Favourite rendering M mount lens

[mpaniagua]

For me, the would be two of them:

a) Summilux 50 1.4 pre ASPH: Give some creamy mood that I like, especially on fine grain films.

b) Summicron 35 V1: Really like its rendering. Sharp and nice.

Regards

Marcelo

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Dual Range Summicron and the 21mm f/3.4 Super Angulon.

Phil Forrest

 

[Ccoppola82]

Toss up between my collapsible and rigid 50 crons. I go back and forth with these two and love them both.

My 35mm of choice is my Summaron 2.8

All used for BW film

 

[a.noctilux]

By the time the image is optically printed, mounted and framed, I struggle to see much of a difference between them. Older lenses: swirly, distracting bokeh and less contrast (fixed in the darkroom). Newer lenses: more contrast, less distracting bokeh.

Maybe I've been spoiled with medium format lenses?

If we can assume that 24x65 Xpan medium format, I agree 100%.
Those little Xpan lenses (made by Fujifilm !) are the most pleasing modern-but-not-sterile rendering on film (even when used at 1600 or 3200 ISO).

I just regret they can not be used with M Leica 😛 .

But there are plenty of M/LTM lenses available to discover for a while :angel:.

 

[splash_fr]

I really like the prints from my 50mm c-Sonnar and my 35mm c-Biogon.

 

[Krosya]

I have used many lenses that have special signature. Some stayed with me and some are long sold.
What I keep coming back to are:

CV 50mm/1.5 ltm, CV 35/1.2, M-Hexanon 50/1.2, Nikkor ltm 5cm/1.4, Nikkor ltm 85/2 (black), Leica Summitar coll. ltm 50/2.
But I have to give a special note to UC-Hexanon 35/2, M-Hexanon 35/2, Canon LTM 50/1.2, ZM 25/2.8, - All I no longer have.
Just got another lens that I think will stay - CV 21/1.8 - love how it draws!

 

[helen.HH]

21 Super Angulon... Classic & tres Atmospheric ... ALL time favorite Leica M lens

 

[Mark Schretlen]

Although I tend to using more modern lenses, I keep returning to few lenses where I consider the rendering to be unique and special:

Canon RF 50/1.5 - LTM (Sonnar)
Leica Summar 50/2.0 - LTM (collapsible)
Canon RF 28/2.8 - LTM
Rollei 40/2.8 Sonnar LTM
Summicron 35/2 - M (IV)
Zeiss Jena Sonnar 50/2.0 - LTM (collapsible)

I am also wlling to admit I am biased towards Sonnar rendering. While I have not included any Tessar lenses in this list, I have found large variations with differing vintages (and manufacturer) with some early Tessars producing distinct and interesting character. To me, this is surprsing considering the rather simple and universal optical design of the Tessar.

 

[jbhthescots]

21 Super Angulon... Classic & tres Atmospheric ... ALL time favorite Leica M lens

Have to agree wholeheartedly with Helen - 21 Super Angulon is just a classic performer.

 

[dof]

My favorites are a little contradictory - some classic and some highly corrected optics top the list. In no particular order:

Leica Summulix-M 50mm f1.4 pre-aspheric e46 - It's nearly as dreamy as the f1.0 Noctilux wide open, but it's compact (!) and features a close focus distance of 0.7m (!).

Leica Apo-Summicron-M 50mm f2.0 asph - This lens never disappoints. It's simply classy.

Zeiss C-Sonnar 50mm f1.5 - Wish I hadn't sold it. The rendering is so unique and beautiful. Its inherent focus shift drove me crazy on the M though.

Minolta Rokkor 40mm f2.0 - A small, light and wonderful lens. Every time I come back to it, I appreciate it all over again.

Leica Apo-Summicron-M 75mm f2.0 asph - I'm continually surprised by how good this lens is.​

 

[ZivcoPhoto]

28mm Summicron v1
Makes things look freshly painted

 

[analoged]

Late German, 35 Pre Asph 'Lux...

 

[Kent]

In this ranking:

1. Leica Summicron-M 2/90
2. Leica Summicron-M 2/50
3. 7artisans 1.1/50
4. Voigtländer 2.5/75
5. Voigtländer 2.0/28
6. Leitz Summitar 2/5cm

Others are OK but particularly good.

 

[pippy]

Just to make it absolutely clear are we discussing our "Favourite Rendering Lens" in this thread and not just simply our favourite lens? If the quality of some aspect of 'unique rendering' is at the heart of the question then;

7artisans 50 mm 1,1 of course.

It just has to be.
Nothing else like it whatsoever.

Utterly unique at f1.1 (and, to a lesser extent, f1.4) yet 90% Mandler-esque from f2 down.
Astonishing lens.

I REALLY love my Mandlers and my absolute all-time favourite lens (50 Summicron v4) will go with me to the grave but the 7a is utterly bewitching in a way that other Leitz lenses (IMX) simply aren't.
I don't have a Thambar (original or current) so cannot comment with authority in that dept but having studied many photographs and having read many informed posts, comments and suchlike I think there is a sort of cameraderie between the Thambar and the 7a lenses' - if not, uniformly, between the lenses' respective owners...

Pip

 

[Roninman]

Dual Range Summicron

 

[winzenbourg]

I'll add one I haven't seen here yet, the 35mm Konica UC-Hexanon. It has a longish MFD and a little bit of barrel distortion, but the images are lovely! For a fraction of the price, I'm also very happy with the images from my 40mm M-Rokkor, though in side-by-side comparisons I have a slight preference for the UC-Hexanon every time.

 

[agoglanian]

Of the ones I've had thus-far I think the 50mm Elmar-M takes the cake. I deeply regretted selling mine last year and had to buy another. It is just a truly wonderful 50mm.

I also second Lucas's vote for the UC-Hexanon 35mm f/2 (though it is an LTM lens technically). It's another lens I regretfully sold off, but I became attached to it because of the Hexar AF. I got to know its signature very well thanks to that camera and I thought it too was a marvelous optic. For me personally something was lost in translation with the LTM version which is why I let it go, but I do very much enjoy the rendering.

I could easily wax poetic about just any lens I've had a chance to try out, but I'm far more interested in hearing about what you all prefer.

 

[scautez]

I was interested to hear about the differences between the 35mm f2 Hexanon UC version as opposed to the LTM version. Is the LTM version distinctly different?

 

[agoglanian]

I was interested to hear about the differences between the 35mm f2 Hexanon UC version as opposed to the LTM version. Is the LTM version distinctly different?

Both are actually LTM lenses, both are identical in lens formulas, both are excellent. The UC has a different coating, the chrome version is essentially lifted from the Hexar AF.

 

[Archlich]

I was interested to hear about the differences between the 35mm f2 Hexanon UC version as opposed to the LTM version. Is the LTM version distinctly different?

L-Hexanon 35/2 LTM
UC-Hexanon 35/2 LTM

These two are identical in formula - the lens of the original Hexar. Double gauss (modified Xenotar) design. The later has improved coating.

M-Hexanon 35/2

In M-mount, new design. It's a big, near symmetrical, retrofocus lens, although actually not any heavier than the 35/2 Summicron ASPH. Take it as the 35mm version of the 28 Elmarit-M pre ASPH - well corrected, neutral and extremely flat. It's unique as no other 35mm lens of the similar design exist.