I am looking to get a 28 and although I know the 28 summicron has received excellent reviews, I am curious if you had to make a choice between the 28 elmarit and the voightlander 28 which one would you choose(or did choose)? Geri

-- Geri Brandimarte (gbrandimarte@hotmail.com), May 06, 2002

Answers

Apples and oranges. I have the Voigtlander, and it's a very good lens. However, since you haven't brought up the issue of $$$--if I had an extra couple of thousand dollars hanging around, I would have certainly bought the Summicron; I didn't, so I bought the Ultron.

-- Michael Darnton (mdarnton@hotmail.com), May 06, 2002.

If you are sure you want a 28, and you want incredible image quality, then the Summicron asph is King... Yes, I know it costs a bundle, but IMO it is worth every penny.

My two cents,

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), May 06, 2002.

It all depends what you're after. If you want the very best -- go for Leica. If you want fast 28, but can't swallow Leica price -- go for Ultron. If you want a compact 28 -- there's new CV 28/3.5 to be available in a couple of months. I have the Ultron and its a grat lens, but big and heavy. If that 28/3.5 was available at the time of my purchase I'd most likely go for it.

-- Alexander Grekhov (grekhov@wgukraine.com), May 06, 2002.

If your not buying Leica lenses why bother buying Leica bodies, as they are only for holding the film? The lenses my prof. told us, produces the image NOT the body.

-- Allison Reese (a_b_reese3@hotmail.com), May 06, 2002.

Allison, tell your professor that the rangefinder body focusses the lens. A limitation of the CV bodies is the shorter base of the rangefinder, a real problem with, say, the 90mm Summicron, shooting wide open. Then there's the matter of mechanical reliability, quiet shutter, and the "feel" of the tool in one's hands.

-- Phil Stiles (Stiles@metrocast.net), May 06, 2002.

Your professor also probably knows that Voigtlander lenses are actually optically very good.

-- Ilkka (ikuu65@hotmail.com), May 06, 2002.

If your not buying Leica lenses why bother buying Leica bodies, as they are only for holding the film?

You're right, sort of -- I just sold my M6 to buy R2. Leica bodies are sure nice and provide more focusing accuracy (in case you need it). But for my shooting R2 is enough and I have more CV lenses then Leica ones anyway.

-- Alexander Grekhov (grekhov@wgukraine.com), May 06, 2002.

I've an elmarit (2nd last type) same money as the voit. (on ebay)....simply stunning and keeps the leica "signature", If you must have new....Voit, otherwise check out the older elmarits...great value as some folk upgrade(?) to asph 'crons

john

-- John Tobias (johntobias@hotmail.com), May 07, 2002.

If you want the best and money doesn't matter, go for the Summicron 28. If you can't afford the Summicron but f2 (f1.9) is important, go for the Voigtlaender. If you already possess an available light lens and look for an excellent 28 mm for a very reasonable price I highly recommend the Hexanon 28/2.8 instead of the much more expensive Elmarit 28/2.8. I took pics with all these lenses. Currently I use the Voigtlaender and the Hexanon. My favourite is the Hexanon. It is as excellent as the Elmarit, more solid than the Elmarit and much more solid than the Voigtlaender.

-- Frank Thoma (Thoma2811@aol.com), May 07, 2002.

Allison, you need a new professor. The photographer makes the image-- the camera and lens are only the tube and box the photographer uses to collect it. Garbage in; garbage out.

-- Michael Darnton (mdarnton@hotmail.com), May 07, 2002.

Which was why I ultimately bought the Ultron--$1500 more for me to spend on film to practice training myself to make better pictures, since I was willing to admit that in the system, I'm the weakest link. :-)

-- Michael Darnton (mdarnton@hotmail.com), May 07, 2002.

I have to agree with Allison, unless you are buying a voightlander equivalent that leica does not make eg the 15 Heliar. Alternatively getting a Voightlander as an occasional use lens is pretty wise as well.

-- Karl Yik (karl.yik@dk.com), May 07, 2002.

From the most important to the lesser:

I make/compose the image, the lens produces/projects the image, the camera captures/stores the image.

If I zone focus/hyperfocus then the camera is just a shutter.

If I fondle the camera the Leica may or may not feel better and may or may not be the better tool.

-- Allison Reese (a_b_reese3@hotmail.com), May 07, 2002.

Thanks to everyone for their responses. I saw a used Elmarit for sale and was leaning toward getting it but wanted to get some opinion on that compared with the Voightlander 28 before I made the purchase. I just bought the Elmarit and I am sure I will be satisfied with it. Geri

-- Geri Brandimarte (gbrandimarte@hotmail.com), May 07, 2002.