[Leica] Re Leica 21mm F2.8 pre ASPH

[photo.forrest at earthlink.net (Phil Forrest)]

You have to take what Mark says with a grain of salt. Much of it is
hyperbole, a lot of it, as has been demonstrated by others here on the
LUG is just talk with eccentricity built in. That's just who Mark is.

I have an M9 and one of my favorite lenses is a 75mm f/1.8 Cosina
Voigtlander. It's amazingly sharp, focuses perfectly and it's pretty
small for a fast 75. It's no 75 Summilux but it also doesn't have any
focus issues like the Summilux. It gets the job done fantastically, and
that's what lens you should be putting on your M9. Not the CV 75, but
whatever lens gets you out shooting and whatever lens you like the
handling and results of. It could be a grafted Diana lens even, but if
it suits your vision, then go for it.

The other real Leica lenses I have and use are all old, beat up pieces.
I think only my Super Angulon is younger than me (35 this year) and
while the new lenses may be fantastic in their own way, I have a range
of focal lengths from 21 to 135mm from a bunch of different
manufacturers and I doubt that I could be happier with anything newer.
I surely wouldn't be able to afford the range of glass that I use now.

Have fun with the M9. It's a great camera. 

Phil Forrest



On Fri, 1 Jul 2011 16:30:49 +0100
Swanny <eazydraw at googlemail.com> wrote:

> I have been reading with interest all the conversations , which have
> been helpful and enlightening,  
> 
> Yes it is a brand new M9 and yes i'm putting 'old' lenses on it ,
> however being new to Leica & talking with authorised dealers close to
> me (well within 3 hrs drive one way, being a long drive in UK terms)
> and seeing lenses they have , I'm of the opinion that rather than
> having a body with no lens to use it for many months while i save up
> to get the latest / current lenses is a stalling of learning new
> skills of rangefinder photography.
> 
> I live in the UK, I'm Lloyd Pickering (i'm in my late 40's) & my
> nickname is Swanny (from childhood swimming a long story and nothing
> to do with photography at all) 
> 
> I have bought online from ebay yes also the online shops of UK
> dealers and in person over the counter,  there are it seems a very
> short supply of 'current' lenses here, before buying my 35 lux
> (classic) i tried both current 35 F2 and 35 F1.4 ASPH (not floating)
> in the end choosing to learn with a lighter, smaller lens with no
> viewfinder blockage, for similar reasons i have the 90 tele-emarit M
> both from Ken Rockwell's review and also in trying a 90 F2 and
> talking to a dealer  
> 
> So perhaps as i'm new to the community it helps for you all to
> realise that when you don't have ooodles of cash (M9 came from an
> inheritance) and a Leica was primarily bought out of childhood memory
> my father had an IIIf when i was growing up, although i was never
> allowed to use it (sadly it was lost or sold ? as were the lenses
> over the years before he passed on) and as my photography will always
> be amateur.
> 
> I get LFI magazine which arrived today and interestingly says about
> my proposed purchase "was really not a great catch" , still the new
> 21 F3.4 without finder would cost me more than double what I'm paying
> and may not arrive till the end of the year (or so my authorised UK
> dealer tells me) , in which time i shall hopefully got the hang of
> how to shoot with a 21 and perhaps i shall then agree Mark with your
> comments or perhaps i won't , but either way not shooting 21 till
> perhaps well into 2012 (after all not only would i have to await
> delivery i also need to save up to afford it) doesn't satisfy my urge
> to understand what using a 21 is all about.
> 
> I know, I know i hear the groans already why doesn't he buy a VC or
> other non-leica lens ??? well yes i have thought about that and in
> the end i decided after talking to others who 'know" to stick, with
> leica glass on a leica camera. Most of what i've read on the net and
> in talking with UK dealers tells me that yes in time i can move the
> lenses on without losing too much if anything (which is great
> compared with most things in life),however i'm also aware that most
> people regret not keeping lenses that may have faults but they have
> learned to live with, after all i'm not looking for perfection just
> the best i can do as i learn about using this lovely rangefinder
> camera that i bought.    
> 
> So when coming across the LUG and seeing on the pages 'don't be one
> of those who join post nothing and leave' i thought great a place to
> read and learn and as time goes on share some of the photos i've
> taken with lenses i've sought thoughts & feelings on rather than a
> place to castigated in? 
> 
> So to finish for now I "think i'm enjoying" being on here
> 
> Swanny
> 
> Choosing to see the positives in older things  
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Message: 10
> Date: Fri, 01 Jul 2011 02:53:03 -0400
> From: Mark Rabiner <mark at rabinergroup.com>
> Subject: Re: [Leica] M lens 21mm F2.8 pre ASPH
> To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
> Message-ID: <CA32E70F.11159%mark at rabinergroup.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain;     charset="US-ASCII"
> 
> The context of the argument is just that.
> Its a brand new M9 the guy just got and now he's putting a 1980
> Elmarit 21 on it. 
> An M8 as Sonny says makes a 21 into a 28mm anyway and much of what an
> imperfect ultra wide optic has not going for it is going to be cut
> off the sides. Making it less of a big deal. (though its a big lens)
> But this guy has a brand new M9.
> 
> By the way we don't know the guys name nor are we able to ascertain
> what any of his work looks like. And it smells just like Lug being
> eBay helper to me. Not the smell of tuna and pasta, but of the lug
> being played.  It may be we have a guy who just hit the bid button
> and wants feedback in case he "wins" but its no big deal one way or
> the other as the lens will be back on the block again in a few months
> or weeks. I hope I'm wrong. But the guys a cipher. And I doubt he was
> really joining the LUG.
> 
> Ordinarily if someone goes out and buys a brand new M9 and puts a
> half assed optic on the front of it I call that a damn waste.
> 
> But if a guy's just playing with money it's not going to matter one
> way or the other. As "where's the beef?" there isn't any.
> 
> 
> Mark William Rabiner
> Photography
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/
> Cars:   http://tinyurl.com/2f7ptxb
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information