Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/10/08
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]> I think I will buy the following lenses within 3 years: > 21mm f/2.8 Elmarit ASPH > 35mm f/1.4 Summilux ASPH > 50mm f/1 Noctilux > 50mm f/2.8 Elmar > 90mm f/2 APO summicron ASPH > 135mm f/3.4 APO Telyt > > According to my lenses selection, which viewfinder will you recommend? Terry, It depends entirely on which lens(es) you'll use the most. Estimate your likely percentages of use based on past experience and "best guess" speculation and then decide. An M camera should generally be thought of as being most usable for the 28mm-90mm range. Most M photgraphers use 28mm, 35mm, or 50mm as their main focal length, sometimes filled in with substantial use of a superwide or a 90mm. Of the outliers, the 135mm focal length is generally a marginal focal length for the M, both technically (tiny vf image, not very accurate focus) and in terms of usefulness. As an "outlier" lens, the 21mm is much more useful and indeed, more often used. As generic advice, the .72 viewfinder would make the only sensible choice as an only body for all the above lenses. It is directly usable with 28mm to 90mm lenses and tolerable with the outliers assuming the use of a separate viewfinder for the 21mm. The only way I'd recommend a .85 is if your main lens is a 50mm and you want a slightly better view (it's still not the greatest, but it's better) with the 135mm. The .58 is not a viable candidate as an only camera for the above lens set. My critique of your lens list (which you didn't ask for, and so might want to ignore <g>) is a.) that you've got too many lenses for effective photography. Pare down your choices. And b.) that you're sinking money into premium, mainline current lens choices pretty much up and down the line, which may look swell on paper and be gratifying to a sense of perfectionism but is a bit boneheaded for practical purposes unless you just have money to burn and are looking to demonstrate that fact to others. The "infinite" backwards compatibuility of Leica is one of the great felicities of the marque...it's part of the ethos. Don't turn your back on it. I'd say it would be more appropriate to pick the "good 'uns" for the lenses you intend to center your shooting on and fill in with vintage versions at the other focal lengths. For instance, if you will mainly be using 35mm and 50mm lenses in low light, but only using 90mm less than 5% of the time, then buy the Noct and Summilux ASPH, but get an older 90mm f/2.8 for your 90mm--that sort of thing. Just a thought. The only outright mistake on your list (again, IMNSHO) is that you've chosen to balance the large, heavy, fast Noct with the "smallest, slowest" 50mm. While this might make sense on paper, I've used virtually all the Leica 50mms and it makes no sense at all to buy the f/2.8 Elmar-M over the plain-Jane 50mm Summicron. I've never liked the Summicron optically, but it is a *much* more useful, better-handing lens than the collapsible. Furthermore, the collapsible is one of the poorest-made of the Leica lensmounts. It verges on being cheap. (And I don't like that lens optically either.) IMO it's an exercise in retro sentimentality rather than a useful lens for photography. You'll get a lot of argument about this from other "on-paper shoppers," reflexive Leica apologists, and camera-shelvers around here, but I doubt you'll get much argument from working photographers who actually use their lenses to shoot with. If you really have your heart set on a collapsible Elmar, buy one of the originals--they're better made and much more aristocratic as objects. My advice, however, would be to get over the mental appeal of the Elmar and choose a Summicron to complement the Noct. Best, Mike J.