Friends,

Here is a quick abstract of what IMO are the best CURRENT PRODUCTION 35mm lenses fitting M mount rangefinder cameras either directly or with an M adapter for Leica Screw Mount (LSM). I have graded the following lenses on Optics, Ergonomics, Versatility, Build Quality, and Price. Ergonomics include balance, ease of focus & f-stop selection, and viewfinder visibility with hood. Versatility includes top f-stop speed, close focusing, and interchangability between M mount and LSM cameras.

1. Leica Summilux 35/1.4 ASPH. Best overall but pricey. Worth the price IMO.

2. Voigtlander Ultron 35/1.7 Aspherical (LSM). Optics and build quality not quite up to Leica but still very good at price way below Leica. The Ultron's surprise, as the Japanese bookzine "Rangefinder Camera Renaissanceh (Fukkatsu Renji Faindar Camera) writes, is its excellent night / city lights f1.7 flare control. IMO, Ultron has the best OVERALL performance of lenses listed here: Beats all on edge quality but beaten slightly in center quality by Leica ASPHs and Skopar. No focusing tab stunts ergonomics IMO. Only focuses down to 0.09 meters.

3. Voigtlander Skopar 35/2.5 (LSM). A little slow but light, unobtrusive, and with focusing tab. Splendid optics (though apparently not quite up the Leica ASPHs & Ultron overall). Cheapest of all! Beats (slightly) the Leica ASPHs in night / city lights flare control wide open.

4. Leica Summicron 35/2 ASPH. Pricey but excellent overall, except in ergonomics IMO. IMO the controls are too cramped, making f-stop change hard.

5. Konica Hexanon 35/2. Good optics overall but mediocre wide open in night / city lights flare control. Big, but ergonomics good IMO. IMO, more compact late Summicron 35/2 (non-asph) a better buy.

-- Alex Shishin (shishin@pp.iij4-u.or.jp), March 10, 2002

Answers

I second your 35mm summilux! Great all around lens with speed. I'd like to add to my list the 75 lux. The 90 f/2 is sweet as well. The 28/2 seems like a great wider angle lens. Those are my faves.

-- James (snodoggydogg@hotmail.com), March 10, 2002.

Friends,

Let me clear up what might be an ambiguity (drat!) In #2 I mean the Ultron is best OVERALL in controlling flare in night / city lights shots.

-- Alex Shishin (shishin@pp.iij4-u.or.jp), March 10, 2002.

I would say that the cost to performance ratio is best with the 35 Cron ASPH. Ergonomics are lacking on all but the 35 Lux, so the Cron would be my vote if I had to pick one...

-- Kevin Baker (kevin@thebakers.org), March 10, 2002.

I can't agree that the f-stop change is cramped on the Asph'Cron. Even with the hood on its easy, compared to say, the pre Asph Lux. It is by far the best value for money in your list.

-- Steve Barnett (barnet@globalnet.co.uk), March 10, 2002.

Cannot agree that the 35 ASPH Summilux is ergonomically superior to the 35 ASPH Summicron; in my experience the Summilux is more unwieldy than the Summicron, and does not handle nearly as well. Of course, the Summilux produces better images at 1.4. JMHO

-- David (pagedt@chartertn.net), March 10, 2002.

I brought the money a month ago to buy the 35mm 'lux but I left the store with a 'cron. It is ergonomically better than the 'lux and is a good match to the 50mm 'cron. Regards

-- tom tong (tom.tong@ckh.com.hk), March 10, 2002.

So far the discussion has been really interesting and really great! The nice thing--everyone's right. What best for you is best. It is hard to set up general principles.

The trouble with hierarchies, in grading lenses and in life, is that you are stuck into a linear Aristotilian mode rather than a dialectical and relativist mode, which isn't much fun. Simply put grading as I've done is utterly subjective in the end. I created here a mini-university with its own natural laws so to speak.

If price is not an object, then the Summicron shoots up to 2nd (or 1st)--its ergonomics being better in focusing than the Ultron. If price is most important then the Voigtlanders shoot to the top. If Ergonomics are most important, then the little Skopar wins first place (IMO). If one shoots only at night and is a perfectionist, the Ultron would be in first place, but only a hair ahead of the Summicron which itself would be only a nose (and not a Cyrano nose) ahead of the 'lux!

The only lens I'd keep in last place would be the Hexanon. It is heavier than the Leicas but not nearly as good. At night in city lights situations the Ultron runs rings around it and is marginally faster. It's ergonomics are good IMO but the Japanese mag I mentioned does not like the position of the focusing tab. I think Konica missed the boat on this one. The are offering an ultra compact 35/2 in LSM which focuses down to 0.09m. No idea how good it is, but ain't cheap--about 100,000 yen. It weighs 120g. and has a traditional Leica style hood (like on the old crons).

And meanwhile I still am debating on my big 35mm buy. My two regular 35s are my Skopar f2.5 (nice especially for portraits I've just discovered) and my old non-asph 'lux f1.4--which is soft wide open, flares like July 4th in night-city lights situations (and in daylight), is a pain with the hood on when changing f-stops. I'll never let go of it. I used two-sided tape to hold down the hood which has improved handling a lot.

One thing I must thanks folks here for are your comments on the 'crone 35/2. I'm going to rethink it. The used one I had my eye on is gone but there will be others.

And, as final word on the true relativism of all this, I must mention that I saw a non-asph. 'lux 35/1.4 for sale for 150,000 yen in an Osaka shop. That's more than I would've paid for the used 'cron 35/2 ASPH.

-- Alex Shishin (shishin@suma.kobe-wu.ac.jp), March 11, 2002.

Alex,

Do you have an opinion on the Tri-Elmar at 35mm setting?

-- Ray Moth (ray_moth@yahoo.com), March 12, 2002.

Hi Ray,

Actually I am not qualified to speak about the Tri-E. All I'd say is what I've read and what you've read. The only thing I'd be concerned about is the complains of some folks about having the frames not brought up when it is zoomed (or varifocused). But I cannot say anything first hand. Erwin Putts has a good review of this lens. My guess is that if speed isn't an issue the current one with the d. of f. scale is a better choice than the older version. But this is very off hand.

Cheers,

Alex

-- Alex Shishin (shishin@pp.iij4-u.or.jp), March 13, 2002.

Friends,

An announcement. I listened to everyone's defense of the Summicron 35/2 ASPH and went to Naniwa camera this afternoon and tried out the most current model. You were and are right. The ergonomics are super. I think that before I might have played with an earlier model with a less beefy aperture ring, or my fingers have morphed. I was so impressed with it, and remembering your passionate praises for this lens, that I did the honorable thing. I bought it. And I'm glad. Thank you, thank you, thank you. It feels so good in the hand and on the M6. Sometimes it is nice to be proven wrong.

So I hereby--while chewing a bit of humble pie (yum)--revise the above evaluations.

1. Summicron 35/2 ASPH. Excellent in all catagories. Pricey but worth it.

2. Summilux 35/1.4 ASPH. Excellent in all catagories. More Pricey but worth it if having 1.4 is crucial. A virtual tie with the above.

(If money is a major issue, these two lenes are off the board)

3. (1) Voightlander Ultron 35/1.7. Excellent lens for the money, epecially if you need a fast lens and do a lot of night-city lights shooting. First choice if money is an issue and / or if you wish to change between M and LSM.

4. (2 ) Voightlander Skopar 35/2.5. The lens to get if money is an issue, you don't need a fast 35mm lens, you want better ergonomics than the Ultron, and / or you wish to change between M and LSM.

5. Late Summicron 35/2 non-aspherical. Light, midium price, nice ergonomics, very good optics.

6. Konica Hexanon 35/2. Though the optics are not up to the Leica ASPHs it is a little heavier than both. It is considerably bulkier than the 'crone 35/2 ASPH. The optics are better than the old crones according to E. Putts. The price might be a factor for someone on a not too tight but not too loose budget. Here in Japan a used Hex goes for 60,000 yen. A used late non-asph. 'crone goes for anything between about 90,000 yen and 100,000 yen (give and take a little both ways). I think Konica needs to redesign this lens.

Well, hope this helps. Above, is of course, subjective but (I hope) a little less naive.

-- Alex Shishin (shishin@pp.iij4-u.or.jp), March 13, 2002.