I've also just acquired a 75 Lux (German 'v3') which I'll get next week. I blame Charlie entirely!
I'm dreading your 75lux shots! As it is seeing Charlie's and CharlesK's (I think it's him) shots with the 75 is hard enough and I really really miss the 80lux as my tele...I was just convincing myself I didn't need anything more than 50mm and the 90AA would suffice. I would've swapped the 90AA for a 75lux if the prices were more comparable.
I actually made a list of what lenses to buy and when I can manage to afford them, and the 21SEM is on it too (part of my OCD/planning side of my personality). This thread is bad for my financial management. Good thing I'm broke for the next year or so.
aFrIcanSH wroteThis thread is bad for my financial management
Amen to that!
The 75 just came up as an opportunity, I wasn't considering one. The 80 Lux was always what I thought I'd end up with. That's that for glass for quite some time for me though, more shooting, less spending, more noodles, less fine dining etc.
I've had a couple of 90-Cron-R's in the past and always found that to be more than enough of the Mandler look. I think the 90 Crons are much much better bang for buck for a Mandler soft/sharp lens all round but now I'm putting another lens on your radar, sorry!
This was taken attending a 3 day workshop, Creative Photography, at ' Leica Akademie ' using a 240 with my Mandler Noctilux.
We could use every Leica camera with every lenses we want.
I decided to use the 240 and all the 'expensive' lenses (21/1.4, 35/1.4, 50 Apo, 75 Apo, 90 Apo... except the 0.95 Nocti, i used my own Mandler instead) .
" The Leica Ancestors "
Leitz Park, Wetzlar
(shot wide open, Exif is, as often, not correct)
The workshop " Creative Photography " was held bei german author and pro Robert Mertens.
In future posts from the workshop i will show some of the assignments we had to do and my contribution.
Our base was at the Leitz Park with full equipment (Mac's, though slow..)
As mentioned we had the full choice out of Leica's production and could change the cams and lenses as wanted during the 3 days. Lunch at Leica's was included.
All six participants of the workshop where staying at the Wetzlarer Hof 'downtown' Wetzlar. They where coming from allover Germany on a differed but high level of photography. Meeting other photographers is an important part of the game. Not all of them were Leica shooters.
To sum up: I would and will go to further Leica Academy events. Being in Wetzlar and at the Leitz Park is an unique experience. I can absolutely recommend the Leica Academy offerings. Robert did a really great job on his workshop.
Cheers Werner
Ps: I am not shure if all workshops are in german, during our Ws there was a Japanese group as well, hard to imagine they had this in german....but you have to find out.
Ps2: Even with no workshop the Leica facility is absolutly worth a visit! (i have only 150 km to go )
Thanks for the write up, sounds like an interesting event. If I understand it correctly though those workshops are all in german or? The Leica website gives that impression and that you have to go to the US to find english speaking workshops.
My Canon 50 showed up, so far it's nailed focus even at f/1.4 on every single test, and the glass is crystal clear, so pretty pleased with the $225 spent! Wide open:
Nice stuff, everyone.
Coogee: you will love that lens i think, but check it carefully, especially for calibration. Repair is very difficult for 75 Lux, and some cams are bad. A good one is priceless.
Thanks Charlie. I am like you and enjoy the 21SEM and ZM18 equally. However, I have to trim the collection a bit and the ZM18 sold last week. It was a sad day.
Gary and Charlie, you've definitely made me look into the wider ZM glass lately (adding to my ever growing list of to-buy's)
Werner, I'd love to hear more about the workshop!
Coogee, I've read up and considered the 90 Cron R non APO and the same one for M, but i don't like duplicate FLs, especially on those FL's I don't use much, which means I'd have to sell the 90AA. Sterile as it is, it's still an amazing piece of glass and I know i'll want one again. I'm trying to save up for a 50 Noct f1 cause it's mandler esque whilst giving me f1 which I've not had before, and 50 to me is more useable. Right now the prices are settling what I'd pay for for one (v3/v4, with or without box), but I'm dead broke, so i'll have to wait for a while...maybe by then the prices would have picked up again, with the M with EVF/new line leica is coming up with. Such is life (trivial aspects of it anyway).
The Angleo Pelle case came like a flash from Italy. Really nice overall, great protection, my only gripe is the leather is four times as thick as the Luigi which guards my M9
BTW Chas, that Nokton is not so creamy as the f1, but look around and you will see some interesting comparisons which can flatter the now 700ish CV 50/1.1 But I've given it little love since I bought a Sonnetar. Still I do take it to night events. But for personal stuff the tiny Sonnetar rules
While Mandler is lionised, for good reason, I prefer Karbe by a country mile, with a few caveats. Your 28 cron, the 50 Lux asph, SEM 18, 21, 24 and that unbelievable .95, even my 90/2.5, these are spectacular achievements to my eye. Digital features have dominating talking points since the turn of the century, while in truth, Karbe has revolutionized lens design in fundamental ways. Canikon have their constant aperture zooms, superb and remarkable, but for pure prime performance....I love the modern Leica glass, and the less numerous zeiss attempts to compete. I nearly bought a ZM 35/1.4 for 1650 yesterday.... I just love what Edward and others are doing with it. But I think without Karbe that lens would not exist. He pushes Zeiss hard.
uhoh7 wrote
BTW Chas, that Nokton is not so creamy as the f1, but look around and you will see some interesting comparisons which can flatter the now 700ish CV 50/1.1 But I've given it little love since I bought a Sonnetar. Still I do take it to night events. But for personal stuff the tiny Sonnetar rules
While Mandler is lionised, for good reason, I prefer Karbe by a country mile, with a few caveats. Your 28 cron, the 50 Lux asph, SEM 18, 21, 24 and that unbelievable .95, even my 90/2.5, these are spectacular achievements to my eye. Digital features have dominating talking points since the turn of the century, while in truth, Karbe has revolutionized lens design in fundamental ways. Canikon have their constant aperture zooms, superb and remarkable, but for pure prime performance....I love the modern Leica glass, and the less numerous zeiss attempts to compete. I nearly bought a ZM 35/1.4 for 1650 yesterday.... I just love what Edward and others are doing with it. But I think without Karbe that lens would not exist. He pushes Zeiss hard. ...Show more →
I shoot wide open with my lenses 99% of the time. I find f2 a bit lacking in terms of thin DoF, but I'm not sure how much a 28lux would give me in that respect as well as in terms of light gathering ability. I only recently started looking at CV glass in greater detail (largely due to their new 35 1.7).
I think what's amazing is having 2 quite different eras of pre-modern/modern (for lack of a better distinction in my vocabulary) leica lenses to choose from. Part of me wonders what Mandler would have done if he designed lenses today with the technology and advancements we've made since his time. I never thought of it that way, but you're probably right about the 35 1.4 ZM. But that said, the zeiss otus line is also pretty spectacular and in the end every manufacturer is pushing one another setting new standards and we're the one's to benefit.
Good thing I'm broke for the next year or so.
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