RexGig0
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 p.2 #17 · Do you prefer softer lenses on Digital M bodies? | |
I met a member of another photography forum at a coffee shop, so that he could use my M10 to see if his eyes could still use a rangefinder camera, before he ordered an M10-R. He had been using a Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f/1.4 II MC, with an M-to-L adapter, on his Leica digital CL. I captured a few test shots, myself, and was favorably impressed with the results.
A few months later, I tested a Sixties-vintage, but very clean Leica Summilux-M 35mm Version II, alongside a demonstrator first version Summilux-M 35mm ASPH FLE. While I did not have my friend’s Nokton there, for direct comparison, I realized, at that point, just how good the Nokton really is; a bit of character, a bit of non-bothersome barrel distortion, but, otherwise, a giant-killer of a lens. I dismissed all thought of hunting for a vintage Summilux-M 35mm, and realized that I would have a very difficult time justifying the cost of buying an FLE.
When I finally did buy myself a compact 35mm f/1.4 M-mount lens, it was a Re-Edition Steel Rim Summilux-M. Not being wealthy, this may remain the only Leica M lens that I buy new, rather than pre-owned.
The Nokton 35mm f/1.4 II MC is so good, that I may yet buy one, even though I have Re-Edition Steel Rim Summilux. Now and then, I will bring my M10, for color, and M Type 246 Monochrom. Having the same focal length lens, on each camera, can be an interesting exercise. My other “fast” 35mm M-mount is a quite large Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/1,4 ZM. Its size does not bother me, when using one camera, but, if working with two cameras, some amount of compactness is helpful.
Edited to add: As for the “soft” lens question, the answer is, generally, “no.” Some amount of character, yes, but I do not pursue softness, in an of itself. My Thambar-M 90mm lens certainly can be “soft,” at the wider end of its aperture range, so, is the one exception, and it remains an ongoing experiment.
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