[Leica] New List Member

[benmarks2005 at gmail.com (Benjamin Marks)]

Wendy:  Welcome to the forum.  I also divide my time between Nikon and Leica
in the digital world as they do different things well.    It sounds as if
you are experienced enough to make the "how wide is my vision" decision
without a whole lot of outside input (although I have not quite been able to
resist as you will see below).    I have the 50 and the 35 you are looking
at and they are absolutely superb lenses.  In my experience, the chip in the
M8 has about the latitude of an old slide film  -- which is to say,
considerably narrower than film.  Those lenses are very snappy, contrasty
lenses - -  you may want to consider at least one older, lower contrast lens
in the bag -- just a thought (like a LTM 35 Summaron + adapter = tiny).
That said, my own sense when going someplace in which the environment is
important to the photograph is to go slightly wider and sticking with your
parameters, I would choose the 35 Summicron Asph.    If I was going to step
outside your parameters and take one lens (and weight was a consideration --
as you have said it is), I would get a 35 Summicron (v. III or IV  - pre
aspherical)  -- they are tiny lenses and also excellent.  If I were going to
take 2 lenses, I'd go with the 28 Summicron Asph and the 50/1.4 Asph.  But
then, I have overpacked camera equipment on every trip I have taken since
1999.

Good luck in your choices, travel in safety, come back in one piece and post
lots of pictures.

Oh, whatever lens you buy get yourself at least two extra batteries.

Sincerely,

Ben Marks

---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Wendy Thurman <wendythurman at gmail.com>
> To: lug at leica-users.org
> Date: Sun, 4 Oct 2009 12:43:25 +0430
> Subject: [Leica] New List Member
> Hello!
>
> I recently joined the list and would like to thank you all for making the
> resource available- there is a huge amount of information here!
>
> I do not own a Leica but I am looking to purchase one of the new M9's when
> they become available.  I've shot film with M3's and M6's so am not a
> complete stranger to Leica rangefinders; I wouldn't be averse to a film
> camera but I am working in Afghanistan and don't want to deal with
> processing film here.  Digital is the only practical solution for me at
> this
> time.  My photography revolves largely around people and street scenes and
> I
> know this is where the Leica cameras really shine.  Long a Nikon shooter,
> my
> beloved D700 won't be disposed of- it does a lot of things very well,
> particularly low light- but quite frankly the weight of the camera and a
> few
> lenses is becoming annoying.
>
> While waiting for the M9 to become available (I buy through B&H as they
> deliver here very quickly, I'd like to buy at least one lens.  The 35
> Summicron Aspherical is currently in the shopping cart; the 50/1.4 Summilux
> Aspherical is what I was thinking about as a "first lens" but it is
> currently not in stock at B&H.  Any opinions or thoughts you might have on
> the subject of "first lens" would be appreciated.
>
> Afghanistan is, photographically, a very rich environment and I hope to be
> able to contribute something interesting to the list and perhaps the
> gallery.
>
> Thanks again!
>
> Wendy
>
>