Choosing between several lenses for my M6

[nitevision]

Hi everyone,
Been lurking here for some time now and only recently registered. It's a very nice place here!

I will be getting a Leica M6 soon and am currently looking into getting my first lens for it. Having shot with a Ricoh GR, I'm looking primarily at 50mm lenses (something different, nice "normal" FOV) but would be willing to look at a 40 or even 35 or 28 (matches my GR's focal length)

My candidates so far:

1. Used Summicron 50mm Ver. 3 - As communicated by the seller, this one has a loose aperture ring and is around 80-89% of its original condition.
2. New Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.5 - Slightly more expensive than the used 'cron. I've read this thread but I am not sure if the discussion still applies to the Ver. 3 Summicron: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=146005
3. Nokton 40mm f/1.4 - I like the fact that it gives me some safety margin at the borders with the 50mm framelines, so I don't end up chopping off something important in the shot. The bokeh is acceptable IMO.
4. Ultron 35mm f/1.7 LTM - Don't know much about this lens but people seem to like it.
5. Colour Skopar 35mm - Budget-friendly.
6. Nokton 35mm f/1.4 - Looks good, but since I am considering 50mm... I'll take a look at the 35mm options later.
7. MS-Optical Perar 28mm - Very interesting, nice and compact.

Well basically it looks like the main issue is with entry 1 vs entry 2, i.e used Summicron vs brand new VM. Between different focal lengths I guess I'll just have to pick the one I like the best. Oh and by the way, should I be looking into used Zeiss optics?


What do you all think? Looking forward to learning from everyone here.

 

[TennesseJones]

Either 1 or 2 will be brilliant, but render a little differently. You'll not stress the difference once you start using them.
How loose is the loose aperture ring? Enough to irritate or move regularly once set?

 

[Ko.Fe.]

It is HUGE and complicated 🙂
At least do not link M6 to your GR usage, it will make it easier.
No shortcuts with personal choice, even with most of the lenses you have in the list already reviewed several times here and on the Internet.
Try every lens you are interested in, to see how it renders on scans and prints.
Where are people who likes every lens you have mentioned, but it is personal.
At least with my not so big experience with RF lenses. Not just how lens is rendering, but how it feels on Leica. Some lenses are great in pictures, but

 

[filmtwit]

Depending on your shooting style, stick to 35mm or 50mm. While the M6's frame lines are not perfect, they are actually very good.
From the sound of it though you're prefence would be toward the 50mm?
If so, then stick with the Cron, it's a very good sharp lens.

If you need quicker, then look at either the 50mm Canon or Nikon 1.4's in ltm (use the converter to mount on the M6). Both are very good bang for your buck lenses.

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

You can't go wrong with a Leica body and lens together. And if the ring is loose, someone's bound to tell you how to sort it out...

Regards, David

 

[anu L ogy]

Did you look into a dual range summicron? That was the best / most fun lens I've owned. It would still be stuck to the front of my m6 had it not been stolen.

 

[Pioneer]

I have both #1 and #2. I can use either without worrying about the other, they are both that good.

If you like the 35, try either the MS Optical 35 Perar Super Triplet or the Color Skopar 35. Both are very good lenses. Obviously the Super Triplet is a little more expensive, and subject to flare occasionally, but it is so compact that I forgive these little sins and use it anyway.

But, as others have said, play around a bit and see which ones work best for you. As for using Leica lenses on Leica cameras? Sure, why not? But believe me when I tell you, there are some truly wonderful options that do not have Leica or Leitz in the name.

 

[Kwesi]

Best way to cure GAS is to start at the top 🙂!!
Go for the 50 cron, theres a reason why the design hasn't really changed in over 30 years!

 

[nitevision]

Hi all, thanks for the quick and helpful replies!

Either 1 or 2 will be brilliant, but render a little differently. You'll not stress the difference once you start using them.
How loose is the loose aperture ring? Enough to irritate or move regularly once set?

TBH I have no idea- this is off the listing of an online shop.
Have not looked into the DR Summicrons yet.
Also, I've just discovered the Konica M-Hexanon f/2. All I can say is wow- can't believe I let it slip by while I was doing my research.

 

[Kwesi]

If you are in the States and are buying used leica online, I would very strongly recommend KEH. they are very conservative with their ratings, reasonably priced and have a very generous return policy.
I have used them often and have never been disappointed.

 

[rlouzan]

Konica M-Hexanon 50mm f2 lens gives you more bang for your buck😉.

 

[philipus]

No 1 is a great lens (and prices are on the up since about a year, at least in Europe).

 

[Ronald M]

Don`t buy broken stuff.

I really do not think much of CV quality. Save some longer

 

[Bill Clark]

Welcome!

50 Summicron is a wonderful lens to start and to finish with! It is the lens others try to measure up!

 

[GaryLH]

The 50 cron sounds like a well used lens.. The 50f2 Konica is an underrated lens. The vc 40f1.4 is another good contender along w/ version 2 of the 40f2 Leica/Minolta lens they made for the Minolta CLE. The 50f1.5 is the heaviest of the bunch. In the past, I have had all of these lenses. I like the two 40s the best.

Gary

 

[Dez]

Both the Summicron and Nokton are excellent 50's. If they are both in decent shape and cost the same, the Summicron is probably a better deal.

The close focus attachment of the DR will fit properly on an M6, but not an M6TTL.


Cheers,
Dez

 

[David Hughes]

Don`t buy broken stuff.

I really do not think much of CV quality. Save some longer

Hi,

Leica stuff, especially lenses, can be sorted out quickly and easily and cheaply by a lot of specialist repairers. I'm not counting Summars in that or very badly damaged ones but well used is a different matter.

Had a CV in 35mm and didn't like it.

Regards, David

 

[grandallj]

You should be looking at used Zeiss. The ZM Planar is excellent and you can probably find a used one for ~$600. It's great on Tri-X, it's great on Portra, it's great on a Fuji X-Pro 1.

 

[nitevision]

Hi everyone,
Small update: I've gone through mountains of sample images and have settled on a used ZM 50mm Planar.

 

[sleepyhead]

Hi everyone,
Small update: I've gone through mountains of sample images and have settled on a used ZM 50mm Planar.

I have not tried that lens, but it is very well-regarded. For pure image quality, I'm sure it's a good choice. Enjoy.

I have owned other Zeiss ZM lenses in the past, but have sold them because I did not like the aperture ring in 1/3-stop increments compared to the 1/2 stop on the Leica lenses (majority of my lenses). I just couldn't get used to the those 1/3 stops and it did my head in. Also the Leica M9 which I now use has shutter speeds in 1/2 stop increments, so the Zeiss system would also clash with that if I wanted to adjust the aperture and shutter speed a little between two shots but keep the overall exposure the same.

Now this is really silly: I also don't like the silver "nose" on many Zeiss and CV lenses. The Leica lenses are a nicer design IMO.