28mm 2.8 asph vs. V4 (or others?)

[rbrooks]

I find that the v3 has a very nice look to it's images.

I would choose it over a v4 35mm cron every time except that it's slower and bigger. So in practice it gets left home too much.

I also have the 28mm f1/9 Ultron which I really liked at the time. But I'm using the Leica glass more now.

 

[filmfan]

Go with the Leica Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 v3 or Voigtlander Ultron 28mm f/1.9.
The overly crisp, ultra contrasty, and digital-looking images I have seen with the ASPH 28mm Leicas are not appealing to me.
To whomever said that there is nothing wrong with the ASPH lens and that it is faultless, you are ignoring the stated preference and taste of the OP.

 

[jljohn]

I have been working through the same issue. I have a 50mm lux (E46) and want a 28mm to go with it. I had a 28mm Elmarit f/2.8 v.4 for a short time. I really liked the lens, but if I shot both on the same roll, the difference between the contrasts was excessive. They did not pair so well. So, I got a 28mm Ultron f/1.9 ASPH, and it seems to be a fairly good match. I've only got a couple of rolls through it, so it's too early to tell for sure, but so far it is promising. It also has the benefit of using 46mm filters, so one size fits both. Also, it has a similar look and feel to the lux in use, so they interchange nicely.

Now, if MTF's are any indication, the 28mm Elmarit f/2.8 v.1 has graphs that very closely mirror the lux v.2 graphs. I would love to get my hands on one and try it out, but they seem to be highly collectible. I rarely see them, even on ebay, and then they go for over $3,000.

 

[helen.HH]

I do Like the ASPH Elmarit very MUCH
its a Tiny Lens , Sweeet, beautifully Sharp
i only shoot film & use Rofdinal so to me its NOT as Hard Edge as some may speak of...🙂

 

[braver]

Lol, this is old 🙂 I'm shooting a lot more color film lately, and changed my lenses around a bit. But still hanging on to the 28 asph. Now that I usually complement it with a 35 asph, I figured I could look into development and exposure adjustments to deal with sunny days. Getting better results, and still loving the tiny size. Also bought the even tinier 'Winogrand' 28 again and basically stopped looking fo anything else.

 

[venchka]

One word: Konica.

2 words: Konica M-Hexanon.

 

[KM-25]

When I shot nothing but Kodachrome in Leica, the 28 Summicron was hard to beat if I needed a 28. But honestly, I rarely used it due to finder blockage, so it was the first to go in my big Leica sell off early this year.

So in re-building my kit for strictly black and white, I went with a mint used CV 28/3.5 and *Love* it, plenty sharp even wide open, tiny and cheap even at $400.

 

[helen.HH]

oh I know ...just another cat shot...bit what a Cooool Car

 

[Treb]

Wow! Great shot. Not because of the E-type Jag (which I really like) but there's this "glow" to your shot. It has got it all: contrast, tonal range, well focused, a sense of 3D, the motion blur of the Merc. Love it! Hand held or tripod? Either way, great shot!

 

[helen.HH]

Wow! Great shot. Not because of the E-type Jag (which I really like) but there's this "glow" to your shot. It has got it all: contrast, tonal range, well focused, a sense of 3D, the motion blur of the Merc. Love it! Hand held or tripod? Either way, great shot!

Thnak YOU Treb...it was hand held ...done quickly
and made me realize whar a GEM the ASPH is...🙂
as in ALL thge Points YOU brought Up 😎

 

[jljohn]

I have been working through the same issue. I have a 50mm lux (E46) and want a 28mm to go with it. I had a 28mm Elmarit f/2.8 v.4 for a short time. I really liked the lens, but if I shot both on the same roll, the difference between the contrasts was excessive. They did not pair so well. So, I got a 28mm Ultron f/1.9 ASPH, and it seems to be a fairly good match. I've only got a couple of rolls through it, so it's too early to tell for sure, but so far it is promising. It also has the benefit of using 46mm filters, so one size fits both. Also, it has a similar look and feel to the lux in use, so they interchange nicely.

Now, if MTF's are any indication, the 28mm Elmarit f/2.8 v.1 has graphs that very closely mirror the lux v.2 graphs. I would love to get my hands on one and try it out, but they seem to be highly collectible. I rarely see them, even on ebay, and then they go for over $3,000.

I wanted to add to my comment above, in case it would be helpful. This evening, I developed four more rolls of Tri-X where I interchanged 28mm Ultron f/1.9 and the 50mm Summilux (E46), and the tonality/contrast is nice and even across the rolls. With the Elmarit v.4, I could stand back and pick the Elmarit images from the Summilux images in a strip of negatives from three feet away. That is not the case here. The out of focus renderings pair nicely as well. So far, the Ultron seems to pair with the Summilux well. Now to print some large prints from each and see how that assessment holds up!

 

[Rogier]

I had mine on the M8 and did not like the results. Cut my losses, sold it and bought Zeiss.
I created various albums on my flickr site for the different lenses I used so far on the M8.

 

[The Meaness]

I think this is a difficult question to answer because what you have is one of the highest contrast 28s you can own. The only 'wrong' answer to your question is the ZM 28, which is similar in contrast.

Every other 28 I can think of has lower contrast (or higher micro contrast) than these two lenses. You are going to need to prioritize what you want in a lens in order to narrow it down. How much lower do you want the contrast to be? How important is resolution? Size? Speed? Price? Those questions will help you decide between the summicron, elmarit pre-asphs, m-rokkor, m-hex, ultron, and skopar.

 

[andredossantos]

Zeiss, Zeiss, Zeiss...

The 28mm Zeiss Zm Biogon is EXTREMELY contrasty. I sold mine for much the same reasons the OP mentioned.

 

[helen.HH]

RITskellar Andy:
Lovely Shots... Your ver4 pre asph is DIVINE !!

 

[Richard G]

oh I know ...just another cat shot...bit what a Cooool Car

Wow. If this is the 28 2.8 ASPH, which I recently acquired and which I am using digital almost exclusively anyway, and if it can do this, then I am happy. Love that long long bonnet. Very clever marriage of the precise focal length characteristics with the subject.

 

[ferider]

Love my v3. WRT rendering, it is the perfect match to the pre-asph 50 Summilux (both Mandler designs). Medium contrast, straight lines (the Elmarit, not the Lux), very flare resistant, sharp, nice bokeh. Perfect 🙂

Roland.