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Where to find good "M mount lenses for dummies" info?

emr

Member
I do not have an M mount camera of any kind and most likely will never have. But I'm just interested in all kinds of photographic gear. I see frequently mentions of Summarit this and Summicron that, Noctilux this and Zeiss ZM that and they make no sense to me. So is there a "for dummies" data source on the different kinds of M mount lenses somewhere?

Thanks in advance.
 

seakayaker

Active member
You might try . . . . .

ken rockwell leica reviews

or

http://diglloyd.com/index-free.html#LeicaM

or

http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/all-reviews/leica-reviews/


or http://www.reidreviews.com/articleindextable.html

Look around the first three sites and you should be able to get a lot of the information that you seek. The Sean Reid reviews website is a paid subscription site and worth the money if you are looking for in depth comparison between, Leica, Zeiss, Voigtlander, and other LTM & M mount lens used on M cameras.
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
Personally, I'd never send anyone to Ken Russell's site for real information. I just read through his Leica stuff and it's just laughably ridiculous.

I've scanned about a dozen websites purporting to inform people about Leica gear. Most are poor, or full of personal opinions. Erwin Puts' online reviews of Leica lenses are often impenetrable. Clowns like Ken Russell make it a mockery. It's sad.

Leica has been around in 35mm format (arguably was the inventor of 35mm format!) the longest and has a rich history in both camera and lens design. There are many excellent books available on Leica camera and lens history ...

I don't presume to know the most accurate, the most readable, or the best fit to emr's interest, but I'd strongly recommend a visit to a the local library or to Amazon.com. On Amazon.com, do a search on "Leica camera history book" ... you'll get a couple of dozen potentials to read and learn.

Of the online sources, the one I respect the most is Steve Gandy's from CameraQuest.com:
http://www.cameraquest.com/mlenses.htm

Steve is a true enthusiast and makes no bones about his discussion being definitive or summarily accurate. He loves the gear, and says right up front in bold letters, "This is a is a VERY opinionated USER'S and Identification Guide to Leica M Lenses. For any opinion expressed here, you can undoubtedly find someone with the opposite view. Discussed are most cosmetic versions, changes in optical formula, and the general reputed optical performances. This is a GUIDE to help you find your OWN way in Leicadom, not a map to tell you where to go. "Per van Hasbroeck" refers to Paul-Henry van Hasbroeck's superb book Leica, A History Illustrating Every Model and Accessory. If you read EVERY Leica book, you soon learn that experts often disagree. Some say a particular lens was redesigned, another maintains it was not. The strangest thing is that anyone gives a damn. Welcome to the wonderful, wacky, strange world of Leica nuts. ..."

I've known Steve for years, he's a straight shooter. I've got that book (published in 1984 so it's missing the last 27 years of Leica history ...) and it is indeed excellent. It is at least a good starting point to learn about Leica camera equipment ... :)

Have fun learning about the world of Leica cameras ... !
 
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emr

Member
Thanks for all the hints. Lens reviews may not be the best alternative since I just want to understand the basic difference between the different lens types, groups and product names. But I'm sure all that will be found in those resources.

EDIT: Regarding Mr. Rockwell, I'm familiar with his site and on it he even admits that not everything should be taken quite seriously. He just likes to post anything that gives him more hits = more advertisement income.
 

Double Negative

Not Available
Like ANY of these opinions, they should all be taken with a grain of salt. What's good (or bad) for one - might not be so for YOU. For example, some of my best/favorite lenses are some of the most maligned on the intertoobs! Had I listened to the mob consensus, I'd be missing out!

All the links above are pretty much where it's at for M lens info. You might also check out:

http://lavidaleica.com/content/reviews
http://dantestella.com/technical.html
http://www.pebbleplace.com/Personal/Reviews.html

Rockwell's site is okay if you just look at the pretty pictures and not read any of it. :D
 

ramosa

Member
Read Rockwell's just for product specs, years, versions. Read Putts' for a great technical perspective. Read Reid's for more of a useability perspective. (I have probably benefited most from Reid's, though I really dislike the format of the site.)
 

Bob

Administrator
Staff member
buy each one, wring it out then report back.
when you are done, you are done
-bob
 
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