[Leica] CV 1.4/40mm and 1.2/35mm on M8 - what is your experience?

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

Geoff offered:

Subject: Re: [Leica] CV 1.4/40mm and 1.2/35mm on M8 - what is your
experience?

 

Hi Bruce. May I join your discussion on this? Are you considering getting

rid of a Summilux 35 in order to get the Cosina Voigtlander f1/1.2 35?

In my opinion this would be a downwards step. However I know some users who

are happy with them and I have not personally shot with one. I would be

surprised if it does not exhibit significant focus shift as you stop down

(the Summilux has some too). Maybe you could visit a store and shoot some

frames with one before commiting?  Or Nathan and Ted may share some

experience there?

If you are going to try it out, keep your Summilux too and use them both for

a while before you decide that you want to get rid of one of them!

Anyway here  it is on a camera (with a master using it!) if you wanted to

get some idea of its size on the M8.

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/gh/lf/SF4.jpg.html
<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/gh/lf/SF4.jpg.html%3c%3c%3c%3c%3c%3c%3c%3c
%3c%3c> <<<<<<<<<<,,

 

Hi Geoff,

Seeing I'm dragged into the discussion in "action?" :-) :-) A few words. :-)

I know many of you must wonder when I say the things I'm about to, but it's
just me and gear throughout my 60 year career.

 

When you lads post stuff about fringing?, bokeh, and items I never knew were
part of a lens, I look at some of my old photos and usually say to myself,
"oh yeah, so?" For me it's always been getting the "moment first and last!"
That's all that mattered and still does!! Even when something is posted on
line and a dozen days go by with a lot of heavy duty chatter about an
"effect of a lens," it still comes back to. "OH Yeah? So? Show me the
captured moment!" As that's what it's all about in the middle of a news
story or documentary.

 

The 35 Summilux f1.4 I bought new in 1967, was being ragged some years ago
about not being sharp and a bunch of other stuff. Really, I thought? Then I
looked at some of the 16X20 fine art prints on double weight paper made in
wet trays that had been hanging in the National Film Board Photo Gallery as
an exhibition of medical scenes. Gee I thought, what am I missing? "What do
they see that I don't?" Then as usual I dismissed the screen conversations
and still have the same 35 1.4, only now without lens shade as it got all
bent out of shape one day in a kind of crash and burn. So I threw it away!
Effects? Not that I can see. And yes it works occasionally on the M8
although it's basically relegated to the cupboard these days. 

Because the CV f1.2 is cutting better images,  "that I can see!" It's always
good to have the opinions of learned members on list, but the final decision
must come down to what "you yourself can see!" And certainly not making a
final decision off the screen! A print in hand will always be a better
criteria of whether a lens is good, bad, or ugly in the eyes of the
beholder! Oh I know some folks go by all those neat looking graphs
indicating good, bad or ugly. But what the hell the print in hand is still a
far better lens test. Oh I know somebody is going to tell me I'm wrong. :-)
What the heck, Go for it! :-) 

 

The CV 1.2 has a wonderful feel and balance with the M8 and has been used on
three different M8 bodies with excellent results. But then I'm accustomed to
using the Noctilux so the f 1.2 is a light weight! :-)

It's all from experience, not from a book, for what it's worth!

Cheers,

Dr. ted ;-)