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35mm options for leica M8

sven

New member
I recently bought a new leica M8. I have been a M6 user for quite some time. I have the 35mm asph cron, 40mm cron, 50mm lux asph and the 90mm lenses. Of these my most used focal lengths are 35 and 50. I understand that with the M8 I am going to loose the 35mm considering my lens collection. I would like some opinions about the options for a 35mm equivalent. I love fast lenses and would like at least a f/2 or faster. My research showed that the only option is the 24mm 1.4 Lux but it is almost $6000, am I missing any other option.

Thanks,

Sven
 

sven

New member
My only concern with the 28mm is my 35mm becomes a 45mm on the M8 and 37mm is too close for it.
 

Peter Klein

New member
Sven, I find that I use a 35mm lens on the M8 almost all the time. It is just enough wider than a 50mm on a film M that I find I use it where I might have switched to a 35 with film. I also got a Voigtlander 28/1.9 which I occasionally use, and a Voigtlander 28/3.5 (great lens BTW), which I use mostly outdoors. I don't feel any need to go wider.

I always was a 50mm guy with film. If you really preferred the 35 on film, you might want to go wider on the M8. Another alternative is the Zeiss 25mm. It would be a 32mm equivalent on the M8.

--Peter
 

glenerrolrd

Workshop Member
A lot depends on the subject of your photography. Then I would look at the reason you are changing your lens( FOV). With wide angles it should be about changing perspective. You can almost always shoot the same thing with a 28 and a 35 ....would you really change a lens for this?

The most common solution when the M8 came out was to trade out the 35/2 for the 28/2 . This gives you a 37 and a 67 (from the 50) ...both fast enough and with the most common range covered well. Then you add a 21/2.8asph , a WATE or one of the two Zeiss ZM lenses (18/4 or 21/2.8) if you need wider than 37 . Or a 75/2 to get a 100mm equivalent.
 

sven

New member
I never realized there was a zeiss 25mm M mount lens. I was just searching for 28 or 24mm options. I do have the old Zeiss contax 25mm so I should have known. Thanks for the suggestion Peter, I will definitely look at this option. I also use the 50mm for about 60 to 70% of the time, I have the sonnar and voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 apart from my 50mm Lux, so you can see that I love 50mm lenses.

You are right Roger, I don't think there is much of difference between 28 and 35 in a cropped sensor.

I am just going to look at the Zeiss 25mm to see if I like it. Hope one of the Dallas dealers will have one in stock for me to try. I may try the Cron 28mm also. Otherwise I am going to enjoy the M8 with lenses that I already own.

Thank you for your suggestions,

Sven
Thanks,
 

sven

New member
There are a couple of dealers in Dallas. Cooter's camera and Arlington camera, but I do not have any personal experience with either of the two, since I recently moved to this region. I am planning to check them out but do not have very high hopes since when I was in Dallas around 10 years back I remember visiting Cooters who seemed barely reasonably stocked but very pricey.

Sven.
 

cmb_

Subscriber & Workshop Member
Sven, the Zeiss 25mm is a nice lens, very sharp, good contrast, and an excellent bargain (I have one), but it is 2.8, not f2 or faster as you say you desire in the original post. It is certainly worth looking at.
 

sven

New member
Yes I saw that it is 2.8 but I guess there are no other options in the 24/25mm except the 24mm 1.4 which is way too expensive for me. So I will try the zeiss 25mm and the cron 28mm and see which would suit me better. I really like the Zeiss focal length(25) but the Cron's speed(f/2)... sigh.

Thanks for you input about the zeiss. I would like to know about the depth of field wide open, how is it with the M8. I ask because I want to have a reasonably shallow dof. I am aware that wider the lens, the dof increases for the same f stop.

Sven
 
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Double Negative

Not Available
Grab yourself a 2,8/25 Biogon ZM. My favorite M lens, and stupid sharp. All the usual "Zeissisms" as well; great contrast, high microcontrast, nice bokeh, no distortion or vignetting...
 

mathomas

Active member
Sven,

Were you able to find a lens?

Unless you absolutely demand a new lens, just keep your eyes peeled for a used copy of the Zeiss 25mm. I've only bought one new lens out of six I've owned in my less than six months of Leica ownership. People are always selling perfect lenes on this and other photography forums (I've bought two Zeiss here and just bought a 50mm Zeiss Planar on rangefinderforum.com).

Good luck...
 

sven

New member
Mathomas

I have not found the lens yet, but I am on the look out for a nice used one.

Thanks,

Sven
 

mathomas

Active member
Bummer. Since they are so beloved by their owners, I guess they don't come up for sale as much as the others. It seems as though it takes either someone a) getting out of rangefinder stuff or b) moving to the M9 and not caring for 25mm on full-frame, in order to put their 25mm on the market.

Mathomas

I have not found the lens yet, but I am on the look out for a nice used one.

Thanks,

Sven
 
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