Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/08/31
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hi Craig, The only reason for choosing one of the earlier bodies over the M7 would be price. So I will concentrate on lenses. I assume that you want modern Leica glass, so I will skip over various antique designs even though there are people on the list who like them. I may mention some older lenses as lower-cost alternatives, however. Within the focal lengths you have mentioned, these are your options IMO: 28mm: the newest 2/28mm Summicron is by all accounts an astounding lens. If you do not need the f2, then the 2.8/28mm Elmarit is also very good and considerably cheaper. 35mm: depending on your need for speed, either the 2/35mm Summicron ASPH or 1.4/35mm Summilux ASPH. If you want something cheaper, then a pre-ASPH 35mm Summicron will also serve you well. There are several versions, go for a later one from the 80s. 75mm: here the choice is very simple, since Leica makes only one lens in that length, the 1.4/75mm Summilux. Big, heavy, expensive and wonderful. 90mm: either the latest 2/90mm Apo Summicron, a great lens, probably the best in the current line of M lenses; or 2.8/90mm Elmarit, which can now be had quite cheaply (relatively speaking) on the second-hand market. The naming of Leica lenses is quite simple: f1.4 lenses are called Summilux, f2 are Summicron, f2.8 Elmarit or in some cases Elmar. In all the focal lengths you are after there are also very capable offerings from Voigtländer (actually Cosina) but I would suggest you stick with Leica glass. However, you can save money by buying a Bessa R2 body to mount your Leica lenses on. Nathan Craig Schroeder wrote: > If I were to take the plunge (I'll admit to be > considering the Konica offerings and feel that I understand the back > focus issues/misconceptions---Herb Keppler, aside) a kit would likely > serve me well with 28 or 35 and a 75 or 90 and I would lean toward an M7 > unless given compelling reasons for earlier bodies. Which of the > current, new production offerings in this kit I've described would be > the most capable image makers? - -- Nathan Wajsman Herrliberg (ZH), Switzerland e-mail: wajsman@webshuttle.ch mobile: +41 78 732 1430 Photo-A-Week: http://www.wajsman.com/indexpaw2002.htm General photo site: http://www.wajsman.com/index.htm - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html