28 mm lenses

[Jose]

I´m looking for a 28 mm for my M3, since elmarits o summicrons are too expensive for me, my decision is between:
- CV 28/3,5 (I like this for its small size)
- CV 28/1,9 (photos with "old" look wide open I´ve heard)
- M Hexanon 28/2,8 (I´ve found one new for 700 eur and I think it has good quality, I alredy have an hexanon 90)
- M Zeiss 28/2,8

Any suggestion?
Thanks

 

[peter_n]

Welcome to the forum, Jose! 🙂 We now have a few members in Madrid I think. I was there last year and loved it, you are so lucky to live in such an amazing city!

My only experience is with the Hexanon-M 28/2.8 but I have seen many good pictures from the CV 28/1.9. If you need the speed that is really your only choice. I've not seen any pictures from the CV f3.5 but I have seen some from the Zeiss and that's a really good lens too.

The Hexanon is very well built (like them all) with a very heavily damped focus ring. It takes a 46mm filter. The lens is optically excellent and if you are OK with f2.8 I think you should seriously consider it. Below is a picture from mine at f2.8. Kind of a weird snap but I like it. 🙂

 

[hoot]

Since you're gonna need an external finder for use on the M3, anyway, you might want to consider something even wider, such as a 25mm, 24mm or 21mm (especially if you already own a 35mm lens). Another RFF member graciously sold me his PasOptik 21mm f/2.8, which is fully RF coupled. I'm very pleased with it. You can read about this lens here.

 

[back alley]

nice shot peter!

 

[peter_n]

Thanks Joe!

 

[Biggles]

nice shot peter!

Yeah. It totally is.

As for the question at hand, for some reason, whenver I hear "28mm lens" in the context of rangefinders, I think of screw-mount Canons. That would be my uninformed first instinct if I needed one.

 

[dreamsandart]

Since all the 28s you've mentioned are very good optically I think its a matter of speed needed, size and of course budget.

At some point I'd like to pick up a Voigtlander 3.5 myself, one of their better built lens mounts, and makes the M an pocketable camera ( big pockets ). If you need the speed the Voigtlander 1.9 is it. Don't forget the 28 Elmarit, its still a Leitz lens, very good optics and built quality, and the 3rd version can sometimes be found at a bargain price.

 

[Ken F.]

Hi Jose,

I've just run my first roll through my Zeiss 28 f2:8, and I'm very impressd with the results! I'd post some photo's but at the moment I do not have a film scanner, awaiting reports on the new Epson.
The size and weight of the lens is perfect. I found the Ultron to be rather large for my liking, thought the CV 28 f3:5 would have been my second choice. I find the 28 to be my favourite focal length on the MP.

Regards,
kf

 

[richard_l]

- CV 28/1,9 (photos with "old" look wide open I´ve heard)

I wonder why anyone would say that. 😕 It's just a very sharp, contrasty lens at all apertures.

 

[Doug]

Interesting and cool shot, Peter! I have some Skopar 28mm f/3.5 shots in my gallery, though perhaps not accessible right now. I'll include a couple below.... This is a very nicely made lens, very small, and optically excellent. Economical too, since site sponsor CameraQuest has it for $285 new.

 

[Peter S]

Jose,

I was where you are now some time ago and chose between the Color Skopar and the Hexanon (Leitz a bit too expensive and the Ultron was not yet there I think neither was Zeiss). Anyway I posted an ad and actually found a dealer who was willing to get rid of a new but dust collecting Hexanon for EUR 375. I really like the lense; it is very well built and optics are very good (now I just need to start taking better pictures with it).

It depends a bit on your budget/taste. All in all I think the Color Skopar would be a good choice. I do not own one, but the pictures taken with it I have seen online look good and it is affordable and not a huge monster.

Good luck

 

[Huck Finn]

I went through the same decision making process as you. At the 28 mm focal length, I felt like Goldilocks - too big, too slow, too expensive . . . It was hard to get to "just right."

I settled on the CV 28/3.5 Skopar. I decided that I don't need the speed because I don't use a 28 much indoors where I pretty much stick to 35 & 50, and I don't see much difference between f/2.8 & f/3.5 for the vast majority of outdoor situations. I really prefer a small lens on a rangefinder camera. Since a 28 is not my primary lens, I couldn't see spending big bucks on a lens that I wasn't going to use that often. As a second or third lens in a given situation, the small size makes it really nice since it's likely to be in my pocket rather than on the camera when I start out.

If any of the factors in my decision were different, I very easily could have gone for one of the other lenses. The optics of the Skopar are very good & the build quality is great - one of the best built of the CV lenses.

Good luck deciding.

Huck

 

[Ben Z]

I too found myself in the 28 dilemma. The least-expensive Leica lens I found was a type-III (79-93) Elmarit for $700 which fortunately I got from a reputable dealer not off ebay because it had scuff/cleaning marks on the front element (guess the previous owner believed that Leica coatings are super-tough or that lens hoods are all the protection a lens ever needs). Everything else was at least $200 more. I snagged a 28/1.9 Ultron off KEH in "Bargain" (someone who believed taking a black marker to the engravings would make the lens and probably himself too, invisible, otherwise the lens is mint) for $265. I already had a 28-90 LTM adaptor. For the little I use a 28 (the framelines are a PITA to me and so are clip-on finders) I'm glad I didn't spend any more. Erwin says it's not as good wide open as the 28 Summicron-ASPH but from f/2.8 on down it's just as good. High praise from someone who doesn't like to like anything but Leica. I've never even held a 28 Summicron but I'm very happy with the way the lens behaves.

 

[Jose]

Thanks for all, I´m impressed for so many answers, I´ll keep on thinking about it

Anyway, Peter_n photo has put Hexanon on first place (congratulations Peter, a wonderful shot), I´m impressed too by quality and color rendition of Skopar at Doug pics.... maybe I´d like an Hexanon on a Skopar´s body ;-) (It fits wonderfully to my old M3)

Thank you again, I´ll tell you aboyt my choice

 

[Ronald M]

28 is too close to 35. The 25 Color Skopar is right up there with the last generation of Leica glass.

I use mine in place of 21 and 28 Leica lenses because it is so eary to carry and the price is right.

The 21/28 have not been used in years.

You will need to learn to guess focus which is not hard with 25mm. The price is right too.

 

[Beniliam]

Bienvenido Jose!

I will choice the Color Skopar or the Hexanon. I dont like heavy and big lens. The Zeiss and the 1.9 CV are more expensive. I think that the best compromise between quality/prized/sized are the Hexanon and the Color Skopar.
I have the 21 mm CV Color Skopar, and its a good lens, but I dont use much. I dont know what I will do in the future with this lens...

 

[Jose]

Hi David (Beniliam), when you decide to shell that CV 21 maybe you should speak with me... who knows... by the way we have a common friend, Diego (Lear)... he´s who sold me my M3

Regards

 

[Beniliam]

Ok Jose. Lo tendré en cuenta.

 

[vincentbenoit]

28 is too close to 35.

I respectfully disagree with this statement. 28mm and 35mm are classic focal lengths which are by no means interchangeable. When used skillfully each lens can provide its own sense of perspective, especially when focused at close range.

Vincent

 

[vincentbenoit]

Hola Jose,

Like Huck and Doug, I have the CV 28/3.5. I chose it over all of the other 28mm lenses you mention because I value portability and unobtrusiveness. Build quality and optical performance are more than adequate for me. There's a hint of vignetting wide-open but not to the extent of being objectionable.

For what it's worth...

Vincent