Zeiss ZM 35mm F2 Biogon or Leica 35mm F2 Summicron

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bherman

bherman
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I currently have a Leica M8.2 and Leica 28mm, 50mm and 90mm lenses. I'm now looking for a 35mm for my M8.2, which translates to almost a 50mm lens.

The 35mm F2 Biogon gets pretty good reviews, but I hear that may folks complain about 'lens-barrel wobble' on certain lenses. The 35mm F2 Summicron (new) will run 3x the price of the Biogon. I can get a mint, used Summicron for about $2200.00, while the Biogon would run be $1100.00 after the 6-bit coding, including the optional shade. Is it worth the additional $1k?

Any experiences with these two lenses? Is the Summicron the 'hands-down' winner, or is the Zeiss 35mm Biogon something to consider? I can get the Biogon 6-bit coded by John Milich.

Thx

Brad
 
Hi Brad,I had the Biogon and now the Summicron V4 and IMO for my taste I like the V4 better. The Biogon is sharp and contrasty I think sharper than the the V4 but the lower contrast of V4 is ideal for me for B&W. If you want contrast go for Biogon. Btw, the V4 price (used) now is from range of $1200-$1500 depends on the condition. The rectangular hood of V4 looks so cool also.

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I owned the Biogon 35/2 and I loved it. The copy I owned was an early serial number -- I bought the lens when the Ikon system was fairly new. Never had any wobble and for a good number of years, the 35/2 was the only lens I ever used on my M6TTL.

I found myself wanting a tighter view, more often, so I opted for a faster 50. Either of the two lenses you're looking at are likely to be stellar performers. If I bought another 35 I'd most likely buy a 35/2 v4 summicron or the ASPH 35/2 summicron.

The biogon is great, but if you're ready to drop $1100, buy some Leica glass instead -- It'll hold its value.
 
bherman said:
<snip>Is it worth the additional $1k?<snip>
Click to expand...

It is very easy to be caught in the "it costs more, so it just has to be better" mode of thinking.

It is also easy to be caught in the "I don't have the absolute best lens, so my photos can't be best" mode of thinking.

I shoot with the 35mm ZI f2.0 Biogon, never wished for the Leica equivalent. All I have to do is look at my photos vs. some of the masters. I conclude that the difference is 100% in my talent and not hardware. So I spend my money on film and going places to shoot.
 
I have both and use the Zeiss for color film, and the Leica for B/W. For the way I develop the film I use (400VC, HP5+) the higher contrast of the Zeiss gives the colors more pop, and the lower contrast of the Leica makes the photos look creamier.

My Zeiss did develop some lens wobble, but it was more of annoyance than an issue with photo quality. I did eventually have the wobble fixed (locally in Manila), and it cost me less than $20. It never came back after.

Hope that helps!
 
I had a Biogon as my main lens for 18 months. Absolutely no problems with it (no wobble and like Bob said, I knew that any faults in my photos were mine and not the lens'). It is a great all-rounder lens and really, really shines with color.

Now I have Summicron ASPH, but how that came about is a long story that has absolutely nothing to do with the image quality of either lens. I have realized, though, I like the focusing tab on the Summicron and its smaller size, but neither of those attributes would have been enough for me to switch without a weird series of events that led to the Summicron's delivery.

If you're mainly concerned with image quality, you won't be disappointed with either lens.

EDIT: I noticed that you are using an M8. In two weeks of shooting my Biogon with a borrowed M8, I did notice that wide open, I would get some strong color fringing along high contrast edges (close white flower petals on dark background), even in the center of the frame. This seemed to happen only wide open (or nearly so) -- by 2.8 it was gone -- and when shooting near minimum focus distance. Whether that's an important issue depends on your usual subject matter and shooting style, I suppose. I have never used the Summicron (pre-asph or ASPH) in that way, so I have no idea how they would handle that situation.
 
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