Leica LTM Looking for a new LTM lens for iiic

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
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Fadedsun

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I've been researching into buying a new lens for my iiic and not really sure which direction to go. The camera came with the Elmar 5cm 3.5, and while I enjoy the lens, I would prefer something a bit more "modern". Definitely a lens with a wider aperture for lower light situations, and a more easily adjustable aperture ring.

Reading on the forums here, it seems like The Summicron 5cm f/2 and Summitar 5cm f/2 are great lenses. What differentiates these two in terms of quality? The Summitar seems to cost less overall. I also can't ignore lenses from other companies. I've heard that Canon made some great LTM lenses.

Any suggestions would be great! :)
 
Something to keep in mind: I've looked at a lot of Canon 50s but have never bought one because they all seem to have haze on the glass elements.

Also consider the Nikkor f2 in LTM (I'm looking for one myself!).
 
My experience has been that Leica lenses from the 40s & 50s are also prone to haze. The grease used in the helicoid out-gasses over the decades and this deposits on the glass.

It wasn't more egregious on my Canon lenses os on my Leica lenses. The concern at CLA was the glass and coatings used in earlier Leica lenses were soft and could easily be damaged in CLA while the Canon lenses, being a generation younger, were less prone to damage in cleaning.

I have been happy with the Canon lenses I have bought but you could also consider the Cosina/Voigtlander lenses that are even more recent with more modern glass and coatings.
 
Modern and fast, no hassle with haze and soft glass, sharp wide open would be Nokton 50 1.5 ltm.
 
How modern are you talking about, and in what terms? Ergonomics or rendering? How much does size matter? Are you limiting your options to 50mm focal length, or are you considering others? There's lots of options in LTM - some additional parameters would help to narrow it down.
 
A Jupiter 8 might be worth considering - but condition is important when buying older Russian lenses. Some members have bought several before finding a good copy. J-8's are quite inexpensive. (The new Jupiter 3+ mentioned above is a different lens entirely, and well built).
 
Huss said:
Not if you want mine! Perfect condition but I never use it..
;)
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Wish I had known! Spent months looking for one and ended up with a KEH (supposedly) LN that arrived with no caps and missing the protective ring for the LH-2 lens hood threads. :bang:
 
Although I'm selling two Canon 50s right now in the classifieds, I'd recommend a Nikkor-H.C 5cm f/2 in LTM mount if you're looking for a vintage lens. Be aware that earlier versions don't have click stops for the aperture setting.
 
02Pilot said:
How modern are you talking about, and in what terms? Ergonomics or rendering? How much does size matter? Are you limiting your options to 50mm focal length, or are you considering others? There's lots of options in LTM - some additional parameters would help to narrow it down.
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I meant modern more in the sense of ergonomics. I find the rendering of the Elmar to be quite nice, actually. Something small and more compact like the Elmar would definitely be a plus. I'm open to other focal lengths as well, such as 35mm and 28mm.

I have looked into the Jupiter 8 before and it seems to get a lot of good reviews considering the cost, but I'm worried about finding a good quality one. The Color Skopar, too, has had a lot of positive reactions and it's a lens I'm interested in.
 
The 50mm Color-Skopar is compact and has a focusing tab which is handy on a small lens. Not as fast as some other suggested lenses but it's a nice "walking around" lens. So many choices!
 
HI,

A lot of people worry about the state a second-hand lens will be in and seem, imo, to forget that they can be cleaned and so on. Dealers also sell them and give guarantees. So I wouldn't worry about it too much; just go into it with your eyes open.

Regards, David
 
Fadedsun said:
I meant modern more in the sense of ergonomics. I find the rendering of the Elmar to be quite nice, actually. Something small and more compact like the Elmar would definitely be a plus. I'm open to other focal lengths as well, such as 35mm and 28mm.

I have looked into the Jupiter 8 before and it seems to get a lot of good reviews considering the cost, but I'm worried about finding a good quality one. The Color Skopar, too, has had a lot of positive reactions and it's a lens I'm interested in.
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Generally speaking, the shorter the focal length the more compact the lens (exceptions for modern fast versions). The chrome Canon 35 and 28 lenses are tiny, and the modern CV lenses aren't much bigger; all have essentially similar ergonomics. You will, of course, need an external viewfinder, which does add a bit of size, but it's not all that bad (I use external finders on my Barnacks all the time).

In 50mm, collapsibles are obviously going to offer smaller size for carrying. The other factor, often overlooked, is weight. In this regard, the aluminum Jupiters are considerably lighter than the brass alternatives from Germany and Japan. Getting a good Jupiter is as easy as contacting Fedka; you'll pay a little more, but it's inspected and if there's a problem it's easy to return (and in the U.S.).
 
css9450 said:
Something to keep in mind: I've looked at a lot of Canon 50s but have never bought one because they all seem to have haze on the glass elements
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FWIW, supposedly it's only the later, and lighter, and more plentiful Canon black, black and silver, 50/1.8 that has the major haze problem. The internal lubricants used in the later ones will outgas, which is where the haze comes from. Oops. This is why the haze always comes back if you clean it off the glass, without removing all the old lubricant as well.

The earlier, all chrome, much heavier 50/1.8 rarely seems to have the same kind of haze problem. So I've heard, and mine certainly doesn't.
It's neither small nor light however, but wasn't called "The Japanese Summicron" for nothing.
At least that's what Canon Marketing people called it.
Nice lens though. I'd recommend it.
Did I mention it was heavy?
 
You can avoid the risk of buying a Jupiter-8. A company in New York, FEDKA, imports and sells Soviet era lenses and cameras.

They currently have some 'New-Old-Stock' Jupiter-8 lenses for sale (70/80 production, black paint, more modern coatings) for US $139.00 which is a bit much for a run of the mill J-8 but not outrageous for an unused 2.0/50 Sonnar in LTM mount.

http://fedka.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=24

I bought one and am very happy with it.
 
newst said:
You can avoid the risk of buying a Jupiter-8. A company in New York, FEDKA, imports and sells Soviet era lenses and cameras.

They currently have some 'New-Old-Stock' Jupiter-8 lenses for sale (70/80 production, black paint, more modern coatings) for US $139.00 which is a bit much for a run of the mill J-8 but not outrageous for an unused 2.0/50 Sonnar in LTM mount.

http://fedka.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=24

I bought one and am very happy with it.
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What camera do you use it on? Does it focus correctly? (even if it is NOS it may need shimming). Do you have sample photos taken w it u could post? I like the look..

I am a little gun shy about Fedka. I bought one of their pricey LTM-M 50/75 adapters as they were meant to be good, but it was just as useless as the cheap Chinese ones. On all of my Ms (digital and film) it did not bring up the correct frame lines. Instead it was a mish-mash of different frame lines. It also did not mount the lens at the 12 o'clock position.
It did bring up the correct lines on my CLE, does that count as an M?
 
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