About – Page 10 – Joeri van der Kloet

The Leica Elmarit-TL 18/2.8 ASPH review

Like many other Leica fans, I laughed a bit when Leica introduced the first Leica T. Polishing a piece of aluminum for 45 minutes by hand? It wasn’t my cup of tea, but now, years later, I realize that the T (or the TL and TL2) are actually pretty good cameras. It all started when I wanted a cheap, small and light camera that I could bring on my road bike, on speed skating trips outside and on any other occasion where an M would be too big or to expensive to bring.

If you want light and small, it doesn't get much better than this. — If you want light and small, it doesn’t get much better than this.

When I found a second hand Leica T for only 600 euros, I bought it and because I already had the TL-to-M adapter, I didn’t need anything else. I soon found out that the Leica T and M-lenses work together well, but that you also need some patience. After each shot, there’s a long blackout. Also, manually focusing takes some time. One of my readers told me that the T works much better with the Visoflex, but that would add both weight and volume to an otherwise very small camera.

Here you go, pleasant rendering. Can’t do this with your iPhone.

Get close-up and have some background separation.

So the Leica Elmarit-TL 18/2.8 ASPH caught my attention. It would make my T even smaller than with my smallest M lens plus adapter (The CV 21/4) and would also cut off a few grams. Also, it would be easy to operate the camera with just one hand, because of the autofocus.

I enjoyed the T and the little 18 so much that didn’t reach for the M9 at all…

Two weeks ago, I went on a trip to Gran Canaria and I took my M9, CV21/4, Zeiss ZM 35/2.8, Leica Summicron 50/2.0 and the T with the 18/2.8. I may have taken one or two shots with the M9, but to be honest, I enjoyed the T and the little 18 so much that didn’t reach for the M9 at all. And that does mean something. But before you sell all your M-gear, let me clarify that I went to Gran Canaria with the intention to just have fun and snap a few shots. Even though the T and the 18/2.8 are capable of producing high-end shots, I have gear that is much better suited for that purpose. The way that I see my T and 18/2.8 is a combination that does a lot better than my iPhone, but doesn’t come close to what an M with a proper lens can do.

Even though the T and the 18/2.8 are capable of producing high-end shots, I have gear that is much better suited for that purpose…

So let’s go to the review!

Fast, snappy and reliable autofocus. Check!

Build quality and ergonomics

For such a small and light lens, the 18/2.8 feels surprisingly sturdy. While some plastic is used, the essentials are made out of metal. And glass of course. It has 8 lens elements, divided into six groups. The lenses are very small though and that’s why the complete lens only weighs in 80 grams. There is only one moving part on the outside and that’s the focus ring. The focus ring feels quite smooth when you’re using it, but most of the time, you can rely on the excellent autofocus of this lens. Even though the first T is quite a few years old, AF is fast, snappy and quite reliable with the 18/2.8.

Of course, the biggest ergonomic advantage of this lens is its weight. With the 18/2.8 (no lens cap), an SD-card (you could leave that out too) and battery, the camera weighs 456 grams. If you add an A&A leather strap and the Leica strap lugs, you’re at 470 grams. That is much less than the M10 with the 28/2.8 Elmarit. Almost half the weight, actually. And you’ll feel the difference.

A perfect combo for stealthy street work.

Or some landscape work... — Or some landscape work…

Sharpness, bokeh and rendering

A small and light lens is always good, but I wouldn’t splurge 1200 euros if it wouldn’t perform well optically. The 18/2.8 received some mixed reviews and browsing through the fora I found enough users that ditched their 18mm after buying it. But I also found users who almost glued their 18mm to their CLs or TL2s. So what is it, good or not good?

As you know, I’m not a pixel peeper. The rendering of a lens is far more important to me than the actual sharpness. But there needs a be a certain standard and there should be a nice balance between sharpness, rendering, lens size and costs. For me, the 18/2.8 has plenty amounts of sharpness. Wide open there’s really nothing to complain, though the 28/2.8 for example is much sharper. Most images that I shot on my Gran Canaria trip were shot wide open. In fact, when you want any background separation, getting close to your subject and shooting it wide open, is the only thing that you can do. When you stop it down, you gain some sharpness, mostly in the corners. But you also gain depth of field and lose a bit of the character of the lens.

Wide open @2.8. Enough sharpness and some background separation

You gain some sharpness (but not much) at f4

Some users have called the 18/2.8 clinical and though I do not agree, they have a point. If you shoot it on f4 and 5.6 all the time and you don’t know how to work this lens to show its character, it might seem a bit clinical, maybe even flat. But if you get closer to your subject, or include more layers in your compositions, you will get some separation and a different rendering. There isn’t much bokeh, but if you get some background separation, bokeh is nice and even.

I didn’t find any significant lens errors.

It must be said. Autofocus with face recognition... it is convenient. — It must be said. Autofocus with face recognition… it is convenient.

Conclusion

The short conclusion: I bought the lens, so it must be good, right?

A slightly more elaborate conclusion would focus on the fact that this is the lightest Leica lens we’ve ever seen. If you’re not interested in making your CL or T pocketable, you don’t need this lens. But I’ll say it again: with this lens I can slide the T in any jacket pocket. It even fits in my cycling jersey back pocket. Second, it has fast and reliable autofocus, which is a good thing with the first T. Third, it is sharp and does show enough character if you put in a little effort. Don’t expect it to show the same rendering as a fullframe camera with a 28/2.8 does, because it doesn’t. But it’s good enough for me.

Environmental portraits? No problem for this lens.

It even works in portrait mode... — It even works in portrait mode…

You could also say that there are other APS-C cameras with 18mm pancake lenses, but I’m done with cameras that have more buttons than I need. You can say a lot about the T, but it is a truly minimalist camera that I, a hardcore M-shooter, really appreciate.

Value for money is OK. I mean, the lens itself isn’t spectacular. It’s the fact that Leica made a lens this small and light with good optics which makes it spectacular. If you want a complete different kind of rendering with equally (or better) optics and don’t mind a bigger and heavier lens, the 23 Summicron offers probably more value for money.

It’s the fact that Leica made a lens this small and light with good optics which makes it spectacular

In fact, I’m starting to believe in the Leica APS-C system. No, seriously, if you want a small and light camera with Leica ergonomics and a choice of good, native lenses, the T, TL, TL2 and CL are all excellent choices. I’m convinced. It took some time, but it’s never too late for good things.

Three days Leica workshop with Asim

Last week I had Asim over from the USA. He got curious about the Leica system when his brother lend him his M and 35 plus 50mm lenses. He flew to Amsterdam to get the basics of both photography and specifically the Leica system. After a week he flew home, with a brand new M10.

This is what Asim had to say about the workshop:

‘I attended a one on one workshop with Joeri to learn photography in general and how to use a Leica rangefinder camera in particular. The experience was a memorable one. Not only, I ended up learning best practices on how to use a Leica but also got a good overview of the entire field of photography.’

‘We scheduled our workshop with time in between for me to practice on my own. That worked out for me as I was able to practice what Joeri was sharing with me, on my own and be able to get him to critique my work at the next meeting. I felt that this kind of immediate feedback helped me to grasp the concepts much more easily and gave me confidence as well. As part of the workshop, Joeri took me to the local Leica store where I was able to try different cameras and lenses that helped me to select a camera at the end of the workshop.’

‘Joeri has a very personable style of teaching. For me, the best part of the program was our long chats during meals and while we were walking together to look for places to photograph around the city. His passion for photography is infectious, and I left his workshop with a much better understanding of my hobby and of working with Leica. You are welcome to reach out to me at asim@sloan.mit.edu if you would like to know more about my learning experiences with Joeri. If you are thinking of attending a workshop on photography, I will highly recommend that you consider Joeri as I know that you will not be disappointed.’

Here are a few pics that Asim shot during the workshop:

Q&A: Is the iPhone X superior to the Leica T

After my post yesterday where I said I bought the Leica Elmarit-TL 18/2.8 ASPH I got this email from a reader:

Begs the comparison iPhone X. X LCD far superior ; you can actually shoot in daylight from the screen .
Also , auto exposure far superior with the X. Read that 18 on the 18-56 is superior IQ.

So, looking forward to your reviews .

This is my reply:

Well, I don’t have the iPhone X, but one of the reasons I got the T is that I don’t like the camera on my iPhone (SE). Even though IQ may be good, I don’t like the ergonomics. I’m not really interested in auto exposure, nor the best IQ on the world. I’m interested in a camera that fits in a cycling jersey back pocket and can be operated with one hand while cycling 35 km/h…and when I stop for a break and I see something I like, I want my camera to be able to do what I want (expose, focus etc) with the lens that I want.
Technically, the iPhone X may be superior to the Leica T (although I’m quite sure that on base ISO the T, coupled with a good lens, will laugh at what the iPhone does) but technical superiority is a factor that I take into account when I have a paid assignment that requires me to produce 1×2 meter prints. Not when I go out for a ride. But even then, my ancient M8 will produce more pleasing results (and that is a very personal thing) than most modern DSLRs.

The Leica Elmarit-TL 18/2.8 ASPH is here!

I have a small update on my adventures with the Leica T (type 701). Yesterday I got the Leica Elmarit-TL 18/2.8 after reading a couple of reviews. It’s not the most popular lens for the APS-C system, but the reason I bought it (without trying it first) is that I think it makes the T much, much more pocketable. Also, shooting M-lenses on the T is not that great, unless you have time. With the 18mm, I can fit the T in my cycling jersey back pocket, or in any other jacket.

Here's the T with the smallest M lens, the CV/21/4, attached with the original Leica adapter. — Here’s the T with the smallest M lens, the CV/21/4, attached with the original Leica adapter.

And here's the T with the Leica Elmarit-TL 18/2.8 ASPH lens. Much smaller and much lighter. — And here’s the T with the Leica Elmarit-TL 18/2.8 ASPH lens. Much smaller and much lighter.

The Leica APO-Summicron-SL 75/2.0 ASPH review

It is finally here: the Leica APO-Summicron-SL 75/2.0 ASPH lens. Long overdue, but better late than never, right? I’m not really dependent on native SL lenses myself. I do not own a single one of them. But that might change with this 75mm. Man, it’s good. Much better than I thought.

If you’re looking for a short tele lens that is not much bigger or heavier that its M-counterpart, this lens isn’t for you. In fact, a Canon 5DmkIV with a 85/1.8 is both smaller and lighter than this combination. But the comparison is quite unfair, because this lens is neither aspherical, nor apochromatic. A fairer comparison would be between its little brother: the Leica APO-Summicron-M 75/2.0 ASPH. I’ve owned that lens for a short period, but returned it after I concluded that I didn’t prefer it to my 75/2.5 Summarit.

If you’re looking for a short tele lens that is not much bigger or heavier that its M-counterpart, this lens isn’t for you…

Big and heavy, but well balanced on the SL. Much smaller and lighter than the SL50/1.4 though.

Even the hood has a steel base. This lens is built for the future.

You could say that the SL 75 is a M75 with autofocus, but that isn’t true at all. The SL 75 features 11 lens elements in 9 groups, whereas the M version is equipped with 7 lenses in 5 groups. The new SL primes have been built completely new from scratch. Leica claims they’ve taken the most care of creating elements that achieve higher contrast in in focus areas than ‘conventional lenses’. Also, they’ve paid attention to avoiding flaring from stray light and reflections.

You could say that the SL 75 is a M75 with autofocus, but that isn’t true at all…

Here a quick size comparison with the 75/2.5. All product shots have been taken with the Leica T and the 60 R Macro.

One word about the 75mm focal length before we start with the actual review. As you know I’m very fond of the 50mm focal length and I use this length for most of my work, including portraits. Although the 75mm is just a bit longer than the 50mm, to me the difference is huge. I have the Summarit 75, but even for corporate portraits I prefer a 50mm. I just prefer the slightly more natural perspective and for portraits, a 50mm provides a less ‘in your face’ type of picture. Also, the Summarit is too sharp for portraits. But that’s just my opinion. In general, a 75mm is perfect for portraits, landscape work and documentary work.

Built quality and ergonomics

The Leica APO-Summicron-SL 75/2.0 ASPH is much smaller and lighter than the SL 50, but it’s still big and heavy. Compared to an M body with the 75 attached. But attached to the SL it doesn’t feel really big and heavy. That’s the funny thing of the SL: it feels good with small and light lenses, but also with big and heavy SL lenses. I wouldn’t take this combination on a day trip, but I would take it to a wedding. Balance is good and the lens feels like it’s been built like a tank. Even the hood has a steel base. It all oozes quality.

Balance is good and the lens feels like it’s been built like a tank. Even the hood has a steel base. It all oozes quality…

Portrait in a studio setting. If you use flattering light, the lens seems less brutal than the Summarit 75.

And just for fun: the SL 75 on the Leica T. Works perfectly!

Here a shot in less flattering (though still nice diffuse) light. My wife is blessed with good genes, but (older) woman with white skins might need some 'negative clarity'. — Here a shot in less flattering (though still nice diffuse) light. My wife is blessed with good genes, but (older) woman with white skins might need some ‘negative clarity’.

Manual focus

Normally I spend a few lines on the focus throw of a lens, but this lens is a different cookie. It has autofocus! But before we get to that, a few words about manual focus. If you set the camera to MF you can still autofocus the lens with the little joystick. Great feature! Also, in AF-mode, you can adjust focus manually as long as you keep the shutter pressed half way. Manually focusing this lens doesn’t feel like focusing an M lens. At all. Even though Leica designed a new manual focus concept with moving magnets, shifting polarity and whatever more, it is not mechanical and you can tell. It is much better than fly-by-wire methods that you often find in many Sony lenses, but it isn’t perfect either. It just lacks some feel and tactile feedback. The good thing is that the ‘focus throw’ depends on the speed with which you turn the ring. So, when shooting portraits, you can make precise adjustments by turning the ring very slowly. With sports, you can make big adjustments with a quick turn. To me, it seems there are only two settings: big adjustments and very, very small adjustments. It takes some time to get used to. Mind you, I’m used to M-lenses and their very direct focusing, so anything else than that is ‘weird’ for me. Compared to any Canon EF lens, manual focus feels better on the SL 75. This type of manual focusing makes this lens almost useless for videography, but there are plenty of other lenses that shine on the SL to do that.

The good thing is that the ‘focus throw’ depends on the speed with which you turn the ring

The author, just before heading out in the cold.

Autofocus

So if you have to carry a lens that is much bigger and heavier than its little M brother, the autofocus better be good, right? First impression is good. I played a bit with it before upgrading to firmware 3.1 and it felt a bit faster after the upgrade. AF-performance does however drop quite a bit when the light levels get lower. It does achieve focus, but before it does, it seems like focus travels all the way from close-up to infinity before it achieves focus. When the light gets dim, I can manually focus faster than the AF-system can. I’m quite confident Leica can fix this with a firmware update. The AF speed of the SL 50/1.4 was also improved after the update. Firmware 3.1 is not specifically meant for the 75mm.

When the light gets dim, I can manually focus faster than the AF-system can…

While shooting portraits, AF performs good: it is fast and reliable, even with the modeling light turned off. In this situation AF really does add a feature that I’d like to have in some shoots. With corporate headshots, time is often limited and the ‘talent’ is often far from easy to work with. Having a lens that focuses faster than I can with my own hands is a big bonus.

A portrait in a slightly more natural setting. bokeh is smooth, not buttery spectacular like the noctilux.

Although this 75mm lens won’t be your first choice when shooting a sports event, it could be interesting for indoor events where you can get close and need the extra light. I took it outside on a run with my wife. The results: so so. I tried dynamic and static AF-modes, but I had a higher fail ratio than I’d like to see. Before you decide not to buy this lens, there are three things that I’d like you to know: first, firmware 3.1 is not specifically written for the Leica APO-Summicron-SL 75/2.0 ASPH. That means that a firmware update can dramatically improve AF-performance. Second, I switched to rangefinders because I’ve always hated AF. Forest can say it much better than I can: “You never know what you’re gonna get.” That means I’m definitely not an expert on AF-systems, but still, I’ve had my fair share of assignments with Canon AF cameras. Third: my wife was dressed in black: not the best contrasting outfit for an AF-system to focus on. One more thing: I’m quite confident in nailing focus, even with moving subjects, but shooting a 75mm wide open, close-up on a fast moving target (towards me) is not something I’d do with a rangefinder. Even though the number of failed pictures was slightly disappointing, it was still higher than I’d have with the M.

AF is good, but can be tricky in dynamic situations.

Sharpness, bokeh and rendering

The Leica APO-Summicron-SL 75/2.0 ASPH is incredibly sharp, but fortunately not as harsh as my 75/2.5. Wide open this lens is plenty sharp and I’d only stop it down if I needed more depth of field. In fact, for portraits I’d shoot this lens wide open, to keep the incredible sharpness limited to the areas where I’d want it (and other areas in very slight blur). Leica say that they’ve increased the difference in contrast between in focus and out of focus areas, but I think transitions are still very smooth. Rendering is nice, although very modern and nowhere as dreamy as the Noctilux is (but that is a ridiculous comparison anyway). Bokeh is smooth, as expected. Not buttery smooth, it’s a tad more clinical than I’d like.

@4. Increase in sharpness is almost invisible. It's just that good wide open. — @4. Increase in sharpness is almost invisible. It’s just that good wide open.

I didn’t find a single lens error at all. Almost no vignetting. Not even a tiny bit of purple fringing when shooting a dark subject straight against a blown out sky

I didn’t find a single lens error at all. Almost no vignetting. Not even a tiny bit of purple fringing when shooting a dark subject straight against a blown out sky, wide open. Impressive. Simply impressive.

Leica’s claim that lots of work have gone into avoiding internal reflections in the lens have paid off. I haven’t managed to get this lens to flare. Personally, I like flaring, but if it happens when you don’t, it can be tricky.

Shot against the sun. No flaring at all.

And check this out: no loss of contrast, no CA AT ALL, unbelievable!

Conclusion

Would I buy this lens? Yes, I would. It is a nearly perfect lens for portrait photography, but it will also double as a perfect all round lens for documentary photography. It’s optics are impressive, handling is good, it’s not too heavy or too big for a decent Billingham Hadley Small. Autofocus is good, maybe not the best in dynamic situations, but I think that will improve with firmware updates. Also, you’ll have to ‘know’ a lens: if you know when it won’t work as you would like, you can take precautions.

I think it’s fair to say that the new SL primes are built for the future…

I think it’s fair to say that the new SL primes are built for the future. Resolving power is unbelievable and this lens is ready for a SL2 with a higher resolution sensor (I’d prefer a sensor with the same MP and the possibility to shoot in compressed DNG).

If you do a lot of portrait work with your SL, this is probably THE best lens to have. Here, AF shines and 75mm is a nice focal length.

Am I going to buy this lens? I’m not sure yet. I think it depends on the new APO-Summicron-SL 50/2.0 that will come out this year. My 50mm lenses get much, much more usage time than my 75mm lens. But I think the new 50/2.0 SL will ‘suffer’ from the same thing as this lens: it’s a bit too good. I’ll try to explain what I mean. I’d rather have a lens that is optically slightly inferior, with the same AF performance, but with a lower price tag, a lower weight and less volume. I think this is the problem for all SL lenses. Yes, they are incredible, but from the M perspective, they are huge and heavy. And I think most SL users are ‘migrating’ M shooters. Not medium format shooters that are used to big and heavy gear and neither (although Leica really wants them) former DSLR users.

Resolving power is unbelievable and this lens is ready for a SL2 with a higher resolution sensor

The unique feature of the SL system however is that you can use it with tiny M-lenses, 60 year old Nikon lenses, optically brilliant SL lenses and everything else anyone ever made an adapter for. That, combined with the best EVF ever made, is so good, that it has kept me from buying the M10.

Here’s the new Leica APO-Summicron-SL 75/2.0 APSH!

Holy smoke Batman, I just received the Leica APO-Summicron-SL 75/2.0 ASPH for a review. I’ll have it for a week so check out how I feel about this lens.

Because I didn’t find a decent picture of the lens itself to get an impression of the size, here’s a quick snap of the lens. It’s much lighter and smaller than the 50/1.4 SL, but also quite bigger than the Summarit-M 75/2.5, which is (I know) half a stop slower. Also, AF seems to be very fast.

The Leica APO-Summicron-SL 75/2.0 APSH on the SL versus the Summarit 75/2.5 on the M.

Also, Leica has released firmware version 3.1 for the SL and I’ve just updated my camera. I’m curious if this update also fixes the ‘hickup’ that I sometimes have when pressing the shutter.

Happy times for SL users!

One shot with the Leica Noctilux-M 75/1.25

Isn’t she gorgeous?

I’m afraid I’ve just created an ‘alternative fact’, because this shot wasn’t taken with the new Nocti 75. No, I took it with an ordinary Nocti 50/0.95. Very bourgois indeed. Want to know which camera? Hmm, well, allright: the first version of the Leica T. Very, very unpractical in a setting like this, but with a little patience (and luck) it does work.

By the way: you only need one strobe and one reflector to make shots like this. Want to know how? Check out my workshops.

The Cosina Voigtländer Nokton 35/1.2 ASPH v2 review

I bought the Cosina Voigtländer 35/1.2 at least six or seven years ago when I wanted one fast lens for my Leica M9 which I could shoot any wedding with. I have shot many, many thousands images with this lens and I only started using it less when I bought the Noctilux. On the Leica SL, it is my favorite 35mm again, because it is much more ergonomical than any tabbed lens that Leica offers in this focal length.

Quite big and heavy, but still nicely balanced on any M camera.

Let’s go back to the M9 days again. My fastest lenses were a 35 and 50 summicron and sometimes I’d be shooting at 2500 ISO at 2.0 at 1/8th of a second. Impossible, but I had to. I was not sure which lens to buy that time: either the 40/1.4 or the 35/1.2 and I asked my friend Peter what he would do. I went for the 35, because of its slight benefit in speed and better optical quality. A few years later, I also bought the 40/1.4, but more on that later.

3200 ISO, f1.2, 1/125th was just enough to freeze the action on this wedding.

The fact that I’m talking about the CV 35/1.2 ‘v2’ means that there’s a v1 as well. Correct, there is. My friend Peter used the v1 and made an interesting report on that lens. Another interesting discussion about the v1 vs the v2 can be found here.

There have been winter weddings where I shot 99% of all images with this lens…

The CV 35/1.2 has served me well. There have been winter weddings where I shot 99% of all images with this lens. I have shot a lot of environmental portraits with it and even though it isn’t very sharp wide open, it’s been good enough for magazine cover shots. When I bought the M240 I thought I’d no longer use it, but even though the M240 gave me a few stops advantage to the M9, I still brought it on most wedding assignments. The Noctilux changed things a bit: with a faster lens, I no longer needed the 35/1.2 for all weddings, but for assignments with very difficult situations (receptions where dancing is involved) I still brought it with me.

With the CV35/1.2, even the M9 is ready for some serious low light photography.

Now that I also have the SL, the CV 35/1.2 has become my standard 35 for that camera. On the M240 it still is the 35 cron. How does that work? Well, for anything that moves and where there is enough light (ISO 3200, f2, 1/60th) I use the M. When things get dark, or when things (or people) don’t move, I use the SL. The SL has the big advantage that its EVF will also work in near dark situations and both the CV35/1.2 and 50/0.95 are much easier and reliably focused on the SL.

But also in good light, the CV 35/1.2 is worth using. Beautiful rendering here on this wedding.

Build quality and ergonomics

The CV 35/1.2 isn’t the lightest lens for the M-system. In fact, it’s quite heavy, but it still balances nicely on the M. I’d recommend a thumbs up for better handling, especially if you’ll be using it on long days (like weddings). Balance is much, much better than with the Noctilux.

Balance is much, much better than with the Noctilux…

The CV 35/1.2 is quite large and therefore obstructs a part of the viewfinder. Even more when you use the hood (which is not included with the lens). I bought the hood, but I rarely use it. Because I use the Superflex 6-12 inserts, the CV 35 doesn’t really fit in the inserts with the hood attached. Flare wise, I never had any unexpected problems.

The first look: always a crucial moment, often happens in dark and tight spaces. Fortunately, there are mirrors.

The aperture ring clicks firmly into half stops and feels very reliable. Better than most Leica lenses that I have, which have aperture rings that are too loose for my taste. Focus is very smooth and precise. It may seem that the focus throw is a bit long, but careful inspection of the distance scale shows why this is: it focuses up to 0.5 meters! Great news for any Leica shooter with an EVF (M240, M10, SL), not so good news for pure rangefinder shooters, because the rangefinder is calibrated to work with lenses that focus up to 0.7 meters. That means that between 0.5 and 0.7 meter, you can’t achieve accurate focus through the viewfinder. But these 20 centimeters are a bonus anyway, so don’t let this be a reason not to buy this lens.

On f1.2 you get some serious background separation, if you get close enough…

Sharpness, bokeh and rendering

Wide open, the CV35/1.2 isn’t the sharpest lens on earth. But it’s usable. I shot complete weddings on f1.2 and people were happy with it. As you know, sharpness is a bourgeois concept. On f1.2 you get some serious background separation, if you get close enough. You also get some serious vignetting, but for weddings, this is romantic. The good news is that this lens gets quite sharp at f4 and even better at 5.6. If you use your 35 on 5.6 all the time, you’d better buy the much smaller and lighter Zeiss 35/2.8, but if you want a lens that does it all, this might be your best bet.

You also get some serious vignetting, but for weddings, this is romantic…

This lens has some lens errors you should take into account. It is apsherical, so you won’t get the nasty spherical aberration that you get with the 40/1.4, but you do get some funky purple fringing. Not the end of the world (even the 11,5k Noctilux has it), but you should know.

So what about the rest? Contrast is a bit dull wide open, but improves when you stop it down. If you want something more contrasty, check out the excellent Zeiss 35/1.4. Rendering is beautiful! Sometimes, (but only sometimes) this lens reminds me a bit of the Noctilux. Transitions are very smooth and in general the lens is very good for (environmental) portraits, also because it isn’t razor sharp. Bokeh is suprisingly good for a 35mm, but you do have to get close up if you want good background separation.

Sometimes, (but only sometimes) this lens reminds me a bit of the Noctilux…

A bit more about bokeh and depth of field: even though this is a 1.2 lens versus a 1.4 lens, don’t expect miracles regarding depth of field. The biggest advantage compared to the Zeiss 35/1.4 and the Leica 35/1.4 lies in the fact that you can get much closer. If you’d compare images taken from the same distance at 1.2 and 1.4, the depth of field isn’t the biggest difference. The rendering and vignetting does make a big difference between images shot at 1.2 and 1.4.

Conclusion

The CV 35/1.2 is a one-of-a-kind lens: it’s the fastest 35mm lens that is compatible with the M-system and therefore unique. It is also very usable in real-life situations and quite versatile. For example, wide open you have the advantage of the better subject isolation and higher speed (with a few downsides, like purple fringing and lower sharpness and contrast), but stopped down it is more than good enough to be used as a standard 35mm lens. Also, the increase in speed doesn’t come with crazy size, weight, or price tag. While the Summilux offers better sharpness and contrast with a lower weight and size, it is also triple the price.

While the Summilux offers better sharpness and contrast with a lower weight and size, it is also triple the price…

It seems like the CV 35/1.2 is a no brainer, but before you rush to your local dealer to get one, consider this: the Zeiss 35/1.4 is sharper, has a lot more contrast, is roughly the same size and quite a bit lighter than de Voigtländer. Yes, it’s more expensive, but still a lot cheaper than the Summilux.

If I’d had to make a choice between the Zeiss and the CV, I’d go for the Zeiss.

I don’t ask for donations, however, a lot of work is put in this website. You can help me continue this work by buying my new E-book ‘101 x Leica’. It’s just 4,99 and this helps me keep this website add-free.

Again, my preferred 35mm lens for dark and difficult situations.

Lovely rendering and one of my favorite shots ever.

Another favorite of mine. If I had to show one picture that says everything about how I shoot a wedding, it would be this.

For a studio portrait the CV 35/1.2 wouldn't be the obvious choice, but it can be done. — For a studio portrait the CV 35/1.2 wouldn’t be the obvious choice, but it can be done.

Coming up: Cosina Voigtländer 35/1.2 v2 review

After many years I finally took the time to write a review about the beautiful CV 35/1.2. When I bought this lens, it was either the CV 35/1.2 or the very expensive 35 Summilux. Today you can also get the excellent Zeiss 35/1.4, or the new Nokton 40/1.2. Is the CV35/1.2 still worth buying?

Stay tuned!

A Leica workshop from a participant’s point of view

A few weeks ago I received an extensive review from David, an enthusiastic photographer who participated in a workshop, some time ago. If you’re in doubt whether a workshop is something for you, his honest review might help you out. I’ve added some of the shots that he took during the day, plus a few shots that David took when he was in London.

‘After reading many reviews on Joeri’s website, I decided that it would be a good idea to do a workshop with him. You see, until recently I had worked with a screw mount Leica, and to step into the digital world I bought a Leica X (113), which of course is mainly to be used as an auto focus camera. So I thought it was time to get myself a Leica M 240, the chrome M-P version to be exact. After the first 100 pictures or so I found quite a few pictures to be slightly out of focus. Oh crap.. ‘

One of the first shots of the day. It is almost monochrome, although this file is in full colour.

‘Furthermore I had not quite found my “feel” with the camera. The screw mount has a “SBOOI” viewfinder on top which is a 1:1 view, much like the old M3. Of course after so many years (29 to be exact), one gets used to working this way. A great small little camera, which still works perfectly by the way.
To try to get this straightened out I even put a 1.25 viewfinder magnifier on, which in the end did sort of do the trick, but it wasn’t quite the same. And with glasses a bit of a pain in the butt with a 50mm. ‘

‘I met Joeri in the beautiful town of Delft. The autumn sun was coming through, I don’t think it could have been any better. We sat for a while in a café where Joeri took the time to look at the photos I had with me, and to ask me questions about my photography, were I wanted to go with it, and what equipment I had used in the past etc. A good warming up so to speak.’

We had terrific light throughout the day. This is what you get on a sunny winter day.

‘Then it was time to hit the streets. Without going in to details, we pretty much did most, if not all of the exercises described in his book “Work your Leica”. The exercises themselves were really fun, and all had their specific purpose.
Joeri seemed pretty tuned in to what I was doing right and what I was doing wrong. The first thing I needed to do was to quit the viewfinder magnifier. I may use it with a 75 mm or so, but not with the 50 mm.’

‘The next thing that Joeri noticed was that my finger positioning on the lens was wrong. You see I was used to the 2.8 Elmar 50 which has a completely different throw to it, plus focusing is mostly done with the lens hood. I was using the tips of my fingers instead of the pads of my fingers, thus my accuracy was down the drain. The new method seems so much more precise, and comfortable to boot. Different lens different feel. Really.’

Shooting the 50 Summicron against the sun sometimes results in heavy flare like here. But it really does something to the image.

‘The day went by so quickly, as it seems to do when having fun. We stopped by the same café which by now was full with lunch people, but we managed to find a place to start up the laptop to see the harvest, and to discuss the results.
All in all I really had a lot of fun, and even if I learned a lot during the workshop, reading the book again helped me remember them all.’

The unusual framing and the light results in a nice image.

‘I am writing this after a weeks visit to London, where I would hit the streets in the evenings. I really noticed the differences in my results. I ended up taking some pictures of a group of skateboarders on the Southbank. Now the M is not really known for its action photography, but I still managed to get quite a few good shots. You see here is where it became interesting, I could pretty much use all the techniques, or at least a mix of all to achieve the shots. Using the M seemed more intuitive, so I could concentrate more on composition and seeing what’s going on around me.’

Leica workshop — A shot full of action, made in London.

‘All in all I feel that after this workshop I’m better equipped to deal with the challenges of using a rangefinder in different situations. Yes of course an auto focus with tracking would be more convenient, and yes one of those would probably have taken better action shots, but that’s not the point. We all use rangefinders because we are purists, or maybe we just love the optics, or maybe because we want to blend in and not be seen as a tourist or a heavily equipped paparazzi. For me its a blend of the above, and on the streets of London I went unnoticed as usual, and if I was, people maybe thought that I had lent the camera from my granddad. At least I felt confident of getting better shots and thus leave the screen off to avoid chimping. Now it nearly feels like a film M….’

Shooting cyclists in action requires a lot of focusing skills (and a bit of luck).

‘So some of you are surely thinking: what’s the deal, just sort it out by yourself. Yes, that’s what I always thought. But believe me, having a professional to guide you through the process will make a huge difference.’