Leica M9 lens kit recommendation?

S

shanenoir

Established
Local time
1:24 PM
Joined
Jan 13, 2013
Messages
71
There's a chance I may get a good deal on a used M9 kit, and I was wondering which lenses I should go for.

The options are all Leica:

21 mm 2.8
35 mm 2
50 mm 1.4
90 mm 2.8

If some of my other gear sells soon, I can afford at most two... I am leaning towards the 50 because I like that focal length and aperture, and the 35 is nice and compact, but the two focal lengths are pretty close.

Just out of curiosity, what would you recommend?
 
The 50 is a definite. The choice between the other three depends on what you shoot.

Problem is, with a 50 at the center, I'd prefer a 24 on the wide end, and a 90 on the long. But if the deal on the 21 is too good to be true, I'd take that.

With a 35, it would be paired with a 21 and a 75. But in that case I personally would want the 35 to be at least a f/1.4 lens.

35 is very different in my book from 50, but that's cuz my reference point is people. 35 allows a lot of context without introducing the dangers of perspective distortion of arms and heads at the edges of the frame. 50-35 could make a totally awesome pair, too.
 
A 50 or 35, whichever you prefer, is always a good start. Then you could add lenses depending on what you'd like to take photos of.

I use my 50/1.4 ASPH for most photos: landscapes, portraits, casual shooting. It's a very versatile lens!
I use the 90/2.8 for landscapes and the odd close portrait.
The 21mm gets used rarely, but it's nice for casual vacation (as opposed to dedicated photo trips), on the street and for artsy nudes :rolleyes:
 
Not on your list but if it was me and I was starting again I would go for a 35mm 1.4 and a cheap secondhand 90 2.8 or 4.
 
Jockos said:
A 50 or 35, whichever you prefer, is always a good start. Then you could add lenses depending on what you'd like to take photos of.

I use my 50/1.4 ASPH for most photos: landscapes, portraits, casual shooting. It's a very versatile lens!
I use the 90/2.8 for landscapes and the odd close portrait.
The 21mm gets used rarely, but it's nice for casual vacation (as opposed to dedicated photo trips), on the street and for artsy nudes :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Interesting... happen to have a flickr link or something for art nudes you've used it with? I usually shoot nudes with a 50mm, so I'm not used to that different perspective.
 
:) Thank you everyone! I am going to see if I can borrow it for a few days to figure out if I prefer the 35 or the 50mm, as I may not be able to afford both... at least not yet. I think I am going to go with the 35 because I am going to be traveling this summer and I'd like to have something that gives me a bit more space than the 50.

And just for reference, are these good prices for the following lenses (used)?

21mm f2.8 Elmarit-m ASPH (with hood and Voight viewfinder) ~ $2700
90mm f2.8 Elmarit-m (probably not ASPH) ~$800
50mm Summilux-m ASPH ~$2700

I ask because I am considering borrowing money to try these out to determine which ones I want to stick with, and then selling rest away at the same price. I'm having some difficulty finding the prices that these things are actually going for on the used market these days. Any advice will be greatly appreciated!
 
Conventional wisdom (aka read somewhere) I believe from these would be 21 50 90, however, coming from an SLR background, I found the 90 too hard to work with, and favour the 70.

I current have 18, 28, 35, 50, 70 90 and am working on 18 35 70 (then maybe selling the rest maybe when I get if figured out eventually)
 
shanenoir said:
:) Thank you everyone! I am going to see if I can borrow it for a few days to figure out if I prefer the 35 or the 50mm, as I may not be able to afford both... at least not yet. I think I am going to go with the 35 because I am going to be traveling this summer and I'd like to have something that gives me a bit more space than the 50.

And just for reference, are these good prices for the following lenses (used)?

21mm f2.8 Elmarit-m ASPH (with hood and Voight viewfinder) ~ $2700
90mm f2.8 Elmarit-m (probably not ASPH) ~$800
50mm Summilux-m ASPH ~$2700

I ask because I am considering borrowing money to try these out to determine which ones I want to stick with, and then selling rest away at the same price. I'm having some difficulty finding the prices that these things are actually going for on the used market these days. Any advice will be greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...

The 50 lux price is very good, the 90 is ok if its tge e46 version, the 21 seems overpriced to me

Why not start with the 50 only and add a 28 elmarit later on if you want wider
 
It completely depends on how you shoot and what you shoot. I would definitely pick the 35 and 50--or 35 and 90. But I'm not really comfortable with lenses wider than 35mm, which is my mainstay.
 
ramosa said:
It completely depends on how you shoot and what you shoot. I would definitely pick the 35 and 50--or 35 and 90. But I'm not really comfortable with lenses wider than 35mm, which is my mainstay.
Click to expand...

I feel the same way. I think I am going to go for the 50, and if I can't make that happen then I'll go for the 90, which is apparently a terrific value lens, although with my DSLR I only shoot narrower than 50 on very rare occasions...

Now that I am in a frenzy of buying gear, for a moment I thought about getting the m9 and the 50 lux, and then instead of getting the 35 cron getting the Fuji x100S and save some money... but then I realized that would defeat the purpose of having a Leica (specifically, having one thing that is fantastic, instead of a bunch of things that are less so).
 
In focal length, that is my kit exactly. I have the 50 1.4 ASPH and if the one you are looking at is ASPH it should be your first choice. If you can also swing the 35 then go for it. There are other options, I have a Pre ASPH 35 lux that I like because of its dual personality and it was less than a new cron. I have the 90 Macro Elmar F4. It was not cheap but is a great travel lens. My 21 is the new Super Elmar F3.4 and it is awesome and easy to carry. Good luck and enjoy it.
Pete
 
I'd definitely try a 90mm before purchasing one. They are a bit long for my taste and I don't find them as easy to focus. And wide open the DOF is pretty thin. I picked up the 75mm Summarit and really like it. Balances well with the camera and is a very nice lens. Bit more expensive than the older 90s, but I've seen some good deals on these. You can't really go wrong with a 50mm Summilux, but try out a Voigtlander 40mm Nokton. 40mm takes care of 35 and 50 and the lens is a bargain. Used for between $350-400. The 40mm and 75mm make a nice combo in my opinion. As do the 35 and 50mm - I also don't find them too close. But try before you buy/don't borrow money for this lesson. Pop into a camera shop with the M9 and an SD card and sample the goods first.
 
35 and 90 are a great combo. Even though I have a 50 Summicron, it sits in the bag most of the time. Same is true for 21 and 135. In fact, I use the 35 Summicron for 80 to 90% of my shots with the 90 mm only stepping in for still lives and portraits.
 
shanenoir said:
The options are all Leica:

21 mm 2.8
35 mm 2
50 mm 1.4
90 mm 2.8
Click to expand...

I have a 50 Lux ASPH and the CV 35 f/1.2 II. I don't think they're too close; I use them both a lot. The CV35 is a great option if you don't mind a non-leica lens and don't mind the additional heft.

I also have a 90 Cron Pre-ASPH that I *love*. Bought it used and after CLA it focuses perfectly. In good light I have no trouble nailing focus. F/2.8 at this focal length will still provide a great amount of subject isolation for portraits.
 
I would choose the 50/1.4 and 21/2.8.

. . . . . if the 21/2.8 proved to be too wide for me I would sell and look for a 24, 25, or 28 to go with the 50 for a 2 lens kit.

Good luck with your decision.
 
shanenoir said:
There's a chance I may get a good deal on a used M9 kit, and I was wondering which lenses I should go for.

The options are all Leica:

21 mm 2.8
35 mm 2
50 mm 1.4
90 mm 2.8

If some of my other gear sells soon, I can afford at most two... I am leaning towards the 50 because I like that focal length and aperture, and the 35 is nice and compact, but the two focal lengths are pretty close.

Just out of curiosity, what would you recommend?
Click to expand...

Buy the middle two to start with. Add the others as needed/wanted. OR go 21/Nokton 40/90, one of my favorite setups. :)

G
 
I would start with the 35 or 50 and leave it at that until you see what you like, I never think of my M9 like a system camera eg DSLR, I like the having fewer choices with my M9 thats why I only use 28 and 90, 99% of the pics are on the 28. M9 round my neck with 90 in my pocket. For the price of just one of those lenses you could have a DSLR that would fill all the spaces like super wides and long lenses.
 
Its about personal preference and everyone is different. I personally find 21-35 is an enormous gap. 21-50 swallows up the entire middle ground in which I shoot 95% of my photos.

21-28-50 is a good combo, with longer lenses to suit.

24-35-75 is another cracker.

Personally, I can't do without a 35 in there somewhere but YMMV.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom