I hope for more future Voigtländer APO E-mount Lenses that can replace my Sony GM Lenses. I still have som Leica R Lenses, but I will sell them soon (bought them used cheap before all the late years hype, so I can sell them now with profit).
Matt, it is perfectly ock! Why the people have to stick with one optical system, only. Today: we have wonderful lenses of different brands, formats and with the lens adapters, you expand your limits to the point where the imagination can go wild, ... Hope it shall all work well for your wonderful work. Good luck!
You don’t have to apologize for spending or saving your own money, you always make reasonable reasoning for your choices. It’s clear that VM lenses have come a long way, and many people have to be convinced that spending 4X-5X more for Leica glass makes sense for them. All the best.
Matt clearly stated his reason for selling his Leica lenses. This is HIS choice. What I enjoyed from the video was the choices he made in buying the voigtlander lenses & what these lenses offered in place of the Leica glass that he sold. He also emphasised short term ownership of the voigtlander glass as opposed to long term ownership of the Leica glass, in which the latter holds value, instead of declining. Best wishes, Matt. Love to see the work that you do REGARDLESS of the equipment that is used. Best wishes!😊
A truly great photographer can change equipment throughout their lives and the quality of their work retains their vision, their ability as an artist - that said with absolute certainty. Your work is amazing, whatever you choose will not change that. 🤗 I am currently planning the build of my home - exciting to create/find your nest in the world. ❤️
Ansel said the most important part of the camera is the 12" behind it. His Yosemite protege Ernst Haas once told a Leica afficionado, Leica Schmica. I would venture a guess that 99% of people couldn't tell the difference in a shot with a Leica lens vs non Leica and that includes most people who run around calling themselves photographers. For most Leica users, you are casting your pearls among swine as the saying goes. When I look at Matt's wonderful portraits, I see great lighting, posing, expression, shallow dof, just the right amount of detail in the skin. (Matt, you have me half way through my first roll of tmax 400 as a result) The slight additional micro contrast from these lenses, sharpness wide open which can be addressed with other lenses stopping down a bit, is a tiny contributor to the quality of his images. It is his SKILLS having mastered the craft that is why he makes such wonderful images, not the lens and certainly not a film body. Hand a 10 grand leica and lens kit to most folks and you will get nothing resembling these images. Note Matt's videos on using nikon bodies, and other lenses.
I sent my Leica M6 and lenses down the river years ago for Voitlander kit due to weight alone. When I was young I wanted gear to last forever. Now that I’m old I just want to be able to carry it and not get a pain in the neck… Good on you for being a brave and honest man!
you made the right choice based on your analogy. in the end it's all about image quality and if a less expensive lens allows you to keep more money in your pocket while keeping your work at high standards, then you made the right choice.
Hi Matt honestly I was always surprised by the quality of recent voigtlander lenses and I perfectly understand your choices. If you have some other Leica gear to sell don t forget to inform the community …;)
Yup, the green blue corrosion is brass. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. Those black anodized Leica lenses are housed in aluminum as are some of the older Voigtlander lenses. Some of the ultrons are a mix of nickel and brass. I know that some of my Leica focus tabs are plastic, which isn’t the case for the Voigtlander tabs. They are all metal.
I have the voitglander 50mm apo lanthar, and it is a great lens, combined with my M5, it just works so well. A lot of Leica owners are buying Voitglander because Leica lenes are just to ridiculously expensive for the everyday photographer.
Spot on, Matt. Nailed it. This is coming from someone who owns a 50mm APO Summicron amongst others. I love my 28mm Voigtlander Ultron f1.9 srewmount. Enough that I'm not tempted by any other 28. And I love my 35mm f2 Biogon ZM. Also sharper than the Summicron ASPH but without the 'cron's focus shift. What a wonderful world of great choices we have.
I'm 64 and have 30 cameras (no Leica) my Voigtländer Bessa-R Rangefinder LTM M39 / Voigtländer Color Skopar 21mm F4 Pancake + ULTRON 35mm F1.7 ASPHERICAL + Viewfinder + Camera grip I find great, but I also have a large condominium since 1991. A good property is more important than the best lens. If that's why you've swapped your lenses, you've done everything right. Greetings from cologne germany
I agree with your choices and love the logical and common sense way you go about making them. I am not primarily a Leica shooter but I do have a 1955 M3 body and a 1968 DR Summicron 50/2. I also have a number of Cosina Voigtlander lenses of more recent vintage (2003 onwards) which get more regular usage, and I suspect that your problems with corrosion on your Voigtlander lenses may have something to do with the climate in which you live or the conditions in which you use them. None of my Voigtlander lenses, from 2003 to 2008, have any signs of aluminium corrosion or any other deterioration, but I am an amateur and they do spend a lot of time warm and dry.
Matt I don’t think the brand matters, you would creat amazing photos regardless what brand falls into your hands. Your the creator and it’s your skill using the camera and the settings that make the images the camera is simply a tool 😊
Yes I agree… I started as a young teenager with a Zeith TTL and then a Pentax me super .. got some great photos out of that old Zenith…..loved that Pentax too …Photography was a lot more fun back then …
Nice video. I think the whole Leica community is richer for the wonderful Voigtlander (and Zeiss) lenses that are available. Also Voigtlander lenses and good second hand Leica bodies make the Leica experience attainable to a lot more people. If the goal is to be in the Leica system long term then over time I think it’s good to buy some Leica lenses and hold on to them.
This was a good one Matt. I have always followed your YT journey, not so much about the gear, as of the wonderfully professional work you produce with it. Please continue the black and white presentations, they are great! One caveat: Do not become house poor. It can be much worse than Leica gear, trust me :)
Agree, I have so many problems with voigtlander lenses. Just non stop. But, hard to justify some of the Leica glass except, I get tired of Voigtlander lenses having issues. Had to send a 50mm f1.5 II in for repair because the aperture ring broke. $160. I couldn't get it fixed under warranty since I didn't have a warranty card since I bought the lens in the USA from BH photo which said no to warranty repair for whatever reason. Also last year I sent about 2-3 Voigtlander lenses back from having bad optics. Such a hasselhoff.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom Yes, my first 35mm f2 had decentric issues (really bad), sent it back. My 28mm f2.8 had decentric issues (really bad), sent it back. My 50mm f1.5 II broke. My new 35mm f2 was super sticky with the focus, took a few weeks to break it in, same with the 21mm f3.5. I hear a lot of people complaining about the sticky focus with those Vintage line lenses. I think they sit in retail for awhile and the grease loses it's distribution, so it takes awhile setting the lenses face down for that to recoat the helicoils properly.
I bought a new 21mm Voigtlander f3.5 ii recently and dropped it onto a wooden floor. Guess what? It’s perfectly fine, no scratches on the black paint or the glass, no impact on focus, no issues at all!
I have always 'started' with the Output Demand; as a wedding photographer in the early 60s it required a 4x5 press camera to get good 8x10 prints for the bride's album. In the 70s a Hasselblad or Rolleiflex would do well with a little care. In the 80s lots of 35mm cameras became popular but the bride's album started containing lots of 5x7 or 4x5 prints; again that smaller film size could suffice.... and so-on.....the lenses were just part of the tool assortment and changed with the changing format.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom As Leica fans, the realization that a 3rd party lens producer has increased their products to match or exceed Leica's own should be celebrated. More lenses for M mount going towards the higher quality path is a win
I'm not surprised. Voigtländer lenses have great value for money here and now. I'm of similar age, living in a rented apartment myself, but with no ambition regarding house purchase or anything like that, as I would struggle to maintain a house and garden, but I do understand the urge you have to own your own home.
Buy and use whatever helps you produce the results you prefer. Simples! I'm happy with the negs I get from my Elmars on my M2. I don't need anything else.
The point is, he isn’t just MrLeica he is a working profession. Right tool for the job over a brand name should always win out in the end. He makes a great point about long term value in Leica, which is really true. Most just see the initial price. Those cost of something is what you lost not the upfront cost.
Thank you, yes spot on. Leica are a great investment long term but for short term use I'm happy using other brands if the photos look similar to my eyes. Voigtlander offer excellent value for this.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom Your images are special, it's nice to hear from someone with a talent and dedication. The 50 Apo Lanthar looks a peach of a lens...
I concur with these choices for similar reasons. Timing might be very good because the folks I pay $$$$ to analyse these matters in great detail with pretty sophisticated math are firmly convinced that by 3Q we are going to be in a hard landing recession. They are almost never wrong on major market turns. We went short Nasdaq on Friday. Monetise your excess gear now while folks are still inclined to spend on discretionary purchases.
Hi Matt , you asked for a 'my lenses story' feedback: here I go - I am a retired photographer, started back in 1977 as a commercial photographer - my first job as photographer was as school photographer. My boss gave me a Leica M2 with promise if I performed well a Leica M3 . On it an old Elmarit 90mm . 'Wow a Leica at age 23 !!!' , I did well and got a M3 soon but after a few years opened my own studio with ... Leica to start with. Weddings , portraits the lot. Soon a Rolleiflex SLX and later 6000 system , Pentax 6x7 , 4"5" etc. the lot . I made big money. Around 1989 the Leica M was temporarily replaced by Leica R3 and newer. mainly to have a better lens choice better fill in flash sync. But Leica R did not perform as I hoped and Nikon F3 became my all-time favorite , with an Angenieux short zoom. I had that until the early 2010's !!! Then digital came and it drove me crazy - I tried the lot Nikon , Canon , Fuji , Olympus, all perform well but to many crazy little buttons , bloated menus and to much viewfinder info. Recently I went for Leica SL1 - a nice used model to 'smell' Leica again but with minimal risk. I got a few nice Leica R lenses 50 Summicron , 90 Elmarit , 28 Super Angulon PC and a jewel 180mm 3.4 and an exotic Angenieux 45-90 mm. But also had some old Nikkor glass, all AI-s : 50 1.4 , 50 1.8 , 28 2.0 , 105 2.5 .... I had made it a point (for no clear reason) not to use a Zoom lens...Oh dear driving myself crazy again ? My main subject is Landscapes - I sell quite well and it is stress free. So I reasoned: My subject is stress free please 'old fart' you are ... make the camera stress free as well. I did a lot of tests and found that the Leica R lenses 28PC , 50 and 90 did not perform any better as the brilliantly made old Nikkor Ai-s lenses, the color rendition is different : Nikkor cool , Leica warm , but shrapness of my old Ai-s Nikkors is at least as good if not better. Sunstars with Leica ?? Forget is - Nikkor is king. So the Leica lenses go - I bought them reasonably priced and will sell them easy. The 180mm 3.4 R lens stays - it is such a compact sharpness jewel at full open - hard to beat. The Angenieux w as a trial - it is a magic Portrait lens , it has a very very cool sharp/unsharp character with by far the best bokeh of any lens even stopped down. But I may sell it as it is a lot of money tied up with sporadic use on my work. And then it happened : Someone showed me a Leica 24-70 2.8 SL lens.... I could buy one fair priced and that one may move my Nikkors out of the door. No hurry. That short zoom is like 3 primes in one. If I keep it and I am pretty sure I will , I will use that next to my 180 3.4 and a IRIX 15mm 2.4 . And hopefully can get another 20 years of lens searching years out of it like I had with my Nikon F3 . I did an other test that might interest you and maybe replicate: A creativity camera test: which camera delivered better creative results as an other? I still have my old Fuji kit and an old Olympus EM1. So I set out to see if the Leica SL would deliver better creative results as the others. I would not write this if not ... Long story short: The same walk , photographing the same landmarks , trees , flowers etc. The Leica SL was big winner !! Why: teh viewfinder and over all operating experience. The Fuji and Olympus are great cameras , delivering sharpness and color close enough to Leica to not even look at Leica. But the many little buttons , options , etc. make it look and work like a medieval camera next to Leica- I can operate the SL1 in pitch dark , never miss a button , or with gloves when it is still freezing early morning, or with camera to my eyes without missing a button. And then the viewfinder - when set on totally clean (no info what so ever) -- combined with a simplistic buttons use and I feel no barrier between me and the subject anymore, and that results in better photos. ( A big shame Leica made the SL2 series primarily touch-screen) . The creative capabilities of a camera are way more important as lens qualities - most lenses are OK - it boils down to what one wants to spend / invest. Strangely enough we never if ever read about the creative quality of a camera , as if bigger sensors and sharper lenses make better photographers.... I once photographed a Wedding with only a point and shoot camera (Fiji X10) , the couple had no money and I wanted the fun , it was a runaway success , everyone happy. Sorry I got carried away by my writing - I hope it was entertaining ;-) Cheers from Warrumbungle in Australia
Thanks for sharing your story and great yo see yet another very happy Leica SL owner! I receive many similar stories! I’ll do a review on the 24-70 when I get a chance. It’s on my list to cover and I have used it before.
You are correct across the board. Buying Leica for the sake of buying Leica is silly bling thinking. Buy what does the job and has the best ROI. You have done that. I wish you good luck and speedy realization on your new home.
Wow, your images are stunning. One of these days, I'm going to rent a Leica so I can maybe understand the Leica shooting experience. I'm a nikon shooter on a budget, and so I've never had a Leica or even considered one. Thanks for the awesome video.
Good luck with the house purchase. I think the key to lens ownership is to settle on what you know you need and generally stick what that. For me it's a 28mm summicron, 50mm summilux and a 90mm macro elmar. Any other lens has to be cheap and it has to bring something unique to the party. For me thats a 15mm voigtlander and a cheap TT Artisan fisheye for a bit of fun.
The Voigtlander 150mm F4.5 Heliar was the favorite of the late Emperor of Japan. It does take great portraits with the Bergheil camera. Voigtlander has a history of great lens making.
these old Heliar lenses were large format lenses and have nothing in common with today lenses from Cosina. They just bought the brand's name. I own a Heliar in an old Compur shutter. Its a marvelous lens.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom Obviously I adore Leica glass but the performance difference is hard to justify the cost. Voigtlander really is not a budget item in any way. The images I produce with their glass are just as good as anything I’ve gotten with Leica. Just followed you on IG btw. Great stuff!
Hi Matt, big fan of your pictures and videos! I think a big reason to buy Leica is you can sell it and get your money back. It actually doesnt cost anything, it "just" binds cash. Voigtlander are great lenses and gave me entry to the M world.
A guy on Discuss mentioned he sent his 11k Noctilux 50mm to Leica for CLA and got it back with oil all over the blades and they denies it and wouldn't help him.. lovely service from the PREMIUM brand
You are right. I first paid my mortgage completely off and then brought my Leica lenses to replace my Voigtlander lenses: 21, 35, 50 and 75. All are amazing! Good luck with buying your house. BTW the last 50mm I brought were the amazing Canon 1.8 and 1.4. Both do replace my Leitz lenses, because of how the render on my M240.
Yeah, it's great that there are budget options if you don't want to buy a luxury item. Like there is Seiko if you don't want to invest in Rolex. Both can do the same job fine, display the time.
The 28 Ultron has much more barrel distortion and is softer in the corners than the 28 cron. Being a portrait shooter, I can see why this is less relevant to you but since I shoot street and urban landscape with my Leica, these things matter and the summicron is worth the extra cash. Also, I don't own a house either, so don't feel too ad about it.
Thanks, The v2 Cron should be better than v1. The Ultron edge sharpness is better than the v1 I sold (reason for selling). See that video to look for distortion. I can't remember it being terrible/ noticeable.
Very interesting re the Voigtlander lens build quality. I have several 45 year-old Nikkor AI and AIS lenses and not one of them has any corrosion or dust inside. Mind you, those old Nikkors were really built to withstand professional photojournalism standards.
Thanks Robert, yes Nikkors rarely get internal problems. I have AI and AIS. They get a bit loose but keep on going! Voigtlanders are great on the whole (I was a little harsh)
Your explanations were so reasonable that I don't see how anyone could object. Things that used to be true are not true anymore. For instance, a decade ago Sigma and Tamron lenses were shameful substitutes for someone who could not afford the real one. Today, they are often better and cheaper than the first party lenses. If you can get something better for less money, then go for it.
Great video. I shoot a lot of Leica but I also arrived at similar alternatives to my Leica flock. For me, the recent Voigtlander 50mm f/1 has replaced the Noctilux 50mm f/0.95. I also grabbed the entire Voigtlander apo lens line and, yes, they line up to my SL APOs. So far nothing has replaced my noctilux 75mm, not even the apo SL 75mm.
I still have my Leicas, But I switched to Voitlander a few years ago, for the same reasons. I have been on the fence about selling my Leica glass, But it is tough letting go. I love them and still use them. But shoot Voigtlander 90% of the time now.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom I was a Leica guy like you for over 20 years.. But now with Voitlanders and being inexpensive for the quality you get in return. I just find myself using them constantly. I may bite the bullet and sell my Leica lenses. Maybe I can buy another house after selling mine.
Truth is it’s hard to argue in favor of the Leica lenses from a merely performance standpoint at this stage with what VOIGTLANDER/Zeiss is offering. I have a cabinet full of Leica glass and the main reason for that is the collector value. From a merely photographic standpoint the APO and ASPH offerings from Cosina/Voigtlander are every bit as good. The Zeiss Biogons are incredible, and the APO CV lenses are hard to beat. Leica is still king for resale value and collectibility but if you just want to shoot with some very fine glass there are so many great choices now that don’t require spending the red dot tax.
I sold only two Leica lenses....a silver 50mm f/2 Summicron-M latest version and a Summicron rigid. In a few months I regretted it and I was so despondent over the rigid that I bought another for a little more but it is slightly better. I will probably get another Summicron-M, maybe the APO. I had no use for the money so maybe that's why I had second thoughts. I hope you don't suffer the same remorse that I did.
As a side note, I want to make a point to highlight what a great eye you have. Seriously. So many popular RU-vid photographers will show their work and while it's not bad, it also doesn't really stand out as anything special. Seeing the photos in this video, though, I'm immediately drawn to how good they are. Seriously. It's obvious that you are a guy who is going to make great photos no matter what you use.
I went the opposite way, Zeiss ZM lenses when I first invested into the M system, managed to get a Leica M lens at a good price & realised that Leica lens build quality is far superior & there is something special about the images. Good luck with your house hunting😁
ZM lenses are great if you get good ones. A few of mine are drying up and/or becoming mechanically loose. Ironically, the lower price Voigtlanders have never given me any mechanical issues.
I understand selling expensive gear! The Voiglander lenses appear great.. I was allowed use of 2 lenses, in Film days. Well, truthfully, I still shoot film! I don't agree they are equal, similar or better. I used a Leica M3, loaded with some images, allready on the film. I shot the 40mm "APO" and the 90mm f3.5. I developed film in HC-110, Ilford Fast fixer. Later I examined my small test! Voila! The APO was not an APO. It was grainy. My Leitz lenses, less grainy. You all going to laugh, but you are all wrong. Grain can be caused by a lens. A famous Nederlands photographer, seen my samples and agreed.Maybe Digital is better than film, but are they both or one truly APO? My 135mm Tele-Elmar f4, is an APO. Not stated, but really sharp and stunning colors! I learn't this years ago, in my studio, that poorer lenses, made for grain. In time you will miss the Leica gear. all best! love your videos.
Great choice, Matt! Always wiser to go for anything good and appropriate for the work one does despite the name on the lens or whatever! If it's good it's good! A brand is just a brand.
As a working photographer I think you’re supposed to make business decisions, right? And even as a die-hard Leica afficionado, I still like discussions bases on image quality much better than people fawning over cosmetic differences between different Leica lenses and bodies. Besides, everyone is still very welcome to outperform you as a portrait photographer, whatever the price of their gear. Best of luck!
Good luck ! Thankfully, I have never had to sell my photographic equipment to put a roof over my head. To the contrary, my photographic equipment helped me make enough money to buy my first house.
True. I don't wear the brand T-shirts! Years back, I aqquired a Makinon 24mm Japanese lens (from 1980's, I think). I get laughed at by snobby photographers, but it 's a fab lens and I don't need to go chasing ones right now, that are hyped up on eBay, by faux film fan-boys.
Housing seems to be very affordable where you are. Where I'm, selling ten Noctilux lenses would not change a lot. Even cat litter box sized condo is a half-a-million in USD in so called Toronto and nearby.
Hi Kostya, Toronto sounds slightly higher depending on if you are talking about a 2 bed flat in a non-central part of town. If central then London is the same. I'll be buying a small shed in commuting distance at this rate haha.
One has to eat first. Plus in this case, it's not even a matter of having to compromise. Voigtländer lenses are every bit as good as those made by Leica.
I also have the VM 50mm APO-Lanthar. It really killed my desire for any Leica lens. I would still want the Leica 50mm aa if I have an infinite amount of money though. I usually pair the VM 50mm APO-Lanthar with my Leica M10 and it renders details well enough that I don't even want a medium digital camera for travel / landscape photography.
i just replaced my 7artisans 35 1.4 with the voigtlander 40mm 1.4 finally. so happy. the 7artisans lens wasn’t calibrated well and the 40mm is so small and lighter, sharper, accurate, with clicks aperture stops. also, it’s a 40mm and it brings up 50mm frame lines, but on a aps-h camera 40mm becomes a 52mm. so i think the 50mm frame lines work better than the 35mmm. but everyone on forums is saying that they’d rather use the 35mm frame lines
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom there are a bunch of camera shops in downtown seoul. picked up that voigtlander multicoated for $400. there’s a bunch of leica m’s. saw a konica hexar rf and minolta cle
Yeah, Leica lenses may hold their value but if you buy a Voigtlander and put the difference into your investment account you're going to end up with more money in the long run! This goes for anything that becomes a collectible luxury good later on. You cannot predict what will go up in value because that depends on the future. Investing in the stock market (with index funds) is pretty much always going to turn out better for most people!
Got a new 35mm ultron and made a test on film with the newest leica 35mm summilux. You can't differentiate one or the other. Not to mention digital. Hail VC!
The Voigtlander's are great! the 28mm f2 and 50mm 1.2 are outstanding. I feel tempted to get leica versions but these are great. The one lens I don't think Voigtlander has replaced is the 35mm 1.4 summilux. I know they just came out with their version of it but from what I've seen so far is that it falls short of the Leica equivalent.
Good for you Matt. In the end, they are just tools--use the tools that work best for you. I ended up leap frogging over Leica M's to Hasselblad's X2D & on the other end, I picked up a Sony A7 R5 because of the IBIS & amazing Lenses like Sony's FE 24mm f/1.4 G Master (one of my all time favorite lenses!). I'm getting older & I can't hand hold to 1/10 sec anymore so IBIS is awesome.
I agree. Brilliant ideas. I only ever had one Leica, a 50 / f1.4. Beautiful but yes, quite expensive to start out. I grew up Nikon because of what I had access to. Usually I say pick the glass you like and pick the body to match but I never had any Leica since an old 50's rangefinder. So it sits in a display cupboard and the lens I used in Macro on a Nikon F adapter due to focus plane differences. I do like those Voigtlander's. I have some each in each Leica and Nikon F a 50 / f1.4.
Are Leica lens so good now .. that they have become too good .. I have older r lens and love them … You look at all the older classics Leica photographers … just how photographic are those images…just perfect ….
Thanks Dean! I think film helps a lot for the old photos you mention. That’s why i shoot film for important work. Yes the SL lenses are too perfect tor my needs (as one example).
I LOVE quality gear that doesn't hold its value. That allows non professionals like myself to get some great deals on cameras & lenses that have not achieved over priced cult status. And I have to say your work is really excellent. How do you achieve that glowing skin look - reflectors, flash, post processing, all the above?
Thanks George, haha yes I like a good deal too. I don't have a set process and normally don't use reflectors or flash (in the work published in the last few years). I shoot in nice light then add my MrLeica B&W presets. Nothing fancy.
I am very happy to hear you say this ... I always feel that the gear that works for your style/vision is more important than buying the most expensive gear!!! I remember being mocked for using a Canon lens on my Leica IIIf ... I felt more comfortable with the lens, so 'eff gear snobs!!!
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom ‘Love the lens you’re with’ has become something of a mantra for me of late but it’s so much easier to say than do :) I’ve noticed that regardless of the lenses used there are certain photographers who produce images that make my mouth water regardless of how sexy the tools they might be using are. Gear acquisition can so easily become something of an obsessive pursuit, and I speak as someone often enticed by lenses old and new in the pursuit of some fantasy ‘ideal’ when experience really should have told me by now that this egoic urge for perfection is a fools errand that will never be satisfied. I love finding some new optic and testing, appraising and comparing the merits against my other lenses… reordering my collection into new groups and generally wasting time that could be better spent actually taking photos. But perhaps as Philip Reeves notes that his interests in optics and in photography overlap, but only to some degree. So perhaps that is okay as long as I don’t have expectations of game changing performance but just for the joy of curiosity alone. But I’m relieved my tastes are much cheaper than Leica glass, and peculiarly my favorite lenses such as minoltas 58mm f1.4 (generally less than £100) fail to be ousted from my affections by more expensive and technically superior options, though I agree with your observations on the voigtlander cost/quality ratio:) But the ‘collector’ in me remains ever hungry despite understanding this on a conscious level, there remains some deep emotional hunger for ‘more’ and ‘better’. Really like your work btw, keep it up and good luck with the house-hunting!
Thank you, Matt: this is a subject that has been on my mind for a little while now. I won't be selling any of my Leica M mount lenses anytime soon (all of which are of modest aperture and tiny), but I am pondering the future of my two SL lenses - a 90 mm APO-Summicron, and a 24-90 f2.8-f4 Vario-Elmarit.. Both are stellar lenses, and I particularly love the rendering of the Summicron. However, I no longer do any studio portraiture, and at my advanced age, the zoom is just too big and heavy to take anywhere. I am also mindful of the fact that Sigma make a rather nice range of I series L-mount lenses. I have the 65 mm f2, which is very well built and sharp, and they are small and relatively light. I really am in a dilemma, because the Leicas are such good lenses, but I hardly use them now. Though I can get some real money by selling them, letting go of the APO-Summicron in particular will be so hard to do.
Thanks Brian, yes I totally understand. There’s no right answer. If you can get a look you like from Sigma they might be the option (or the new 35 & 50 from Leica)
I cant speak on all of the lenses but smart decision with the 28mm move! at least on film I actually prefer the look from the ultron V2 compared to the summicron asph V1! just my opinion, but the things I favor about the ultron V2 is the size, contrast, colors and 3Dish pop. I dont feel I got the same look with my summicron, I am new to film so perhaps more experienced shooters would feel differently! unfortunately I sold my ultron V2 for the summicron, I will actually now be selling my cron , banking some cash and going back to the ultron V2!
Matt, given your applications and current cameras (film, Leica CL and SL), your choices are quite reasonable. If you ever get higher resolution Leica cameras (e.g., SL2, M11), the difference between the upper-end Leica lenses and typical Voigtländer lenses might become evident though. I tested several non-Leica lenses (TT Artisans 50 f/1.4, Nikon W.Nikkor.C 35/3.5, and Voigtländer 15/4.5 Heliar, 21/3.5 Color Skopar, + 35/1.4 Nokton Classic I) on my Leica CL and SL2. On the SL2, my Leica M lenses (WATE 16-18-21, 24/3.8, and 35/1.4 FLE I) and SL lens (35/2) perform much better for my applications. As a result, I sold the TT Artisans and Voigtländer lenses. However, I’ll likely buy other lenses from those companies (and possibly some that I sold) because they simply offer a different look. I also ordered a Voigtländer 50/2 APO-Lanthar and will keep it (I can definitely see having many different style 35 and 50 lenses). Selling the Leica Macro-Elmar-M 90 mm f/4 must have been a tough decision, but I understand your priorities. I love mine because it’s so good optically, is super compact, and works well for digitizing my old 35 mm B&W film rolls (in conjunction with my SL2, Leica Macro Adapter-M, and Novoflex macro adapter extension tubes). I can see picking up a Voigtländer VM 90/2.8 APO Lanthar someday too.
Hello Matt, An understandable move, I am a Nikon shooter and Hasselblad owner/user at one time I was seeing so many great review about Sigma glass? Most if not all were saying how great there lenses are at a very competitive price to Nikon OME lenses so I got my £2000-£3000 out an got a Sigma lens, then look at the images am just found the flat, lacking contrast and just no were near as good as OEM glass. After some mouths I did see stuff floating in the lens, trying to deal with Sigma customer service was a nightmare. I did see one of my neighbours had the same lens but on a Canon? I gave my Sigma away for free and got the Nikon version, then about a month latter I saw my neighbour had got now got a Canon version. So now I will stick to OEM lenses. Keep well, keep safe and just love your work.
Morning John, thanks. I still have my Nikon SLR gear + Hasselblad too. In my Nikon days I avoided Sigma too but sorry about your lens purchase. As they say, sometimes you get what you pay for. (I must say the new Sigma lenses are much better but I don’t like to buy L mount lenses that I can’t use on film cameras).
Thinking economically, all these changes make sense. Going from the 75 APO to the Nokton even makes sense for the kind of work... the APO is so sharp and the Nokton makes more sense for portraiture I think. But whenever I need to calibrate or check my Leica lens I can give it to a Leica technician. With Voigtlander it gets more complicated... Have a Apo-Skopar 90 that front focusses and not much you can do about it... I hope you have a good technician who knows how to take care of the VM glass.
Thank you for your explanations and examples, Matt. I have several Leica lenses but I also use CV lenses such as the 50/2 APO and 50/1. I am still using the "old" Leica Summilux 75/1.4M. Lenses are really less a factor than the photographer taking photos.
While Leica lenses are known to keep their value over time, some lenses made by other companies can skyrocket in value, such as the Canon 35/1.5 ltm or the Canon 85/1.5 ltm. Each sells for at least $5000 these days since some moviemakers adapt these lenses for cine. I sold my 85/1.5 since I use the Lux 75/1.4. I kept the Canon 35/1.5 ltm. @@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom
Great video. Let's face it, Leica and Voigtlander are luxury brands. We pay the premium for a brand name or a pretty lens and argue over minute differences in bokeh rendering. Yes it's nice to own and fun to use the gear, but it makes no sense in almost all professional settings. Heck I'm suprised that there are even portrait photographers like Matt using manual focus glass on rangefinders in the first place. When I'm on jobs I'm bringing my Canon R6 and holding down the AF-on button. If I'm getting paid I want to make it as easy for myself (and my client) as possible.
Hello Matt. Good luck with the house hunting. Look also into ex government buildings, you can get excellent off_the_wall properties with good price/surface area ratio and usually always vacant. The amenities may be spartan, but present a total blank canvas for your purpose.
Hello Matt, I have often looked at such properties as my wife prefers quirky properties. I have looked at disused churches, control towers, airfield buildings, lighthouses, workshops, even underground bunkers... Usually, being ex-government properties, these have power, water and drainage and they grant change of use to residence as part of the deal. Whereas you have to drop 100k minimum on anything anywhere for a typical property bought through a high street estate agent, you can save an awful lot (2/3) by buying direct from government estates. With your sensible life style you could bag a property that could be modified to suit both your personal and professional needs. Keep looking and be lucky...
@@jean-guyvermeulen1509 thanks so much, l’ll try searching on those specifics. How cool would that be! (Properties are really hard to find for under £200k for a 1 bed studio.
I have a Leica Q and two Sony A7iii's and just switched to Voigtlander lenses for my Sony's as well. I really like them. I have the 15mm, 40mm 1.2, APO 35 and APO 50. I bought the Leica Q for traveling and will still use it for that, but that is most likely the last Leica I will ever buy.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom It kind of helps if you keep the mapping between the Leica you mapped to the lens you used (again somewhere else). But I agree, a bit better than not to have anything at all.
