And that universe seems rather large! Without starting any kind of flaming debate, can anyone provide a from-the-hip-without-excruciating-technical-detail assessment of the perceived qualities of the 3 major lens mfgs (Leica, Zeiss, CV) that fit the M8? At this early stage I'd like to hear some informed generalizations about the products from each--some "conventional wisdom" about the differences between the three.
I would be extremely cautious about many over-generalizations with these three brands. It's done all the time and the result is usually an inacurate picture of the specific lenses involved. That said, having tested these lenses very extensively for several years now, the following generalizations are, to my mind, often valid.
The Zeiss lenses tend to have the highest contrast and best flare resistance of the three and can tend to have very high resolution either on center, in the outer zones or in both. In some cases, Zeiss produces the highest resolution RF lens of a given focal length range (18 mm ish, for example). Certain Zeiss RF lenses are exemplary.
The current Leica lenses tend to be moderately high to high contrast, tend to show very low CA and often show fairly high resolution across the frame. I've yet to run across a Leica lens that was even mediocre; they tend to be excellent across the board.
The CV lenses can be either high or low contrast (depending on the model chosen). Some show noticeable CA wide open and some show none wide open. In some cases, a CV lens can show equal or better resolution than a Zeiss or Leica lens but sample variability, with some lenses, can be more common. A good sample of a good CV lens model can be an exceptional value, delivering performance that seems almost impossible for its price.
Again, one really needs to look at specific lenses. The greatest amount of misinformation tends to be circulated about CV lenses because brand pre-conceptions are still powerful. Also, its very important to keep in mind that lenses draw in different ways and this is an important factor in the choosing as well.
Cheers,
Sean