Leica advice needed

ndwgolf

ndwgolf

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Neil Williams
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Guys
I have decided to buy a new Leica and was going to get a new M9-P but the folks here in Malaysia are recommending I wait until the end of the year and get the M10
Anyway my question is what would be a good first time lens to get with it, preferably for street photography?
Any tips advice would be much apreaceated
Neil
 
The top lenses you are looking at:

Leica 35mm f/1.4 Summilux ASPH FLE
Leica 50mm f/1.4 Summilux ASPH
Leica 50mm f/2 Summicron ASPH
Leica 50mm f/0.95 Noctilux ASPH

I've got the 50mm Summilux ASPH and it's a great lens. The 35 or 50 is entirely your choice. Although some of these lenses can be on a 9-12 months waiting list. You could always get the 35mm f/2 Summicron ASPH which is cheaper or the 50mm f/2 Summicron (non-ASPH) which are still great lenses or even the Leica 28mm f/2 Summicron ASPH.

The top Leica lens in terms of performance looks to be the new £5,400 50mm f/2 Summicron ASPH, but it should be for the price. I'm waiting for an M10 and if I were you that's what I'd do.
 
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You were telling us the other day you didn't have money to burn... :D

But seriously, have you used a Leica? They are an acquired taste, and call it a hunch, but I think it's taste you may not easily acquire. Just have a go with one first.

Classic Leica lenses for street photography are the 35mm and 50mm jobbies mentioned above.
 
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HoppyUK said:
You were telling us the other day you didn't have money to burn... :D
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I don't but thats not to say the I don't have money, I have a job I make money and I spend it......"You never see a hearse with a trailer on it"

HoppyUK said:
But seriously, have you used a Leica?
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Never but then I never tried a D3s before I bought that

HoppyUK said:
Leica lenses for street photography are the 35mm and 50mm jobbies mentioned above
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I think I will try the 35mm first and build on that and if like you say I find the Leica is not my cup of tea then I will sell it and try something else.


Thanks for the input
 
ndwgolf said:
I don't but thats not to say the I don't have money, I have a job I make money and I spend it......"You never see a hearse with a trailer on it"

Never but then I never tried a D3s before I bought that

I think I will try the 35mm first and build on that and if like you say I find the Leica is not my cup of tea then I will sell it and try something else.


Thanks for the input
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Your D3s is like a modern Japanese four, a Leica is more like your Harley, but with a kick-start and gear shift that you have to lean down and change with your hand. Some people love 'em though.
 
HoppyUK said:
Your D3s is like a modern Japanese four, a Leica is more like your Harley, but with a kick-start and gear shift that you have to lean down and change with your hand. Some people love 'em though.
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Sounds just like the thing Neil Williams needs, just need to see if this guy is going to come down on his price a wee bit, and I will be part of the Leica crew......just checked the price of a 2nd hand Summilux f1.4 35mm OMG $7k:eek::eek:
 
ndwgolf said:
Sounds just like the thing Neil Williams needs, just need to see if this guy is going to come down on his price a wee bit, and I will be part of the Leica crew......just checked the price of a 2nd hand Summilux f1.4 35mm OMG $7k:eek::eek:
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Haha! Leica will clean you out like a fine curry. But I expect you're used to that. All part of the Leica appeal.

You'll love the engineering though :)
 
I started with a 35/2, then got an ancient 90/28, and probably 95% of all my leica time is with those two. Very happy indeed.

But if I had the cash right now, I'd be waiting to see what the M10 brings! Perhaps buy an 8.2 and a used 35, so you can be practiced when the m10 turns up? You won't lose much on the 8.2 and it'll let you know if rangefinders are for you!
 
ndwgolf said:
Sounds just like the thing Neil Williams needs, just need to see if this guy is going to come down on his price a wee bit, and I will be part of the Leica crew......just checked the price of a 2nd hand Summilux f1.4 35mm OMG $7k:eek::eek:
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A used 35 Summilux FLE (the newest one) sold for $5200 from Red Dot Cameras the other week. You can get them new from Adorama for about $5k if you want to wait, but the inflated prices used are for people who don't want to wait. Digital Rev has one for £3,800 or $6,000 in stock. The problem is the market is crazy right now with the M9, CSC cameras that can take M lenses and collectors etc and with the M10 coming will only get worse.

You don't have to spend that much though. You can look at the older Summilux 35s pre-ASPH (about £1,300 to £1,500 used) or the 35mm Summicron f/2 pre-ASPH version 4 known as 'The King of Bokeh' (£1,400 to £1,600 used) which give that nice classic Leica glow. The ASPH lenses can be too clinical for some and the character of the older lenses is appealing.

Really you can't go wrong with a used 35 Summicron f/2 ASPH (£1,500 used), or even the older Summilux ASPH version that doesn't have the floating lens element which can be had for about £2,250 used. You can use Zeiss lenses too, but part of the draw of Leica is to shoot Leica lenses.
 
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Lens choice when shooting a leica is more about what kind of look you are wanting- you can get clean, clinical and sharp from the modern leica lenses, a more classic look from the older pre ASPH lenses and go real old school with screw fit lenses with M adaptors. There are then the voigtlander lenses which are cheaper but have a look of their own again. The zeiss lenses are superb and inexpensive when compared to the leica ones and do have the 'zeiss' look to them. Sharp, good colour contrast and that 3D 'pop' that some find appealing. It is worth trawling flickr, rangefinderforum and leica forum to get an idea of the different 'looks' from each lens.

As for me, I shoot film in an M6 and own 3 lenses, a 35mm f2 summicron v3, a 50mm f1.4 voigtlander and a 90mm f2.8 elmarit. Each has their own look and I have no urge to go with newer lenses, especially as I mainly shoot B&W film.
 
ndwgolf said:
I have decided to buy a new Leica and was going to get a new M9-P but the folks here in Malaysia are recommending I wait until the end of the year and get the M10
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Hmmmm.

Everybody seems to "know" that the M10 will be announced at Photokina. Even if Leica have them ready to ship on 24th September (and somehow I doubt it) I think you'd be lucky to had one by the end of the year.

Just get an X-Pro 1 ;)
 
The problem with the Zeiss ZM lenses is they are made for film, not the M9 which means front focus. As a rule of thumb if you can afford Leica, buy Leica. You can always try the Zeiss 50mm f/2 or 35mm f/2 and the 21mm f/2.8 if you want to go wider. A bonus is they are almost always in stock. The Voigtlander 35mm f/1.2 Nokton VII is another interesting lens, although a considerable chunk of glass for small camera.

For me the M9 camera was immediately improved by a Thumbs Up grip (get one) and the M9 grip and a x1.25 eyepiece for easier focusing. A nice 3 lens set up would be a 21/35/75 or even a 90 if you wanted longer (the max is 135mm). Leica also do a 'budget' Summarit lens range which is limited to f/2.5 with a 35/50/75/90 which range from about £1,050 to £1,260 new.

Really you can go many ways depending on budget and what you want from your pictures. In essence from about 21mm to 90mm you aren't going to find anything better.
 
Lots of great advice here, I am really tempted to get this M9-P if I can get it for 6k american as they are normally ~8k new and it is only 10 months old with a 750 shutter count, I am sure that if and when the M10 comes out the price is going to be escalated for at least the first 12 months and hay if I can get the M9-P for 6k I am sure that I could sell it at a later date for not much less than that and get an M10 then.
Anyway the Thread was about lens so I will take to bed with me all these ideas/recommendations and make an executive decision once I know what happens with the M9-P
 
New Toy arrived last night from the UK.........
newtoybf.jpg
 
Good choice; but I don't understand the reasoning with going for the P version? May be it's just my overinflated ego that must have the red dot to say it's a Leica?! :p

About the lens, do not discount the Voigtlander range of lens. Initially I wanted the Leica 35/1.4 but that had a waiting list, got the f/2 then bought the Voigtlander 1.4 and I can't fault that. Not as sexy as Leica, not as flashy, and probably will not handle as well under extreme conditions, but for 1/6th the price, well worth it.

I've since also bought the Voigtlander 75/1.8 and that too is another sexy lens.

Anyway, stop reading and go out and enjoy it ... it is an acquired taste, and I've grown to love it.
 
I got the P because it's the latest model and I like it without the red dot
Been out shooting already and enjoying the experience even though my first attempt at using it was a huge learning curve
 
You've got to oust some pictures .. Not of the camera!
 
Focusing is OK (When I remember to focus it) meaning I guess I have been so used to auto focus that I sometimes forget to focus ..................yesterday I was in a great location and I had three guys, a Jew, Muslim, and a Philippineo Christian sitting on a bench waiting for the bus, I made a noise and the all looked back at me and I hit the shutter and moved off, on the LCD Histogram the exposure looked perfect but to my horror when I downloaded it it was completely out of focus. Anyway to answer your other question about how does it feel in the hands it just feels perfect, the dials are easy to access and if feels "German made" if you know what I mean.....this new toy will be with me for a long while
 
ndwgolf said:
Focusing is OK (When I remember to focus it) meaning I guess I have been so used to auto focus that I sometimes forget to focus ..................yesterday I was in a great location and I had three guys, a Jew, Muslim, and a Philippineo Christian sitting on a bench waiting for the bus, I made a noise and the all looked back at me and I hit the shutter and moved off, on the LCD Histogram the exposure looked perfect but to my horror when I downloaded it it was completely out of focus. Anyway to answer your other question about how does it feel in the hands it just feels perfect, the dials are easy to access and if feels "German made" if you know what I mean.....this new toy will be with me for a long while
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Yeah, focusing... :D

Try pre-set zone focusing for that kind of grab shot. Basically pre-set the focus with a high enough f/number, so that you know everything between two points will be sharp. Eg, 35mm lens at f/5.6, pre-set focus to 12ft and it'll be sharp from 8ft to 24ft.

Check it out here http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html
 
HoppyUK said:
Yeah, focusing... :D

Try pre-set zone focusing for that kind of grab shot. Basically pre-set the focus with a high enough f/number, so that you know everything between two points will be sharp. Eg, 35mm lens at f/5.6, pre-set focus to 12ft and it'll be sharp from 8ft to 24ft.

Check it out here http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html
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Thanks for that
 
Easiest way to focus is the broken line method (look for a vertical line), the coincidence method (repeating pattern) and the contrast method (do the broken line or coincidence method then a slight adjustment and it should pop). Consider getting a 1.25x or 1.4x magnifier to aid accuracy. It does lower contrast and brightness in the viewfinder, but they are useful. Diopter lenses are also available.

It's not a camera you pick up and are shooting perfect pictures with immediately, there is a learning curve. You'll start to prefocus and get faster at attaining focus the more you practice.
 
Laudrup said:
<snip>

It's not a camera you pick up and are shooting perfect pictures with immediately, there is a learning curve. You'll start to prefocus and get faster at attaining focus the more you practice.
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But isn't that the case with every camera bar point & shoot and camera-phones?! Unless, in the world of manual focus range finders the SLR is a point and shoot :p
 
An SLR pretty much is a point and shoot if you want it to be whereas a manual focus camera (not just a Rangefinder) can't be
 
Learn to shoot with both eyes open, also remember that the location of the tab is a guide too - all the way to the right: infinity, straight down: 1.3m (depends on lens, could be anywhere between 1.2 and 1.5), all the way left: 0.7m. For lenses without tabs I just leave them on infinity so I'll always turn the ring in one direction although with practice you'll realise that a half turn lands in you in the 1.2-1.5m range, eventually you'll be able to prefocus the camera before you raise it to your eye for fine tweaking.
 
ernesto said:
An SLR pretty much is a point and shoot if you want it to be whereas a manual focus camera (not just a Rangefinder) can't be
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Older manual cameras can be quite easily used as a "point and shoot" as you can set them up before you take the shot. Certainly that's how I used my rangfinders much of the time.

All you do once you've set your camera up... is point and shoot... it's that aspect that I miss with FBW systems that seem to be taking over the world and why I use a manual lens on my CSC, so that I can setup, point and shoot :D

Actually, I still use my DSLR in that way to this day :D
 
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I'd advise against using it like a point and shoot or you'll be sorely disappointed. Take time to practice focusing and you'll be rewarded. You also by Leica law have to take a self portrait looking into a mirror.
 
woof woof said:
Older manual cameras can be quite easily used as a "point and shoot" as you can set them up before you take the shot. Certainly that's how I used my rangfinders much of the time.
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To a point by using a smallish aperture and creating a large zone. Then point it at something too close and your stuffed. That is compromised (can't use a large aperture) and not point and shoot in my book...
 
Ah, you mean like a compact camera set to full auto? I see.

Zone focusing is a great and very quick way to use manual cameras :D
 
Well a DSLR on full auto works the same as a compact on full auto (or that is the idea)

And don't tell me about zone focusing - I owned an Olympus Trip :)
 
Yup. So did I.

Sadly I've moved away from film and so sold most of my film gear here including the trip.

Rangfinders are different again though, don't know if you've owned or used one? In fact some cameras didn't even have a VF at all.
 
Never got round to buying a Rangefinder but always wanted one. I never really got into film was just playing with it and had a Trip and an OM10 with a 50 1.8 so have experience with manual focus.

I loved the simplicity of the Trip. If a digital version was made with same zone focusing, same functionality, same lens, same power method (lack of buttons and no screen so may just have enough power from that material around the lens that I can't remember the name of!), and an APS-C sensor I would buy one tomorrow.

I may be the only person that did though which is why it will never be made...
 
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