As Question Above I'm budget limit Leica User ... ;-( now I must decide about 28 F 2.8 GR lens and 25 F4 Skopar The latter is so cheaper but I'm not sure about Optic performance and the focal Range If anyone can help me show picture taken from it ? I like 28 coz it can use in my M4P frameline... and GR lens is cool ! but more expensive please not discuss bout Leica lens ,that so expensive for me !!! thanx for any comment"""""""""""

-- Puchong Lau (doctorpuchong@hotmail.com), September 21, 2001

Answers

Buy an Imarect finder and learn to use the 50mm.

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), September 21, 2001.

The quality of the 25mm Skopar is very high, and the price (including the viewfinder!) is very low, but as you say, your M4P has the 28mm finder already. If the only issue is money, I would buy the Skopar-- in fact, that's what I did do, myself, for that reason. Either lens would be a good choice to pair with a 50mm.

-- Michael Darnton (mdarnton@hotmail.com), September 21, 2001.

You should also be aware that the 25 f4 Skopar is NOT rangefinder coupled.I have also read (I have no first hand experience) that the 25 is not that good a lens optically, but other people will have a different opinion.

-- Steve LeHuray (icommag@toad.net), September 21, 2001.

http://www.imx.nl/photosite/japan/voigtl01.html

-- Michael Darnton (mdarnton@hotmail.com), September 21, 2001.

These are very hard questions to answer. At once you present the issues of lens quality, price and different focal lengths...and there is a very significant difference between 25 and 28, much more so than between eg. 50mm and 60mm or 85mm and 90mm. Buying the 25 because it's cheaper is false economy if the focal length doesn't work for you. The issue was already raised regarding non-rangefinder coupling of the Skopar, and that is significant especially if you plan to close-up and wide open. There is also a 28mm Kobalux lens, as well as a used 28 Rokkor for the Minolta CLE (not sure if that lens brings up the 28 frame in an M body or not)and I have seen earlier versions of the Leica 28mm-M for decent prices. The earliest one which retrudes too far into the body cavity to permit metering on the M6 usually sells at a discount and would not be a problem at all on your M4-P. You might check www.cameraquest.com where I recall there were listings of other non-Leica lenses. Perhaps a 35mm would be wide enough for the time being, in which case your possibilites expand greatly.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), September 21, 2001.

The 28/2.8 GR lens is made as if carved out from a solid piece of brass and its performance is as good as the just discontinued 28 Elmarit-M. If you can find one for around $500 to $600 then jump at it. You won't regret it. I had one but regretably sold it when I decided to go for the 28mm Summicron. I am still kicking myself. The Ricoh would have been so sweet on the IIIf.

-- ray tai (razerx@netvigator.com), September 21, 2001.

As always: It depends. The optical performance is certainly really good for the skopar. But it is not rangefinder coupled as Steve points out and also has a separate viewfinder, both things which you have to get used to. The 21 mmm which is rangefinder coupled may also be an option as well as a decent used 35mm summaron or one of the 35 mm viogtlaenders. Used russian screw mount lenses might be an option as well, together with a screw mount to m - adaptor. But if I were you I'd try different focal lengths first (21, 25, 28 and 35) and when I'm sure which focal length I want I'd look for a specific lens: Good feeling results in more better pictures than good optics.

-- Kai Blanke (kai.blanke@iname.com), September 21, 2001.

Click here for another alternative...

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), September 21, 2001.

It really depends on your needs and methods. The 25 isn't rf coupled and needs a separate vf. Can you live with that? On the other hand it is light and optically quite good (in my view). I considered the F2.8/28 GR lens but felt it was too heavy, getting the very light Rokkor 28 / 3.5. For about the same price as GR 28/2.8 you can get the new Voigtlander 28/1.9. It is not heavier than the GR (I think) and optically quite good--at least in my judgement. Or--you can get the Voigtlander 20/4. Cheap, light, rf coupled, finder included and a good performer.

Oh yes, I've heard from a pretty reliable source that there will soon be an rf coupled 25mm from Voigtlander-Cosina for Leica.

Of course you could always morgage the house, sell the car, take out a loan and get Leica's new 28/2 or 2.8.

-- Alex Shishin (shishin@pp.iij4u.or.jp), September 21, 2001.

As an owner of the 25 Skopar, I've got to say that though I was initially put off by the fact that it wasn't RF coupled, because I'm a very fussy guy when it comes to focus, it hasn't turned out to be a big deal at all. The main reason I'd rather have the 21 is that I'm a big fan of brightline finders.

-- Michael Darnton (mdarnton@hotmail.com), September 21, 2001.

I love my 25mm Skopar. Its a very good lens, very sharp. I don't miss rangefinder coupling at all. I took this with it:

-- brian david stevens (briandavidstevens@excite.com), September 24, 2001.