Zeiss for M8, 6-bit etc..

[marbrink]

I ordered a M8 today. I really hope I made the right decision. 🙂
I currently only have a 50mm summicron lens. I figured I will need a 21mm and a 35mm as well. For the 35mm I think I will go for a nice used 35mm summicron or summilux. As for the 21mm I've been thinking of the Zeiss biogon because I don't want to pay 3000 USD's for the Leica 21mm and I've heard really good things about the Zeiss 21mm as well. My question is if anyone know how wide Zeiss lenses or all lenses for that mather will work on the M8 without 6-bit coding? And will the 6-bit work on the Zeiss's as they will work on Leica lenses?

 

[phototone]

Leica has stated that all "Leica" lenses will work, even without the coding. This implies that there will be a manual way (thru a menu) to "set" the characteristics of the lens to the camera. If this is so, then there is no reason why any lens that can be mounted on the camera shouldn't work. The big question is whether one can "program" in the corrections needed for each lens different vignetting and chromatic distortions due to it's interaction with the digital imager sensor. The Zeiss lenses are marketed as being "digital ready", which implies that they have been "corrected" in ways to make them more suitable for a digital imager sensor.

 

[greggebhardt]

There is no doubt that Zeiss lenses will work on the M8. I think Zeiss knew exactly what the market would be looking for. I suspect that many will find it hard to look closley at these lenses.

 

[Mark Norton]

To my knoweldge, Leica have NOT said that you will be able to set the lens type manually for an uncoded lens. They have said the features which are provided when the lens coding is known will not be available for uncoded lenses.

It will still be possible to use almost all lenses on the M8 but the features built into the firmware which require knowledge of the lens type mounted will only be available to coded lenses.

Commercially, Leica are at a cost disadvantage to Zeiss because their lenses are made in Germany where most Zeiss M lenses are made in Japan and the coding is one way for Leica to provide added value to encourage users to buy their lenses instead of CV or Zeiss. The difference between Zeiss and Leica lens prices is much smaller for those Zeiss lenses made in Germany.

 

[back alley]

german wages & benefits are higher i believe.

 

[sreidvt]

To my knoweldge, Leica have NOT said that you will be able to set the lens type manually for an uncoded lens. They have said the features which are provided when the lens coding is known will not be available for uncoded lenses.

It will still be possible to use almost all lenses on the M8 but the features built into the firmware which require knowledge of the lens type mounted will only be available to coded lenses.

I think Mark's summary of the information Leica has given publically is quite accurate.

Cheers,

Sean

 

[Mark Norton]

Germany has some of the highest unit labour costs in the World, due in part to the high standard of living, the generous health, welfare and retirement benefits and the costs of improving life for people in the former East Germany.

All that, combined with the high labour content, the cost-no-object use of exotic glasses and materials and the extremely high precision in Leica's lenses makes them expensive. If I was Leica, I too would be looking for added value which sets my lenses apart from the competition, provides further justification for the high price and makes them the natural choice.

Sean's comparative reviews of Zeiss vs Leica lenses have often shown the two to be very close in performance but Zeiss have a clear cost advantage. I think it would be a sad day if Leica lens production for the M and R cameras was moved out of Solms/Wetzlar for cost reasons.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

::sigh::

I'm sure Wall Street is a little more fun, for good speculation is usually researched beforehand.

 

[Simon Larbalestier]

I ordered a M8 today. I really hope I made the right decision. 🙂
I currently only have a 50mm summicron lens. I figured I will need a 21mm and a 35mm as well. For the 35mm I think I will go for a nice used 35mm summicron or summilux. As for the 21mm I've been thinking of the Zeiss biogon because I don't want to pay 3000 USD's for the Leica 21mm and I've heard really good things about the Zeiss 21mm as well. My question is if anyone know how wide Zeiss lenses or all lenses for that mather will work on the M8 without 6-bit coding? And will the 6-bit work on the Zeiss's as they will work on Leica lenses?

I'm sure you've made a good choice and like you i'm looking at the ZM 21/2.8 to use as an equivalent 28 FOV with the M8 and for me, it would work out a simplier option than buying the Ricoh GRD for a stand-alone 28mm which i was also thinking of after having seen the quality of Mitch Alland's prints from the GRD.

 

[marbrink]

Thanks Simon. I've also been thinking of starting out with just a 28mm and the 50mm I already have. A 28mm is about a 37mm lens which is the closest to the 35mm I've used mostly when shooting slr and rangefinders.
But it's nice to be able to go wider and to have a 28mm equivalent would be nice.
Regarding the Ricoh it's a nice camera but the resolution is too low and the noise too high for me to consider it a serious option. I'm sure it's possible to make very good prints from it but that's possible from most cameras.

 

[Simon Larbalestier]

Regarding the Ricoh it's a nice camera but the resolution is too low and the noise too high for me to consider it a serious option. I'm sure it's possible to make very good prints from it but that's possible from most cameras.

Still having seen the 800 ASA images printed very large from the GRD- from what i've seen (and i'm sure this depends very much on the type of suject matter and individual preferences) i didn't find the images noisy but these were b/w images.
As a walk around pocketable P&S i think it's a very powerful tool.

 

[marbrink]

Simon,
Yes it is, if you like the 28mm focal length. The GR-D has less resolution than my Canon Powershot S80 though but I guess that's only slightly visible on screen or in large prints. I like the S80 but the lens has a bit too much distortion at the wide end.

 

[marbrink]

Simon,
I traded my S80 for a GR Digital today because I wasn't happy about how the S80 handled. The S80 has a bit less noise, zoom and slightly more resolution than GR Digital but everything else I like more with the GR Digital. Great build, responsive, fun, low distortion, very close macro, DNG and more. I could use ISO 800 for B&W but wouldn't use it for color. There's a lot of color noise and a drop in resolution from ISO 400 to 800.

 

[gurtch]

I use DX Optics Pro with my 1DsII, and various lenses. Wouldn't be without it. It corrects CA, vignetting, barrel, pincussion distortion, noise etc. I would think it would be a "NATURAL" for them to come out with correction modules for the M8 with a plethora of 2nd paerty lenses.....M8 with Voigtlander 15mm, 21mm, etc, ZM lenses et al. I'm hoping that will be the case, as I intend to try my CV 15, 21, and 35mm lenses, as well as my 24mm Leica ASPH lenses on my M8, which I have advance ordered.
Dave G in NJ

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

I'm curious to see how much CA is exhibited by various rangefinder lenses.

So far, when using my Canon 20D or Rebel, the only lenses that did not exhibit any CA at all were my three Leica R-mount lenses: 28 Elmarit-R (second version), 50 Summicron-R (latest non-ROM) and 90 Summicron-R (pre-APO version).

The lens that exhibited the worst CA/fringing has been the Canon 17-40 L, mainly wide open.