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What is the attraction to vintage Leica lenses?

asiafish

Member
The Cayman is a fantastic car, but sadly my license wouldn't last a week if I owned one. I'd imagine a vintage 911 would obliterate my license just as quickly.

As for glass, modern and vintage both have their place and it is fun to use both. That said, a bad picture won't be any better with the right lens, but a good picture may be slightly diminished with the wrong lens.
 

jonoslack

Active member
No more so than a plebeian Cron non-Asph...not a bad one in the line in my
view....since Mandler at least.

Key to a great photo is content, execution placed a far second.....

So no Super califagilisticexpialidosious Apo Asph Cron in your near future?:ROTFL:

Bob
Hi Bob. Couldn't agree more about content. As for the APO Asph ....... I still really want one, but currently don't have anything expensive enough to sell to get one!
 

Paratom

Well-known member
Hi Roger,
regarding your original post. I have used a Summicron35mm for many years on my M6. I dont know which version it was-a very small lens and one that can not be coded. I allways liked it on the M6, but once I had a 35/1.4asph available and comparing the images form the 2 I never saw a reason to use the small Summicron instead of the 35/1.4asph.
Also some years ago I compared some older and some newer 50mm lenses (Old Summicron, new Summicron, 1.0 Nocti and 1.4asph) and besides the Noctilux, which is a special/different lens I have to say I didnt find the images from the older lenses more appealing.
I am one of those guys who really likes the newer Leica lenses, and someone who is not finding them "clinical" or anything like that.
I have not tried all kinds of classic Leica lenses - so I can only talk about the few ones I have tried.
I could see how some flare or the famous glow or a squarely bokeh can produce an interesting effect. I can also see that one ownes maybe one or even a few lenses of this kind. But for general shooting I prefer lenses, where I know I can use them reliable at all kinds of f-stops, I prefer sharp images and powerful colors combined with a "nice" bokeh, I prefer to not have to deal with focus shift and things like that - and I generally find it in the newer lenses. I find many modern Leica lenses do NOT lack any character.
 

jonoslack

Active member
Well Tom has, much more eloquently than I, clarified my opinion.
However, the 50 ' cron arrived this morning, it sure does look dandy on my chrome M




All the best
 

glenerrolrd

Workshop Member
Thanks all who shared information about their choices in lenses . Always fun to understand different perspectives . My experience has been that there is a noticeable difference between leica lenses ...legacy to modern . Generally I like a matched set ...like with cinema lenses and I think this is what many of the posters have gravitated toward . Mostly modern,mandler designs or legacy lenses .

We went thru a lot of this with the M8 but I think the MONO in particular made many rethink the "aesthetic" they were looking for .

The biggest issue now seems to be finding a "rigid" without glass flaws ....coatings are very soft and scratch easily and haze seems to develop between the elements on a frequent basis .

The legend aspect seems to be growing as ...now the 8 element summicron has rare earth elements and could never be produced today due to costs . LOL
 

agfa100

New member
Well I don't have a MM but I use my GXR w/ M module and love how my older leica glass works in b&w on it. I have just in the past couple of months finally gotten a hold of a Alpa to M adp. which will let me use my old 50mm Macro-Switar 1.9 on the GXR. I really did not pay that much attention to that lens before but now that I am using it I am very impressed and I have a friend that has a MM and I will have to talk him in to letting me try the lens on his MM. I have used it on a M-9 and a M.

wbill
 

larryk

New member
Very interesting discussion, to say the least. I would think that what was said about the "75mm 'Cron and the 28mm 'Cron both have a very similar drawing signature" would also apply to the 75mm Lux and 50mm Lux Pre-asph, which supposedly had the same design. Had both at one time and thought the images were quite similar. The 75 Lux was just brilliant in my opinion (and others). But alas, I sold the 75 to pay for part of the MM that I now have, along with other lenses as well. I was about to sell the 50 Lux Pre-asph for the same reason, but my wife gratefully stopped me. Now I can compare it to the 50mm Lux Asph that I also have and try to determine what the differences might be on the MM. I would guess that good things will soon be said about the 50 Lux Pre-asph on the MM as soon as more people starting using it. Given the small supply of MM's being sold, it will take a while before their owners--or new owners--get a chance to try them. Meanwhile, I also picked up a 50 rigid back when there were many in great condition for well under $1000. I just had to see how it was put together. Now I get rewarded by having it to try on the MM to see what everyone's talking about. So far, I cannot see how anyone would like using the MM without also using and enjoying Photo Shop post-processing and even printing. The initial files that the MM give you would normally have to all be thrown away without serious post-process, which turn them into beautiful b&w images.
 

dude163

Active member
You dont even need a Modern M body either, I use my small collection on a M8 and they look great , I just find like others have stated that the rendering of the older lenses is more of a *classic* look as opposed to a modern super clear look.

My stuff is super old though, 73 elmarit 135 , 64 r cron 50 (first lens i got!) 58 elmar 90 and a 52 summaron 35 . Ive also used a jupiter 8 from about 1970 and it wasnt too bad either , I normally shoot colour, but for the older lenses I also try B+W as it really suits the *look*
 

rayyen

Member
I have friends who was so into Leica old lens like rigid, summarit on film. He sold all his old lens to prepare for arrival of 50AA to match with his MM, "technically" speaking, it should be the Leica's best combo.
I have a drawer full of vintage lens too and I recently got my 50AA. I like AA, but I'm glad I didn't sold any of my old glasses :p
 

agfa100

New member
Well I really enjoy my V1 35 summicron and my very early V2 Summilux, but the lens I pulled out of my file's to use on digital that has put a big smile on my face is my Kern Macro-switar 50mm 1.9 lens. I have not used this lens in ages what a nice lens that one is. When I looked at the lens design it's very close to the new apo-summicron which was a surprise to me, now I know the glass is not any where close to the apo. but it's still a nice lens. But then Leitz bought out Kern to get a military contract with the Swiss.
wbill
 

mmbma

Active member
It's just fun. Some looks cannot be replicated by modern lenses. but I find that it only applys to certain conditions. Most pictures are still best with modern lenses as the "leica glow" comes from lens imperfections and distortions. Those imperfections sometimes become asthetically pleasing in black and white. Less so in color as it's more pronounced. (but certainly in some cases it works well)



 

mmbma

Active member
Enthusiasts from Hong Kong is driving these lenses way too expensive for me... I remember the switar selling for around 450 5 years ago. Now it's 4000....

I use cheap non leica classic lenses like the Nikor range finder, canon rangefinder glasses.

Well I really enjoy my V1 35 summicron and my very early V2 Summilux, but the lens I pulled out of my file's to use on digital that has put a big smile on my face is my Kern Macro-switar 50mm 1.9 lens. I have not used this lens in ages what a nice lens that one is. When I looked at the lens design it's very close to the new apo-summicron which was a surprise to me, now I know the glass is not any where close to the apo. but it's still a nice lens. But then Leitz bought out Kern to get a military contract with the Swiss.
wbill
 

asiafish

Member
Sonnars old and new

I've long been a fan of the vintage "Sonnar Look" and count myself as fortunate to have a 1963 Russian Jupiter 3 expertly rebuilt and tuned by Brian Sweeney. Well, I just picked up the current model Carl Zeiss ZM C Sonnar 50mm f/1.5 and took some very boring shots at my desk with both lenses.

The Sonnar look is unmistakable in both lenses, with lower contrast and crazier bokeh the most obvious differences. Both are optimized for close focus wide-open. All images are straight out-of-camera JPEGs.


First the C Sonnar, focus is on the rim of the lamp reflector (bowl?)


C Sonnar - 1 by Lawman1967, on Flickr

And now the Jupiter 3


Jupiter 3 - 1 by Lawman1967, on Flickr



And the C Sonnar again, focus is on tubes of the CFL bulb.


C Sonnar - 2 by Lawman1967, on Flickr

And the Jupiter 3


Jupiter 3 - 2 by Lawman1967, on Flickr



And again the C Sonnar, focus on the lettering of the pen holder. There is an alcove in the background (appears just above the coffee cup handle).


C Sonnar - 3 by Lawman1967, on Flickr

And again the Jupiter 3


Jupiter 3 - 3 by Lawman1967, on Flickr
 
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