Leica LTM Leica 5cm Lenses: Which would you recommend?

[raid]

The Leica 50mm lenses will most likely appreciate in value as we have more people buying the M9 with a full size sensor. Get your lens while you can.

 

[excellent]

Gimme whatever lens M9 users don't want.

 

[Erik van Straten]

The Voigtländer Color Skopar 50mm f/2.5 is quite some lens...

Erik.

 

[raid]

This thread is about Leica 50mm lenses.

 

[helen.HH]

1956 collapsible ...neopan 1600 ...Eric's shot of a passerby....kind of has a Cinematic Noir Coolness

 

[Erik van Straten]

I'm sorry, Raid, but the Color Skopar 50mm f/2.5 is more Leica than Voigtländer.

To smoothen things out, this is the rigid Summicron 50mm f/2 version I, Leica M2, TriX printed on Ilford MGIV fb.

 

[raid]

I am not putting any other lens makers down, and I want to find out which vintage Leica 50mm lenses RFF members favor and why they favor some lenses and not others.

Thanks, Erik.

 

[raid]

1956 collapsible ...neopan 1600 ...Eric's shot of a passerby....kind of has a Cinematic Noir Coolness

Very cool, Helen.
Or maybe, "Very Cool Helen"?

 

[helen.HH]

Lol.....Thanx, Raid

....I love it too

 

[LeicaTom]

Xenon!

What years your Xenon Vince??? I`m looking for a #491xxx serial numbered one (1939) and I`ll trade my beautiful clean 1936 version #289xxx for a equally fine example ~ let me know if you know anyone who`s got a #491xxx one

I love the Xenon look, it`s the perfect Leica Black N White lens......

Tom

 

[LeicaTom]

Summarit! (on Pana G1)

Beautiful shot!

This photo may have finally "won" me over to the Pana G1???? We`ll see

Tom

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

I sold my rigid summicron last type, because I found it much to heavy (you can still see it in my signature picture on the M4-2). From your list I sometimes use an old elmar (but prefer its russian cousin) and the most used lens was my 1940 summitar, until I found a nice priced summicron 35mm asph, which are not heavy.

Taken with 1940 Summitar (the pic from my rff gallery)

 

[Erik van Straten]

Leitz Elmar 50mm f/2.8, Leica M2, TriX printed on Ilford MGIV fb.

Erik.

 

[Vince Lupo]

What years your Xenon Vince??? I`m looking for a #491xxx serial numbered one (1939) and I`ll trade my beautiful clean 1936 version #289xxx for a equally fine example ~ let me know if you know anyone who`s got a #491xxx one

I love the Xenon look, it`s the perfect Leica Black N White lens......

Tom

Sorry -- just noticed your post this morning (for some reason I don't always receive notification of responses....just me?).

Anyhow, my Xenon is.....ready?.....288252.

Guess that was the wrong answer, eh?

 

[StaaleS]

I rather like what the Summar does to colours...

 

[LeicaTom]

I rather like what the Summar does to colours...

Very Fine! (prewar uncoated Summitar is simillar as well)

Tom

 

[typhillips]

For character, you can't beat the Summar, shot wide open. The bokeh has such an amazing 3-D painterly quality to it. I have gotten some beautiful results, in both B&W and color.

Just don't point it into sunlight! It definitely flares something fierce. I don't even bother with a hood. I just shade the lens with my left hand.

 

[Nando]

Here's a couple of recent photos from my Summar.





I think that the only solution is to get them all.

 

[Bingley]

I recently acquired a '49 summitar:

 

[Mephiloco]

I'm starting to warm up to my summarit, but it's a little tricky to predict how it'll perform. Really like it being 1.5. Think I need to rethink my developer combination though.

Both shot on Arista Premium 400@400. 1/15th at f1.5. Processed with Rodinal 1+100, stand developed. Maybe a little too much grain.

Some of the shots came out really well, while others shot almost exactly the same had flare which almost completely masked the faces.