Re: [Leica] An Introduction, and a plea for wisdom

[Martin Howard <mvhoward@mac.com>]

Jack McLain wrote:

> I can see where this odd-esy is going.  I am already lusting for a 
> proper
> Leica body and lenses.  My quandry is which body and which lenses.

Welcome aboard!  It's always great to read the introduction to new 
'members' -- one of the joys of the LUG.  We'll look forward to hearing 
more from you in the future, including seeing your PICTURES! ;) ;)

Let me start this off by saying that what follows are PERSONAL 
opinions: you (and everyone else) will have to filter them through your 
own experiences to make sense of them.  Many will probably disagree 
with me, and that's to be expected.

If I were starting from scratch, and had the wad of cash to spend, I 
think there are two cameras I'd be looking at.  The first is the Leica 
M2.  Much as people wax prophetic about the M3 as the ultimate M 
camera, I find the simplicity of the framelines in the M2 (35/50/90) to 
be sublime.  The lack of a built-in meter isn't much of a problem.  
Either get yourself a small incident meter (I use the Sekonic 308-BII, 
but the Gossen Digilux looks really interesting) or buy the little 
Cosina/Voigtlander meter and place in the accessory shoe (which I did 
too!)

The other camera I'd seriously look at is the new MP.  Unfortunately, 
the 0.58x version doesn't (as yet?) exist in black, which would be the 
one that I'd be most interested in.  I use an M6TTL .58x and love the 
single 35mm frameline (i.e., when that frameline is showing, no others 
are).  Both of these cameras seem to encompass the essence of Leica 
rangefinder photography.  And I'd get RapidWinders and Wasserman rewind 
cranks for both cameras -- two of the most useful accessories you can 
get for a Leica.

With regard to lenses, I find that I rarely use the 90mm and never 
anything longer on a rangefinder.  My 90mm is the much maligned 
Tele-Elmarit model, of which I have a good version.  I love it for its 
compactness: after all, for lens that spends most of its time being 
lugged along without being used, compactness is a virtue.  Another 
redeeming feature is that it shares the 39mm filter thread with the 
classic 35mm and 50mm Summicron combo.

50mm is perhaps the most underrated focal length in existance.  I'd 
look for a 50mm f/2, the 11819 version with focussing tab and separate 
hood, and a 50mm f/1.4 Summilux, also with separate hood.

For the 35mm, I'd seriously consider two lenses.  The 35mm f/2 
Summicron-M, last version before the ASPH.  In my opinion, the look of 
the ASPH is too harsh, and it has lost that buttery smooth rendition 
that makes the 35mm so famous.  The other one I'd get is the 35mm f/1.4 
Summilux-ASPH.  Outstanding piece of glass.

I find a 28mm more and more useful.  If money was plentiful, I'd get 
the latest Leica 28mm f/2 offering.  As it is, I bought the Voigtlander 
28mm f/3.5 which is a cracking little lens -- and also shares the 39mm 
filter thread with the 35/50/90 combo -- for probably 1/10th of the 
price of the Leica lens.

24mm is not a rangefinder focal length for me (it's an SLR length), so 
I'd skip that and go directly to the 21mm (without passing GO and 
without collecting $200).  My first choice would probably be the Leica 
21mm f/3.4 Super-Angulon in black.  My second choice the new 
Voigtlander 21mm f/4.  Both are compact, both are good.  I haven't used 
the other Leica 21mm lenses, but I value compactness, so I think that 
I'd forego the Leica ASPH version even if I did have the cash to 
splash.  In either case, I'd get the Voigtlander 21mm finder in favour 
of the Leica one.

Below 21mm, the Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 is a must have.  It costs little 
more than $300 and is such ridiculous fun to use that you have no 
excuse not to get one.

So, starting from scratch, I'd look at the following kit: An M2, an MP, 
two RapidWinders, 15mm f/4.5, 21mm f/3.4 SA, 28mm f/2 Summicron, 35mm 
f/1.4 Summilux-ASPH, 35mm f/2 Summicron, 50mm f/2 Summcron, 50mm f/1.4 
Summilux, 90mm f/2.8 Tele-Elmarit.  For the kind of photography I do 
(mostly travel photography) this would cover pretty much every 
situation I can think of.

M.

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