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Lens for a Leica M-E (240)

Robby

pfm Member
I owned a Leica M9 a few years ago and ever since regretted selling it and the three lenses I had.

I'm (gulp) 50 this year and wanted to get something a bit special for my Birthday. I have just ordered a Leica M-E (240) and looking for a lens to go with it.

My favourite focal length was always 35mm - was a goldilocks lens for me. Not too long, not too short. I could just leave it on the camera and for most instances it did the job.

I cannot stretch really to any of the Leica 35mm's and so looking for a compromise for the short to medium term.

Any thoughts on the offerings from Zeiss and Voigtlander or am I doing myself and the camera a disservice and simply pick up an older Leica 35mm?

Any thoughts welcome please.
 
It all depends on how your going to use the lens, do you need f/1.4 or will f/2, f/2.5, etc do, if f/2.5 would suit what you want from a lens you can find the Leica 35mm f/2.5 used at very good prices.
 
Or the Voigtlander 40, there's both a 1.2 and 1.4 variant and the prices are very reasonable. I'd definitely investigate those if 35mm is your preferred length, as 40mm works very well. I guess you won't have framelines for that though, not sure if that's a big deal!
 
Robby,
The older Leica 35 2.8 Summaron is an excellent lens, if you're happy with a 2.8 max aperture. If you have bit more cash, the older 35/2 Summicrons and 35/1.4 pre-aspheric summiluxes are excellent.
The Voigt 35/1.4 is quite similar to the older pre-asph 35/1.5 Lux, if you want to save some money.
Charlie
 
Thanks for all the suggestions. Some of the Voigtlanders look pretty good. There is a 35mm Summarit on eBay at the moment that looks pretty good although I may try and find something faster.
 
If you want the smallest size and weight, then either the Leica 35/1.4 pre-asph lux (tiny but realistically £1100-1500) or this Voigt 35/1.4, which is not dissimilar
https://www.lcegroup.co.uk/Used/Voigtlander-Nokton-35mm-f1.2_244482.html

I’ve had two of the Leicas over the years, and to be honest I found them pretty poor wide open. I don’t know if it’s the case with the M240, but with the M8 not all examples of the lens would fit the camera without modification.
 
I’ve had two of the Leicas over the years, and to be honest I found them pretty poor wide open. I don’t know if it’s the case with the M240, but with the M8 not all examples of the lens would fit the camera without modification.

The Pre-asph 35/1.4 Leica Summilux is soft wide open and can flare, if pointed into the sun. Optically it is almost identical to the same vintage 35/2 Summicron, but it opens up a stop faster. My 35/1.4 pre-asph lux has been my go to lens with my film Ms, my M9 and M10 - no problems with the rear shroud fouling.

Great thing about the older pre-asph Lux is that it is tiny. I can put my M10/M9 (with the 35/1.4 attached) into a jacket pocket - no need to carry a camera bag, if you want to travel unobtrusively.

Here's a shot from last weekend at the Goodwood Revival using the 35 lux and M10

tl8Kmb.jpg
 
Ideally I am looking for something a little more compact. The Voigtlander 35mm 1.4 (the latest version) seems to be a good buy. Alternatively, I may compromise and go for a 50mm - they seem to be cheaper for most brands.
 
Ideally I am looking for something a little more compact. The Voigtlander 35mm 1.4 (the latest version) seems to be a good buy. Alternatively, I may compromise and go for a 50mm - they seem to be cheaper for most brands.

35 or 50 - you'll find many differing viewpoints about which focal length people prefer. But there's no point in buying a lens you don't really want. If you like the 35 FL, then buy a 35. The Voigtlander 35/1.4 is a very decent performer at the money. It ain't as good as the current Leica 35/1.4 FLE, but it's less than a quarter of the cost.
 
I'm old enough (60) to remember the days when Leicas were just nice cameras, rather than religious icons, and were considered to be alternatives to Zeiss, Nikon, Pentax etc, and certainly not in the same league as the likes of Alpa, Mamiya and Contax, but in reality a film camera is just a box with a door that opens and closes on a timer, and the body really didn't have much influence on the eventual image quality. Digital cameras changed all that and it's difficult to argue with the fact that the M240 isn't state of the art or very nearly so. In the film era the lens was the ultimate arbiter of quality and the accepted ideal (in the 70's) was to fit a Zeiss 35mm to a Leica body as it was generally felt that the Zeiss lenses were superior.
Leitz have, in more recent years made some really brilliant lenses, but some lenses (not just Leica) have become 'legendary' for no real reason.
In pure technical terms the Zeiss Planar 50mm f1.4 out-resolved the equivalent Leica (the Summicron M f2) in the late 70s, but look at their relative values now! I have that Zeiss lens, but I'm afraid that on my cameras (crop sensor Fuji X) the Fujinon 35mm f 1.4 out resolves even that lens by a notable margin. On full frame 35mm is a lovely angle of view, and most lenses available that will fit the M240 will be excellent, and modern lenses, are, technically, better, if made properly - manufacturing tolerances probably more important than design now. If I was going to treat myself to a Leica, I'd probably go for a Q2.
 
I use an M10 and a Q2, plus my Leica III and my son uses M6.

I've used the Zeiss 50/2 and 35/2, but in use I just prefer the Leica 35/2 ASPH. The Zeiss really are great value.

My son uses the Zeiss 50/2 on his M6, has the Voightlander 35/2.5 Skopar and has recently bought the 35/2 Ultron.
https://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2019/05/04/the-voigtlander-35-f-2-ultron-review-vintage-perfection/

Leica is all about the lenses, so if you can stretch to a used 35/2 ASPH, do so, otherwise Zeiss 35/2 Biogon.
 
Thanks for the replies again. The M-E arrived yesterday and it really is a stunning piece of art in it’s own right.

Part of me wants to go for a Zeiss or Voiglander lens but I get a nagging feeling that I am going to want to swap it out at some point for a Leica thus losing money in the short to medium term (unless I go 2nd hand). The Leica 35mm looks like a great lens.

I went through a load of photos the other day from when I had the M9. I had a the 35mm Summarit and 50mm Summicron at the time and it seems to me that I used the 50mm around 75% of the time which tells it’s own story.

As mentioned before I am looking to get a fit and forget lens and try alter my photography to fit that lens.
 
Thanks for the replies again. The M-E arrived yesterday and it really is a stunning piece of art in it’s own right.

Part of me wants to go for a Zeiss or Voiglander lens but I get a nagging feeling that I am going to want to swap it out at some point for a Leica thus losing money in the short to medium term (unless I go 2nd hand). The Leica 35mm looks like a great lens.

I went through a load of photos the other day from when I had the M9. I had a the 35mm Summarit and 50mm Summicron at the time and it seems to me that I used the 50mm around 75% of the time which tells it’s own story.

As mentioned before I am looking to get a fit and forget lens and try alter my photography to fit that lens.

The only issue with the Leica 50/2 is that it does not have a thumb guide and personally I don’t like the extendable hood. It’s very sharp and one of the best value Leica lenses.
 
The only issue with the Leica 50/2 is that it does not have a thumb guide and personally I don’t like the extendable hood. It’s very sharp and one of the best value Leica lenses.

Ah - forgot about the focus thumb guide. Not sure if it ever bothered me. The extendable hood was a bit of a pain - other than the fact you could never lose it!

I think the Summilux has a thumb guide and a better hood it seems.........
 
The only issue with the Leica 50/2 is that it does not have a thumb guide and personally I don’t like the extendable hood. It’s very sharp and one of the best value Leica lenses.

I don't find the lack of a thumb guide an issue, I find that the lens barrel is long enough to grip with a thumb and index finger. Obviously that's a personal thing. It would have been nice if the lens hood had been locking like in other lenses with fixed hoods though.
 


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