GAS GAS: Please Share your Latest Desires Big and Small

Voigtländer APO-SKOPAR 90mm f/2.8 VM​



This lens is a strong candidate to be my next M lens purchase.

Although I wouldn't mind a nice Leica Elmarit, I just can't seem to be able to pick one. A Cosina seems like a "safe bet" in a sense.
 
A Cosina seems like a "safe bet" in a sense.
Tangenting the previous post,

Cosina stock and retailers are somewhat few and far between.

For EU residents, is JoGeier.com one of the better ones? I stumbled upon this yesterday. They also stock the Chinese Leica M lenses which is nice.

The last time I bought Cosina Voigtländer, brand new, in 2019, I used 35mmc Shop but they have reduced their selection since, plus the new VAT/customs issues now that Brexit has been finalized.
 
Not yet a desire, but definitely more than a passing interest:
(see above)

Interestingly, the lenses seem closely related (the schematics are identical) - and both are small for what they are, as well as (very!) light.

If it turns out to be true that there's a new, smaller FTZ adapter coming (one without a tripod foot), I might actually opt for the SLR lens - but the VM variant is also intriguing, especially in the light of my ongoing (and most probably long-term) love affair with the 50mm f/2 APO ...

On a different note, I have to say here that the fact that I own the 40mm f/2 and 58mm f/1.4 (IIS) makes the Df still appear somewhat appealing. I've shot the 40mm on the D750 - it feels nice, but somewhat counter-intuitive due to the size of the body; I can't help thinking it'd be a very nice lens on the Df ... and the 90mm would fit right in as well.

Still, not seriously considering any of this - I hope for my Z 40mm f/2 to arrive soon; it might put an end to this kind of speculation ...

M.
 
On a different note, I have to say here that the fact that I own the 40mm f/2 and 58mm f/1.4 (IIS) makes the Df still appear somewhat appealing. I've shot the 40mm on the D750 - it feels nice, but somewhat counter-intuitive due to the size of the body; I can't help thinking it'd be a very nice lens on the Df ... and the 90mm would fit right in as well.
I'm another Df fan. I've noticed it mentioned a few times above in this thread, and I've recently been thinking about getting another one, as well. I think I've owned a Df 3 times since it came out, but I always had some Leica GAS that required more money than I had so I sold a Df to acquire. However, looking back through my archive I've taken many of my favorite images with that camera. It beckons once again. The CV 40 and 90 would be an awesome pair with it.
 
Still thinking about an L mount camera to take over Df.
Based on prior experience of mirrorless cameras, I think in good light the mirrorless ones will offer a great experience over Df. In dark, I suspect, none will give me a fluid or successful experience over a rangefinder.

If I was considering autofocus lenses... well, none of the cameras here can focus in dark if the full-frame CDAF experience is anything near the M4/3 one.

big_boys.png
 
Now I spotted an opportunity to upgrade my GX80, a camera that I like for its price and capability and sensor, even if it has shortcomings here and there. When I bought it used it came with two batteries and no external charger. One of the batteries died but the remaining one works alright. I thought I'd never give this camera up. It serves as a most wonderful second or third camera.

But now when I see a silver GX80 with two fresh batteries and a charger for less money, I am interested. :D
 
Still thinking about an L mount camera to take over Df.
Based on prior experience of mirrorless cameras, I think in good light the mirrorless ones will offer a great experience over Df. In dark, I suspect, none will give me a fluid or successful experience over a rangefinder.

If I was considering autofocus lenses... well, none of the cameras here can focus in dark if the full-frame CDAF experience is anything near the M4/3 one.

View attachment 274802
Mike, just 'saying' 🙄




And if you wait couple of days I can share experience how it works …
 
Crikey. 30 euros shipped isn't terribly much. :)
Seriously, these adapters. I was very close to buying a Fuji 50R but luckily I noticed these Urth adapters don't cover the GFX mount yet.

You may think it's incredible to be basing expensive decisions on cheap adapters and all but it's all about the entire arc of ownership: buying-using-maintaining-reselling. Even with a multi-thousand item like a GFX50, I can come really close to what I paid myself for it. And now suddenly tough-to-resell items such as exotic adapters start to represent a considerable proportion of the entire experiment.

The local "dealer" will soon have the Cyber Monday deals and it might spell for a disas--- good opportunity.
 
Gear that's on my radar.

Will I actively pursue all this? No, definitely not. But this stuff's on my radar regardless.

  • Nikon D4 or D4s. I have a good sense of what this camera can do because Df shares the sensor and firmware. More to the point, the amount of vertical compositions I do is staggering. Perhaps I owe it to myself to visit a full-body camera some time?
  • Pentax K1. Perhaps the DSLR that I would really like? Who knows these things, until experimented first-hand. I just don't like the idea of starting a new lens collection from scratch.
  • Panasonic GX8 maybe. It has the shutter shock problem but most everybody says it's perfectly fine shot with the electronic shutter. I don't like E-shutters. I don't like the gadgety screen either, nor the optical low-pass filter. But the prices of GX8s have dropped so low it's hard to make a loss trying one out.
  • Fujifilm X-Pro2. I've had enough of Fujifilms to know I won't keep it, but a little experiment won't kill anyone.
  • Fujifilm X-T2 or 3 with speed boosted Nikkors? I have the lens selection for it. An XT3 is pretty comparable to a Df in looks and usability. Somehow the XT series just lacks the soul I look for in a camera. And speed boosters are expensive and not many around in the 2nd hand markets.
  • Let's include the Panasonic S1 or Leica SL or Leica SL2-S here for completeness.
Fujifilm and an L-mount Panasonic is an interesting comparison. Fuji does manual focus aides a little bit better, maybe. Fuji raws I don't care for but if I shot vintage Nikkors with it then it wouldn't matter as much?
 
With the latest Nikon announcements, things are getting pretty focused:

I will acquire upon availability:
- the Z 40mm f/2 (I have cancelled my pre-order - to gain flexibility as to where to get it from),
- the FTZ II adapter,
- in the more distant future, the 24mm DX(!), the 26mm FX(!) pancake and the 12-28mm DX zoom; once the two DX lenses are here, I'll sell my Fujifilm gear.

I will most probably buy:
- the Z 24-120mm f/4 S; if I do, the Z 24-70mm f/4 S will go; I'll keep the Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 (and will not go for the 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 DX).

In spite of myself, I also have to admit that I am increasingly intrigued by the Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 S; I really like my 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E on the FTZ adapter because it's quite compact and also quite competent, but first impressions of the new long zoom are really favourable ...

M.
 
Fujifilm X-T2 or 3 with speed boosted Nikkors? I have the lens selection for it. An XT3 is pretty comparable to a Df in looks and usability. Somehow the XT series just lacks the soul I look for in a camera. And speed boosters are expensive and not many around in the 2nd hand markets.
There's a silver Fujifilm XT3 with a good set of accessories. The ask is a bit on the high side at 700 € but silver is silver. For the life of me I can't remember how Fujifilm behaves in dark.

If I adapted Nikkors on the body, it'd look like this (pic by LensRentals.com). Too front-heavy and cumbersome?
Adapters-Nikon-Lenses-to-Fuji-1-650x433.jpg



Acquiring the speedbooster is another thing altogether. Very limited availability both on new and used markets. A brand new Metabones one goes for 585 € on the European markets. We might be talking a splurge of 1200 € combined. This is close to what a Panasonic S1 goes for. If I knew for certain I'd prefer Fuji to Panasonic I'd actually go for this but frankly my previous time with the XT3 was not all rainbows and sunshine.

The speed booster in a way would render the two systems very equal in image quality questions. The Panasonic, one of the absolute best full frame cameras of today, is barely 2/3 stops ahead of Fuji in ISO/DR performance.


PS. Today was supposed (according to rumors/educated guesses) to be the day Leica announced the M11. But it didn't happen, it seems. Of course the day isn't over yet...


PS2. Okay there's also a preowned Speedbooster for ~340 €. On a more accurate assesment, the relevant comparison might become,

"1000 € package of gorgeous silver Fuji"

vs

"1500 € bland black Panasonic".

Humh.
 
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Terrible, just terrible. Tomorrow an interesting eBay auction closes on a Panasonic S1 that's very competitively valued right now.

But then again, the silver Fuji just sits there, waiting for a buyer to strike. There's plenty of theory, internet commentary and applied experience sitting behind pros and cons of the Fuji purchase but I can only know for sure if I go for it and test it firsthand.

For example, small pixels of the crop sensor may/tend to provide a bad aesthetic because the vintage lenses aren't very modern, and smaller sensors are less forgiving than large ones. But perhaps the Fuji X-Trans matrix counters this common phenomenon, who knows? Maybe it's actually the match of the century? Isn't it certainly worth a hundred euros or so to pay to play out this opportunity? 🤡


Addendum:

Whew! I made contact with the seller and I thank my stars the Fuji just sold.
 
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