1.7

Thing is, I really love the look I've seen in the huge Zeiss-thread, but not sure if the ZM35/2 renders the classic Zeiss look with a lot of micro contrast/3D (not that many examples taken with this combo). I also really like the Leica look, but will an old 35/2 or the 40/2 really be comparable with their later and much more expensive stuff? Size is a plus on the Leicas.

Voigtlander always offers a lot of value for money but this time I'd love to find a lens to put on my camera and never have to think about optical quality being an issue. Focus shift is another issue to consider with these lenses. Of course, one stop advantage can be very useful considering how M8 handles high ISO.

What is your recommendation and have I forgotten some candidate? Thanks in advance!

Jonas



Dec 07, 2011 at 06:07 PM
dcjs
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · 35 mm for Leica M


http://peltarion.eu/img/m9/zm35.html

In case you haven't found it, here's denoirs page of excellent ZM 35/2 examples. Knock yourself out!



Dec 07, 2011 at 06:30 PM
najibs
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · 35 mm for Leica M


A lot of people like the ZM 35/2.8 C-Biogon, instead of the 35/2. Also, my favourite 35 for Leica was the Voigtlander 35mm f/2.5 Color-Skopar. So much so that I even sold my Summicron IV 35/2.0 king of Bokeh in favour of the more modern rendering of the CV35/2.5. That lens is a real gem.

Here's some shots I took with it:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j5/vantecs/L1003000.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j5/vantecs/L1003215.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j5/vantecs/L1003223.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j5/vantecs/L10029131.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j5/vantecs/L10028611.jpg



Dec 07, 2011 at 06:45 PM
rico
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · 35 mm for Leica M


JonasY wrote:
...
* Zeiss ZM35/2
...
* Leica Summicron-M 35/2 (type I-III, IV and ASPH out of budget)

As already mentioned, the slower CZ CB35 ZM is often preferred for its smaller size, and high contrast. I don't personally seek a modern rendition for my RF photography, and find the older M lenses more to my taste. I also appreciate their size, handling, and build quality. Of my 35s (III, IV, Summaron 35/2.8), I use only the Summaron - one of the best Leitz lenses ever. The 'cron III is good enough that I acquired two, making it one of my better investments.



Dec 08, 2011 at 01:30 AM
redisburning
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · 35 mm for Leica M


how about the Konica Hexanon 35/2 with a LTM adapter?


Dec 08, 2011 at 01:53 AM
zombii
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · 35 mm for Leica M


Summicron C 40mm is an excellent lens, sharp and contrasty. Ultron 35 is also very good. Hexanon M 35 has great color rendition and is quite sharp but they're not as easy to find. The Voigtlander 35/1.2 would be a choice if isolation is the primary goal. If you go that route, get a V1 as it's as good or better than the V2.


Dec 08, 2011 at 02:38 AM
edwardkaraa
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · 35 mm for Leica M


The ZM 35/2 is excellent, no doubt. Some claim it is weak wide open, but that has not been my experience. The C f2.8 version is smaller and claimed to be sharper, but I personally find the max aperture to be too limiting for the 35 FL.


Dec 08, 2011 at 06:08 AM
carstenw
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · 35 mm for Leica M


The Summarit has some of the nicest boke too, if f/2.5 (f/2.4 really) isn't too slow.


Dec 08, 2011 at 08:07 AM
kosmoskatten
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · 35 mm for Leica M


Jonas, there might be a Leica/Minolta CLE 40mm up for grabs in Sweden. Let me know if you are interested. I have virtually zero experience with the 35mm lenses so I can't really comment on them.

The 40/2 really has a classic look to it wide open, it is sharp though. I think a lot of the soft looking RF shots I have seen (and shot myself) with it has the softness down to not nailing focus completely wide open. The 40/2 is very compact and the only real weakness is that it has poor close focus (0.8m - but it still gets you close enough for most applications) and that it it relatively flare prone. I have the multicoated CLE and the older version must be very flare prone. Side by side with the ZM50/2 the ZM looks huge.

This is with the 40/2 wide open. I think the lens has nice foreground bokeh as well, not all lenses have that.




Dec 08, 2011 at 10:24 AM
JonasY
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · 35 mm for Leica M


Thanks for all replies! After considering your input and scanning various buy & sell listings I've found a few interesting options, among them a Leica 40/2. What's a reasonable price? The seller only accepted bids ...

I also found a Summarit, sure it's a half step slower, but excellent IQ, 6 bit coded and more compact than Zeiss. It's a very interesting option, otherwise I'll most likely will go for a Zeiss ZM 35 - the pictures on the link above sure proves that it has the Zeiss properties I like

The Konica has a MFD at 1m if I did my googling correct, and that's a turn off. Zeiss 35/2.8 is too close 35/2 price wise to be an interesting option, and the loss of one extra f-stop hurts.

kosmoskatten: Du har PM.



Dec 08, 2011 at 12:25 PM
Mike Tuomey
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · 35 mm for Leica M


edwardkaraa wrote:
The ZM 35/2 is excellent, no doubt. Some claim it is weak wide open, but that has not been my experience. The C f2.8 version is smaller and claimed to be sharper, but I personally find the max aperture to be too limiting for the 35 FL.


I've owned both. The C-Biogon 35 is sharper wide open at f2.8 than the Biogon 35/2 at f2, but one would expect that. From about f2.8 or f4 they are pretty much identical in sharpness, as I think the mtf charts show. Subjectively, I feel the C-Biogon has slightly nicer bokeh, but I'm probably hair-splitting. I use the Biogon 35/2 now, because I like the extra stop and how the slight softening of the 35/2 wide open is kind to less youthful faces. Stopped down, whew, very little distortion, great detail and color. The C-Biogon is more compact, as Edward says, so if that's important, let that guide you. At the end of the day, you can't lose between them.



Dec 08, 2011 at 12:47 PM
michaelwatkins
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · 35 mm for Leica M


I like the extra stop and how the slight softening of the 35/2 wide open is kind to less youthful faces.

This is one of my considerations for buying this lens too. I've got the 35/2 and like it a lot wide open as well as stopped down, and am trying to acquire a 50/1.5 for similar reasons. Call me crazy but the longer length of the 35/2 (and 25/2.8 and 50/1.5) actually appeals to me as I've found the size fits my normal sized hands nicely with plenty of room between aperture ring and focus. What's a few millimeters here and there between friends anyway?



Dec 08, 2011 at 01:37 PM
JonasY
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · 35 mm for Leica M


Oh, the problem came to a very unexpected but very nice end Well, apparently I didn't become a Zeiss owner this year either. But I'm really looking forward to mr mail man, and I've still some funds left for a portrait tele ...


Dec 08, 2011 at 03:49 PM
carstenw
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · 35 mm for Leica M


So what did you get, the Leica 40/2?


Dec 08, 2011 at 04:20 PM
JonasY
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · 35 mm for Leica M


carstenw wrote:
So what did you get, the Leica 40/2?


Yes, bought Henrik's (Kosmoskatten) Rokkor CLE 40/2. Also turned out that we have the same taste for hifi equipment Better coating and normal filter thread (and a cheaper price!) is good compensation for missing the 'Leica' text on the lens



Dec 08, 2011 at 04:33 PM
denoir
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · 35 mm for Leica M


edwardkaraa wrote:
The ZM 35/2 is excellent, no doubt. Some claim it is weak wide open, but that has not been my experience. The C f2.8 version is smaller and claimed to be sharper, but I personally find the max aperture to be too limiting for the 35 FL.


The 35/2 has one feature that no other 35mm lens that I've tried has (and I do own a bunch of them and I've tried many) - it's awesome stopped down and near infinity. It's one of the best landscape lenses I've ever used - right up there with the 21 Distagon. The C-Biogon is good stopped down, but nowhere near as good as the f/2 Biogon.

When travelling I usually bring along two 35mm lenses - the 35/2 Biogon for stopped down landscape photography and the 35 Lux ASPH for all the rest.



Dec 08, 2011 at 06:33 PM
denoir
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · 35 mm for Leica M


JonasY wrote:
It's a very interesting option, otherwise I'll most likely will go for a Zeiss ZM 35 - the pictures on the link above sure proves that it has the Zeiss properties I like


I know this is very cruel, but I can't help myself. Have you considered the 35 Lux ASPH?

http://peltarion.eu/img/m9/lux35.html



Dec 08, 2011 at 06:37 PM
Jonas B
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · 35 mm for Leica M


denoir wrote:
I know this is very cruel, but I can't help myself. Have you considered the 35 Lux ASPH?


I had a look at your 35 Lux images. Please allow a non-Leica user a newbie question; how do you keep track of the used aperture? And another one; the lens obviously works better (here I'm thinking of sharpness border to border) at large openings when used on the M9 than it does with a Nex camera. I see your images as much as an ad for the FF Leica as for the lens...

Thank you for the show...!

Jonas



Dec 08, 2011 at 07:15 PM
denoir
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · 35 mm for Leica M


Thanks The camera keeps track on the aperture and stores it in the EXIF metadata of the image.


The lenses have an optical code on the mount so the camera knows which lens is mounted. Unlike cameras that have an electronic coupling to the lens, the camera has to guess the aperture (based on the light meter readings) - so it's approximate. It won't work at long exposures (it just records f/4 regardless of aperture) or when using an ND filter.



Dec 08, 2011 at 09:15 PM
redisburning
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · 35 mm for Leica M


denoir wrote:
It's one of the best landscape lenses I've ever used - right up there with the 21 Distagon. The C-Biogon is good stopped down, but nowhere near as good as the f/2 Biogon.


um, are you sure?

you see, it's not that I don't believe you per se, I just want to make sure I understand what you're saying. the 35/2 is really sharper than the c-biogon? I have heard the c-biogon is more moderate lens in terms of global contrast and renders like the zm 25 and has similar resolution numbers. I have also heard that the c-biogon is better in the corners.

could you please elaborate? I would really like to see comparative samples; I am genuinely curious. I couldnt figure your site out lol.



Dec 08, 2011 at 10:09 PM
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