Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/11/19

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Subject: [Leica] Any opinions/experience with the Zeiss 4/18mm?
From: hoppyman at bigpond.net.au (Geoff Hopkinson)
Date: Wed Nov 19 22:51:56 2008
References: <1327591E-699B-4C1C-B1C7-3295906BA5F3@frozenlight.eu>

Nathan, I have one. I love it.  Very sharp and contrasty. Well made, I
haven't succeeded in making it flare at all either. I don't see any
vignetting. I recommend it without reservation. For the M8, consider getting
the replacement bayonet flange from John Milich with 6 bit coding, or having
the original flange coded. I got a BW UV/IR for mine since Leica don't make
that size. You can adapt the 55 if you want. Coded as the WATE works
perfectly and defaults to 18mm. Any external 24 finder works fine.
<http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman/image/101813580>
<http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman/image/101813591>
<http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman/image/101824431> 
I can send you a DNG if you want.

Cheers
Geoff
http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman/e
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/gh/
Pick up your camera and make the best photo you can.

-----Original Message-----
From: lug-bounces+hoppyman=bigpond.net.au@leica-users.org
[mailto:lug-bounces+hoppyman=bigpond.net.au@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of
Nathan Wajsman
Sent: Thursday, 20 November 2008 15:55
To: Leica Users Group
Subject: [Leica] Any opinions/experience with the Zeiss 4/18mm?

Since this is a Leica list, I expect people will be pleased to learn that I
have decided that M8 prices have fallen sufficiently to buy one some time
during the next few months. So I am thinking of lenses to use with it.
Clearly, a 35mm will serve as a standard lens, but what to use for wide
angle? The various 21mm offerings are not wide enough for me; they translate
into 28mm in film terms, and that is a focal length I never got comfortable
with. To me, it is neither fish nor
fowl: not wide enough to really capture the big expanse but too wide to use
for, say, se?orita photos, without getting so close that you get slapped in
the face.

Leica's own WATE or whatever is called is too expensive and I have no need
for all 3 focal lengths. The 15mm lenses from Voigtlander and Zeiss are not
rangefinder coupled. I know that they have great DOF so focusing is not
critical, but still I want rangefinder coupling.

 From what I see out there, the 4/18mm Zeiss M lens seems to fit the bill,
both in terms of focal length (corresponds to 24mm, one of my favorite focal
lengths when I was shooting film) and in terms of reasonable price (KEH has
one at the moment for just under $1000). But is it any good? I have read
Erwin's write up on the ZM lenses, and it is quite positive. But when he
wrote it, he did not have this particular lens.

Anybody out there using the 18mm?

Nathan

Nathan Wajsman
Alicante, Spain
http://www.frozenlight.eu
http://www.greatpix.eu
http://www.nathanfoto.com

Books: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/search?search=wajsman&x=0&y=0
PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws
Blog: http://www.fotocycle.dk/blog




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In reply to: Message from photo at frozenlight.eu (Nathan Wajsman) ([Leica] Any opinions/experience with the Zeiss 4/18mm?)