M240 Questions

[Gid]

Hi,

Just bought a used M240 and summarit 50 2.5. I'm thinking about a CV 25 f4 VM or 21 f4 VM as a wide. Anyone using these? Will I need an external VF? All comments welcome including reasonably priced alternatives.

Cheers

Gid

 

[rogazilla]

I think external vf can certainly help in 21. 25 you may be able to getaway with it.

When I use the 28, it pretty much take up almost the entire VF. If that gives you an idea.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I had 25 and it was odd FL, even with VF.
21 feels much more natural, it even possible to frame without VF.
Here is new 21 f3.5 VM comming, it might be better for digital sensors.

 

[Huss]

I have that camera and those lenses. The vf will not cover 25, even outside the 28frame.
But u dont actually have to buy a vf. Just focus as normal, then switch to live view and compose on the back screen.

The real problem is these lenses do not work well on the digital sensor. They are designed for film. The back of the lens group is too close
to the sensor and so will smear and have colour casts on the edges, especially the 21

 

[Gid]

Thanks for the responses. What about alternatives or even 28s that may perform well - CV, Zeiss, Hexanon, Minolta - or do I need to start saving?

Cheers

Gid

 

[shawn]

I have both of them with the M240. They don't smear to much (sensor is built for that) but you can get color casts. More on the 21 than the 25mm and it depends upon the focal distance somewhat too. I have the Voigtlander 21/25mm finder.

The built in lens codings can help reduce this and something like Cornerfix can correct it too. From what I read the Elmar-M 24mm f/3.8 ASPH coding is supposed to work very well with the 25mm but I can't get my M240 to recognize it.

The 25mm Snapshot version is a very fun lens and works great with the external viewfinder as you don't have to use the RF to focus it.
Couple with the 25mm

That is the 25mm, I didn't use Cornerfix on them and you can see the color cast on the first one.

Shawn

 

[a.noctilux]

Hi,

Just bought a used M240 and summarit 50 2.5. I'm thinking about a CV 25 f4 VM or 21 f4 VM as a wide. Anyone using these? Will I need an external VF? All comments welcome including reasonably priced alternatives.

Cheers

Gid

For me the best companion to Summarit-M 2.5/50mm is the tiny but great IQ Leica Elmarit-M 2.8/28mm Asph. that shines on every Leica M I use it with.


Not so expensive for Leica lens in second hand market, as M users tend to go for brighter lenses (Summicron, Summilux).

 

[ktmrider]

I believe Voigtlander has just introduced a new 21 which is designed for digital sensors (21f3.5 maybe). Am not sure when it will be available.

I have an MP240 and shot some with the 21f4 and did not notice any problems but the 21 has never been a focal length I liked (gave it away to a young film photographer for use on his M3).

I use the 25 from Zeiss and love it.

 

[taemo]

You will get color smearing on the edges with the 21mm
L1009932 by Earl Dieta, on Flickr

but it can be corrected with CornerFix or the other LR plugin
L1008846 by Earl Dieta, on Flickr

waiting to see whether the newly announced CV 21mm will work better on the M9 or M240

 

[jszokoli]

Gid,

I like wides, and my advice to you would be to see if it is at all possible to get a Leica 21mm f3.4 SEM. There are a ton of wides, but the SEM is near perfect. And though it sounds silly to say, it is a 'cheap' lens as Leica lenses go. As far as finders the Voightlander 21mm is almost as good as the Zeiss as far as I'm concerned.

Joe

 

[Gid]

Thanks to all for your responses.

 

[ktmrider]

And if the 21f4 Skopar does produce slight color smearing on the edges, it is a total non issue in black and white.

 

[rogazilla]

I have the zeiss 2.8/28 and it does smear on both ends if not selecting a profile and has to fix in post. However, picking the 2.8/28 leica lens profile in the m240 fixes it for me.

 

[ninjin]

I shoot the Zeiss Biogon 2.8/28 ZM on my M240 and it is easy enough to compose if you assume that just about everything you see in the viewfinder will be in your shot. Below is a photo from a metal concert last week with only the Lightroom lens correction applied – 1/30s, ISO 3200, and I think it was f4.0. Not sure if I would be comfortable shooting anything wider without an external viewfinder, but I know of people that do.

 

[Gid]

Update. The M240 isn't well and is being returned to the dealer. The rear LCD looked as if images were desaturated but the real killer is shown in the images below - about five out of thirty exhibited this feature.

I'm keeping the lens and have acquired a very low mileage M9 (1500 clicks) form a dealer with warranty that had its sensor replaced by Leica last May. I wasn't too keen on the thickness of the M240, preferring the size and weight of my M8s and the M9 fits that bill.

 

[Mackinaw]

Your attached images say "content protected by owner." They're not visible.

Jim B.

 

[Gid]

Your attached images say "content protected by owner." They're not visible.

Jim B.

Hopefully they should be visible now.

 

[Huss]

I did a lens test of a bunch of glass, including the CV 21 and 25, comparing how they are on the M240 vs the new Nikon Z7

Here is the 21 on the Leica @ f4:



Center crop:




Edge crop:



And here is the edge crop at f11:

 

[Huss]

FYI no profiles added, only thing that was done was to correct exposure and contrast.
You can fix the magenta cast on the corners with cornerfix software ( I guess), but don't know how you'd fix the lack of sharpness/smearing w/o stopping down.

These lenses are absolutely fantastic on a film M.