RE: [Leica] Cheaper of cheap 28mm lenses

["Steve Unsworth" <mail@steveunsworth.co.uk>]

Joe

As Guy says have you considered the Voigtlander 25mm. If you're going to use
a viewfinder for the 28mm why not go that little bit wider (only about 10%)
and get a 25mm? I don't think you'll be disappointed by it's performance.

Steve

- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
[mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Guy Bennett
Sent: 28 July 2001 14:34
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Leica] Cheaper of cheap 28mm lenses


Joe,

A couple of years ago I too was looking for a 28 in LTM to use with my IIIf
and couldn't really find anything I liked. I wanted a vintage lens and thus
Canon seemed the best choice since it was the fastest, but I felt they were
too expensive. The Leica 28s (Hektor and Summaron) were even more expensive
and slower, with (in the case of the Summaron) a maximum aperture of 5.6
(the Hektor's max ap being 6.3). For these reasons I eventually abandoned
the idea of getting a 28 and eventually went with the Cosina 25, which I
sold a few months ago and which I will replace with their new 21.

Like you, I find that some of the Cosina lenses - though they are in LTM -
do not balance well on the LTM bodies. The 50/1.5, 35/1.7, 28/1.9, even the
75 (and, I suspect, the 90) seem too bulky on a IIIf (but probably feel
great on an M). On the other hand, their 21, 25, and 35 "classic" balance
well with the LTM body, and a IIIf with one of those lenses is a great wide
angle combo that's small enough to slip into your pocket.

Why not consider going wider than 28?

Guy


P.S. If your stuck on the 28 focal length and 5.6 is fast enough for you, I
believe that Don Chatterton's currently got a Summaron 28/5.6 for sale...