Choice of LEICA-M lenses.....money no object.

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A curiosity: what Leica-M lenses would you buy (in what order)if you have all the money available. My choice: 1) 90apo 2) 35lux 3) 21apo 4)Noctilux 5) 28apo 6) 75lux 7) 50cron ......All technical considerations are welcome.....J.P. Auger

-- Jean-Pierre Auger (paphoto@videotron.ca), April 18, 2002

Answers

Money NO object?...I'd pay them to develop and build me a 18/35/75 F2.0 Tri-Summicron.

-- Giles Poilu (giles@monpoilu.icom43.net), April 18, 2002.

Make that a Tri-Summilux!

-- Marco Grande (hektor73@yahoo.com), April 18, 2002.

i'd spend the money having them develop an rf coupled adapter (that allowed infinity focus) to use nikkor lenses on any m body. i've got plenty of m lenses already -- to add 100+ current and discontinued nikkor lens options to the mix would be very interesting.

-- roger michel (michel@tcn.org), April 18, 2002.

Money no object - a 35mm F2 that never mis-focuses, is always set to the proper exposure and promises perfect composition.

-- Bob Todrick (bobtodrick@yahoo.com), April 18, 2002.

If money was no object, I'd have a 24 asph and 35 1.4 asph - and I already do. So I'm happy with that.

The one thing I might want would be a 180/2.8 on an slr for landscape, but that's OT, of course.

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), April 18, 2002.



I already have a 50 cron, so the first thing i would do is exchange it for a lux (i am thinking about doing that anyways), then a 35lux ASPH, 90APO, 24el, 75lux, Noct. And that's it. If money was no object, i would order body and lenses CNC'ed out of solid titanium (light and virtually indestructable) - not just coated with a partial titaniaum covering like the current titanium offerings. I would then have them painted by Leica in grey hammer tone (I think some M2's were originally done like this).

-- Matthew Geddert (geddert@yahoo.com), April 18, 2002.

In order: 35mm lux/90mm APO/Nocti/24ASPH. If they had the current R 'lux in the M mount then that would be my number 1.

-- Robin Smith (smith_robin@hotmail.com), April 18, 2002.

Just as I have done: 35 lux, 75 lux, now entering $ no object land: 50 noctilux, 28/2 or 24/2.8, 90/2, etc. I don't know which wide angle would suit me best, I like the speed of the 28/2 though. : ) A nice used 135/2.8 would round it out nicely.

-- James (snodoggydogg@hotmail.com), April 18, 2002.

I have no problem with the Leitz lenses presently available. I can't argue with the 35 mm asph. If I would suggest one change, it would be a copy of the Nikon 105 mm f/2.5. I have been using it through all of the changes since it was a LTM. Best portrait lens that I have seen [of course I usually use a Hasselblad for portraits]. Why can't Leitz make a lens that good. They surely can. ;<)

Årt

-- Art (AKarr90975@aol.com), April 18, 2002.


Money no object, I'd have all the current production - every one's got its uses. The only exception would maybe be the 50 elmar which isn't flat enough - I'd want a 35 summilux or summicron old style for flatness. Oh, and I want a 43 with frame lines to match in my m6...Oh, and a 75 summicron hand built for me. No make that a 75 summilux with a 39 filter... and a pancake 35 summilux....

-- Steve Jones (stephenjjones@btopenworld.com), April 18, 2002.


I've had both AI-S versions of the 105 f/2.5 and didn't think either of them were as good as the 90 Summicron-R or even the last pre-APO Summicron-M. I will admit the 105 is a great lens though.

My choices would be a 21 or 24 Elmarit, the ASPH 35 Summilux, 50 Summicron, 75 Summilux and the 135 APO Telyt. An alternative would be 28, 50 and 90 Summicrons.

-- Bud (budcook@attglobal.net), April 18, 2002.


Given that money is no object, order doesn't matter (just order 'em). Given that time is Mother nature's way of keeping all my Visa bills from happening at once, I'd get the following, in order of appearance:

35/1.4 ASPH, 50/2.0 Summicron, 28/2.0, 90 AA, 3E, 135/3.4.

I wouldn't bother with the 21 or the 24 (they're both too wide for me and I hate external finders), or the Nocti (too heavy, and I prefer a 35 for available light) or the 75 (I have one and never use it - too heavy and I can't do those frame lines).

-- Paul Chefurka (paul@chefurka.com), April 18, 2002.


I'd pay them to make me a compact 75/2.8 Elmarit. Otherwise, 35,50,90. Or maybe 28/35/75.

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), April 18, 2002.

Marco and Giles,

While they're at it, you'd better have them make a shoe mounted finder that is 5-6 inches above the CL of that lens.

Mani,

I'd like that 75 to be an f/2 Summicron.

Best,

Jerry

-- Jerome R. Pfile, Jr. (JerryPfile@msn.com), April 18, 2002.


If money was no object I'd buy Leica company and manufacture all of the above lenses for all of you :-)

Then I'd build the ultimate Leica M-Sexy. A camera that could do everthing superhuman, including climbing walls like Spiderman and sneeking into Britney Spear's change room for a shot or two.

It would also have a Super-Noct X-Ray lens!!! And then I'd even share the shots with you all. And Ricky Marktin for the female forum users.

-- Kristian (leicashot@hotmail.com), April 18, 2002.



Leica M-Sexy rofl! Britney Spears photos would be nice too!

-- James (snodoggydogg@hotmail.com), April 18, 2002.

Money no object: I'll take the lot! I'm sure I could come up with some use for all of them.

(And, for the record, Britney Spears is a skank.)

-- Mike Dixon (mike@mikedixonphotography.com), April 19, 2002.


Here we go!
  1. I'd buy all M-lenses so as to not have to ask any questions here anymore.
  2. I'd get all lenses available in both chrome and black so as to ditto.
  3. The first lens I don't want is the Tri-Elmar.
  4. The second lens I don't want is the Nocti.
  5. If I could buy only one it'd be a 1.4/35A (because I already have the 2/35A).
  6. If only two it'd be ditto plus the 24 (because I already have the 21A).
  7. If only three, ditto plus 2.8/90 (because I don't have any 90 yet).
So when do I get the dough?

-- Michael Kastner (kastner@zedat.fu-berlin.de), April 19, 2002.

I agree with Mike Dixon, Britney Spears is a skank... it didn't stop her from dating MY COUSIN though, just do a Google Search for "Jason Geddert." It's a great family joke! (His friend hacked into some popular website and put in that he dated her... and now it has spread all over the internet, and he's been dating her, Jennifer Love Hewitt, J.Lo, etc.)... take everything you read on the internet with a grain of salt. It's crazy to think how much those picturs Kristian would take could sell for... what a crazy world.

-- Matthew Geddert (geddert@yahoo.com), April 19, 2002.

I don't know ... I'm and was so happy to buy mine, now with 'Cron 35 A, 50 and 90 AA. My first idea, a second body, probably a M7, mauy be with a 21 A ... Michael, hi, may I ask you why you don't want a Nocti? Sometimes this lens makes me dream, sometimes only ! Alain

-- alain.besancon (alain.besancon@chu-dijon.fr), April 19, 2002.

Friends,

Let's take "money no object" in more moderate terms--that is as a hyperbole that really means "Lot's of money to spend" as opposed to "Limitless money to spend." I mean if my money was limitless, I'd be buying Leicas for Brittany Spears (I'm joking of course). But okay, let's suppose someone gave me a million dollars. Now if someone did that, I'd get the 75/1.4 and the 35/1.4 ASH immediately. Noci--maybe. I would absolutely get the current 90/2 (I shot with it and man it's good!). Certainly would get two M7s, one silver and one black. Silver in 0.78 and Black--? Make that 3 Black: 0.58, 0.72, 0.85. I might ask someone to make me a custom finder ranging from 21 to 35 (I think that is in the realm of the possible). Make that four black. I'd get Rapidwinders for all except the 0.85 on which I would put an M-Motor. I think I might also have my old SS M3 painted--but maybe not. I might have it re-chromed. And, yes, I'd get a current black Tri-Elmar.

Have I spend my million yet? Well, suppose someone gave me $3 million...

Best,

Alex

-- Alex Shishin (shishin@pp.iij4-u.or.jp), April 19, 2002.


I forgot--

Put the 28/2 in my million dollar shopping cart.

Alex

-- Alex Shishin (shishin@pp.iij4-u.or.jp), April 19, 2002.


"The one thing I might want would be a 180/2.8 on an slr for landscape, but that's OT, of course."

Rob, Olympus (Zuiko) makes a 180/2.8 AND a 180/2.0--at Leica prices. Or you could just by a car and drive your M into the landscape to get closer.

-- Preston Merchant (merchant@speakeasy.org), April 19, 2002.


"Or you could just by a car and drive your M into the landscape to get closer."

If I can't afford a 180/2.8, how can I afford a car?! Anyway, that's a big, heavy lens.

But the reason would be to stay back and get that compressed long lens perspective. Cropping a 50 or 90 is a more practical approach, perhaps. And I only want it for about 1% of my snaps, but every so often it would be handy.

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), April 19, 2002.


Money being no object . . .

-- Preston Merchant (merchant@speakeasy.org), April 19, 2002.

Sorry, you win! ;-) So that's an F5 with 180/2.8 autowhatever. And a 17-35 to complement it. And another F5, thank you very much...

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), April 19, 2002.

Rob, I really think you would do well keeping your M's and buying a helicopter and maybe a flak jacket and stock in the company that makes Lariam. ;>)

-- Preston Merchant (merchant@speakeasy.org), April 19, 2002.

Or you could buy a cabinet post in the BJP . . .

-- Preston Merchant (merchant@speakeasy.org), April 19, 2002.

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