28 M Elmarit 2.8 vs 28 M Elmarit 2.8 ASPH

[barjohn]

I just purchased off of eBay a "mint" condition german version Leica 28 M Elmarit 2.8. I am wondering how it compares to the newer apherical version. Can anyone that has or has had both comment. I'm thinking of using it as my main lens after I purchase an M8 and will use it on the R-D1 in the interim.

John

[barjohn]

No one has any data or information? I just took the plunge and ordered an M8 and I will need to hand code the lens (at least initially) and see how it works with the M8. I should get it in a couple of days (I hope). Thanks to Leica forum poster John for the tip on who had one in stock.

[Sailor Ted]

barjonh,
I'm surprised based on some of your posts however I can tell you you’re going to love this camera. Go for the 28mm Summicron- that's the Leica 28mm glass to have. In f2.8 I'd opt for the Zeiss.

Ted

[barjohn]

I'm sorry if you thought my posts were meant to be negative, they were merely stating how I believe a company should operate. I am a realist enough to know that not many do. Overall I believe that Leica is a good company trying hard that doesn't mean they can't improve. Sometimes all it takes is a little nudge, sometimes more.

I hope that I will not be dissapointed but I believe one should put their money where their mouth is. Fair enough?

Now can someone answer my questions on these two lenses? I know the Summicron is better or at least faster.

John

[Sailor Ted]

Below are notes I took while reading an informative review on reidreviews.com a pay site with reviews for the M mount shooter. As expected the Summicron 2.0 ASPH was the winner over all with more pleasing OOF as compared to the Elmarit whose bokeh shows a kind surface tension that may distract from the in focus areas unless that is what you are looking for. The Zeiss lens has the most traditional or "creamy" bokeh of the three. No mention was made of the older Leica non-asph 28mm lens but if it's differences are anything like that of other Leica lenses asph vs. non-asph that I've used the older lens will be softer especially as you move closer to the edge of your exposure with lower contrast and creamer bokeh.

The following notes break down the review however as when evaluating a sports car it's not always specs that tell what it's like to drive a car hard on a mountain road. Though the new Corvette shows well on paper I'd take the Ferrari (or a new M3) when subjective matters come into play. Lenses are no different.

Shadow detail = Summicron, Biogon, Elmarit
Blocks least of viewfinder = Elmarit (zero wo shade), Biogon, Summicron
Resolution = Summicron, Elmarit, Biogon (softest in the corners)
OOF = Biogon has soft and flowing OOF areas so in focus subject matter will contrast against the OFF areas with little visual competition from the OOF areas to take away from the subject.

Elmarit = the highest contrast lens of the group and softer focus near the edges of an image creates a somewhat distracting OOF that will compete for attention when contrasted against the in focus subject matter- I can see this working in favor of this lens for night street photography where you want the entire image to come alive however for my tastes smooth and creamy bokeh as with the Biogon wins hands down. For examples of how the Elmarit's unique bokeh effects the image see the work of "captainvideo" on Flickr. He's a prolific shooter (one of my personal favorites)who reciently picked up a Leica M8 and uses a 28mm Elmarit on the streets of Hong Kong after the sun goes down.

Summicron OOF= In between the Elmarit and the Biogon.

As you might expect flare and CA are minimal on these three lenses but the 6-bit coding gives a significant edge to the Leica lenses unless you hand code the Zeiss.

This information is a summation based on a review by Sean Reid at reidreviews.com

barjon enjoy your new Leica!

[aizan]

er...why are you saying 'boka' instead of 'bokeh'?

[barjohn]

Ted,

Thanks for your input. I suscribe to Reid's reviews and had read them but lacking any information on the non-ASPH i wasn't sure where it fit in the picture. I have been using the Minolta Rokkor 40/2 on the R-D1 and I really like the way this lens paints. Of course it may be a case of nostalgia or fond memories from the days I had a CL and shot film and had my own darkroom. I remeber back then that I really liked the images from the camera and lens and much preferred it to my SLR (I think it was a Nikon but can't remeber now).

John

[Ben Z]

I have the 4th-version 28/2.8 and I had a chance to use the new one for a day at a Leica event. The new one is very small and light, like the 4th-version of the 35 Summicron. I really liked it's ergonomics, and for a new Leica lens the price stands out. That kind of worries me because it's a wide-angle lens and an ASPH and comes in less than the lens it replaced was selling for before all the huge price increases. I admit though there's nothing I could see from outside the lens that looks like a costcutting measure. Performance of the lens in my less-than-scientific approach: like every other Leica lens and most of the better lenses from other brands I've used, it's a satisfactory performer in real-world photography. Shooting bookcases from tripods isn't my thing, there are plenty of guys doing that, if that's what you base decisions on. If I didn't already have the 4th-version, which I paid $600 for because there's a tiny, barely-perceptible coating mark on the front, I would probably go for the new ASPH over the older version, if only because it's 2/3 the size and weight.

[barjohn]

Thanks for your input. I think I will see how the lens I have works and then if I really think the new one is worth getting sell mine and buy the new one.

John

[jim_buchanan]

I use the 4th version 28mm 2.8 Elmarit on my R-D1 as a "43mm" normal lens. I got the impression from E. Puts articles that there is falloff of performance on full frame with the new Asph version, as well as required stopping down for optimum sharpness. I'm not so concerned with the edge performance as the digital sensors are not full frame (yet), but part of my reason for spending the bucks is the wide open performance the Elmarit 4th version has. I suppose the Summicron f/2.0 is better, but for the money I feel I have the second best 28 ever. I wonder if that extra stop of the Summicron is worth the trade-up?

[Richard Marks]

I have the 28 2.8 Elmarit ASPH and using it on an M8 I have absolutely no complaints. Its not a bargain by any means but for leica its certainly not ridiculously priced. Its very light, compact and quick focusing. The supplied lens hood is not great and if there has been any economy on this lens, its here. My decision to go for this rather than a second hand summicron (similar price) was that I would get the 6 bit coding to boot. I dont find f2.8 a problem as the M8 works pretty well at ISO 320 and wide open the lens performs nicely. If there are any criticisms it is does not focus quite as closely as i would like and that the trasition from focus to out of focus is very gradual (ideal for landscapes, but not always great for portraits). At the end of the day you need to try out all the options for a test drive and see for yourself.
Best wishes
Richard

[Rummy]

I own a new 28 mm Summicron and have only one complaint, it does not focus in the view finder at infinity. Is this a common problem or is there something wrong with my lens?

[grduprey]

I bought a new 28/2.8 asph last week and so far love it. Well built, sharp, small and overall great.

Gene