Thank you so much for reviewing this awesome lens , I owned it for four months, I love it , use it most of the time with Leica M9 , for the price you pay for it, I am sure it’s awesome 👌👌👌
What I hear you trying to sell me, and what I actually see on the screen, are two separate things. Honestly, the samples look soft with muddy colors. If your viewers are looking for a cheap travel lens or just a budget wide angle lens as they build up an M stable for the first time, they should also consider an old Rokkor-M 28/2.8 which is not much larger but is dirt cheap and in my opinion has better performance. Older Voigtlander 28mms are also available on the used market, but these have the same muted colors associated with poor microcontrast. The newer asphercial offerings are a step up. Cheap lens on expensive camera = waste of money.
The more I check out imagery from this lens, the more it seems like the ultimate character lens. I'm thinking of scale focussing as a 42mm on the TL2 (and probably others). The VM28mmF2.8 is more logical, and also very beautiful and light, but this one is so compelling. It emulates film really well.
Honestly the size and build make it such a fun package. On a apsc sensor you’ll loose the edge smearing but retain that nice lower contrast rendering. The voigt is a lot more clinical
Bought this one. Returned it. Yes it’s small like a lens cap but it’s so soft and renders like a smartphone. I don’t know how he can love it so much. There is so many very small voightlander lenses that is sooo much better and not much more expensive.
I have had this lens for quite some time. I was pleasantly surprised by its center sharpness at wide open. However, its field curvature producing sharp background in the corner on my digital M is a bit distracting sometimes. It would probably be okay for fillm. I feel that this lens is best for APS-C like the CL or PIXII.
Would you consider this a good first Leica M lens? The way I mean is how would the first time rangefinder experience be compared to let’s say a 50 apo as a first lens (I realize how they are different). My use is going to be to capture my daily life as a real estate agent here in the Dominican Republic, the beauty, life, real estate context. Keep up the great content and I am looking forward to your opinion 👋
I think it’s a good option for everyday use. Lots of character wide open at things start getting serious at f4-5.6. You’ll get your range finder experience but there are some drawbacks since this is a niche lens, a clickable aperture for one. Depends on your focal length preference too! I don’t think I can just have a 28mm, I need a 50 as well. Try it out if you’re asking the question you must be serious about considering it. And in this case I don’t think you’ll regret it.
@@GenericPhotographer thank you for taking your time to respond! I will for sure be monitoring the market for a good condition M-P or M10 and go for it 🙏🏼
No criticism of your review, but why buy a Leica body and then go on to put one these third rate lenses on it? The quality of the image a camera produces depends to a great degree on the lens used in case of a digital camera, and almost entirely in case of a film camera. I am not saying that everyone should go and buy the very expensive Leica M lenses as Zeiss and Voigtlander both provide cheaper aletrnatives to Leica M Lens, but I really don't understand this trend of trying to find the latest Chinese made lens and put it on a Leica? There is a Chinese manufacturer who balatantly copies the leica optical designs of thirty or fourty years ago, re produces them under their brand name and sells them not so cheaply TBH. I for one do not accept this.
well just because the m body is expensive you don't have to go all in with a lens. Lenses became so good, that a cheaper lens will outperform a for exemple old 35 summilux. Also this lens seems as if it is just a funny cookie to use. Nobody would care if you shoot a 50/1.8 on a nikon d6.
For me these lenses are fun to use. I agree the leica lenses are better and built for the m body. Not every day do I wanna go out and be clinical. Some days I wanna get creative and these type of lenses make that creativity interesting.
Okay, so a few points. I'm a leica shooter with a small collection of Lux and Cron lenses. I love these lenses but they are far from anywhere near this small. When I travel I need to carry a bag as there's no chance of pocketing an M with a 50mm Lux on it. Now leica does make a 28mm 5.6 Summaron that is much smaller but 1) It's a 5.6 and 2) it's a $3,100 lens. That's just too much for even 99% of leica shooters to justify for such a niche lens. This lens is ~$325 and is smaller and 2 stops faster. I wouldn't expect the image quality to be as good, but that's not always what I'm looking for. I love my professional grade lenses, but they can be overkill for when I'm on holidays. Not only am I carrying $10k+ in a bag, but they're also heavy and large by leica standards. Travel photography is not as serious as many other forms. As for the issue with Light Lens Lab, they create some pretty great lenses that Leica either no longer creates or would charge an insane amount for. I have no issue with them creating an Elcan clone so that people can actually shoot of something close to an Elcan, as nobody in their right mind is spending $30k for a 50mm f2.0 and actually taking it out shooting.
@@Macca-95yes light lens lab are not imitation they are creating replicas that are for real practical use. In the case of a lens I’ve ordered the 50mm f1.2 “1966” they have found ways of recreating this lens by hand. Grinding the glass by hand. The Leica remake is made by machine and is much more expensive. Apparently the light lens lab remake is even more authentic to the original.
Thank you so much for reviewing this awesome lens , I owned it for four months, I love it , use it most of the time with Leica M9 , for the price you pay for it, I am sure it’s awesome 👌👌👌
it's great value, glad you enjoy it as well!
Hi ANDREW, after watching this review I ordered this lens and it’s arrived today. Love it cheers
Glad to hear! Enjoy 🙏
Informative, thanks. Probably not my cup of tea, but, it is good to know these details.
What I hear you trying to sell me, and what I actually see on the screen, are two separate things. Honestly, the samples look soft with muddy colors. If your viewers are looking for a cheap travel lens or just a budget wide angle lens as they build up an M stable for the first time, they should also consider an old Rokkor-M 28/2.8 which is not much larger but is dirt cheap and in my opinion has better performance. Older Voigtlander 28mms are also available on the used market, but these have the same muted colors associated with poor microcontrast. The newer asphercial offerings are a step up. Cheap lens on expensive camera = waste of money.
First it was Keith Wee’s review that interested me in this lens, then this one pushed me over the edge. I’ve just ordered it from their site. Thanks!
happy to help! You won't regret it! There's also a 30$ coupon on amazon right now (click the link in the description). Cheers!
The more I check out imagery from this lens, the more it seems like the ultimate character lens. I'm thinking of scale focussing as a 42mm on the TL2 (and probably others). The VM28mmF2.8 is more logical, and also very beautiful and light, but this one is so compelling. It emulates film really well.
Honestly the size and build make it such a fun package. On a apsc sensor you’ll loose the edge smearing but retain that nice lower contrast rendering. The voigt is a lot more clinical
This is so fun!
Oh, I just heard that it’s rangefinder coupled.
I have this as my small travel lens on my M10P. It has character, great all round focal length, and tiny.
Awfully convenient, it’s a lens cap you can take photos with!
i was wondering about this lens but ended up with the Minolta M-Rokkor 28mm f2.8
I’ve always been tempted by the 28 rokkor but I’ve been put off by the ballsam separation/ delamination that they all inevitably suffer from. 🥲
Bought this one. Returned it. Yes it’s small like a lens cap but it’s so soft and renders like a smartphone. I don’t know how he can love it so much. There is so many very small voightlander lenses that is sooo much better and not much more expensive.
I have had this lens for quite some time. I was pleasantly surprised by its center sharpness at wide open. However, its field curvature producing sharp background in the corner on my digital M is a bit distracting sometimes. It would probably be okay for fillm. I feel that this lens is best for APS-C like the CL or PIXII.
Would you consider this a good first Leica M lens?
The way I mean is how would the first time rangefinder experience be compared to let’s say a 50 apo as a first lens (I realize how they are different).
My use is going to be to capture my daily life as a real estate agent here in the Dominican Republic, the beauty, life, real estate context.
Keep up the great content and I am looking forward to your opinion 👋
I think it’s a good option for everyday use. Lots of character wide open at things start getting serious at f4-5.6. You’ll get your range finder experience but there are some drawbacks since this is a niche lens, a clickable aperture for one. Depends on your focal length preference too! I don’t think I can just have a 28mm, I need a 50 as well. Try it out if you’re asking the question you must be serious about considering it. And in this case I don’t think you’ll regret it.
@@GenericPhotographer thank you for taking your time to respond! I will for sure be monitoring the market for a good condition M-P or M10 and go for it 🙏🏼
Does the lens couple with the Leica M6 split image focus? Or is it zone focus?
hi thanks for the review, is the focus throw "standard leica" i.e. 45 degrees left to 45 degrees on the right when shotting ?
Good question! It sure is, exact same throw as my 50 lux
thanks mister !
Would you take this lens versus a 7artisans 35mm f5.6? Im looking for a fun pancake lens
I’d definitely take this one for the speed alone. 2.8 is so versatile but it is significantly more expensive than the 7artisans.
An 11-P that I want is $9,200 or so $. I am not putting that in a pair of shorts or pants. It will go in a padded camera bag.
No criticism of your review, but why buy a Leica body and then go on to put one these third rate lenses on it? The quality of the image a camera produces depends to a great degree on the lens used in case of a digital camera, and almost entirely in case of a film camera. I am not saying that everyone should go and buy the very expensive Leica M lenses as Zeiss and Voigtlander both provide cheaper aletrnatives to Leica M Lens, but I really don't understand this trend of trying to find the latest Chinese made lens and put it on a Leica? There is a Chinese manufacturer who balatantly copies the leica optical designs of thirty or fourty years ago, re produces them under their brand name and sells them not so cheaply TBH. I for one do not accept this.
well just because the m body is expensive you don't have to go all in with a lens. Lenses became so good, that a cheaper lens will outperform a for exemple old 35 summilux. Also this lens seems as if it is just a funny cookie to use. Nobody would care if you shoot a 50/1.8 on a nikon d6.
For me these lenses are fun to use. I agree the leica lenses are better and built for the m body. Not every day do I wanna go out and be clinical. Some days I wanna get creative and these type of lenses make that creativity interesting.
Okay, so a few points. I'm a leica shooter with a small collection of Lux and Cron lenses. I love these lenses but they are far from anywhere near this small. When I travel I need to carry a bag as there's no chance of pocketing an M with a 50mm Lux on it.
Now leica does make a 28mm 5.6 Summaron that is much smaller but 1) It's a 5.6 and 2) it's a $3,100 lens. That's just too much for even 99% of leica shooters to justify for such a niche lens. This lens is ~$325 and is smaller and 2 stops faster. I wouldn't expect the image quality to be as good, but that's not always what I'm looking for.
I love my professional grade lenses, but they can be overkill for when I'm on holidays. Not only am I carrying $10k+ in a bag, but they're also heavy and large by leica standards. Travel photography is not as serious as many other forms.
As for the issue with Light Lens Lab, they create some pretty great lenses that Leica either no longer creates or would charge an insane amount for. I have no issue with them creating an Elcan clone so that people can actually shoot of something close to an Elcan, as nobody in their right mind is spending $30k for a 50mm f2.0 and actually taking it out shooting.
This is not a third rate lens. It gives a retro film look which is a breath of fresh air to the clinical super sharp digital lenses.
@@Macca-95yes light lens lab are not imitation they are creating replicas that are for real practical use. In the case of a lens I’ve ordered the 50mm f1.2 “1966” they have found ways of recreating this lens by hand. Grinding the glass by hand. The Leica remake is made by machine and is much more expensive. Apparently the light lens lab remake is even more authentic to the original.