I am relatively new to Leica and have an M11 with the following new lenses- 50mm Summilux, 90mm Summicron and 28mm summicron - all latest versions. I am interested in getting a 35mm lens which will give me the softer vintage Leica look. Some dealers have tried to dissuade me from buying an older lens for this digital camera and suggested I go with a 35mm that was remade by Leica a couple years ago to simulate an older model by design. Can anyone with a digital Leica give me advice what lens would be best to achieve this vintage look.
Thank you for your courtesy.
Tough to answer. as we all have a different perspective on using older M glass.
If you want to try and see if that is really what you are expecting why not try a less expensive alternative to Leica glass.
I have many Leica older lenses, but the Voigtlander M Ultron II Vintage Line 35/2.0 is not bad at all. 5 years ago it cost me $850+hood for $60. Not sure if it's still made. Cameraquest sold me mine.
You could consider the LLL 35 mm, or the Voigtlander F1.4 35 mm MC, both have a more vintage aspect without the vintage Leica entrance fee. I have both and both do what I want.
If you want to dip your toes into vintage character lenses, the Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 Nokton V2 is a great place to start. Get a used copy to have a frame of reference and go from there.
brick33308 wrote:
Summilux 35/1.4 steel rim reissue. There's a thread here that discusses it, shows examples. Wide open it's lovely. Stopped down it's plenty sharp.
I have both the light lens lab 35mm summicron 8e replica as well as the significantly more expensive. Leica summilux 35 steel rim reissue that was just mentioned by @brick33308.
Both are great lenses and give that vintage look wide open but sharpen up really well. They will both be lower contrast than modern lenses (especially the 8e) which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
They are also very compact lenses which is a big plus in my book.
Here are some samples (all M11 sensor (B&W pic is Monochrom variant)):
First 3 pictures, Leica 35mm steel rim re-issue wide open.
Last 3 pictures, LLL 35mm 8e at typical street shooting apertures (probably f5.6 or f8 as this is cloudy London)
my FAVORITE vintage lens is the summilux 50/1.4 pre asph v2. Yes longer than 35 but such a special lens. They've gotten harder to find. V3 is better with .7M min focus distance, but a high number of v3 suffer lens separation from bad glue.
The issue with vintage lenses is that there are massive differences in condition from one copy to another and not all issues will be disclosed upfront. If you do not mind burning through a couple of copies, then by all means go for it. But my solution was to get a Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 SC. Vintage rendering in a modern body.
I’ve owned the second version of the Voigtlander 35 1.4 Nokton Classic SC for several years and it’s the lens I use the most. It’s compact, light and the tab makes focusing fast and easy. It has the advantage of being a modern lens that offers classic rendering. Readily available and affordable. Make sure to get the updated version.
Not the vintage ones. Lensrentals has the Voigtlander Nokton Classic SC that madNbad recommended as well as the Leica Summilux reissue I recommended.
I realized both my recommendations have focus tab locks so may be out of the running. Honestly though, you get used to it fast, I don't even realize/think about them having focus locks and I have 3 other 35mm lenses I use regularly that do not have them. It just becomes muscle memory after a while and you can use either variety without thinking about it.
The other lens I'll throw out there is the Summicron v4 variant. It's about as small as it gets. They are pricey now though and start at around $2,500.
toddprice wrote:
Would there be any way to test these lenses? Can they be rented? Thanks all for your thoughtful responses.
toddprice wrote:
Would there be any way to test these lenses? Can they be rented? Thanks all for your thoughtful responses.
When I was considering 35 mm options, but before I decided on a CV 35/1.4 SC, I was looking at the 35/1.4 Summilux and Camerawest has at least one in stock. Perhaps a store closer to you has your lens of choice in stock and will let you try it out? Perhaps they will only let you shoot inside the store, but I guess it's better than nothing.
Another option is to buy second hand and sell it for a minimal loss if the lens does not work for you. This option only works if (1) you have a source who cares about their reputation (minimizing the odds of you getting a lemon), and (2) if their asking price is not inflated. While I have never interacted with him, YYe seems like he would fit both criteria. Per his web page: "please contact me what you need, condition and price range in your mind, I can check out my inventory to see whether I can match your interest".
Edit: Bhphotovideo also sells used Leica lenses, but I do not know if the lenses are located in their physical store so folks can try them out. I also don't know how generous they are with their return policy on used gear.
Just happened to remember Light Lens Lab who sells old vintage copies if you will, but some are very good. Worth a look too. Popflash used to import these and probably has some used ones in stock.
toddprice wrote:
I am relatively new to Leica and have an M11 with the following new lenses- 50mm Summilux, 90mm Summicron and 28mm summicron - all latest versions. I am interested in getting a 35mm lens which will give me the softer vintage Leica look. Some dealers have tried to dissuade me from buying an older lens for this digital camera and suggested I go with a 35mm that was remade by Leica a couple years ago to simulate an older model by design. Can anyone with a digital Leica give me advice what lens would be best to achieve this vintage look.
Thank you for your courtesy....Show more →
Wide open question.... as far as vintage lenses go, I use CV, mostly purchased, used, from CameraQuest. I keep a CV 28/2 ULTRON on my M8.2 and use either a CV 21/4 Color Skopar, CV 35/2 Ultron, or CV 40/1.4 Nokton Classic SC adapted to a Z6iii. The 'Z' for IBIS, focus-peaking, and magnification depending on the situation. I've owned several APO versions but for my wants they are too good, in many ways. I enjoy the size, weight, and performance of M mount CV glass.
For analyses of performance on M bodies, you might check Reid Reviews, Phillip Preeve, Math Photographer, and Matt Osborne. Sean Reid's site is subscription only but he does an extremely thorough job of all things Leica and Leica-related. The others vary, Matt Osborne is probably the broadest scope.
