[Leica] Steinheil - Leica lenses - Don and John

[Jean-Michel Mertz]

Well, thank you Don and John for your very lengthy and comprehensive lists, I did not expect that much! Leitz / Leica / Zeiss / Canon lenses are obviously at the top, no wonder. I use the summicron asph 35 quite often with my two Fuji XE-1 and XE-2. I own a Zeiss Jena 50 Biotar that's excellent. There's another 50 I discovered a few weeks ago: the Super Takumar 50 - 1.4: just outstanding. And I have kept most of the rokkors I bought back in the 70s, I find them very good though not as sharp as the Zeiss. Lens quality seems to vary even within a given brand - I'm not talking about any Russian lenses here (!) or Leitz! For example the rokkor macro 50 - 3.5 I own is, I think, excellent though tests (the ones I read on specialized threads) are a bit disappointing. Merci beaucoup! JM
Jean-Michel Mertz
68750 - Bergheim

________________________________
De : LUG <lug-bounces+j2m46=hotmail.fr at leica-users.org> de la part de Don Dory via LUG <lug at leica-users.org>
Envoyé : mercredi 20 mars 2019 17:28
À : Leica Users Group
Cc : Don Dory
Objet : Re: [Leica] Steinheil - Leica lenses

This is going to get long.  Lenses to own: any Leica APO lens. Leica
Summicron lenses after the mid 60's.  Any Leica 50 summicron.  Canon LTM 35
of any aperture, LTM 50 1.8 or 1.4.  Canon or Nikon 85, 100-105, 135 f3.5.
Canon LTM 28 3.5 or 2.8, the Nikkor if you can afford one.  The Zeiss
LTM's.  Minolta M mount lenses.  The Konica M mount lenses.  I have had
poor results from any Steinheil lens and I have owned the 35 and 135.
British LTM lenses have been mixed: definitely get a right to return if you
go that route.  Russian lenses can be very good but I would not go there
unless you can physically handle one before you buy; they still tend to be
cheap enough that return shipping isn't worth it.  I have had excellent
results from the 35, 50, 85, and 135 Russian(Ukranian) lenses.

So, unless you have a fascination with post war German lenses there are far
better choices than the Steinheil for imaging purposes.  Now, if you are
interested in bad lenses for effect I would have another lengthy list.

On Wed, Mar 20, 2019, 9:55 AM John McMaster <john at mcmaster.co.uk> wrote:

> From what I have:
>
> Sharpness:
>
> 21mm SEM
> 35mm Summilux FLE
> 50mm APO Summicron
> 75mm APO Summicron
>
> Effect:
>
> 21mm Summilux (also sharp)
> 28mm Summicron (MkI, does not play well on M(240))
> 35mm Summilux pre-asph
> 50mm f0.95
> 50mm f1.0
> 75mm Summilux
>
> Also any S lens other than the zoom (is OK when stopped down to f11) ;-)
>
> john
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
>
> Thank you, Douglas, for your comment. Well, looking at ebay prices this
> Steinheil lens is currently fetching, the price I'm quoting seems quite
> reasonable. Too much for a "good but not great" lens? That's the question!
> By the way, I think I'd gladly welcome a list of the lenses the LUG would
> classify as "great"! JM
>
> Jean-Michel Mertz
> 68750 - Bergheim
>
> ________________________________
> De : LUG <lug-bounces+j2m46=hotmail.fr at leica-users.org> de la part de
> Douglas Barry <imra at iol.ie>
> Envoyé : mardi 19 mars 2019 21:51
> À : Leica Users Group
> Objet : Re: [Leica] Steinheil
>
> I'd echo the sentiments expressed by others. Good but not great. I have
> an 85 or 90 up in the attic, and I should really let it go to a completist.
> Douglas
>
> On 19/03/2019 18:39, Jean-Michel Mertz via LUG wrote:
> > I've come across a Steinheil orthostigmat 35, f4.5 - 39 LTM. It says
> Steinheil München US zone. Probably made in the 50s. There's a specific
> viewfinder that comes with it. Anyone familiar with that company and maybe
> this lens? Worth buying (perfect condition, would go for € 150)? Thanks for
> any comments! JM
> >
> > Jean-Michel Mertz
> > 68750 - Bergheim
> >
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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