Collapsible 50mm lenses: LTM, M, or both.

[jett]

Which camera do you prefer to use your collapsible lenses on when you want to go compact? Whether it be Elmar, Summitar, Summicron, Heliar, and etc., do you prefer to stick that lens on your LTM camera, your M camera? Or both, equally?

I started a thread asking for advice and I got varying opinions. Ofcourse this poll will not decide the outcome of my choice, as I decided to try a barnack out myself.

I re-listed this because my previous poll didn't have the third option.

 

[siracusa]

It's never made a difference to me: I've used collapsibles equally on both M and LTM. I do like the collapsible summicron on my M2: the camera feels nicely balanced and compact. I prefer collapsibles for this reason, even though in real terms the size difference isn't actually that huge (unless you're comparing a 3.5 Elmar collapsible to a Nokton or other large rigid lens).

 

[Spavinaw]

I only have LTM bodies, so my choice is obvious. My "etc." lenses are Serenar f/3.5 and f/1.9.

 

[mfogiel]

The main point od using Leicas, is to see the subject through a VF. With LTM bodies, it is quite difficult for someone wearing glasses, this is why I have never bought anything of this kind.

 

[Bingley]

A Leica III* and an Elmar 50/3.5 is a great combination. For other collapsibles (in my case, a Summitar), it doesn't matter.

 

[thegman]

I just sold my M3 + Summarit and bought a IIIf with collapsible Elmar. The M3 seems enormous by comparison. The IIIf with lens attached will actually go in a jeans pocket, the M3 of course is nowhere near that small with lens attached.

The IIIf is something of a trial to load, and not so obvious in use as an M, but I hope to get used to it and have an even smaller Leica than I did.

 

[Monochrom]

Hi, the most compact camera would be a iii f with a collapsible elmar f3.5 and/or 50mm f2.5 hektor....the lenses with rotating mount are the smaller ones....

tha beng said on the opposite those with NON-rotating mount are small but since the non-rot mount needs more room they are left in second place after the venerable elmar (smmitar, crons, apoqualia, summar)

My experience is that with taht combo III-f w/ elmar f3.5 you can put the camera in your back jeans pocket...even with the vc meter attached....

For years i wondered about leaving everything and return to that gear...

Now i have the apoqualia 50mm f3.5 wich is very small and of course is a modern glass wich produces astonishing colour and sharp images....

 

[palmerfralick]

Ltm

Ltm

With my RD-1x I actually have more LTM lenses than not. You manually set the frame lines so you only need one adapter.

 

[palmerfralick]

With my RD-1x I actually have more LTM lenses than not. You manually set the frame lines so you only need one adapter. My favorite is my collapsible Summar. Very compact traveler.

 

[Vics]

I only have the M3 and when I'm shooting 50, I go collapsible 'cron.

 

[Pioneer]

I love collapsible lenses and use them about equally on M and LTM cameras. My favorite combo is the Leica II with an Elmar 50/3.5. No front dial to get in the way, it just slide easily into a shirt pocket.

But, I also use the Perar 35 (which is a collapsible triplet) on my M6 and M7 and I can get it in and out of my pants pocket if my jeans aren't too tight.

But my absolute favorite packable combo is the ZI with the Perar 28/4.

 

[Cyriljay]

I had a Elmar 5omm on M6 and sold it and got my 50mm Summicron.

 

[philipaloft]

Thegman's comment on loading difficulty of his lllf reminds me of a comment from a 96 yr.old friend who spent his life photographing. He told me that back in the day, he and the other photogs killing time on location used to have running races loading their Leica rangefinders.
He was always amused to see me holding mine on B with the lens off and lifting the film into place with a damp fingertip.
Philip