The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

hi everyone, i'm new to this forum so bear with me

Moonshine

New member
Hi all
Just bought my 1st ever Leica purchase...a collapsible 50 summicron for $685 from ebay. Hope i didn't get taken for a ride!
Now to get an M9...thats if i find a used one for a decent price.
Wanted anyones opinion if the coll cron is a good way to start for b&w photography for my hobby. Any quirks about this lens i should know of (for using it on a M9)??
Thank you in advance :)
 

ashwinrao1

Active member
Yup, the collapsible cron, while not super sharp wide open, has a nice classic look and a good place to start with B&W, due to its lower macro-contrast. The price seems about right for the current market, though these used to go for a lot less about a year ago...The following rigid cron and then the current cron perform better, but the collapsible cron is generally well regarded enough to still be used by many B&W shooters. I think HCB used his a lot for many famous shots...
 

Moonshine

New member
Thank you Ashwin
If I were to get a more modern lens which would you recommend? 50mm or 75mm. I was thinking of a Summarit? Or a Zeiss?
 

seakayaker

Active member
If you would like a lot of bang for you buck I would recommend you take a look at the Voigtlander 50/1.5 and 75/2.5 lens if you are looking at adding an additional 50mm or 75mm. You can find them both new, Camerquest and Photo Village, and used here on the buy & sell forum and other forum venues.

You can find some examples by doing a search on Flickr. I also have some examples of the M8.2 and M9 with the 50/1.5 here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26672618@N03/sets/72157624154693002/?page=4

You can find the Leica 50/2.5 & 75/2.5 Summarits new and used but the Summicron and Summilux are scarce at retail prices and the used are fetching a large re-sale price if you can find them. The Zeiss do have a 50/2, 50/1.5 available but they are hard to find at the moment as well. I did notice that BHPhoto do have the 35/2, 35/2.8 and 80/4 available at the moment.

Good luck with the search and welcome!




Good luck
 

ramosa

Member
Moonshine,

Welcome to the forum. The folks here are very helpful and supportive as we all move forward as photographers. I have no experience with the collapsible Cron, but it seems most Leica lenses are excellent. As for the M9, I want one, too. I think I need to wait until January before I can make the purchase. That said, my M8 has treated me very well. I have read good things about the Summarit line. So you have one lense--the collapsible 50--and the 75 would be a second lens. Is that right? If so, you may want to ponder what type of kit you're aiming to build. With a 50, some may then add a 28 or 35 or 90. I don't think I'd want a 50 and 75 for a two-lens kit, but that's just me.
 

seakayaker

Active member
The Voigtlander 50's

50/1.5 = 9.7 oz
50/2 (Nickel) = 10.4 oz
50/2.5 = 8.3 oz
50/3.5 (Nickel) = 6.0 oz

The Leica 50's

50/1.4 = 11.8 oz
50/2 = 8.1 oz
50/2.5 = 8.1 oz

I do believe the Voigtlander is a little longer with hood than the Leica. I have the Leica 50/1.4 and the VC 50/1.5 and I do like them both. Recently the Leica 50/1.4 is the most frequently used lens, but they all are attached to the camera one time or another.

At some point or another I would not mind having the 50/2 Summicron and/or the Voigtlander Nickel Heliar 50/2 lens.

It is an addiction and one must practice time and patience.

Good luck with your search.
 

Moonshine

New member
@ramosa: thanks :)
so 50mm and 75 is not a good idea? are their fov too similar?...haven't tried a 75 yet so don't really know...but it sounds like you are right..maybe i should consider a 90mm instead, tho i've heard its hard to focus for a newbie!
Also its for street photography and i know from most posts on this forum that 35mm is the best for that, but i have to admit, since i'm new to this i guess i'm terribly shy and not very confident about getting close to people :(
i feel safer staying a little further away with a 90 or 75...what do u suggest?

@Dan: thanks, not much difference there, so i'll look for one
 

seakayaker

Active member
Dan, just saw your flickr pics :) loved Table Top Jump

. . . . . thanks for your kind words!

BTW, a 75mm or 90mm works well in the street and distance is not a bad thing when starting out and getting comfortable with the shooting environment.

Lots to read here, on the RFF forum, and I would also recommend that you take a look at sites like Steve Huff reviews, the Leica Forum, and possible Sean Reid site for lens reviews, it is a subscription site but worth the money. Lots of information to sort through but it is helpful.

Good luck with your search!
 
Top