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 p.1070 #7 · Leica M/X/T/S/Q/CL/SL Picture Thread | |
AbramG wrote:
Can I just get an opinion then. In my position, would you trade out the ZM 25mm for the ZM 21mm?
Gary Clennan wrote:
I think Ron owns the ZM21/2.8 so maybe he can chime in. The samples I have seen with it have been very good though and I have only heard good things about it. I own the ZM25 and absolutely love it. I primarily use it as a landscape lens and the sharpness is (as you know) is amazing. IIRC - then rendering between these two lenses is very similar so I wouldn't worry too much about that. I would suggest you make the decision purely on which FL you think you would use the most. I personally use 21mm FL a bit more than 25mm but that is just me. I use them both enought to warrant keeping them both. Maybe you can do a metadata search in LR and see which FL you have used the most?
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A while ago I did a 4-way comparison of 21mm lenses: http://www.ronscheffler.com/techtalk/?page_id=130
I have limited experience with the ZM25, so can't offer many comparison details, but my impression of it is great. Super sharp, as you know. Every time I see one on the B&S at a reasonable price, I'm so tempted. But at the same time, do I really need one when I'm happy with the SEM and 28 Cron? As Gary mentioned, it's probably slightly longer than 25mm. I doubt it's 28mm, since in the a7 comparison tests I've done with it, it's still wider than the Cron. But maybe it's more around 26mm? The ZM21/2.8 has some field curvature which can affect outer zone performance if you desire excellent sharpness across the frame at wider apertures. But by f/5.6 it's really difficult to see sharpness difference between it and the SEM. This is also true for the CV21/1.8, though it's rendering is more towards medium contrast. The SEM does have a way flatter plane of focus than the ZM21. And while this will be subjective, I think the SEM's rendering is slightly more nuanced.
Maybe it's worth renting the ZM21 to compare?
I agree with Edward's philosophy about shooting a bit wider. My feeling is I can always crop later, if necessary, but obviously can't go the other way if the lens is too long. I'm also terrible at keeping the horizon level, and inevitably end up rotating images a degree or two, which again crops into the scene. If you use 35mm a lot, but anything wider sees infrequent use, then the 21 could make more sense in that it's *that* much wider for those times when you really need it.
In terms of lens staggering, I've pretty much settled on 21/28/50/90 for my main lenses, with 28 being the one that's almost always on the camera to start. I've stopped working from a single large LR catalog, rather, creating them on a daily and individual job basis, so I can't easily do a massive evaluation of lens use, but 28 and 50 should be my most used, with 21 coming up fairly close behind, and 90 being a quite distant fourth. But I also LOVE 21mm, so probably use it a lot more than many others. That said, it really depends on the situation, hence the reason I still bother to carry the 90 and even the CV12, though I rarely use it. This is how I feel comfortable shooting. Meanwhile, many others prefer to stick to one lens, or two at most. It's just not the way I currently see things. Maybe some of it is just getting used to what we've got? Before Leica, my travel/walk-around kit was typically 16-35, 50, 70-200 & 1.4x TC. Now I almost never bring along a DSLR and therefore don't have anything longer than 90. And I can't say I've greatly missed the lack of reach. Instead I'm looking at things in closer proximity.
Congrats on the MM Vik! Looking forward to your images with it. While perhaps an M240 based MM is imminent, like the M9, the MM doesn't suddenly become a lesser camera. It will continue to be amazing, and perhaps will become even more unique, depending on what Leica does with a successor.
Chris, if you're going to buy an M240 now, it will be at the tail end of the product cycle (IMO), since Leica seems to be on a 3-year M series cycle. The M240 was announced in later 2012, but didn't actually start shipping until about 6 months later. It's possible we'll see similar with a successor - 2015 announcement and 2016 delivery. Seeing as how you're somewhat cost sensitive (as am I), I would suggest that if you want to buy new, that you search out a demo body. While IIRC Vik had some bad luck with this approach, a number of others here, including me, also went this way without problem. The demos include full Leica warranty. But even for used cameras, Leica seems to be pretty generous with warranty coverage. In any case, it would be safer to buy from someplace that will allow you to return it, should there be any out of the box problems. Due to Leica's current servicing turnaround times, it's just a lot easier to return rather than have it serviced.
Gary - perhaps the cold is following you around? I have yet to spend any quality time in Sudbury myself, having just driven by once a number of years back. As for the High Line in NYC: I like it a lot. Pretty much everyone there is a tourist, so it feels quite comfortable. And it offers a nice view of parts of the city.
As I think I mentioned other times, it was Halloween and some were already dressed for later..
M240 & 28 Cron
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I've been learning alot about the pitfalls of trying to find one that focuses as well as this one (although I missed the top one here a bit). Many seem to have issues with the cam, or internals, as well as plain old calibration. 