Luka, excellent shots! Another 66.1% M9 addict I do prefer your landscape shots with M9 more so than with the 5D/ZE's, but I will qualify this, as we are only comparing on computer monitors. Real test of course, is how shots compare in large print format in front of your target audience.
Thanks Charles For me the primary reference is how it looks on a computer monitor as I probably print < 10% of my images and even a smaller percentage that I print really large. With lenses in the Leica/Zeiss class usually it simply comes down to personal preference as to which drawing style is suitable for a given scene.
denoir wrote:
The ZM18 and ZM25 are nice, but the ZE21 is in a different league. The images from it look extremely realistic - as if you are looking through a window. You can almost touch the textures of the surface.
Is there any ZM lens that you think is comparable to the IQ you get from the ZE21, Luka?
denoir wrote:
Thanks Charles For me the primary reference is how it looks on a computer monitor as I probably print < 10% of my images and even a smaller percentage that I print really large. With lenses in the Leica/Zeiss class usually it simply comes down to personal preference as to which drawing style is suitable for a given scene.
denoir wrote:
Incidentally I think I recall making a bet with Carsten about if I would be still using the M9 six months after getting it. I guess I won
I will have to go back and see exactly what I promised Perhaps I can be let off the hook since I have so relentlessly pushed the 50 Lux ASPH
Stunning shots Luka! I still remember being 'wow'ed by the 35mm 1.4 Zeiss shots of yours when you were still using your 5dMkII... If i recall, there were a series of duck shots and bench shots that were superb! How does that magical old lens compare next to the 2 luxes that you now have withthe m9?
charles.K wrote:
Luka, wow...stunning shots! No problems with the 50 Lux shots either IMO there is a level of clarity with the M9, sensor combination with lenses, that I much prefer over the 5DII. It is also very possibly due to the fact that I am biased
Ty, if you find a service centre that also has a lens collimator, any lens decentering, can be fixed quickly too. For, example, there are often variations in the 50 Lux, where wide open at f/1.4, may yield more of the Leica glow, and may also be due to marginal decentering of some of the lens elements.
Joe, great street shot! I love your style
I really think, this is what I love about Leica lenses, as there is a depth of choice in rendering that you can choose from. All the lenses are unique, great designs and have their own personalities.
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Charles I agree with you here - But let me know you this is hilarious.
In the Canon world, when we experience this phenomenon its called defective lens/crappy quality control. In leicaland we refer to it as "All the lenses are unique, great designs and have their own personalities".
i have a real problem with this thread. i think fredmiranda needs to ban such threads
All the exotic images here have forced upon me gear envy and forced me to upgrade.
i just placed an order for the summilux 21/1.4 yesterday - since i liked the 21 f/l so much on my M8.
This thread mostly to blame for this. any words of encouragement or psychiatric advice will be taken in a positive manner
now for the waiting period.
Would love to see pics from others who own the lens.
lovinglife....that and the 24 1.4 are lenses I would love to see some examples of. Congrats! Was it in stock? I haven't seen many places that have had that one in stock yet
rsolti13 wrote:
lovinglife....that and the 24 1.4 are lenses I would love to see some examples of. Congrats! Was it in stock? I haven't seen many places that have had that one in stock yet
Apparently so from digitalrev. cost me an extra $100 though. we'll see.
Ryan, great set! Difficult to pick a favorite, but I'd guess the last one.
Morfeus wrote:
Is there any ZM lens that you think is comparable to the IQ you get from the ZE21, Luka?
In my opinion, no. The ZM 18 and ZM 25 are the closest you will get, but the ZE 21 is really a unique lens. You've got great performance from f/2.8 and the fine detail the lens is capable of rendering is just astounding.
carstenw wrote:
I will have to go back and see exactly what I promised Perhaps I can be let off the hook since I have so relentlessly pushed the 50 Lux ASPH
I seem to recall you saying something in the lines of "I'll bet my 90 Cron AA that you won't be using the M9 in six months"
singletrack wrote:
I still remember being 'wow'ed by the 35mm 1.4 Zeiss shots of yours when you were still using your 5dMkII... If i recall, there were a series of duck shots and bench shots that were superb! How does that magical old lens compare next to the 2 luxes that you now have withthe m9?
That's not an easy one to answer. If we only go by rendering style, then I'd have to say the Zeiss - at least wide open. In practice however the M9 + 35 Lux is really a killer combination. 35mm is my universal handheld 'walkaround' focal length and the M9 is perfect for it. So when my choice is 5DII + Zeiss 35/1.4 Distagon or M9 + 35 Lux ASPH, the latter wins 9 out of 10 times. Plus the Lux is a much better performer and good stopped down.
h00ligan wrote:
Ron, love the last shot. All nice, last great for me. Well done!
Luka, I can't believe it's been that long. Also, your snow is making me even sadder, it's 95 already here this week...sigh.
Believe me, the snow is making me much sadder than you It snowed yesterday in Stockholm - it's supposed to be bloody April in a day or two..
Anyway, I promised you some X1 shots and my opinion on the new firmware. I tried it out briefly today and in good light the AF has improved significantly. The biggest change is that it's not searching the entire focus range each time but starts where it left off previously. The manual focus function has improved significantly and you can actually focus the lens at the aperture you set it to. Also informing you which ISO you are at before you take the shot is nice. So overall it's a good update. The AF is of course not good in an absolute sense, but definitely improved. I think all things considered the X1 is now a respectable P&S camera with a good sensor and a really good lens.
I happened to briefly go by a suburb in Stockholm and took 15 minutes to get some shots with the X1. The problem with the typical Stockholm suburb is that it's awful. They don't even have the decency to have some ugly brutalist architecture. It's just ugly and boring without it being the interesting type of ugly. It's just and endless number houses like this one:
So there is really depressing for a photographer. I couldn't really find anything of interest to shoot so I did what I could and left pretty quickly.
Just a load of nothing, but that happens some time
Thanks for the service info, Ron, Joe, and Charles. I stopped by the place that was recommended by the only Leica dealer here in town. He didn't think there was anything wrong with the aperture ring. I think I'll still go ahead and send it to DAG for tightening, as well as 6-bit coding, and maybe focus check/fix.
Nice hipshot, Joe!
Ron - I like the stars in the water. I kind of wished I got the 50 Planar instead of the Sonnar. I guess I was just going for speed.
rsolti - nice shots with the lux! I ilke the flowers the best.
Luka - nice landscapes! I guess with you, it really doesn't matter what lens and camera you use!
I have choices to make here. My preferred walk-around lens is 35. I have a 35 ZM f2.0 that I am OK with for now. But my my weakest lens is the 50 Sonnar. I mean, it comes up with some nice renderings sometimes, but a lot of times it's meh. The front-focusing at 1.5 doesn't help either because I like to shoot wide open. I always forget to make adjustments for it when shooting.
I do know that I want to get both 35 and 50 Luxes (the new ones). With my 21 Biogon and 90 Cron V3, I think I'd be set after getting those two. But I think it would be more sensible to get one first, and the other months later. Which one do you guys think I should get first? I know someone would say just pick which one first, and get the other later. But I know myself, and if I am not satisfied with the first one, I'd turn around and buy the other soon after.
So, 35 Lux ASPH II (walk around lens, more speed over current 35, and love the rendering) VS 50 Lux ASPH (get to keep the speed over current 50, the rendering just makes me lusty… maybe I can get to learn to make it my main walk-around?). What do you guys think?
Ryan, great set of shots! You must fore warn us when you have your M9
Lovinglife, congrats on the new 21 Lux purchase. Wow, more lux's
Luka, excellent shots as usual! Very nice shot with the X1. Interesting to note your experience with the new firmware update. Like KL, I really enjoyed your series with the 5DII/Zeiss 35/1.4, yet the weight and size difference is a huge factor for me now.
Ty, IMO get the 35 Lux I or II as this would seem to be your preferred FL. In the meantime, you have the ZM 50/1.5 Sonar recalibrated to f/1.5, and just put your name on the waiting list for the 50 Lux
Nice set Ryan! Yes, I'm enjoying the Planar and still learning it. It seems to have a nice way of rendering scenes at middle distances and even at f/4 or so, the background blur is decent. Of course it depends on the relationship between camera to subject to background distances. I need to get a ND filter for it so I can shoot wide open in full sunlight. The above was around f/3.5 or f/4 at 1/4000 at ISO 160.
Luka: The ZE21 was high on my list of future acquisitions, but that abruptly changed when I found the used M9 last November. Maybe I'll still get one, but probably not this year. At the moment it's contrary to my desire to reduce the physical size of my kit as much as possible.
I'm still getting comfortable with the M9 for work related photography. Today was a small milestone though. It was the first job where I used the M9 more than I did the Canon. That's already been the case for my travel and other personal work, but a first for paid work. I think it went pretty well, though I haven't yet looked at the images.
Lovinglife: Wow! 21 Lux is a lens I would get if I shot a lot of weddings. I'm very interested to see what you can do with it. I bet that you'll have to be pretty careful with focus wide open.
Thanks Charles, Juano, Luka, Ryan & Ty. Hope I didn't miss anyone.
Ron, love the sun spots on that swan shot. If I didn't have my 50Cron , I would definitely get the 50/2 Planar. I like the rendering on this lens a lot.
Luka, nice shot of the bridge on the previous page with the 35Lux. The X1 shots are pretty good for a compact camera, really.
Ryan, another nice set with the 35Lux. Love the play of DOF on the first shot and also like the creative composition on 4.
Lovinglive, congrats on the 21Lux! Post some shots when it arrives. I'm sure the M9 is somewhere around the corner waiting for you to pick her up
Ty, chose the FL first then the lens. Do you prefer 35 or 50? Else just get on the waitlist with the dealers (or pay a premium on the bay) and take whichever that comes first. Meanwhile get a 50Cron or a ZM50/2 Planar for your everyday walkaround.
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I just bought a refurbished Dell desktop (iCore 7) to replace my 4 year old Thinkpad for photo editing. Definitely faster Wanted to consider a Mac but it was over twice to price for the same configuration, figure I'll stick to 64bit Windows. I guess everyone else here is on the Mac?
Thanks Charles Nice pp on the shots above, like the first one best. Without looking at the details, #1 looked like it could be a B&W print from the 60s or 70s.
I do prefer your landscape shots with M9 more so than with the 5D/ZE's, but I will qualify this, as we are only comparing on computer monitors. Real test of course, is how shots compare in large print format in front of your target audience. 
For me the primary reference is how it looks on a computer monitor as I probably print < 10% of my images and even a smaller percentage that I print really large. With lenses in the Leica/Zeiss class usually it simply comes down to personal preference as to which drawing style is suitable for a given scene. 
It snowed yesterday in Stockholm - it's supposed to be bloody April in a day or two.. 
