Which Voigtlander lenses make M8 users happy?

Photon42 said:
I entertain myself with a very recently aqquired Nokton (uncoded so far) and a Biogon (coded). May I ask: Did you code your Nokton? If yes, what lens did you chose to emulate?

Regards
Ivo

Il y a quelques grandes photos sur ton blog, btw
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merci IVO. I handed coded it to a 35mm Summilux which is what 's closest to it. The rubber paint keeps on going away though, much faster than other lenses.
 
I like a couple of the 50's, the 50/2 Heliar collapsible as well as the 50/3.5 Heliar collapsible. "Better" than a comparable Leica lens... it depends on what you're looking for :)

Kent
 
I usually keep the 28mm Ultron f/1.9 on my camera and I've got some great images out of of it, so it makes me happy. Would I rather have a Leica lens? Sure, but I've decided to get Leica lenses in other focal lengths. I'll get a 28mm Elmarit ASPH at some point because I love that lens, but for now, the Ultron is the lens that stays on the camera.

The other one that makes me smile is the 15mm. I have the rangefinder coupled version. When I get my Leica CL, it'll be interesting to see how much more I see with that lens.
 
Summicron-C is a perfect lens, but, CV 35mm f2.5 is better. :bang::bang::bang:
 
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Ultron 28/1.9 and Nokton 50/1.5 both make me quite happy :) I can use them both in low light, and they are both capable of creating both smooth out-of-focus blurring and clinical sharpness whenever I want either of those. The Nokton is a tad sharper wide open than the Ultron, which produces some of that old-school "glow". Colours and contrast are perfectly good with both lenses.
 
noimmunity said:
15 - 35 - 75 would make a great kit!
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I've got all three focal lengths - 15 4.5 screw mount, 35 1.7 Ultron and 75 2.5.

I use the Ultron when I want to go out with a single lens. It is a great little lens, sharp from full aperture in the center and with pleasant bokeh. I keep looking at the 1.2 Nokton for its speed but have hesitated so far, due to its weight and size.

I don't use the other two much as my regular kit is made of a ZM 25 2.8 and a ZM 50 2, but the above CV kit has the advantage of being compact and light.
 
I have a CV Nokton 35/1.4 which I love, (although it does flare sometimes, SC version). Small, fast, good imagequality. I have a CV Nokton 50/1.5 which I like, but I do not have a IR filter for it yet and it sometimes has focussing problems.
 
The 35/1.2 Nokton is great on my M8. I've been using it quite a bit, and ended up selling off the 35/1.7 Ultron to a new Leica user. I loved the Ultron, enough to let it go to get more use. Both are amazing lenses.

Some do not like the 35/1.2 Nokton because of the size. It's about the same size as a Nikkor-SC 50/1.4.

I also like the 50/1.1 Nokton, again no heavier than the Nikkor-SC 55/1.2. But -rare for me- I seem to prefer the 35/1.2.
 
Ones I've liked:

50mm 1.5
35mm 1.7
28mm 3.5
50mm 1.1
35mm 2.5

One's I didn't exactly like:

35mm 1.4 SC
28mm 2.0
 
It's hard to directly compare the Summicron-C 40/2 with the VC 35/2.5. They are not the same focal length, and "better" is an ambiguous term. I have the Summicron-C 40/2 and the 35/1.7 Ultron. Both good, different focal length. Which is better? I would find it annoying to use the 40mm lens with 50mm framelines. So, it is "better" to use a 35mm focal length lens on a full-size M-Mount camera. On the CL, I love the 40/2.
 
I agree in priciple, Brian, but these are close enough in focal length to get the same use. I prefer the images I get out of the Summicron. That is my "test" . I modified the lens to bring uo 35 mm framelines. Close enough.
 
35 Nokton f1.2 and !5mm Super Wide Heliar my vote.

35 Nokton f1.2 and !5mm Super Wide Heliar my vote.

I have quite a few Leica lenses (28mm Elmarit, 35mm Summicron, 50mm Summicron, 50mm Noctilux f1.0, 90mmTele Elmarit, 135mm Elmarit, 280mTelyt) and let me tell you, for wide angle lenses, the 15mm Super Wide Heliar and 35mm f1.2 Nokton hold up very well to my Leica lenses, and in some cases surpass them. Most of the time, I have 3 lenses in my bag, the 15mm Super Wide Heliar, the 35 f1.2 Nokton, and my f1.0 Noctilux, thats it. My 35mm Summicron does not handle flare as well as the Nokton, and the Nokton had better bokeh and color wide open. It is also just as sharp but at f1.2!!! WOW!!!! The 15mm Super Wide Heliar is a gorgeous lens!! Sharp with little distortion! Excellent tone and color. And VERY USEFUL!!! I have done numerous commercial interior and exterior building shots with this lens and the customers rave over my photos. Day shots, night shots, dusk shots, it just cannot be beat! Also , the 15mm is just wonderful for shooting at hip level or lower without holding the camera to your face. You learn to frame by feel (Luke Skywalker and the force!) and many of the shots you come up with are astounding! If you have kids, and they run around alot, the 15mm does wonders. by the way, the 35mm Nokton is incredible for low light. I used it at a low light wedding reception for a friend of mine. The bride hired another photographer because she was a friend of her mothers, but I brought my M8 anyway (I used my Nokton and Noctilux). When my friends mother saw my pics, she was blown away and said they were much better than the other photographers, more natural and candid. I used 640 ISO only. The other photographers used clip on flood lights and flash. There were alot of deer in the hedlights photos. I used the nokton and photographed the subjects 3/4 view and side, sometimes when the other photographer used their floods. I took advantage of their lighting and used it in my own way for dramatic effects while mixing in acvailable light. And by the way, I have shots of the bride with her gown illuminated from behind, and in many cases the flood lights were aimed right into my 35mm f1.2 Nokton with very little or no flare!!!!!!!!!

The 35mm f1.2 Nokton and 15mm Super Wide Heliar are masterpieces! Buy them!!!!
 
I agree that that old Summilux the OP mentions would probably have been a lot worse in those conditions, due to flare.
 
I too find the 15mm useful on the M8 when in need of "wide". But, much more often I use the 50mm f/2 Heliar Classic. It's compact, has nice character, and I'm surprised to like the somewhat longer-than-normal framing.
 
Doug said:
and I'm surprised to like the somewhat longer-than-normal framing.
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Yes, this is a major revelation for me too... I never thought I'd like a 65mm lens. :eek:

So it appears the 35mm f/1.2 is a true winner. It is inevitable that the new version will not hold up. ;)
 
don't know about you guys but its all about focal length to me and in that respects, the 28mm ultron wins hands down. I'm contemplating selling ALL my other lenses since i can't rem the last time i used them... that said, i mainly shoot at f1.9-2.8 in crap lighting so half the shots are slightly soft due to subject movement anyway
 
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