M 8 and older Leica lenses ?

[dee]

... just musing on the debate about using lenses designed for digital capture .

I am deelighted with the atmosphere created by my Summitar and Elmar , not to mention my twin I 10 Fed collapsibles , which seem very similar to the Elmar , but less precious to lose or drop - weather lenses ?
The colours and picture quality seem '' as good as '' my slides , given that they are very different technologies - I do not see any deterioration due to the digitalisation , and will be buying a 35mm and 90mm screw lenses of similar vintage from Carl in this forum .
i have little or no inclination to buy modern lenses , because the Elmar '' feel '' was / is, what my 50s ASD mind perceives as '' right '' or familiar or what I '' remember '' .
Indeed , at it's launch , i regressed from a modern Olympus back to a Minolta SRT because I found the Olympus lenses to lack the '' feel '' of the Rokkors .
[ Just do not ask me to describe what I mean , but too much contrast , a grittiness instead of , not softness , but a luminosity ... ]
To me the older Leica lenses with a '' 50s '' digital camera is the perfect combination
Am I really '' wasting '' the potential of the M 8 ?
And why is there such controversy over using non-digitally optimised lenses on a digital camera ?
curiosidee

 

[infocusf8@earthlink.]

What Controversy?

What Controversy?

😕 I'm really not following what you mean by a controversy re using older lenses on an M8 or any other Leica camera for that matter. Unless you live in a country with a repressive government where there is some law against it you have the freedom to use what you please on your Leica. Experimentation has always been a part of photography so why not?

 

[monochromejrnl]

agree with the above.. think less, shoot more...

 

[johnastovall]

I like the way the older lenses draw and am building my M8 around older lenses.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Get a Thambar. Pure magic on an M8.

More affordably, a 135/2.8

Not so keen on the original 90/2 Summicron, though.

Cheers,

R.

 

[tbarker13]

Shoot photos with what you enjoy using and ignore the lens arms race that rages on about us.
I sold all of my aspherical lenses to focus on those with the characteristics of the
lenses designed in the 1970s. The new aspherical stuff is perfect - just a bit too perfect for my tastes.

 

[J. Borger]

I have a mix of older and modern asph lenses.
I can't part with my asph lenses like Tim....... yet ...... BUT i use them very seldom.
My early 50mm rigid summicron (1957) is my favourite lens with the M8 ..... i use it far more often than the 50 lux asph, which is dead perfect in every aspect .... but it all comes down to the LOOK you are after.

 

[Eric T]

I can't justify the expense of the new asph lenses given that I am happy with my old screw mount (but coated) Leica lenses and my new CV lenses. But it may be that I just don't know what I am missing. Nevertheless, I am happy with my M8 and my current set of lenses.
Eric

 

[dee]

So I am not alone in prefering older style lenses !
Great , but some have implied that only modern lenses will stretch the potential of the camera ... well ... who cares ?

dee

 

[Roger Hicks]

...some have implied that only modern lenses will stretch the potential of the camera ... dee

Dear Dee,

Which is clearly pure twaddle.

Only one thing stretches the potential of any camera.

The user.

Cheers,

R.

 

[dee]

Of course - thanks Roger - it's so easy , with all the statements about this and that , to lose sight [ pun ? ] of what it's really all about ... I was looking at some 60s slides from an old Adox Golf 1a - no rangefinder or meter - and they still look great to me .
[ recently bought one on e-bay , to try and replicate that era ! ]

With the Asdee thing kinda clouding it all , and having stumbled into this august establishment , it gets a bit wierd sometimes !

... I shall now but the old screw thread 35mm and 90 mm, simply 'cos it will extend MY capabilities with my M 8 , at modest cost !

dee