4 old lenses ... does this justify purchasing M9?

Hi,

I received this gear two years ago from an elderly relative (35mm, 50mm, 90mm, 135mm):



I would like to use this gear (especially these lenses) digitally as I stopped using film five years ago. Here my questions:

1. These lenses are from the fifties is the quality good enough for a digital M?

2. Can you show some examples of images taken with 'old' glass? Most image examples are taken with newer glass?
3. I guess the M9 would be a better choice than a second hand M8?

I have a set in Flickr showing the whole gear:



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http://www.flickr.com/photos/mawas

esp that 35 cron and 50 lux....

they would make perfect complements to the M9....love the chrome as well!

MAWA_73527 said:

Hi,

I received this gear two years ago from an elderly relative (35mm, 50mm, 90mm, 135mm):



I would like to use this gear (especially these lenses) digitally as I stopped using film five years ago. Here my questions:

1. These lenses are from the fifties is the quality good enough for a digital M?

2. Can you show some examples of images taken with 'old' glass? Most image examples are taken with newer glass?
3. I guess the M9 would be a better choice than a second hand M8?

I have a set in Flickr showing the whole gear:



--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mawas

Click to expand...

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GALLERY: http://galay.fotki.com

Gary

I see that you stopped using film, but did you use to have a Leica M before? I hope that you at least go out and shoot a few rolls with the camera, it looks to be in great condition.

Here is an image from my 1958 1.4/50mm Summilux shot on an M8. Uncropped and no post processing.



--
Happiness - I am always happy (even now).

http://guyplatt.com

A Guy Platt said:

I see that you stopped using film, but did you use to have a Leica M before? I hope that you at least go out and shoot a few rolls with the camera, it looks to be in great condition.

Here is an image from my 1958 1.4/50mm Summilux shot on an M8. Uncropped and no post processing.



--
Happiness - I am always happy (even now).

http://guyplatt.com

Click to expand...

Hey guy

Just saw this image - it is stunning . That '58 lux rocks! The crisp look AND the rendering. Reminds me so much of older prints I used to see shot with M3s etc. Just gorgeous.

Nice camera!

DO NOT use the 50mm Dual Range Summicron on an M8 or M9. The close focusing cam will touch and damage these cameras. The other lenses will be fine. Some people like the character of the images produced by older lenses as they are softer and have a dreamier quality.

d_brown said:

Nice camera!

DO NOT use the 50mm Dual Range Summicron on an M8 or M9. The close focusing cam will touch and damage these cameras. The other lenses will be fine. Some people like the character of the images produced by older lenses as they are softer and have a dreamier quality.

Click to expand...

Thanks d_brown - interesting to note. Do you have a link (or list) of similar lenses which would case heartache mounted on an m8/9?

Does anyone?

Cheers
Adam

99% joking, 1% serious.

The M3 is a beautiful picture taking instrument. I would shoot with the lenses you have, and if you find yourself wishing for more wide angles, then add a wide lens like a 28 or 24. They all will move over to an M8 or M9 in the future.

Probabably not! Not because of the lenses though. They're just fine (except as another already mentioned - at least one of them is not compatable with the M8 or 9). I say "probably not" because you should be in love with the performance of these lenses using the camera you already have before wanting to put them on the M9. The Mi9 is not going to make these lenses perform better than your current camera. The lens' thumbprint will be exactly the same on both cameras for all practical purposes. You've got the lenses and a camera so the absolute best thing you can do is take some pictures and answer the question for yourself.

Search on Google for "lenses not compatible with m8" and you will find a short list of lenses that cannot be used. I use a few lenses of the same vintage as yours and they work fine.

Old leicas and their lenses have an undeniable magic about them, but they are, well, old. Their mechanical construction was wonderful, but with relatively primative lens coatings, no aspherical or low-dispersion elements, and pre-computer-aided designs, I think that you would find them on the soft side by modern standards. I'd also be concerned that if the camera and lenses have sat idle for a few decades, lubricants would have dried out and you might find that the lens action (focus and aperture) a bit stiff, while the shutter speeds on the camera might be a bit off. Also, if the MR meter in the picture still works, I'm very envious!

Still it's a wonderful set to own. I'm with you on the great convenience of digital, but what I would suggest is that you take a bit of a trip down the path of nostalgia and buy a few rolls of film to shoot with the M3 as it is. If you chose something like Kodak TMax 400 (black & white), it's developed with the C41 chemistry which you should be able to find. A lot of labs will scan the film to a CD so that you can get right back into your digital workflow. The variable cost/picture is a lot more than digital, but if you are serious about buying an M9, you can certainly afford a dozen rolls of film! Just pretend that you're Henri Cartier-Bresson and enjoy all of the classic leica virtues - bright viewfinder with precise focus, that lovely quiet "snick" when you press the shutter release, the unobtrusive handling... An old leica is NOT a substitute for a modern SLR. It's much more limited in many ways. However, for the stuff that its good at - quiet, observant, human-centred picture taking - it's a very satisfying instrument to use.

ANd one other thing. Before you load any film, "exercise" your M3 body by cocking and releasing the shutter a bunch of times. This will help 'limber up' the old mechanism - especially if it hasn't seen much use in a while.

Have fun!

A few "leica" photos

So much good advice, Jim. However, TMax 400 is not C-41 process. I think you probably meant to suggest Kodak BW400CN.

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• Mark Ehlers (formerly 'markE')

http://www.pbase.com/marke



'Good street/wildlife photography is a controlled accident,
a vision of preparation and surrender materialized.'