35mm lense and Leica

[merciful]

So, I've started to get a little bit of inclination to shoot with a wider lens. As my Leica body is an M3, should I get the lens I want (the Canon f2 LTM) and a set of eyes; or wait a bit and pick up an M2 body as a backup and for the 35mm lens?

[back alley]

i'd get the m2.

i don't care for external viewfinders but have never used those google eyes either.
i just prefer things simple.

that's just me though.

joe

[merciful]

Yeah, fussing with extra stuff is a pain. But the eyes option is a cheaper way to see if the focal length really works for me. Decisions, decisions.

[back alley]

andrew,

i've looked at your stuff and , while this is a pure guess on my part, i think that 35mm will be a great tool for you.
you have a natural eye and a great sense of place and, to my thinking, the 35 lends itself to that even better than a 50.

joe

thinking about it some more...maybe a bessa r with the 35/2.5 for a much cheaper alternative. of course 2.5 is not a speed lens but it's a good lens, nice & small & sharp.

[Brian Sweeney]

How would you get the "eyes" to stay on the Canon 35mm F2? They screw onto my Summaron 3.5cm F2.8 (a Fine Lens), the lens has the fixture built into it. I do not mind the "eyes", the viewfinder is clear and accurate with them.

BUT having the M2 with the adapter gives the ability to use ANY 35mm lens in M-Mount or LTM mount.

[Nikon Bob]

I don't think you can just add the eyes to any lens and get it to work. I dimly recall reading that removing the eyes from a Leica lens puts it out of register when used without. I am guessing that if you added the eyes to a lens not originally intended to use them you would have a similar problem. If this is true you might be able to have the lens modified to work with the eyes.

Bob

[Brian Sweeney]

The eyes come off the top of the 35mm Summaron; and do not affect the M-Mount. The eyes can be removed to use the lens with other M series cameras, BUT the 50mm finder lines will come up on them. The M3 50mm lines become 35mm FOV when used with the eyes.

[Nikon Bob]

Brian

Thats good to know. My memory is getting very dim I think.

Bob

[back alley]

it's the cold temps bob.

joe

[merciful]

Thanks for the details and suggestions, guys; I hadn't really had the sense to figure the eyes thing.

I doubt I'll buy a Bessa; now that I've started on Leica bodies I'll probably stick there.

[peter_n]

Yep. Once you're assimilated that's it! No turning back... ;)

[taffer]

A WTB ad for a 35 lens at photo.net triggered an offer of what could be a cheap 35/2 cron. If the buyer passes, it may be something you could consider...

OTH, I seriously doubt you'd regret getting an M2, seems the more natural way if you want to try the 35 way.

Resistance is futile ;)

[mourges]

If you don't wear glasses, you can do what I do and shoot the 35mm with the M3 using the outside of the frame. Not exceptionally accurate, but neither is normal rangefinder framing.

It works well enough at the moment, but I am planning on getting a R2A when they are released here.

[merciful]

If you don't wear glasses

Sadly, I do.

[Nikon Bob]

I find the 35mm frame lines on the M4 a little hard to take in all at once and I don't wear goggles (yet). I guess it depends on the view finder magnification. You will know soon enough by looking through the view finder of the M2.

Bob

[Brian Sweeney]

I am used to the Nikon S3 and its "35mm Lines", so the M2 35mm lines were a real "eye- relief" for me and my very thick glasses.

Unless you really want a second Leica body, and need a "push-over-the-edge", use the 35mm lens on the M3 and buy an auxiliary 35mm finder for the occasions when more exact framing is required.

I went with the Summaron with eyes solution for the M3; but got a good price on a near mint F2.8 version for $375. It is very sharp and has more contrast than the Canon 35mm F2.8. I will scan some shots in soon.

[merciful]

Thanks, Brian, I suppose I can always buy an M2 if I find the M3/35mm combo isn't doing it for me, too.

The review here (http://www.davidde.com/articles/canon35.html) is pretty strong on the Canon 35/2 over the Summaron.

[Brian Sweeney]

That review is pretty strong for the Canon 35mm F2 over everything. I'll bet they used a computer...

Better edit out the link before you drive the price up even more!!!

[Nikon Bob]

Maybe my memory is not that bad after all. I found this http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00AS6q

Bob

[peter_n]

That's a very interesting thread. I didn't know that. So apart from everything else, what does this do for Brian's dream? :)