Scenes Seen/Vintage Digital: Leica M Type 240 and 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1.

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Have used this lens for years. Adapted to mirrorless…

Sony A7c - 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1
7Artisans 50mm f/1.1

…and natively with film for years.

Leica CL
During my Leica CL days.
During the Voigtlander Bessa R2 days.
Konica Hexar RF
Most recently with the Konica Hexar RF.

Now I have the good fortune to make use of it on digital M.

Leica M Type 240 - 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1

To say I was pleased with this setup would be an understatement. I have already written many posts about the Leica M Type 240 and I still have not gotten around to a formal review yet. Took it out again recently.

I cannot quite put my finger on it yet but there is something about this whole digital rangefinder thing. If I had to guess the answer has to do with what I like about film rangefinders and digital cameras.

  • Film Rangefinders: I “see” differently when using a rangefinder and as a result, I tend to frame shots differently. Different in ways that I always appreciate later. I also tend to take shots that I would not normally take. The “Why this is exactly?” is the part I always have a hard time pinning down. The only limit is the amount of film I have and how many rolls I want to develop.
  • Digital Convenience: Unlimited film! Also easy access to much higher ISOs at the spin of a dial.

I believe the answer lies in the combination of these two factors. I recently wrote a post about my initial concerns that I would want to upgrade my glass one day, but once again this day showed why that is not likely. Many focus on the 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1’s less than pin sharp and flare performance wide open. While I find this fun to exploit…

Leica CL 50 JAHRE

…what is also true is that this lens also behaves itself when stopped down slightly. A little back to back test with an older Leica lens at my local camera shop. A beautiful little SUMMICRON-M 50mm f/2 Collapsible lens produced from 1953 to 1960 per Ken Rockwell’s handy chart.

Leica M Type 240 - Leica 50mm f/2
Wilson.

Nice! Reviewing the image I was immediately struck with Leica M glass GAS. I must have this lens! I… Wait a minute. What would this look like using the 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1 I already have stopped down to f/2?

Leica M Type 240 - 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1
Wilson.

Yeah… I’m good. As a result, I left the 50mm f/1.1 for the rest of the afternoon as the sun was setting. Here are the resulting images.

Leica M Type 240 - 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1
Leica M Type 240 - 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1
Leica M Type 240 - 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1
Leica M Type 240 - 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1
Leica M Type 240 - 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1
Leica M Type 240 - 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1
Leica M Type 240 - 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1
Leica M Type 240 - 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1
Leica M Type 240 - 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1
Leica M Type 240 - 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1
Leica M Type 240 - 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1
Leica M Type 240 - 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1
Leica M Type 240 - 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1
Leica M Type 240 - 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1
Leica M Type 240 - 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1
Leica M Type 240 - 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1
Leica M Type 240 - 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1

-ELW

Published by Eric L. Woods

Photography, Baritone, Industrial Engineer, IT person.

2 Replies to “Scenes Seen/Vintage Digital: Leica M Type 240 and 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1.”

  1. Pingback: Scenes Seen: Leica M Type 240 and 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1. – Eric L. Woods
  2. Pingback: Scenes Seen/Vintage Digital: Leica M Type 240 and 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1. – Eric L. Woods

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