35mm vs. 50mm Summilux ASPH - need to sell one: Which?

[SebastianN]

What a sad way to start my career here at Rangefinderforum.com

About a year back I bought a Leica M8 and two lenses: The 35mm and 50mm Summilux ASPH. Later I added a Leica M4, which I found locally, for a good price.

Anyway, to help finance a new car, I will have to sell of one of the lenses. The M8 and M4 stays, but one or the other of the ASPH lenses must go.

I tried to go through EXIF data for the last year, and I have used them both about the same. They are both perfectly aligned, and there is no focus shift on either of my cameras. Both are pretty much like new, and 6 bit coded. So... Which one to keep?

Whichever I decide to sell will have to be replaced by a cheaper lens, I'm thinking a 35mm or 50mm from Voigtlander/Zeiss.

I know it's hard for you to make up my mind for me, but right now I'm just heartbroken that I have to sell off one of them. Any input on what you would do, would be deeply appreciated.

 

[sepiareverb]

Which one 'feels' better in the hand?

 

[HuubL]

I would buy a cheaper car, but that probably won't help you.
Than sell the 50. 35 on the M8 makes it a good standard lens and for the M4 it's still the perfect companion.

 

[Rafael]

I would sell the 35/1.4. The 50/1.4 ASPH seems to be in a class of its own. The Zeiss 50/2 Planar is a terrific performer but you lose a stop to the 50/1.4 ASPH. On the 35mm front, however, the Nokton 35/1.2 is, in my opinion anyway, a spectacular performer and would better replace your 35/1.4 ASPH than would any of the Zeiss or Voigtlander 50mm options your 50/1.4 ASPH.

 

[Livesteamer]

You realize your new car will depreciate quickly. Your ASPH lenses will slowly gain value. That said I would keep the 50mm Summilux ASPH. It's a landmark lens and you might enjoy having a 35mm that was smaller than the ASPH 35. Good Luck, Joe

 

[aizan]

cripes. i would sell the m8.

 

[Tim Gray]

You should sell the 50 and pick up a cron. Is the 50 black? I'm looking for one. And I want to get rid of the cron at the same time to help pay for the 50 🙂

I like both the 35 and 50 views, but I lean more towards the 35. Keep the 35, since its classic on film, and close to a 50 on digital. The 50 on 1.3 crop would seem to be a strange focal length to me...

 

[Bill Blackwell]

cripes. i would sell the m8.

I would have to agree; if I were faced with such a dilemma that's what I would do. I can assure you that regret will kick in if you sell either lens - especially if you go to replace it at some point in the future.

 

[Hephaestus]

I believe that the 35mm Summilux is a better all-purpose lens, particularly considering that it makes for a nearly 50mm/ "normal" field of view on your M8 and remains semi-wide on your M4.

However, the 35mm Lux seems to show up much more often on the used market than the 50mm Lux, so the 35mm might be easier to replace when you have less financial pressure.

Ryan

 

[dcsang]

You realize your new car will depreciate quickly. Your ASPH lenses will slowly gain value. That said I would keep the 50mm Summilux ASPH. It's a landmark lens and you might enjoy having a 35mm that was smaller than the ASPH 35. Good Luck, Joe

While that may be true (the ASPH lenses gaining value versus the fast depreciation of an automobile), one cannot hop in either the 35mm or 50mm and take a jaunt around the countryside 😀

If you sell the 35mm ASPH I'll be eying it in the classifieds 😀

Cheers,
Dave

 

[shadowfox]

Unless you're very attached to the M8, I'll have to agree with the two posters above, M8 will give you more money, unless you don't need a lot to begin with (in which case, I won't sell any of them).

And later on you can always buy another M8, most likely with less cost.

 

[Livesteamer]

Selling the M8 is something to think about. In five years which will be worth more, your M8 or the ASPH lenses. I would bet on the lenses. Also, how much shooting are you doing. If it's just a little then film is relatively cheap. If you shoot a lot then the M8 may be worth keeping. Joe

 

[kipkeston]

m8, without a doubt.

but to answer the question, imagine asking hcb which lens he would rather have? or alex webb? If you know your style the answer is easy.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Why don't you sell the house? I mean, if we're going with advice that has nothing to do with your choices...

The market will keep on tumbling. I'd also sell before the prospect of McCain becoming president. For sure the financial markets will keep on going on unregulated, with band-aid fixes for problems that require biopsies.

But if you remain focused between the choices you've put forth to yourself, the 35mm or the 50mm, I'd say sell the 50mm ASPH. Then get a pre-asph, have a focusing tab installed, and you still will have a bunch of cash left.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

I'd sell the camera. That way you'll have an M4 with two of the best lenses ever made, and you can always use film.

Now, if you absolutely must sell glass... I'd sell the 50mm. Like Hephaestus said above, the FOV of a 35 is roughly that of a 50 in the M8, which gives you a nice wide-angle for the M4 and a standard for the M8. If you keep the 50, you'll get a standard on the M4, and a small telephoto on the M8.

Again, I'd sell the M8 before the price drops even further.

Good luck! 🙂

 

[BigSteveG]

Have you considered public transportation? What about a bicycle?

 

[peter_n]

Not your original choice to sell but I would agree with many of the posters above: sell the M8. Leica is about glass and you have two excellent copies of modern lenses - so keep them. Use your M4 and if you have to have a dRF buy an Epson RD-1 for the short term. BTW, the black version of the Leica M8.2 is black paint... 🙂

 

[shadowfox]

Why don't you sell the house? I mean, if we're going with advice that has nothing to do with your choices...

Gabriel, if I asked a panel of doctors, which of my arms should I amputate, I'd be willing to hear some of them who suggested giving up lifting-weights/gymnastics/any-other-arm-twisting-sports first, wouldn't you?

🙂

 

[funkaoshi]

You should be selling your M8. You'll get more money for it now. It's the only item you've listed that is likely to lose a fair bit of value over time. You could probably sell it, buy at RD1, and still have the money you need to buy your car.

 

[KM-25]

I own the 28 2.0, 35 1.4 and 50 1.4 aspherics. I would sell one of my camera bodies starting with the M8 long before I ever sold one of the lenses.