retnull
Well-known
I will never sell my 35 Summicron (version 1) and my very clean 50 Summar f2.
What M-Lenses Are "Must Have"?
- Thread starter bwcolor
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thomasw_
Well-known
Yes this lens' rendering is wonderful and the build quality is very high. Another thing is the fact that the recessed front lens made the lens quite resistant to flare even w/o a shade, making it a very compact package on a M2 😉
+1 regarding the noctilux pre-asph. Gabor, you have a summilux 21? There is nothing I know in the focal length even close. It is unique for the 21mm FL like the noctilux is for the 50mm FL.
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For myself, my M-mount 'must haves' are these three:>
1. 75 summilux
2. 50 summilux asph
3. 35 w-nikkor 2005 re-issue (converted from S)
ferider
Veteran
If you consider photographic output, there are only two M/LTM lenses I have that can do stuff, other lenses could not do: the 75/1.4 and DR Summicron. Unique in speed and close focus ability.
Paul Luscher
Well-known
35,28, & 90 Summicrons. 50mm Summilux. In all cases, I need the speed of an F2 lens, at the very least.
bwcolor
Veteran
Yes, perhaps, but as long as the lens is listed with the reason, then each person can view the reason and see if it is in accord with their tastes/preferences. I only have eight M-lenses and would like to try other lenses.
Right now my Zeiss Biogon 35mm is what I use the most. I love this lens when shooting color.
Chris101
summicronia
Hmmmm. I only have one M lens, and as the camera does not take a good picture without a lens, I guess that one is a must have.
Juan Valdenebro
Truth is beauty
You're right... Here's another one:
The Nokton 40 1.4 is a gem.
There's no other lens I know with that small size and that speed, sharp wide open, great flare control, and distortion free, from any other brand.
If I had to choose one single lens for everything from direct sun to dark interiors, portrait and street, and thinking of carrying it for hours, that would be it.
If its price was higher, people would buy it even more, though it's a best seller... And we seldom see it for sale used...
Cheers,
Juan
semilog
curmudgeonly optimist
None of them is "must have."
There are some spectacular Leica lenses, and some unique ones. But not one of them does something that for me is indispensable. If told that I had to use entirely non-Leica lenses on my M, my photography would continue unabated. I could still use spectacular lenses from Konica, Nikon, Canon, Zeiss, Cosina, Ricoh, and others.
It's true that no one else makes the Noctilux, but it's also true that the Noctilux is "want to have" -- not "must have," for very nearly all applications. If it were actually "must have" there would be a hell of a lot less photographers in the world.
There are some spectacular Leica lenses, and some unique ones. But not one of them does something that for me is indispensable. If told that I had to use entirely non-Leica lenses on my M, my photography would continue unabated. I could still use spectacular lenses from Konica, Nikon, Canon, Zeiss, Cosina, Ricoh, and others.
It's true that no one else makes the Noctilux, but it's also true that the Noctilux is "want to have" -- not "must have," for very nearly all applications. If it were actually "must have" there would be a hell of a lot less photographers in the world.
filmfan
Well-known
Depends on who you ask.
If you are asking me personally, I would say the 50mm f/1.4 Summilux Pre-asph, or the 35mm f/1.4 Summilux pre-asph. They have a unique look. If you want sterile, look at Zeiss or just use an SLR.
If you are asking me personally, I would say the 50mm f/1.4 Summilux Pre-asph, or the 35mm f/1.4 Summilux pre-asph. They have a unique look. If you want sterile, look at Zeiss or just use an SLR.
Turtle
Veteran
Hehehehe. SLR lenses are sterile? Tell Salgado (Leica R) Mccullin (Nikon) and many others. I find my 85 1.2L II one of the least sterile lenses imaginable. The images just ooze wonderfulness. One of my most powerful M images was shot on a CV 21 P.
tbarker13
shooter of stuff
The lenses I think of as special:
35 pre-asph lux. I think I have a pretty good copy. Very little flare. And I think I get pretty sharp results even wide open.
21/3.4 SA. Sold my first one. Then bought another. The images seem very distinctive to me. I'm not a very skilled wide-angle shooter. But I'm hoping to better incorporate this lens into my shooting this time around.
75 lux - I no longer have one. But this lens just has so much cool character.
Outside of the noctilux (which doesn't really appeal to me), I'm hard pressed to pick a 50mm lens. There are just so many interesting 50mm lenses made by Leica, Konica. Zeiss, Nikkor, Canon, etc. And I'm not convinced any of them is particularly unique.
35 pre-asph lux. I think I have a pretty good copy. Very little flare. And I think I get pretty sharp results even wide open.
21/3.4 SA. Sold my first one. Then bought another. The images seem very distinctive to me. I'm not a very skilled wide-angle shooter. But I'm hoping to better incorporate this lens into my shooting this time around.
75 lux - I no longer have one. But this lens just has so much cool character.
Outside of the noctilux (which doesn't really appeal to me), I'm hard pressed to pick a 50mm lens. There are just so many interesting 50mm lenses made by Leica, Konica. Zeiss, Nikkor, Canon, etc. And I'm not convinced any of them is particularly unique.
semilog
curmudgeonly optimist
Paint with a broad brush, much?
Robert Frank used a Zeiss 35/2.8 Biogon. (Or so I've heard.)
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Turtle
Veteran
One could argue that if you absolutely MUST use a 21 1.4 or a 50 0.95 these are the only ones. The rest you can work around or compromise with other brands (or choose them on their merits) and still produce the best work the world has ever seen!
kzphoto
Well-known
No one has mentioned the Leica 24/2.8? One of my favorite lenses by far.
There was a gentleman on this board selling one sometime last year. He was in the service and had used the lens in Iraq during the war. The photos he presented had a character and a look to them that were really fantastic.
In my own use I love the way the lens draws -- really great color, and a slight vignette.
Example:
There was a gentleman on this board selling one sometime last year. He was in the service and had used the lens in Iraq during the war. The photos he presented had a character and a look to them that were really fantastic.
In my own use I love the way the lens draws -- really great color, and a slight vignette.
Example:
Roger Hicks
Veteran
andreios
Well-known
I agree with Chris - only one is a must have to take pictures. Some may help you to give a special look to your pictures, but the pictures are not in the glass.. Just look at some galleries of some of the RFF members - they are able to produce great pictures with whatever lens they have on their cameras, be it a lux or cron, sonnar or nokton, elmar or skopar...
back alley
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considering my track record...there seems to be no must have lenses for me.
looking at unique lenses...the 35/1.2 and the 50/1.1 and the 28/1.9 are all unique...but if i ever needed the cash...
the last lens that i would ever sell is probably the 40/2.8 rollei. i like small, i like the 40mm focal length and i like the 60mm fov on the rd1.
looking at unique lenses...the 35/1.2 and the 50/1.1 and the 28/1.9 are all unique...but if i ever needed the cash...
the last lens that i would ever sell is probably the 40/2.8 rollei. i like small, i like the 40mm focal length and i like the 60mm fov on the rd1.
healyzh
Well-known
Hehehe...
I think this has to be the most correct answer in this thread. Up until a couple weeks ago my Jupiter-8 f/2 was my "must have" for my M6 TTL, however, since I got my CV 35mm f/1.4 it is all that has been on the camera (the last 6 rolls).
While I currently have only these two lenses, there are a some that I would view as "must have", and hope to eventually own.
Summicron 90mm f/2
Summilux 50mm f/1.4
Summicron 35mm f/2
Summicron 50mm f/2 DR with goggles
135mm f/2.8
One or more lenses wider than a 35mm (not sure yet what).
I'd love a Noctilux 50mm, but I don't know if I'll ever be able to bring myself to buy one. As such a CV Nokton 50mm f/1.1 seems a bit more likely.
My next lens will likely be either the 90mm f/2 or some version of 50mm. Since getting the CV 35mm f/1.4, it has helped me realize the Jupiter-8 makes my M6 harder to use than it needs to be. Having said that, I like the Jupiter-8, and have no plan to get rid of it! But then I'm a 50mm addict!
FrankS
Registered User
Here we go agin debating totally subjective opinions, made even more nebulous by individual interpretations of "must have", from the clinically literal to conceptually figurative. Good luck!
back alley
IMAGES
so...does that mean you're not gonna play frank?
