L1011546 by unoh7, on Flickr
last 3 @ f/2
first impressions on the biogon--(some images above are coded as 90/4 )
Size and feel are fine, but lifting the lens, it's a tad heavy. 225 grams on my scale. Build is excellent, no wobble, "bump" is nice, and hood from my 35/1.4 CV works perfectly. In fact, build is very similar to the CV.
Obviously still learning the lens, which arrived this afternoon, but so far I like it
PS: I compared the zm35/2 dimensions to sem21, 28cron, 50cron, CV 75/2.5, and 28 Elmarit v4. It's lighter than the sem 21, both 28s, and about the same as the CV 75. The Biogon is a half filter longer than the 50 cron v4 (the small one), near identical to the Sem 21, a touch longer than the 28 cron, and shorter than the CV 75 and 28 v4.
Sorry I haven't posted much.. Don't have time to edit the millions of things I've been shooting
Took one quick shot with the 35FLE while grabbing milk-tea on the way home from errands.. Nothing special, bokeh is nice but a bit plastic look. But I just realised I haven't posted anything in a while picture wise. I think it'll take the lens a while to grow on me.. Hopefully I'll have a chance to use it more on my upcoming trip. Shot @ 1.4 edited colours of the green to suit my aesthetics and adjusted brightness and curves a touch:
adamdewilde wrote:
Quick question... Is there a site that has all the T-stops for all of Leica's lenses? DxOMark measures transmission for their reviewed lenses but I couldn't see any Leica lens with that info
Burningheart - congrats! That is one heck of a combo; and quite a deviation from some step up rings... YOu shop like I do.
I have pulled the 35mm from my listing. Think I will keep it for now. I think the gap between 21 and 50 is too large; and I love the 35 focal length. Three lenses is perfect for me. Also reduced the price of the Nokton 50 1.5 - so if you know someone in the market...
Ceder lovely image. Assuming you used a tripod? Anyone use a monopod ever? I picked up a mogopod and keep it in the car - it's a great little handy contraption.
joakim wrote: DxOMark measures transmission for their reviewed lenses but I couldn't see any Leica lens with that info
Yeah thats the first stop I made.. Second was to contact Leica, they didn't respond.. And actually ever time I contact them, I get very funny responses for simple things. So I'm surprised they didn't get back to me with some kind of answer.. I was expecting something like "M lenses are photography lenses, we don't deal in T-stops for photography, please by C lenses if you want T-stops". But instead, email silence.
On a side note, when I asked if they could have the shutter speed show up in the optical viewfinder when in manual mode they said that it could not be done in a firmware upgrade.. BUT, it shows up when you have the camera in A mode, so I can't see how it's not possible through firmware, since the hardware is already in place (hardware being the little red LED numbers).
adamdewilde wrote:
Yeah thats the first stop I made.. Second was to contact Leica, they didn't respond.. And actually ever time I contact them, I get very funny responses for simple things. So I'm surprised they didn't get back to me with some kind of answer.. I was expecting something like "M lenses are photography lenses, we don't deal in T-stops for photography, please by C lenses if you want T-stops". But instead, email silence.
On a side note, when I asked if they could have the shutter speed show up in the optical viewfinder when in manual mode they said that it could not be done in a firmware upgrade.. BUT, it shows up when you have the camera in A mode, so I can't see how it's not possible through firmware, since the hardware is already in place (hardware being the little red LED numbers).
Oh well.. Anyone else find out, I'd love to know!...Show more →
Actually not only the shutter speed shows up, but also the iso. I also always wondered why they can't show the shutter speed in manual mode, but if I'm not mistaken, the OVF display uses the same chip as the M7 and it hasn't been changed ever since, at least this is what I've read on the Leica user forum a long while ago.
As for their email replies, I have to concur that they have more often than not been bordering on the comical, and mostly unhelpful. I don't bother to contact them anymore. I've also had emails unanswered, for important issues, like the delaminating sensor of the M9. I sent them photos asking if this is delamination and they never replied.
Regarding the T stops, I think the person to contact would be Erwin Puts. He has done a lot of research on Leica lenses. Manufacturers don't like to disclose the T stops for obvious reasons. Imagine how happy you would be to know your 10,000$ Noctilux is practically f/1.7 (just kidding of course)
One more thought about T stops. Especially for wide angles and wide aperture lenses there is sometimes up to 2 or 3 stops vignetting in the corners. The vignetting covers a large area of the frame when the lens is shot wide open. So any T stop numbers would be meaningless unless the interest is in the frame center only. This is one problematic aspect in measuring T stops. Zeiss cine lenses T stops are very close to their DSLR lens equivalents f/stops but they don't say how the T stops are measured, but I would assume they are measured in the very center.
Another problem is that digital sensors are unable to see oblique light rays that skim the surface of the micro lenses but don't make it into the light wells, thus making wide aperture lenses not as effective in terms of light gathering ability.
KatieInTexas wrote:
...
I have pulled the 35mm from my listing. Think I will keep it for now. I think the gap between 21 and 50 is too large; and I love the 35 focal length. Three lenses is perfect for me. Also reduced the price of the Nokton 50 1.5 - so if you know someone in the market...
...
I often use 21/28/50 as a three-lens system for M. As for 35mm, I still prefer 35 Lux ASPH over VC35/1.2. The Leica lens has a bit better contrast wide open and I also like the color rendering of Leica lens better.
Put the CV 35 1.2 on the M-E this morning and went out trolling for fish on a lake about 15 minutes from here.... Didn't catch anything, but am happy that I am keeping the 35mm now.
Adam, sorry, don't know T-stop values. Would like to see more from the FLE at closer distances. Background blur isn't quite like 50 Lux ASPH... seems a bit more characterful. I don't mind it...
Will comment more later, about to have dinner, but want to post something..
Nice Rocky - another lens (Cron Rigid) I'll probably end up with eventually. The rendering is really great.
Looks good Cal! At first I thought it was someplace down by the lake, but then realized it was a building in the background. If you crop into the building, it could look like water in the background...
Robert (on this page) - love this set! The rendering of the first one is great and also like the third and fourth, along with the last one.
Katie - The 35 looks really nice here. I need to use mine more and agree it's a huge gap between 21 and 50. I started with 21, 35 and 50, but found 35 and 50 a bit too close to each other, though sometimes 28 feels like a wide angle lens while 35 still has some of the separation a 50 gives.
Very nice CD and cedar!
Charlie - hope the lens works for you. I'm surprised the 21 SEM is as large... I guess so with the hood attached.
Robert - that's quite the impulse buy! Good lenses to start with, for sure. I haven't yet used an MM, but from what some others have said, it works really nicely with older, lower contrast glass.
Some more with the Zeiss Opton 50/1.5 Sonnar on the M240...
I love the many colors of early spring... unfortunately it's so fleeting
Ron - Great spring photos, especially the second set. I'll try to get more bokeh shots up, they might be a bit boring though, I don't really have anyone to go today.
Edward - I'll try to get ahold of Erwin Puts somehow. See if he knows, but yes I agree most likely the companies use the centre reading. I'd assuming that the Zeiss cine lenses would have far less vignetting then there DSLR counterparts though, as the breathing and all manner of things have been adjusted for. Also I'm still a bit annoyed with Leica over that firmware update nonsense. It would REALLY help me out in the field if they fixed this issue.
Katie - I think you did yourself a favour keeping the 35, it's a very interesting lens. Your 50LUX coming soon?
Bijltje - Really cool, I had the chance to grab an MM at a CRAZY price, but passed and have regretted it ever since. I wonder if Leica will release a M240-M, maybe then I'll get a monochrom camera? (I rarely if ever shoot B&W, but it feels like something I could get use to).
rirakuma - I remember you talking about these. I picked myself up a pair of Cordovan boots last time I was in LA. I really love them (so not practical for Singapore though), just need to find myself a dear bone polishing kit so I can maintain the leather.
leonasj - FLE seems to be treating you well
ocean2059 - S2 files need to be uploaded larger, don't hold out on us, we know how many MP that thing has! Oh and isn't Jackson that disgraced hero who totally cleaned up at this battle in the south, to find out later that the war had already ended? (And later became a US president) Sorry my USA history is a little fuzzy, growing up in Canada will do that to ya.
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