Thanks Doug and Luka, always appreciated
Luka, beautiful rendering with the 35 Lux! It is a lot gentler than the FLE version. Just love the way it rolls off on the last 3 shots
Wow, again a couple or so days i have to go thru about 5 pages already
Beautiful photos everyone
Luka, i had a good read on those inputs you gave...i'm learning from it thanks
I have a question to everyone who has the 35lux asph (V1 or V2 alike) on their M9, what filters are you using? I noticed a significant difference in color rendering on my 50 cron & 90 cron pre asph when fitted with UV/IR cut filters compared to just UV multicoated filters. I am about to pay for a V1 of the 35lux asph with a UV/haze filter and i was just wondering if its a good idea to get a UV/IR filter for it instead. I like the color of my lenses fitted with the UV/IR filters. I would appreciate an input from Luka on this since you are using the 35lux V1
madamasu, those pictures made me reconsider the X1. The lens is clearly one notch above the one in X100, great depth (3D) and sharpness, suits my preferences perfectly. A shame it falls short in most other aspects in that comparison.
Threads likes this gives so much better overview on IQ than any static test image are able to! Just look thru sufficiently many pictures taken with a lens and you know very well how it renders and behaves under different conditions.
JonasY wrote:
makten, vad tänkte du för pris på din M8?
14k SEK (vilket jag själv gav för den), men jag måste köpa en M9 först.
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The store doesn't answer my emails (old fellers not used to the internet), but I'll stop by after work if I have the time. I've been thinking about lenses, and I believe 28 + 50 would be a nice combo. I like the narrow and "disturbing" angle of view of a 50 mm lens, but it's too long for using as a single lens.
The next problem then: Where to get a 50/1.4 ASPH? Or maybe I should look for an older, non aspherical one?
edwin_sn wrote:
I have a question to everyone who has the 35lux asph (V1 or V2 alike) on their M9, what filters are you using? I noticed a significant difference in color rendering on my 50 cron & 90 cron pre asph when fitted with UV/IR cut filters compared to just UV multicoated filters. I am about to pay for a V1 of the 35lux asph with a UV/haze filter and i was just wondering if its a good idea to get a UV/IR filter for it instead. I like the color of my lenses fitted with the UV/IR filters. I would appreciate an input from Luka on this since you are using the 35lux V1 ...Show more →
I absolutely detest filters and I don't use them. Let me put it this way: In a high end lens that uses exotic materials and sub-mm precision of alignment of elements, do you really think that adding a random glass element in front of it is a good idea?
Makten wrote:
The next problem then: Where to get a 50/1.4 ASPH? Or maybe I should look for an older, non aspherical one?
No, you want the ASPH - the pre-ASPH is a completely different lens. It's nice for portraits due to its soft rendering but that's about it. The 50 Lux ASPH on the other hand is probably the best prime lens ever made.
As for where to get it, the answer is simple - from an EU seller on ebay. Since you don't have to pay VAT nor import duties it will cost about the same as if you buy it in Sweden. If something is wrong with the lens, you'll have to send it to Leica anyway and the warranty is the same. Since there are no lenses in stock, it's not like you can exchange it for a new copy. So there's no advantage to buying local in this case.
I ordered mine from Italy, and I see that the same seller has one for sale. The price is GBP 2,948.00 =~ $4,700 =~ SEK 31,000. The price in Sweden seems to currently be around SEK 29,000 - so it's close. There are probably cheaper ones on Ebay - I mentioned this one because that's where I bought mine (lens perfect, fast shipping so the seller is good). Just make sure you get it from an EU country or else you have to add 25% VAT and ~30% import duties to the price.
Alternatively, do as I've done with most of my lenses. Wait and keep a watch on prisjakt (you can configure it to send you an email when it gets in stock somewhere) and strike directly when one pops up. I've never had to wait for more than a month and a half for a lens to appear in one of the shops.
One you might want to pay special attention to is Scandinavian Photo - they just list their webshop stock on prisjakt. If you however look at the product page you'll find the stock they have in different stores. I got my 90 Cron ASPH by finding that a store in Malmö had one copy and ordered it through the Stockholm store of the company:
denoir wrote:
No, you want the ASPH - the pre-ASPH is a completely different lens. It's nice for portraits due to its soft rendering but that's about it. The 50 Lux ASPH on the other hand is probably the best prime lens ever made.
That's what I thought.
As for where to get it, the answer is simple - from an EU seller on ebay. Since you don't have to pay VAT nor import duties it will cost about the same as if you buy it in Sweden. If something is wrong with the lens, you'll have to send it to Leica anyway and the warranty is the same. Since there are no lenses in stock, it's not like you can exchange it for a new copy. So there's no advantage to buying local in this case.
I ordered mine from Italy, and I see that the same seller hasone for sale. The price is GBP 2,948.00 =~ $4,700 =~ SEK 31,000. The price in Sweden seems to currently be around SEK 29,000 - so it's close. There are probably cheaper ones on Ebay - I mentioned this one because that's where I bought mine (lens perfect, fast shipping so the seller is good). Just make sure you get it from an EU country or else you have to add 25% VAT and ~30% import duties to the price.
Alternatively, do as I've done with most of my lenses. Wait and keep a watch on prisjakt (you can configure it to send you an email when it gets in stock somewhere) and strike directly when one pops up. I've never had to wait for more than a month and a half for a lens to appear in one of the shops.
One you might want to pay special attention to is Scandinavian Photo - they just list their webshop stock on prisjakt. If you however look at the product page you'll find the stock they have in different stores. I got my 90 Cron ASPH by finding that a store in Malmö had one copy and ordered it through the Stockholm store of the company:
Unfortunately, I'm out of luck regarding the financial plan. Handelsbanken Finans don't give loans on more than 10% of ones yearly income, which in my case is way too low. Kind of silly when you can take a loan for a house at 40 times the price, but that's the way it is.
So, if I sell all of my Nikon gear and the M8 I can afford an M9, cash. But I then have no money at all for the 50.
I'm definitely not buying anything on Ebay. This stuff is way too expensive for taking any risks if something goes wrong. So I'll just have to wait, or sell the Summicron and get something cheaper.
I don't think you understand how much money this is in my world. I'm a simple man and I never ever buy anything expensive except for camera gear, and that's really cheap compared to the stuff that most other people buy, like cars, furniture and so on.
Makten wrote:
Unfortunately, I'm out of luck regarding the financial plan. Handelsbanken Finans don't give loans on more than 10% of ones yearly income, which in my case is way too low. Kind of silly when you can take a loan for a house at 40 times the price, but that's the way it is.
Hmm. Perhaps you should try another bank like Swedbank or one of the smaller ones. Handelsbanken is IMO the only serious Swedish bank that behaves responsibly. It's commendable but not the greatest attribute if you want a loan
If you have an apartment or house that you bought more than say two or three years ago you could probably borrow against the increase in value.
Isn't that the easiest choice - to do it through the store rather than through a bank?
So, if I sell all of my Nikon gear and the M8 I can afford an M9, cash. But I then have no money at all for the 50.
There's a used M9 on fotosidan - for 40,000 kr which is I think a very good price. D700 are sold for about 13kkr, the M8 14kkr. I'm not sure what you could sell the Zeiss ZF glass for (35/2, 50/1.4 & 100 MP) but say 25kkr - that's 52kkr. So if you get a used one like the one I linked to, it will leave you enough to buy a ZM 50/2 Planar or with some saving or financing enough to get a 50 Lux ASPH.
I don't think you understand how much money this is in my world. I'm a simple man and I never ever buy anything expensive except for camera gear, and that's really cheap compared to the stuff that most other people buy, like cars, furniture and so on.
Having a car in Stockholm is ludicrous anyway. Finding a parking place takes more time than going by subway or bus. I don't have one either - hell, I just got my driving license six months ago and that was only because of my month long US road trip. A great camera system is comparable in cost to a good car - it's just that it's an unusual thing to spend money on so there are no standard financial solutions and you usually have to pay directly out of pocket.
Makten; that's why I decided to stay off the M9 until prices have dropped significantly. I just could not stomach the admission ticket. I saw a not too old M9 out for 40 000 SEK already and I think there will be a few ones going below the 35K mark soon enough. That's when they start to look interesting again, to me.
I don't think the M8/M9's will keep their value as well as the lenses do. It is not possible in the digital world.
denoir wrote:
Isn't that the easiest choice - to do it through the store rather than through a bank?
That's what I wanted, but Schönherrs (got a good deal there) use Handelsbanken Finans, and they declined. Any dealer does the same, but with different banks of course, and I think they have very similar requirements. But you don't know until the dealer asks the bank, and you don't want to many asking times either, because they can decline because of that. Very silly, but understandable.
There's a used M9 on fotosidan - for 40,000 kr which is I think a very good price.
I know, but I rather pay 50k for a brand new (and black) one. There's also one for 55k with a summarit 35 and summarit 75.
D700 are sold for about 13kkr, the M8 14kkr.
Exactly my asking prices.
I'm not sure what you could sell the Zeiss ZF glass for (35/2, 50/1.4 & 100 MP) but say 25kkr - that's 52kkr.
5k + 4k + 12k is what I'm asking, which is rather low, but still not one single potential buyer since tuesday.
So if you get a used one like the one I linked to, it will leave you enough to buy a ZM 50/2 Planar or with some saving or financing enough to get a 50 Lux ASPH.
Yeah, but I'm afraid of focus issues. At least I want to try the lens before I buy it.
Having a car in Stockholm is ludicrous anyway. Finding a parking place takes more time than going by subway or bus. I don't have one either - hell, I just got my driving license six months ago and that was only because of my month long US road trip. A great camera system is comparable in cost to a good car - it's just that it's an unusual thing to spend money on so there are no standard financial solutions and you usually have to pay directly out of pocket.
Exactly. I don't think the loan would be an issue at all if it was something "normal" that was to be bough.
Oh well, I still have the lovely M8. At least I have a plan, which feels good.
Makten wrote:
5k + 4k + 12k is what I'm asking, which is rather low, but still not one single potential buyer since tuesday.
That is indeed low. I think you could almost get that much by selling it to a camera store. We're not in a good position to sell gear here in Sweden - a very small market and higher prices than abroad.
Yeah, but I'm afraid of focus issues. At least I want to try the lens before I buy it.
Rajala Photo (in Stockholm) usually has a pile of ZM lenses in store and I've had very good experience with them when it comes to exchanging lenses. I've had focusing issues with two lenses - the 75 Summicron and the 35/2 Biogon and problems with an uneven focusing ring with the 25/2.8 Biogon. It took Leica a couple of tries but they fixed the 75 Cron in the end. Zeiss on the other hand fixed both lenses within a week (and it included completely rebuilding the focusing system of the 25/2.8) and it worked perfectly.
Oh well, I still have the lovely M8. At least I have a plan, which feels good.
A lot of the attractiveness of the M9 comes from the form factor and the way it feels to use. You already have that part with the M8 which is indeed a good start. Good luck with the plan.
Really nice concert shots 
I'm a simple man and I never ever buy anything expensive except for camera gear, and that's really cheap compared to the stuff that most other people buy, like cars, furniture and so on.