Please tell me about your good, fast 28mm lenses...

Biggles

Biggles

My cup runneth amok.
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...M-mount or Leica screwmount. Something I can use on a CL. I've got a black-tie museum ball coming up in spring, and I'm thinking of maybe getting my Winogrand on for it. Also a fan of Avedon's Volpi Ball series.

I've read several reviews of 28s, but I'd like to hear this hive's ruthless opinions of their own (or owned) 28mm lenses, f/2.8 or faster.
 
Well I have the Konica M-Hexanon 28/2.8 which I like a lot. I don't like the tabs on Leica wide anle lenses so the Hexanon is perfect in that respect. Very sharp, perfect focusing on a Leica, beautiful off-focus rendering and unbelievably high build quality. Available here on PN and on eBay for $400-600. A super lens. 🙂
 
Mega Dittos!

Mega Dittos!

I concur with Peter. HOWEVER, while the 28mm M-Hexanon works perfectly on my M5 with swinging meter arm, I don't know if the same is true for the CL. I've never had a CL in my hands and I don't know what the flange to arm clearance is relative to the CL. I also don't know how the M-Hexanon will or won't obscure the viewfinder. The same is true for the equally nice C/V 28mm/1.9 lens.

I would suggest that you look for the 28mm Rokkor/Leitz lens designed for the CL. KEH has a bunch of them in the same price range as the M-Hexanon. You can be assured that it will work nicely on the CL.😉
 
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I agree with peter_n that the Konica M-Hexanon is a very good lens and I would recommend it. By the way, it is a better lens than the slower CV f/3.5 28mm Color-Skopar, which I had a few years ago but sold not only because I wanted something faster, but also because of the Color-Skopar's distracting distortion.
 
The CV Ultron is good, but it is big. I use it mostly on an M6. Not sure how well it would work on a CL.

Richard
 
On the in-body protrusion issue: I once had a collapsible 50mm Summicron for about a week. Never took a picture with it, but I did measure its collapsed protrusion past the flange. I then measured the CL's meter arm-to-flange clearance.

That particular lens *could* safely be collapsed into my CL. I guess anything that protrudes the same or less could, as well.

With that said, I'm liking the thought of the smaller, pancake-y lenses for this body. It doesn't handle well at all with big logs stuck onto it.
 
I have the VC Ultron 28/1.9, excellent lens...faster than the rest.

Get the 28/1.9 Ultron and some Tri-X for BW or Fuji Press 800 for color and have a ball (punny huh?).

Todd
 
Add me to the chorus of very satisfied Hexanon 28mm users. No idea about how it would be on a CL, but it's lovely on my R2a and RD1s.
 
Rear element & meter arm

Rear element & meter arm

When I got real serious about the 28mm M-Hexanon lens I was concerned about the rear element's depth inside the body on the M5. Happily, when I mounted the lens on the body and slowly cocked the shutter, the meter cell swing arm didn't strike the rear of the lens. Several rolls of film confirmed that all was well between the lens and the mertering system.

I am attaching photos of the Konica lens and the Rokkor lens on my M5s. Perhaps you'll get an idea of what either might look like on the CL. It still seems to me that the Rokkor is the answer as it was designed specifically for the CL.

Yes, I do sometimes wonder why I picked the M-Hexanon over the Ultron. 😱

At no time do I ever wonder why I bought the M5. 😎

PS: The Rokkor lens belonged to the Bubba's prevous owner. I do not own that lens.
 

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  • M5 + 28 Rokkor.jpg
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Well, I wouldn't consider f/2.8 fast, but YMMV. I like my Cosina Voigtlander 28/1.9 Ultron, which I picked up to use on my R-D1 (normally, 28mm & wider is too wide for my general use), but it is a little low in contrast wide-open. That said, it's a great value compared to the Leica 28/2 (& it's nice that I have the option of using it on my LTM bodies). Using your definition of fast, I also have the 28/2.8 Biogon for the Kyocera Contax G2 & it's a great lens, but obviously not Leica-compatible; perhaps the ZM version is similar.

Biggles said:
...M-mount or Leica screwmount. Something I can use on a CL. I've got a black-tie museum ball coming up in spring, and I'm thinking of maybe getting my Winogrand on for it. Also a fan of Avedon's Volpi Ball series.

I've read several reviews of 28s, but I'd like to hear this hive's ruthless opinions of their own (or owned) 28mm lenses, f/2.8 or faster.
Click to expand...
 
I'm another 28mm Voigtlander Ultron user. I picked it up second hand from ebay at a good price. It is sharp, fast and excellent for parties, weddings etc. I recently used it at a wedding on an M6 (Neopan 400)... see my gallery for examples of photos taken. As others have stated, it will look big on a CL but f1.9 is worth the bulk in my opinion.
--
Monz
 
I like my Rokkor, but is it comparable to other 28mm lenses?
Are there any posted comparisons/tests for the 28mm lenses?
It is easy to claim that your lens is somehow the "best" but how does it perform optically against other 28mm RF lenses? You have issues of:

1. sharpness wide open and at smaller apertures
2. out of focus behavior
3. weight and size
4. cost
5. contrast
6. "look" or signature or ...
7. appearance of the lens
8. ruggedness of built


Maybe there is a need for such a test.

Raid
 
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If you consider fast as F2 or greater, I think you have 2 rangefinder lenses to consider: the 28 Summicron and the 28 Ultron. Not that the Hexanon, Zeiss ZM, and Elmarit aren't great lenses (they are), but most would not consider them fast by the standards of today. My Summicron is the best of the best regardless of focal length, but the Ultron is an exceptional lens as well for a lot less money. Shoot them both together wide open and enlarge the negatives to 30", and maybe you see some differences. I received a great deal on my Summicron because of a liquidation sale at a closing photo store or else I might have chosen the Ultron. A good photographer will get good results from either lens. If I have any advice, it would be to pay attention to the opinions of Xray. Don is a master photographer who has made a good living for close to 40 years from his art, and he really likes his Ultron.
 
I am very happy with my ZM 28 Biogon. Sharp, very even resolution across the frame, small, super flare resistant etc. I did not need f2 but obviously if you do I think you have only two choices; the summicron and 1.9 ultron?
 
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