Help me choose a 35mm !

bizarrius

bizarrius

the great
Local time
5:08 AM
Joined
Aug 10, 2010
Messages
278
Hello everyone, i hope you are having a blast:)

As some of you know i recently and finaly got my M9 and i am as happy as it gets :)

I have 3 lenses that i use with it.
The 28mm f2.8 elmarit ASPH
a 40mm f1.4 MC nokton
and a zeiss 50mm f2 planar.

Things are much different than they were while using film.
Back in film days, my favourite lens was the 28mm, my 40mm was the best lens for night shots and the 50mm didn't get much love ever.

Now i cant seem to get the 50mm off the camera.
The 40mm doesn't meet my expectations in means of resolution/contrast and sharpness. It is an amazing lens for film but it is not a digital lens at all. Dont start flaming, its my personal opinion. I can't seem to like this lens on the M9.

The 28mm on the other hand is not the lens i would want to stick on my M9 for ever. the 28mm POV is perfect for my film work but i want to go "closer" with my M9.

anyway, i am starting to bore you. What i really want, is a 35mm that acts like the elmarit or the zeiss. High resolution, fresh glass and brilliance. thats the right word for the zeiss or elmarit quality. brilliance.
I don't think i want to buy a voigtlander lens.
It is either Leica glass or Zeiss.
I am asking from you fellow RFFers to show off your 35mm lens on your M9 and brag a bit about your lens so i can choose what to get.
Money is not REALLY a problem, but patience is. I can't really wait in line for the summilux ASPH. I like things getting done.

TBH i am somewhere between the summarit and the cron asph.
Would you recomend the zeiss 35mm lenses? why? why not?

Money might not be a problem but if i could get a cheaper 35mm and save for another lens or accessorie would be a charm!

Thanks alot for your answers.

Here are some pictures from my M9 and my lenses:

Leica M9 and Zeiss 50mm (in a moving car :angel::angel: )


window shopping by Dimitris Mina (bizarrius), on Flickr


Leica M9 and 28mm elmarit


L1006713 by Dimitris Mina (bizarrius), on Flickr

Leica M9 and 28mm elmarit


L1006683 by Dimitris Mina (bizarrius), on Flickr

Leica M9 and Zeiss 50mm f2


Mat by Dimitris Mina (bizarrius), on Flickr

Leica M9 and Zeiss 50mm f2


Random Cat Shot by Dimitris Mina (bizarrius), on Flickr

Leica M9 and 28mm Elmarit


L1006708 by Dimitris Mina (bizarrius), on Flickr

Leica M9 and the Zeiss 50mm f2.
(that is my brother)


L1007149 by Dimitris Mina (bizarrius), on Flickr

Thanks alot for reading :)
 
Last edited:
35mm lens

35mm lens

if you can break the bank, the new Summilux 35mm ASPH FLE is a stellar performer and can shoot in very low light. If you prefer to spend substantially less and still obtain top notch quality (although of course slower lens), I would recommend the Zeiss 35mm Biogon 2.8. Fantastic IQ, virtually no distortion, very compact and light and truly a joy to use.
Rich
 
I, for one, would recommend the Biogon 35/2. The aperture is OK, distortion is nill, it is very sharp and resistant to flare. It would fit well with the Planar IMHO.
 
Hi, there are design advantages to 'slower' lenses, and if f2.8 is fast enough [and it is for me], then I know from experience that the Zeiss 35mm f2.8 C-Biogon is a fantastic lens, and is my 35mm 'M' lens of choice regardless of price.

I recommend subscribing to Sean Reid's 'Reid Reviews', if only to read '35mm lenses on M9', and pay attention to Sean's reading of the C-Biogon. You can then cross reference with Erwin Put's evaluation of the C-Biogon's flare resistance compared to the Elmarit using a slightly different testing procedure.

............. Chris
 
Another thread asking which to get and the answer being one of each...

Okay- wait for the new Voightlander 35/1.2 Nokton to come out, or look for an original. After getting my 35/1.2- I sold the 35/2.8 Summaron, 35/2 Canon, and 35/1.7 Ultron. The last one was just to give it a new home for lots of use.
 
Chances are very high that your 40 needs adjustment, and might please you much more afterwards. Check with Brian what he did with his 35/1.2 and 50/1.1, for example. The RF cam on the 40 can be easily adjusted. Just saying. A good 40 Nokton is competitive with anything Leica or Zeiss has to offer, except the 35 and 50 Lux ASPH.

Then again, if I was looking for the "best" performing, well built modern 35, I would pick either 35 Lux ASPH or 35/2 M-Hexanon.
 
Last edited:
Thanks everyone for your answers so far.
I will try to answer a few of your statements and say some things i forgot to say before.
If you can point me a way to fix my 40 or someone that can fix my 40 please do because i love that lens and its a bit sad i can't use it on my M9.
Chances are i will buy the summarit or one of the biogons at the end of the day from what i read and see on the internet.

The 35mm f1.2 is probably a really nice deal and i would have bought it if it wasn't THAT big. isn't it a really big lens? I remember selling my 50mm f1.1 for that reason.
I think size is more of an issue than speed for me on a lens. I love taking pictures in daylight. I am greek and the word photography comes from the words Φωτο-Γραφω were "φωτο" means light and graphy comes from the word "γραφω" which means write. No light, no photography then :D i hate loosing my time in the dark. i much rather have a beer than take fuzzy yellow pictures :D
Anyway i should stop the gibberish :$
I am looking for fresh fresh glass, crontasty, sharp, brilliant glass.
Thanks for putting up to me :D
 
Sounds like the 35/2.8 ZM is what you're searching for. Very small and consistent with the look of the planar that you're loving. It's well known for high resolution as well.

Your elmarit shots look awesome.
 
I love my 35 asph summicron on the M9, but I am also very happy with the Nokton 50/1.5, so why not give the Ultron 35/1.7 a try ? Assuming you don't mind second hand.

That's the nice thing with our equipment, most of the stuff you can resell for the same you bought it for. It makes trying lenses "cheap".
 
Konica L-Hexanon 35mm 2.0.

Konica L-Hexanon 35mm 2.0.

img_1130.jpg
 
Since it's all personal preference and opinion, I'll throw in mine here as well, I guess.
I've found that the m9 and M8 favor lower contrast lenses since the sensors tend to clip the highlights in high contrast lighting and the shadows can get noisy. That said, I shoot nothing but older lenses except for my 75mm f/1.8 Heliar.
The 35mm lenses I like are the pre-ASPH Summilux and the Summaron. I used to have both the Canon 35mm f/2 and the UC-Hexanon which were also excellent. These days a UC-Hexanon goes for almost as much money used as a 35 Summarit does new and the Summarit is a great lens from what I've seen. Definitely Leica build quality. All of these lenses have the resolving power to cause moire on the M9 sensor which means they are resolving more than the sensor can handle. Certainly sharp enough.
The Summarons will give you a more vintage look.
The Summilux will give you a very sharp center and a field of creamy smoothness wide open. It draws the viewer in.
UC-Hexanon is a match for the pre-ASPH 35mm 'Cron. I loved mine but wanted an extra stop of speed.
The 35 Canons are great lenses and just super cheap. The f/2 is very close to Summicron level if you ask me.
I've never owned a ZM 35mm but the 21mm Biogon I had was fantastic. If the 35mm is anything like that, then you can't go wrong.

Like others have said, if you're not in it for lens speed, you can save some cash and get a slower lens. Summarons, Biogons, Canons, Hexanons, Summarits, whatever, you really can't go wrong these days with the choices available.

Phil Forrest
 
I like the 35 summicron V4 on my M9. Nice size for the camera and the performance is amazing. I have a 35 lux asph that I used quite a bit on my M8 but with the slower shutter max on the M9 I found that I was just carrying around extra weight for a mostly unusable extra stop.
 
Last edited:
No complaints on my VC 35 f/1.2 (big understatement) but as you said, its big and heavy (at least compared to some of the others mentioned here). I dont have an m9 so my contribution is not very helpful. enjoyed your photos though. GL finding the ideal lens to compliment your m9
 
Thanks for your answers!
It seems that my lens is the C-Biogon with a coding kit and fix the 40mm f1.4 for high speed.
Size and IQ is much more important than speed and brand name at the moment :D
I trust Steve Huff also and his tests and it looks like the biogon is what i was looking for.
Now i need someone to help me fix the 40mm. I want it to show the 35mm brightlines and an allignment(if needed) would be sweet. Mr. Brian? :)

Plus, Where can i get my self a coding kit? EXCEPT Robert White.
If you can point me to a europe store that sells the coding kit and the lens together would be awesomely sweet.

thanks.
 
No maybe about it, Raid. that seems indeed to be the best choice in this case. As for coding and modification: Will van Manen.
 
I sent a mail to will van manen now i am waiting.
By the way, How does the 35mm summilux pre-asph performs on the M9? anyone? will it give me what i am looking for?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom