Fellow friends: which tele lens for my M8 do you recommend?

jaapv said:
2.8/90-Elmarit-M. Near-apo quality, small, light and not too expensive.(less than 1000$) one of the best short teles ever built, somewhat underrated.
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Wow, that is amazing, a DEFINETLY something to consider real well! I am intrigued, and if you have a shot you can post, I will deeply appreciate it and be very grateful 🙂

Peter 🙂
 
tbarker13 said:
I've been through a big chunk of lenses in this range. The 75 lux would be my top choice - if money were no object.
Second would be the new CV 75/1.8. It's a very nice lens on the M8 - which, in my experiences, isn't that hot with 90s.

Some of the stuff I've done (primarily portrait and glamour)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tbarker/tags/voigtlanderheliar75mmf18/

And this one was shot wide open or at f/2

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Thank you thank you thank you, Tim! I am very grateful! What amazing shots you have on flickr, I am impressed by your work, and what the lens can do!
I did not even know it existed! Before now, thanks to you 🙂

Would you please tell me more, in your opinion, why the 90 mm is not so good on the M8? It really is important to me 🙂

Keep up the good work!
Best regards
Peter
 
peterm1 said:
I regularly use a few longer lenses as my style of shooting often involves using short teles. I can advise on these, all of which are quite good value. Others can advise about more recent / more expensive options.

My current favourite is the Voigtlander 75mm f1.8. I bought this recently and find it to be excellent in both build and optics. Had I not bought it, I could have just as easily bought the older screw mount 75mm f2.5 as it is reported to be as good or even better. At under $1000 Australian its pretty good value. Proving you do not need to spend huge bucks unless you want to.

The Leica glass that has a lot going for it on an M8 is the late model Tele Elmarit 90mm f2.8 from the 1980s. This is my second most favourite short tele. It is small, light and quite cheap (for Leica glass) to buy. Just try to make sure it does not have the haze that can be common to this lens (lenses with a later serial numbers are reported to be less likely to be affected.)

Another good and much cheaper option is the black and chrome Canon 100mm lens which is excellent in its optical characteristics and build quality. You have to use it with a 90mm LTM-M adapter and "fudge" the frame a bit as this lens has a slightly narrower field of view.

I also have a Leica Elmar 90mm f4 but have never been too happy with it on the M8 as it has very low contrast. Surprisingly I did rather like it on film cameras and color film for the same reason. Still it can be fun for occasionla use.

A final option that gives good results and is not badly priced is the Elmar 90mm f2.8 from the 1960s. I like this lens quite a bit and they go for very reasonable dollars. Their styling is a bit dated though and looks wise they better suit an M3. Still they give fine results on an M8.

M8s dont really lend themselves to longer lenses but occasionally I have used a black and chrome Canon 135mm f3.5 with external finder. If you really want to consider a 135 (which I realise is not really in your sights) I would advise thinking about the Leica Tele Elmar f4. This lens from the 1970s- 80s is pin sharp and relatively inexpensive to buy.
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Thank you VERY MUCH, Peter!
My eyes are big and staring, after reading this masterful reply! I loved it, so much insight, and so many new things for me to learn!
I thank you from the bottom of my heart!
I will consider all of these options, and both the Canon and the Tele-Elmarit were new aquaintances for me. Thank you!
I will definetley consider your great words of wisdom here, and I am honored that you took the time to write me such a thorogh answer! All of these will be considered very closely!
You should be a teacher, you are very good at explaining 🙂

Best regards
Peter
 
AncientCityPhoto said:
The VC 75 2.5 is my favorite 75mm lens on the M8 at the moment. I much prefer it to the 75 1.8. It is smaller, lighter, and fantastic straight from 2.5. "Portrait soft" on the new lens is not all it's cracked up to be. I'de rather put a light diffuser on at F/4 than shoot a headshot at f/1.8. That's just my taste though.

It's cheap, and definitely holds it's own as a lens, even compared to the Leica glass. Fantastic rendering and sharp as any!
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Thank you so much, for this enlighting answer!
I am fascinated! I understand that you guys are really happy with your VC's, and that is a quality mark good as any, for me.
I will check it out and consider it, thank you so much again!
Best regards
Peter🙂
 
Thanks for the kind words.
To be clear, I don't want to suggest that 90s are bad on the M8. It's just that I find the 75 to be easier to focus. And I really prefer that field of view (closer to 90 on film.)
I think a 90 is probably easier if you use one of those 1.25 eyepiece magnifiers - particularly when focusing wide open. I tried one, but always felt like it was "this close" to poking me in the eye.
 
On the adapters: I like the Voigtlander brand adapters best. Very well made, and precise. Never had a problem with them. Some of the Chinese made adapters on Ebay are hit and miss. The vintage adapters are nice, but I have had a couple with dents and dings that prevent proper operation.
 
My two favourite lenses in the 75-90 range are the 75mm Summilux and the E55 90mm Summicron. Unless you find a smoking deal, the Summilux is probably out of your price range. But the E55 90mm Summicron (also a Mandler design) can deliver results with a very similar signature for a fraction of the price of the Summilux. I recently picked up an E55 Summicron for $750. In my opinion, this lens is currently one of the best deals in Leica lenses. If creamy bokeh is a primary concern of yours. I would definitely suggest looking at the Summicron.
 
Nikkor 8.5cm/2 is a great lens, but has a long focus throw and is heavy, unless you get a black version. I also like M-Hexanon 90/2.8 - quality optic with a great build:
hex90-1.jpg


hex90-10.jpg



Also CV Heliar 75/2.5 is a nice, small and light option that has good glass:

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Personally, I wouldnt go for anything much slower in this FL. But if you want to go longer, lets say to 135mm - Nikkor 13.5cm/3.5 is another great lens to consider.
 
Also, if you want to be adventurous, you could try a Jupiter 9 - 85/2 lens in LTM - if you get a good one - they are great:
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Have you used the preview lever in your actual shooting environments to see alternative frame lines? Which seem most frequently useful?

Do you have a preference for the visibility of the 75 versus 90 frame lines? (I personally never liked the broken 75 lines, and find the 90 lines easier to compose).

I suggest you determine focal length first, then pick the 'best' affordable lens in that length for YOUR needs and preferences. The suggestion on Reid Reviews was a good one to help sort through the variables to consider.

Jeff
 
Jeff S said:
Do you have a preference for the visibility of the 75 versus 90 frame lines? (I personally never liked the broken 75 lines, and find the 90 lines easier to compose).
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While I prefer the focal length of the 75mm better, he's completely right about the 75mm framelines.
 
I've tried many. I kept: Nikkor 85/2, Summicron 90/2 v3, Summilux 75/1.4, Hexanon 90/2.8. The Hexanon is a copy of the G-Sonnar 90/2.8 and identical in size to the Elmarit-M; in practice I didn't find much difference in using the two lenses.

In terms of rendering, most similar to your 50/1.4 are the above 90/2 and 75/1.4 (all three lenses designed by Mandler).

All 4 lenses above are outstanding and I can recommend each, depending on your budget/size/speed requirements. Have a look at the flickr M-mount forum, see what people do with the different lenses. I recommend to decide on signature, not on resolution, APO/ASPH, etc... the performance of a tele on an M is mostly limited by you, not the glass (focus accuracy, etc.).
 
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I have owned at different times the Summilux 75, Summicron 75, VC 75/2.5, Tele-Elmarit 90 (thin), and the Hexanon 90/2.8.

Although each of these lenses is outstanding in its way, I've kept just the humble Hexanon. Lovely bokeh. Plenty sharp. Great value.
 
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tbarker13 said:
Thanks for the kind words.
To be clear, I don't want to suggest that 90s are bad on the M8. It's just that I find the 75 to be easier to focus. And I really prefer that field of view (closer to 90 on film.)
I think a 90 is probably easier if you use one of those 1.25 eyepiece magnifiers - particularly when focusing wide open. I tried one, but always felt like it was "this close" to poking me in the eye.
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Thank you again, for very good and interesting answer, you open my eyes here 🙂 I have never tried focusing a 90 mm on a M8 camera, so I got kind of sceptical when I read your answer... But I hope I can practise to be able to focus precisely without the eyepiece magnifiers, but I am also open for such a magnifier (it if not cost top dollar). I need to investigate this further, thank you for putting me on the track 🙂
 
Brian Sweeney said:
On the adapters: I like the Voigtlander brand adapters best. Very well made, and precise. Never had a problem with them. Some of the Chinese made adapters on Ebay are hit and miss. The vintage adapters are nice, but I have had a couple with dents and dings that prevent proper operation.
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Thank you very much, Brian! Much appreciated 🙂 Sounds like the Voigtlander is the one to go for here 🙂
 
Rafael said:
My two favourite lenses in the 75-90 range are the 75mm Summilux and the E55 90mm Summicron. Unless you find a smoking deal, the Summilux is probably out of your price range. But the E55 90mm Summicron (also a Mandler design) can deliver results with a very similar signature for a fraction of the price of the Summilux. I recently picked up an E55 Summicron for $750. In my opinion, this lens is currently one of the best deals in Leica lenses. If creamy bokeh is a primary concern of yours. I would definitely suggest looking at the Summicron.
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THANK you, Rafael! This is VERY interesting, and as a novise, what is the E55 mean? With the possibility of presenting myself as a goon, I still dare to ask: Does E55 mean size of the filter thread, or is it something else? Sorry for asking, I probably put myself in an unflattering light here, but I would really like someone to teach me 🙂
Yes, the Summilux is probably my DREAM LENS, but as you say: I don't know how I would ever afford it... I loved what you said about creamy bokeh, do you have a picture to showcase the magic? 😉

Thank you again, Rafael, I REALLY appreciated this answer 🙂
 
peepete77 said:
I would love to find a bang for your buck-lens, but I realize also that a lens can be pricy, and I am willing to pay within my budget.
I am a sucker for creamy bokeh
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The answer is very simple: Canon 85mm f/2 LTM; heavy, but has some rather nasty creamy bokeh. And a good copy can be found for less than $300.

But if you must save cash and would like to play build-quality russian (heh) roulette, then get the Jupiter-9.
 
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