Best Lenses

[eric_watson1]

I bought my wife a Leica IIIc a few years ago and she loves it (it has the

standard lense on it). I want to get her a new lense for her birthday and have

no idea what I should get her. She mostly uses the Leica for outdoor shots.

 

So, if your spouse was going to buy you a lense for your Leica and was willing

to spend a fair amount for it....what would you want and why?

[skeeter]

i would get a 28mm. voigtlander makes excellent, low cost screwmount lenses.

[johnmarkpainter]

You're either going to go wider or narrower. Most people would go wider before going

longer. If she is using it for outdoor shooting a 35 Summaron "with Eyes" would do nicely.

You don't need a fast or heavy lens for shooting outdoors.

 

Using an external finder instead of eyes is preferred by many people because it weighs

less and the view is brighter.

[Troll]

Down this road lies perdition! Forget the lens -- give her a book of images by Cartier-Bresson, or Eisenstaedt. Or if she likes color, "The Creation" by Ernst Haas. (All are great Leica photographers)

[vivek iyer]

2.5cm f/4 W-Nikkor. Pricey but very cute.

[sid_chatterjee]

Eyes for a LTM?

[vincenzo_maielli]

Hi, Eric. In the LTM Leitz range, you can find a Summaron 35 mm f/ 2,8 if your wife love the semi wide angle lenses, or a fast and fantastic (i own and use) Summitar 50 mm f/ 2, or an Elmar 90 mm f/ 4. The Elmarit 90 mm f/ 2,8 and Summicron 90 mm f/ 2 in LTM version are very rare and expensive. In the Nikkor LTM, there are the Nikkor 35 mm f/ 2,5 or 50 mm f/ 1,4 or 85 mm f/ 2 (i own the Nikkor 85/2, it's an excellent overall purpose lens). In the Canon LTM range, there are a 35 mm f/ 2, a 50 mm f/ 1,4 and 85 mm f/ 2. All are very excellent lenses. In the VC LTM range there are the Ultron 35 mm f/ 1,7 or Nokton 50 mm f/ 1,5 or Apo Lanthar 90 mm f/ 3,5. I own the Ultron 35 and Apo Lanthar 90: are two fantastic lenses, with both mechanical and optical superb quality. You can find the VC MTF test in the Erwin Puts website (search Erwin Puts in Google). For best information about the general LTM lenses, see www.cameraquest.com by Stephen Gandy (see the classic camera section). Ciao

Vincenzo Maielli

[tim_stephens]

Eric,

What's the lens you have on it now, and what's her photographic style - lots of people,

landscape, nature, buildings, street photos etc? Those should be the primary factors in

considering a new lens. If she takes pictures of people, a wide angle won't help, equally a 90

won't be as useful for landscapes. Clarify the subject material, then pick the tool to best

capture the image.

You basically can then choose from genuine Leica screw mount lenses, or go to the

Voigtlander, which are outstanding value for the dollar and capable for first class results.

[tom5]

I use a Voigtlander 28mm f/3.5 lens on a IIIc, a combination that sometimes is my only

travel camera and lens. The lens is quite sharp, easy to use, and small. I have the 28mm

metal VC finder but usually use an old 28mm Zeiss finder that I picked up somewhere long

ago and was cleaned and worked on by John Maddox.

 

The combination of the 28mm lens and the IIIc is sturdy and easy to use. I have the Leitz

Summaron f/3.5 - it makes vintage looking images - but the old style of rotating focus

mount and non-linear f-stops makes the Summaron harder to use than the Voigtlander.

[donald_brewster]

Depending on what the "standard" lens is, the 90mm Elmar, 50mm Elmar collapsible and a 35mm Summaron are the LTM party set! If you are truly flush or if you are truly in love, Leica did bring out a 35mm and 50mm a few years back, current Aspherical models, in a limited LTM edition for the Japanese market. If you can find either one, I'd be sorely tempted. Mondo sharp.

[john_shriver]

Hard question. Remember, she may really like it for the portability, and not want extra baggage to carry. (Think about her attitude towards purses and their contents...)

 

If she has the 50/3.5 Elmar, and would want to be able to take pictures indoors, consider a 50/2.0 Summicron or 50/2.0 Summitar. You have to shop carefully for these, lots of dogs in terms of glass and coating damage. Advantage of a faster 50 is that no auxilliary finder is needed.

 

If you think she would be happy with using an auxilliary finder, then your options are broadened.

 

A wide angle will stay with the wonderful "small, light" aspect of the IIIc. Leica Summaron 35/3.5 is a very fine lens, or you could get the much rarer and more expensive Summaron 35/2.8 (Be sure the 35/2.8 is a genuine LTM one before you spend a lot on it. Many are M mount ones with the adapter removed.)

 

Equally small and fine is the Canon LTM 35/2.8, which normally is found with a very nice non-bright-line finder. If she might like a faster lens, the Canon LTM 35/2.0 is great, and the Canon LTM 35/1.8 is respectable.

 

For wide angle, either a good Imarect finder is handy, or a Leica or Voigtlander/Cosina bright line is even better to use.

 

For short telephoto, lots of folks love the Voightlander/Cosina 75mm lens. Sharp, small, light.

 

However, the Elmar 90/4 is a wonderful head-and-shoulders portrait lens. But it is a moderate bit of weight (12 ounces?) to carry about. You can use the Imarect finder, but the image is very small, a bright line finder would be a nicer choice.

 

If you buy a used lens, get it internally cleaned, and checked, by a professional before you give it to her.

[harvey_edelstein1]

Buy her a Fujifilm F30 6mp has something like 28-105mm and shoots in available light to 3200 iso. Lets face it you have a lot more options and less worry than pumping money into such old gear. I know a lot of folks will be mad at me but for $350 you can have slide shows, email photos and the colors look great. Now to redeem myself I have an M4P and

4 lenses 25;35;50;90 but this is semi old from the 80s and all the lenses are coupled to the rangefinder. At least most of my system can be shared with the digital M without adapters.

[lutz]

Eric, Steven Gandy is selling the last units of the 25/4 CV Color Skopar for $245 including viewfinder. I've used that lens and I think that's a bargain. The lens is tack sharp and its DOF from f/4 on makes the lack of rangefinder coupling a non-issue. It is very compact and a real alternatve in terms of field of view when compared to the 50 lens your wife already has. <a href="http://www.cameraquest.com/voigtlen.htm">Check</a> it out.

[nickc1]

IMHO you have two issues here - the focal length, which as has beed posted, is dependent upon your wife's subjects, then you need to decide on what lens to buy at those lengths - I love my Summitar 5cm, but I have had to lose the 'atmosphere' or whatever that an Elmar gives, but I have an extra stop or so over the Elmar, and improved contrast/flare control over a Summar but less contrast and more atmosphere (IMHO) than a Voigtlander or Nikon lens - you see the problem - and that's just at 5cm focal length!

 

Just as an off the wall idea - you could buy cheaply USSR lenses at 35mm and 85mm to 'play with' and experiment with the imsge making possibilities before selecting a final choice of lens to give you the image qualities you are looking for in a Leitz/Cosina/Nikon lens (how about for Christmas??)

 

Nick<div></div>

[nickc1]

picture above taken with IIIa, Jupiter 9 85mm, FP4+

[piotr_panne]

Nothing like the springtime smell of manure down on the article farm.

[mitchell_kirschner]

Outdoor shots of what kind?

 

For noninvasive people candids, she might appreciate a compact 90 of some sort, assuming such a beast exists in LTM.

[jtk]

Since it's a beautiful old camera, her a beautiful old lens.

 

Specifically, I'd suggest an Exc-condition coated 90 f4 Elmar or a 35 f3.5 Summaron. Or buy equivalent Canon.

 

I don't know what the comment earlier about "linear" meant...Summaron's quite conventional f-stop wise and would be at least as easy to use as her Elmar.

 

I've compared my Summaron to my Canon 35 f2, former Nikon 35 2.5, and various Canon FD (slr) lenses and the Summaron does just fine in comparison,: considerably better than the Nikon, including at full aperture...but it's prone to flare, so a shade may be crucial.

 

Summaron is, like other old Leica lenses and unlike the Asian lenses, prone to fungus ... if German, I'd suggest you only buy something that's optically mint (like mine).

[Nowhereman]

Make sure to get your "lense" at "Ye Olde Lense Shoppe."

 

--Mitch/Singapore

[35mmdelux]

if she really likes the 50mm, then might it not be a stretch to go to a 25mm as suggested above? First, the 35mm length would be great for people/environmental and the 28mm truly great for more sweeping landscapes (see Sam Abell of Nat Geo). FWIW conventional wisdom would go w/ 28mm.

 

Best - Paul

[35mmdelux]

Here is my first attempt w/ the VC 25mm and my first attempt w/ PS. The vignetting is a result of shooting at about f/8.0.

 

What I look for in a lens is its ability to get some color out of the sky. My Leicas are very good at that. The VC 25mm passed this test.

 

Paul<div></div>