Buying an M9 - need lens combination suggestion

[Tom Niblick]

Thanks for the comments...

Just to clarify; my Nikon gear is all oriented towards wedding photography (which I gave up 2-years ago and is now collecting dust) and my Mamiya/Phase One digital combination is oriented towards landscape. I want to which to the M9 for several reasons, but principally because I travel extensively (international) for work and I want something better than my D-Lux4 and lighter-weight than a D3. Also, I am beyond tire of the "DSLR arms race". I simply want to buy something that will be appropriate for years.

Some how, I think I am preaching to the choir here, because it seems that a good portion of the people on this forum share my opinion.

Finally, I guess I was drinking the Leica "Cool-Aid" by thinking that I needed Leica lenses over Zeiss.

Thanks for the comments.

J.D.

Having owned both Zeiss and CV lenses, all of my lenses are Leica now. I'm neither rich nor a Leica snob - I just like the look of the photos that my classic 35/50/90/135 Summicron/Elmarits give. I put my set together by carefully selecting used lenses. All together, these 4 lenses cost less than the price of a new 35 Summicron. But I bought them before Leicas became fashionable and the price of used lenses was reasonable.

Today, I'd still make my core lenses a 90s vintage 35 Summicron paired with a 90 Tele Elmarit and fill in with either 25 or 50 Zeiss glass.

That's my 2 cents worth.

Tom

 

[Merumeni]

In the last year I spend quite a lot of money on lenses and cameras. Coming from the Nikon world I thought m4/3 might be a nice compromise. It was not. Instead it opened the gates to a M9 and some CV glass (15 / 75). Next step was a C-Sonar 50 f1.5, followed by a Biogon 35 f2. Nice lenses without any doubt. But next was a Summicron 50 (to avoid the C-Sonnar problems) and a 90 Tele-Elmarit M. Again: nice lenses. After that I thought a CV 25 might be nice - just to see wether I might like the focal length on a Leica. Liked it. But didn't like the f4 limitation and the lack of focus. So lately I got the famous Zeiss 25 f2.8: and - I like it.

In between I somehow got an M4-P, CV 35 f1.4, a Summitar 50 and last but not least an Leitz 135 f4.

Conclusion: I am overloaded with lenses.
And - shooting is the only way to bring together what belongs together:
I like the simple Elmarit 50 2.8 on my M4-P. When I get into trouble I switch to the CV 35 1.4. On a cloudy day or shooting people I like a slow film and the dreamy Summitar wide open. (I am lately using this lens on my M9 as well).

Conclusion:
1) OVER ALL: FIND YOUR STANDARD focal length
Can be everything between 24 and 90
though I would expect it to be between 35 and 50.
2) Understand your subject:
I like the 25 on my M9 (detail)
but prefer a 50 on my M4-P (grain / mood).
So this is a great combo (25 / 50).

3) All the rest will allways be:
35/75 or
50/90
plus some "exotic" focal lengthes at both ends:
be it 15, 25 or 135.

Yet: shooting is what it is all about...

 

[Richard G]

I too have gravitated heavily to use of a 50 on my M9. Having loved the C Sonnar that is the lens most often attached. I see no shortcomings of this lens, other than that a more compact lens is sometimes convenient, so I have started using my Summicron again, which I had almost retired. But the wide apertures of the C Sonnar are more available with the M9 comsidering the option to choose ISO 160 (or 80 which I see no point in using) and having speeds up to 1/4000s available. I do like the idea of the modern 50 Summarit which is tiny.

For balance the C Sonnar is perfect, like on the M5. My Canadian Summicron was perfect on my Canadian M4-2 and I like carrying it on my smaller M bodies that I still have.

As Roger points out, it is strange that a lens preference should be dictated by a camera body, but that seems to be the case for a number of us.