Who of you would choose Zeiss over Leica?

[Ash]

Since I've been moving up in the RF world, with my recent wages from a temp job being splurged on cameras, it led me to think... When I bought the Zorki and FED, my eyes still wandered to the Kiev so I bought one of them too. I preferred using it although it's bulkier, more problems with frame spacing etc, and limited lens choice so I use it less, but prefer the feel.

I have two Leicas, both feel great in the hand, but when the Contax arrives will I find myself using it more? This is under the impression the camera is in as good condition as the auction made out.


Course this is out of curiosity.

The new Zeiss Ikon's, who would choose one over a Leica M? Who prefer's Zeiss to Leica here? I'm talking cameras, not glass in case people want to banter over that too!

 

[darkkavenger]

I'm more interested in Carl Zeiss equipment than Leica, be it vintage or recent. You have to try a 180/2.8 Sonnar to understand what quality is 😉

 

[Magnus]

it's all perception of the mind... leica has the red dot which will cause people to die in "trade wars" Zeisse has the better imaging ... 25mm for instance ... but it lacks the red dot

I don't know what you do, but if your a dentist or such you will prefer leica, if your a serious photog. looking for the best images you'll go for zeiss, just look at the charts and they'll explain it to you

"the magical Leica glow" maybe 40 years ago, but not anymore.

Mind you Leica bodies are the best. I use an M4 for over 30 years now and it#s reckomendable in every situation. Must of done over 200k shots, still slick as a long time 42nd ave. pimp.

 

[mervynyan]

why not have both? a ZI and a MP will rock, but I find myself in a predicament of using only one, so MP is it.

 

[sebastel]

looking at my own experience ... leica body, zeiss lens.
this does not mean that i believe that the current leica lens are bad. it's a matter of preference. i for one don't like some aspects of the look of the aspherical lenses.

cheers,
sebastian

 

[Nachkebia]

I am over zeiss, but just because of money (just sex) no hard feelings 😀

 

[Magnus]

nahhhh forget the Leica and go with Zeiss as a complete kit, if I didn't have all the leica gear I would go for zeiss.

 

[ywenz]

The Ikon looks clumsy, whereas the Leica M looks sleek.

 

[Ash]

you think ywenz? I think the Ikon's look more classy

 

[Nachkebia]

I think leicas are wayy more sleek and classy and sexy than zeiss ikons, expecialy when you hold them 🙂 but again our life is a compromise 🙂

 

[vol72]

Why do we incessantly pit Zeiss against Leica? I have used both makes through the years, and throw out most blanket statements. I believe the majority of us cannot actually see the small differences between the two. Inherent in photographers must be something that demands that we validate ourselves by our choices in camera gear. Buy what you like and go make images. The rest is just grist for the mill.

 

[ywenz]

you think ywenz? I think the Ikon's look more classy

I'm not a fan of the film winder on the Ikon, it looks like a piece of melted metal of abritrary shape.. Its shape conflicts with the rest of the camera design and over all the camera has no strong form or design whatsoever:

But the M... ahhhhh (deep breath)

I've said it before, the Ikon looks like a design where the engineer threw everything they need onto a "block" and called it a camera. From the front view, the Ikon looks like it could have been designed using MS Word and playing around the the page margines feature...

 

[grantray]

I went for the Zeiss over the Leica film body as I have no interest in bottom loading in a crowded street. I'll most likely stick to ZM lenses on the M8 since I've always been wowed by Tessar glass qualities.

-grant

 

[Nachkebia]

ywenz : For me it looks like zeiss was designed by germans (zeiss has kind of medical feel to it 😀 silver one) and leica by italians 😀 😀

 

[ywenz]

Little details like the exposed adjustment screw on the MP and the slotted frameline light window adds to the look of the Leica. The The Zeiss is lacking these details. The flush windows on the Leica also gives it a more ridgid (carved from one piece of metal) look compared to the Ikon's recessed window frames.

 

[Ash]

vol72, I didnt mean to start a big flame-debate thing, I simply wondered who prefers using Zeiss cameras. A lot of photography comes down to comfort. If a camera isn't nice to use, then I won't get as good photo's, since a lot of concentration will be exhausted on using the camera, rather than getting the shot.

 

[Fred]

For use, I'd have to go with the Leica, having said that apart from the Photo Imaging show in Brum earlier this year I'd not had the chance to try the ZI, not in the real world anyway. I seemed to have felt at home with my Leica from the moment I got it. I can't quite say the same about the ZI, its a nice camera and arguably much better value for money but the M does it for me, but so does my Bessa R but for different reasons.

 

[Benjamin Marks]

Happy Hallowe'en. It is always interesting to see people self-report on this stuff. Personally, I was one of those people who voted for the M3 in the recent (?) choose-a-pretty-camera poll. Not the majority opinion, I understand. I suspect (my bias fully showing) that in 50 years, my Leicas will still be snapping. After all, I have 50 year old Leicas that are currently in fine shape. The current brand of Zeisses? Well, we'll just have to see. Check in with me in 50 years and we'll see whose camera is still clicking away. To be fair, I do have a 40 year old Contax and a Nikon RF of similar vintage . . . they do seem to be chugging along just fine. Now if anyone wants to inflict me with a current Zeiss Ikon just to see if my mind can be changed, I'm open to the possibility. . . anyone? Hmmm.

 

[jano]

I think the ikon is actually kinda ugly, the word "medical" certainly comes to mind 😀 But it works very well for me 🙂

I hope someone can adopt the canonet quick load thing.. my god that's awesome. Even though the ZI is normal loading as opposed to the leica's strange bottom loading, I still fumble with it and can't seem to do it quick. *shrug*

 

[sf]

Happy Hallowe'en. It is always interesting to see people self-report on this stuff. Personally, I was one of those people who voted for the M3 in the recent (?) choose-a-pretty-camera poll. Not the majority opinion, I understand. I suspect (my bias fully showing) that in 50 years, my Leicas will still be snapping. After all, I have 50 year old Leicas that are currently in fine shape. The current brand of Zeisses? Well, we'll just have to see. Check in with me in 50 years and we'll see whose camera is still clicking away. To be fair, I do have a 40 year old Contax and a Nikon RF of similar vintage . . . they do seem to be chugging along just fine. Now if anyone wants to inflict me with a current Zeiss Ikon just to see if my mind can be changed, I'm open to the possibility. . . anyone? Hmmm.

I am a Leica lover, for sure. Don't like many things about the Ikon. I do think it has a nicer finder, though. Every other thing, the Leica is tops.