View Full Version : Favorite Lens length
As a rangefinder user and photographer, we usually have a favorite lens that we use. One of the reason you have that RF or that lens is because of the length. My question is what is you favorite lens length? Why?
My favorite has been the 35mm world. Though I do love a good portrait lens, I enjoy the storytelling capabilities of the 35mm. Speed of the lens is not as important for me here.
back alley
06-24-2004, 14:59
this is a toss up for me cause i like both the 35 and 75/85/90 focal lengths.
joe
I'm not creative nor imaginative, so 50mm is my favourite. What I see with my eyes will be roughly the same as what the lens will see.
I think I have to hide that 50mm in a maze so I will be forced to use this new 35mm.
I voted for 40. I shoot a lot with 35mm, but I feel all the time the want for a 28 or 50. 35 is too in the middle for me. 40 satisfies my want for a little more focal length, but still allows me to step back and get just a little wide. I think a 28, 40 kit will work best for me.
I like standard lenses, so the standard 100mm for my camera is perfect- it's also the brightest at f/2.8.
That Guy
06-25-2004, 13:28
I love my 35, but lately I've had an infatuation with my 15. It's been challenging to "see" that wide.
I'm finding pretty difficult to stay away from the 35 and learn to 'see' again with the 50 is not easy to me. But I think it's sort of necessary to change sometimes. I liked a lot the 24 on my SLRs but for some reason I can't see that wide lately.
Anyway if I had to choose one it would be the 35 for sure.
richard_l
10-21-2006, 23:26
I'm hooked on 40mm.
Richard
sebastel
10-21-2006, 23:41
preferring the 40mm equivalent FOV ... (though it's actually 25mm or 28mm on my RD-1), so my vote goes there.
need to add that the 50mm (75mm equivalent) are pretty close in popularity.
Duncan Ross
10-22-2006, 00:31
I really like the 40mm. I hadn't used one before I got the Prinz, and now it's my favourite length. :)
terrafirmanada
10-22-2006, 01:05
I voted 40mm, but I have been moving toward the 35mm side lately. I have been using more hyperfocal, and the 28 still seems a bit wide for day to day.
MelanieC
10-22-2006, 01:49
My favorite focal length is 50mm because that's the only one I have.
whichever is on the cam. try to remind me to carry only one though, since more lenses usually mean worse photography in my case..
Flyfisher Tom
10-22-2006, 03:23
I strayed from the 50 for a time, only to come back to it as my favorite. 50 is harder to compose than a wide-angle. Wide-angles lend themselves to easier geometric juxtaposition. But a well composed 50 gives you greater intimacy. my 2 cents.
Nachkebia
10-22-2006, 08:06
I like 25mm, actualy I would be using 21mm all the time if only I could rangefinde it! so I am waiting for R4a
I voted for 40 eventhough I nearly voted for 20. I love my 21mm for the SLR; an R4M body might open up even more worlds for its use.
zuikomatt
10-22-2006, 09:59
I like the 35mm on my R2A, and I like the 28mm on my Oly 5060.
And 70-200 for SLR.
Alex Krasotkin
10-22-2006, 10:15
I like 35 and 50mm.
I take too many family/people shots and don't like the facial distortion you get with a 35mm....50mm gives you more options.
I used to like 35s, but now I'm in love with 50s. I now wish I would have kept my M3...
The 50mm lens was and still is a "perfect lens". The M3 is great for such a lens, and so is the M6 0.85. Today, I used exclusively "normal" lenses with the Konica S2 and the Yashica GSN.
Raid
wlewisiii
10-22-2006, 15:22
Kind of humorous to see a thread from before I joined suddenly become hot... ;)
Back ontopic, 50mm though I'm slowly learning to appreciate 28mm.
William
kshapero
10-22-2006, 15:27
34708I'm chillin' on the 40.
markinlondon
10-23-2006, 10:32
I spent three years trying to convince myself I was a 35mm guy. When I spent a few hours sorting prints recently I realised that over half my keepers were taken with a 50 even when I was using the 35 more. My 50's now get 70-80% of my shooting time.
My best work has been done with the 50mm so I voted for it. I enjoy using 35mm too - it is my current carry-around lens but the 50 has seen much more use.
J. Borger
10-23-2006, 14:30
Perhaps i am an exception but the only focal lenth that never worked for me is 35 mm: it is either to wide or not wide enough. I am a 50-75 mm guy ! Wide is 28mm .. and i do not use that very often!
My most used lens is 50mm, maybe out of convenience. I often yearn for a wider lens, but at the cost I think I can make do.
I always enjoyed 28mm, especially for street/architecture shots on my old SLR. Nothing like a 100-150mm for a portrait or two though :)
Goodyear
10-24-2006, 04:46
I'd be torn between 35 and 50, leaning a little more heavily towards 50.
But I've just got a 40, and I have some expectation that it'll become my go-to lens.
I could live with just a fifty..
David Murphy
11-16-2006, 22:16
I think the 35mm on a rangefinder is just hard to beat for most situations. On an SLR a compact zoom of high quality is (I hate to admit it) invaluable for responsive photography.
Flyfisher Tom
11-17-2006, 08:12
The 50 gives just the right balance of breadth and intimacy.
markinlondon
11-17-2006, 08:42
The 50 gives just the right balance of breadth and intimacy.
Darn! I wish I'd said that :)
Beautifully put, Tom.
28mm, just because it's my latest...
Definitely the 40mm. It's the one I leave on my Voigtlanders, R3A and "T" most all of the time.
It's a tossup between 28mm and 24mm, so I voted for the 28. I don't have either focal length in a rangefinder lens yet, though. Maybe for Christmas....
Funny thing is, up until a year or so ago I would have said that a 35mm lens borders on too wide and begged for a 50mm lens; now it seems confining at times.
wlewisiii
11-17-2006, 11:46
The 50 gives just the right balance of breadth and intimacy.
Perfect comment. I, too, wish I had thought of it.
William
I love the 40mm on my minilux, its really a creative focal length! wide enough to have space around the subject but closed enough to let you compose and disreguard bad elements. But I voted for 50mm as it is more polyvalent and alow closed portrait AND stay discreet without coming too close the subject...
fifty fifty all the way :)
Bob Helmond
11-30-2006, 22:37
The 35mm focal length has a unique feature that makes it admirably suited for shooting quickly and, if necessary, surrepticiously.
The width of the field of view of the lens on the 36mm dimension of the frame is equal to the distance between the film plane and the subject.
So if you are photographing a subject that is 3 meters tall from a distance of 3 meters, and you hold the camera vertically at about 1.5 meters from the ground, the subject will "just" fit within the frame.
Too, 1/30 sec exposures are possible with careful handholding, and my Summilux is efficient enough to gather light at night with street lighting. Of course 1/30 doesn't always cut it, so some other means of support (read anchoring) is sometimes necessary, like becoming part of the wall of a building, lamp post or parked vehicle..
And did I mention that it promotes a more personal involvement with the subject--forcing one to break out of the comfort zone and closer to and occassionally within the subject's comfort zone.
Silva Lining
12-01-2006, 00:27
Its 50 cos I love my Summicron DR.....
The 25 is my favorite now for streetshooting--set at 6 ft it's focus free from 3 ft to infinity at f11. It's like shooting an auto A/E P&S, but faster.
The width of the field of view of the lens on the 36mm dimension of the frame is equal to the distance between the film plane and the subject.
In other words, it has sixty degrees field of view.
Philipp
It's definitely 50.
My favorite lenses are the Classic Heliar 2.0/50mm on my Bessa R3M, the SMC Takumar 1.4/50mm on my Asahi Pentax SV, the Pentax FA 1.4/50mm on my *istD and of course the Fujinon SW S 5.6/50mm on my mammoth Fujica G690 (yes, a 50mm lens can be a super-wide... in 6x9).
Cheers,
Abbazz
Well, I really like very wide lens like a 55mm. And I like slightly shorter than normal like a 75mm or 135mm.
wlewisiii
12-02-2006, 18:46
Well, I really like very wide lens like a 55mm. And I like slightly shorter than normal like a 75mm or 135mm.
Heh. Shoot only sheet film formats? ;) Though I suppose, 6x9 on 120 would qualify too for the 75 to be shorter than a normal lens. If we're talking about 4x5, give me my 127 & 213 combo. :D
William
Well, I really like very wide lens like a 55mm. And I like slightly shorter than normal like a 75mm or 135mm.
My most used lenses happen to be 50mm lenses, both on 35mm film and on 6x6 :)
Philipp
I find 150 on 4x5 to be seomewhat too wide. It's funny ... on 35mm I like 40mm or 35mm as my standard, but on 4x5 I prefer 210-240 for normal. Since I only have 150 in that range, it's a bit frustrating, not to mention GAS-inducing.
For 120 6x6, 80 is about right, though 65-70 would probably be more comfortable for me. Strange how the film format and camera type affect me preferences.
When I printed 8x12 it was always 50, but nowadays I’m tending to print 12x18 the 50s look a bit crowded so I’m finding the 35s more useful, not sure why.
The 50mm works best for me.:o
I can put any lens from 24mm to 85mm on a camera, go out and find appropriate compositions. My eye will quickly attune to the lens field of view so that it seems natural, and those are then the pics I see. But it's easiest with 35 or 40mm I think. I find it least easy with the 90mm lenses, except with the Contax G2 or an SLR where the field fills the viewfinder, then it can be easily "normal" too.
I like the 28mm (Ricoh GR1) but the 35 or 50mm is probably the better general purpose lens.
I tend to prefer the 35mm focal length. Much of my work centers around that length.
mikeb380
01-05-2007, 06:36
As a rangefinder user and photographer, we usually have a favorite lens that we use. One of the reason you have that RF or that lens is because of the length. My question is what is you favorite lens length? Why?
My favorite has been the 35mm world. Though I do love a good portrait lens, I enjoy the storytelling capabilities of the 35mm. Speed of the lens is not as important for me here.
I prefer a lens in the 75 - 100mm length. It gives me options of head and shoulders yet is short enough to do a full body shot. I think the 50mm ( "normal") lens is useless as is the 135mm. Although I have a bunch of 50s which came with the Russian cameras and a LTM Tair-11 133mm which I like. Makes a beautiful paper weight, all that chrome I also have adapters so I (not) can use it on my F1 and my EOS 300D. Also on my Zenit 3 and my EXA for which I also have a beautiful chrome 200mm lens. I forgot how pretty some lenses look in Chrome.
Only time I worry about lens speed is when I shoot available light although I find that lens speed isn't as important as film speed and how steady you are holding the camera. Another reason I like the wrist strap. Also a monopod helps a lot.
erikhaugsby
01-17-2007, 18:22
Maybe I'm the lone one in this group, but I find 35mm to be a rather compromise-y focal length--50 is nice and tight while 28 pulls in much of the surroundings, 35 gives a slight view of everything but still contains the subject in a small bubble.
This might be ironic as I don't have a 28 for my Leica, and Canon makes it unnecessarily difficult to procure a 28mm equivalent without resorting to body-cap quality lenses...:bang:
Erik, why not add a Cosina/Voigtlander 28 lens to your kit for an economical sum?
Well, when I had my Nikkormat, I had the 35mm and 24m with me most of the time. the 50 was rarely used, and the 105 was used now and then. So with my SLR it was 35 1st, then 24 when the 35 could not get it all in.
With my R2, I only have one lens, a CV25. Because while I was trying to decide what will be my 1st lens, I was using the Nikkor 24 more and more. and loving it. So I got the CV25. It is a great lens too.
With what I am shooting now, Old barns, farm buildings, occasional "Street Style" candid's at a few "open air Malls" (not strip shopping centers), The CV25 is a perfect chose for me, right now.
I have a chance to photograph a few chef's at a local Mitchell's Fish Market resturant. during buisness hours. so a fast 50 would be a good lens to have for this. I can't use flash. So I will use Fuji X-Tra 800. ....So I wiill have a 25 and may have a 50 in a kitchen with a RF and no flash and 800 film. FUN.... HUH..
I also like the 35 too. But I have a taste for a fastish 50 now. So I am bidding one a Canon Serenar F/1.9. Hope it doesn't get too close to $100.00.
I find this a hard question. Probably have to err on the side of saying its a tie between a 35mm and a short tele like a 90mm. Tho it does depend a little on what my favourite specific lens is at any time. I tend to go thru phases where I will give a particular lens a beating then something else will coome along.
I thought I'd never say this, but I'm a 50mm man. The first focal length I thoroughly enjoyed was a 28mm, then later I bought a brilliant 90mm, but one day I had a photo shoot that I couldn't use anything but a 50 and ever since, I've been using nothing but 50mm. That one photo shoot was a pretty dark indoor shoot and I refused to use flash. It turned out the 50/1.4 was about 2 stops brighter than a 90/f2 I was using before, because the 90mm had a lot more glass. Despite the good coating, about a stop of light got lost. And since it was indoor, 90mm was too long anyway.
I love 50mm now as a portrait lens. It forces me to get closer to people, which generally gives much more involved pictures. I'm not going for the 28mm portraits yet, though, 50mm also have a kind of compression that resembles longer portrait lenses. And my Summitar is nicely soft at f2.0 so it's just perfect for the purpose.
Peter.
Peter: I share your view on lens choices and preferences. Once you get used to an excellent 50mm lens, it is difficult to accept any other focal length lens except for "fun".
Raid
tedwhite
02-02-2007, 06:57
I have never been able to use a 50mm lens. Doesn't seem to cover enough of what I want in the picture. If I'm going to shoot a portrait I'll generally take it off and use a longer lens. The only way I can use a 50 is to leave home with it on a camera and not take any other lenses. Which I was forced to do when I had a Kiev 4AM and its Helios 103 (I know it's not quite a 50, but close enough). Last week I ventured forth with a J8 on my Bessa R but switched it out halfway through the roll for the 35/2.5 Color Skopar.
However, and having said all that, I just bought a Canon 50/1.8 from a shadowy figure living in Uxbridge, Ontario. Why? I'm not sure. But this is my thinking: So many people use this focal length I though, OK, why not get a really good one and live with it for awhile. So I am.
Last week I photographed the interior or a newly remodeled supermarket using a Pentax DSLR and the Pentax 16-45 DA lens at its widest angle (about 24mm). I couldn't have done that sort of job with a 50.
So maybe the answer is to use a lens appropriate to the task at hand. (I'm sure others have said this already).
Gabriel M.A.
02-02-2007, 07:55
The 50 gives just the right balance of breadth and intimacy.
Well put. It's also a very versatile focal length. I do, however, have a few 35mm lenses. They hardly see any use, but I have them because occasionally I see some use for it.
They're also lighter than most telephotos, and you have many more choices available, new and old, than the wide-angle focal lengths.
visiondr
02-02-2007, 08:04
The poll results are starting to resemble a bell curve (the 40mm is the anomaly here). Funny how life seems to settle things out that way.
Ron
Bryan Lee
02-02-2007, 09:52
The thirty five is my infatuation, For now I have sold off everything but 2 35s and a 90 in 35mm film camera glass. The CV 90 is just a little slow and I hate backing up to frame which I find myself doing sometimes. I always carry 2 bodies, usually with 35s then switch one off to the 90 if the space opens up or I cant get closer. I believe the answer for me this year is to go with another fast 50 and swing a SLR with a 135 or 180 for longer reaches.
My biggest influence were the guys shooting film in Vietnam, One or two Leicas with a Nikon F long lense was the best set up available at any price.
(the 40mm is the anomaly here
Ron
That's cuz the 40 is way cool. :p
75mm seems under-represented in the poll too; anomalously low for the bell curve. Probably, like the 40, it's not a traditional focal length for interchangeable lens 35's. Yet (as a contrarian?) I think it's as way cool in its own way as the 40. :)
mike goldberg
02-03-2007, 07:30
For a lot of years the 35 has been my favorite.
Through RFF and occasional 'attacks of GAS,'
I have rediscovered the 50.
markinlondon
02-03-2007, 07:37
For a lot of years the 35 has been my favorite.
Through RFF and occasional 'attacks of GAS,'
I have rediscovered the 50.
Ah, RFF, the last bastion of the 50mm lens :)
About 80% of all responses favor using lenses with focal lengths 35mm~50mm. All other focal lengths combined account for the remaining 20% of responses. This result should send some strong message to lens distributers to request additonal lenses in such a range.
Raid
Hi!
I only have 50ish and 42mm for non-SLR. So, I voted for 50 here.
I like to shoot with 28mm (SLR) more than with 35mm.
Kent
The best lens to use is the CV 15mm. Nothing can beat that lens!
mikeb380
02-09-2007, 12:59
75mm seems under-represented in the poll too; anomalously low for the bell curve. Probably, like the 40, it's not a traditional focal length for interchangeable lens 35's. Yet (as a contrarian?) I think it's as way cool in its own way as the 40. :)
I agree, If I could only have one lens, I would opt for one between 75 - 100 mm. I used my 85 & 100 for years even with multiple lenses longer and shorter. For a WA, I would select a 28mm or even a 24mm. I have an Arsat 16mm which I like muchly but it is not an all purpose lens. :D
RF-Addict
02-20-2007, 06:26
I voted for the 20mm, but I really have the 15mm and right now it is my favorite focal length, but I have to admit that it changes all the time. I tend to rediscover certain focal lengths and declare them as my favorite for awhile. The 15 is just so much fun - it's a whole new world out there:)
tedwhite
02-20-2007, 07:25
I originally voted for the 28mm because that's what I used for years with my old Pentax Spotmatics.
However, since getting a Bessa R and the 35/2.5 color skopar I've become accustomed to it.
However (second "however"), since getting the Canon 50/1.8 from Frank S. I have been re-discovering a "new" view of life. I put that in quotes as the only lens I had for a year when I began photographing in the sixties was the 50/1.4 Super Takumar.
Later I aquired a 135/2.5 and decided anyone with more than one lens was a "real" photographer.
Ted
i have only 50mm lenses for my Leica - Zorki-Feds , but could / should have sacrificed a pretend Leica or to for a 35m and an 85mm ... but who cares ? If i really need those wode angles , the faithfull Minolta SRs still awaits - and my new ''babies '' are just an escape ..
Curiously , though an Interior Designer needing to take inside record shots , i did invest in 24 / 28 SLR lenses , but find that there is a sense of dee'stortion in a 35mm which isn't there with my 50 mm.
But ASdee is odd in that I find it dee'ficult to alter what is imprinted - so , once the 50 , my sole first lense - 1970s was learned - I can now sense what the camera will ''see'' - and can use both eyes and the field of view is the same .
having said this , I did find an old 100mm Vvitar that has an entirely unintentional softness at f 5.6 and above that gave me dreamy portrait slides !
dee cidely dee
ASdee dee cidely does NOT like zooms - too big / heavy and confusing ? !
dee
26 dee
like your signature, though not the one i expected
Noel
I have voted for 50mm but I more and more start to like 35mm-ish (38/40mm) as well!
i wonder what the answer would be in an SLR forum. given how they like to zoom, perhaps such a question would be moot.
Sylvaticus
04-26-2007, 14:52
35mm on a FED1g and 80mm on a FED2e. Similar on DSLR: 50mm prime (roughly 75mm equivalent) or standard 18-55mm zoom (roughly 28-80mm). For an old Exakta it has to be 35mm and 135mm because there weren't many around 80mm so they're fairly elusive and expensive these days. So how did I vote? 90mm!
Tom Niblick
04-26-2007, 15:02
I like the 28mm (21 on M8) because it takes in the same sweep as my eyes.
I like the 50mm (35 on M8) because it frames what I see.
I like the 90mm (75 on M8) because it sees the face I'm focused on with my eyes.
If I could only own one lens it would be a 35 (28 on M8).
Tom
I think I voted a 50 however I find my self using 35-40 more. I picked up a couple of fixed lens rangefinders, both with 38mm lenses and find it very easy to work with that field of view so im thinking maybe 40 is my ideal.
topoxforddoc
07-03-2007, 15:59
A 35 lux is my favourite RF lens, although I love my 75 lux for its ability in low light as a stage lens. On a SLR, my favourite is the 180 summicron, which is just awesome.
Charlie
mervynyan
07-03-2007, 16:57
i'd liek 75 more than 35, i can be discrete at distance.
tedwhite
07-03-2007, 17:23
Tom:
I didn't know the focal length DECREASED on an M8. Usually it's the other way around with a DSLR. 35 becomes 52.5, 50 becomes 75, etc., on DSLR's with sensors smaller than 24X36. Just got eddicated.
I didn't know the focal length DECREASED on an M8.
It doesn't. The M8 has a crop factor of 1.3, which means that you should multiply the lens length by that number to get the actual FL. So, for example, a 35mm is about 47mm on an M8.
Ian
Never Satisfied
08-26-2007, 01:22
I voted for the 35mm, but the 50mm is a very close 2nd.
After years of single use of my 50 Summicron i switched to the 35 Summicron. Yet, for quite some time now, 21mm seems to me to be exactly how i perceive my surroundings. Love my little Skopar!
Andreas... I'm just listening tapes at myspace..... wow.... great
mike goldberg
08-26-2007, 02:51
Yeah... Sometimes it's the 50, and sometimes the 35; I think I voted 35 some
months ago. And the non-coupled CV 25/4 LTM is really sharp and a favorite.
Mike
:)
Thank you very much, Nikola!
35 and 85 a camera with each! Much easier.
what about the obviously populer 15mm heliar wide. If you own an M8 you seem to own one of these!
photobike
10-22-2007, 08:05
I use the notilux for the indoor existing light photographs. It can capture the images that need low light.
For street work I like the 35mm on a rangefinder. Its wide enough to give good depth of field without being so wide as to give you great areas of foreground that need something in them. I have just been out shooting with one of mine and stopped down to f 8 and using hyperfocal distance, everything from just under 3 meters to infinity is in focus while still giving me 250th of a second in fairly bright light. That should translate to good sharpness. To top it off the lens I am using is a low contrast early 1950s Summaron. This helps fill in shady areas with some detail. On the other hand, if I were to go for wider lenses I would then have the problem of (a) much greater cost as these are harder to find (b) lots of foreground that can create problems when shooting and (c) early 28mms were not really as good as the 35mm lenses. So 35mm is for me the best compromise for my type of photograpahy.
januaryman
10-31-2007, 06:38
I voted 50, but I like 35 nearly as much. With my SLR, either one of my 28s or my 19 (!).
tedwhite
10-31-2007, 08:14
If I'm using one of my old Spotmatic SLR's, the Super Takumar 105/2.8 is my favorite.
I had been using my 35 a lot last year, but I'm really getting into the 50 again. It just depends on what and where I'm shooting. If I'm shooting street and in a tighter, more crowded area, the 35 is the obvious choice. Otherwise I prefer the 50 to get a tighter crop when possible.
peripatetic
03-03-2008, 12:08
50mm just seems to be a magic length for me, it can work for landscape and portraits.
For landscape one is forced to look for angles and move around the space one is working in and it makes me really engage with the environment.
But I have to honestly say I've never really worked with a 35mm prime, only as a zoom length. I think I could live with a 35 but I'm not too keen on the distortion on close portraits.
Also with the rangfinder I really like that I can see more in the finder than the frame lines cover. Helps with timing that "decisive moment". Even with my Canon 5D though I use my 50mm f1.2 90% of the time.
tedwhite
03-04-2008, 05:05
That's why you need both a 35 and a 50. 35 is not an ideal focal length for portraits. 50 is just barely. 85 or 105 are best.
kshapero
03-21-2008, 05:59
I was using the 40 on my Bessa R3m, but since I got a ZI, I can't get off the 50. I have a 35 and a 90, but the 50 just seems to be a fit for my eye most of the time.
chris00nj
11-28-2008, 11:32
I think it depends the most on what you like to shoot the most. If you like street and portraits, you'll tend towards a 50mm. If you like landscapes, you'll trend toward 35mm.
tedwhite
11-28-2008, 16:46
Actually, I prefer either a 35 or a 28 for "street" work.
I have always (until maybe a year ago) used a 28 and 85 combination, ignoring the 50 except for slr macro. Lately I have been doing lots of portraits and find I like to work close with the 50 compared to a 75 or 90. So I voted for 50. For scenics, crowds, etc., I prefer a 25 or 35.
KenD
FA Limited
01-02-2009, 22:10
43mm ;) true normal
ninjarider
01-03-2009, 03:25
45-50 mm for me.
Have a pre asph 35mm lux and a 50mm cron ,Im always slightly disapointed if Ive had to use the 35,I feel as if Ive cheated,will one day buy a 50mmmlux pre asph and be a very happy bunny.
OurManInTangier
05-26-2009, 03:47
I use 50mm and 35mm with a 28mm as backup when needed or as a '35' on the M8. I like to keep things simple so as not to overload my meagre brain. I'm better using wide angles on SLR cameras primarily for work.
Sometimes I wonder if I'm restricting myself too much but I find I focus on things better with less kit and therefore less options. Work is different as the final image must fulfill a clients brief so I need the options...plus using zooms helps in that regard.
I'm typically a wide-ish person and the 35mm has been my primary lens on the Leica. However, lately, I got hold of a Nikon F3 and have been shooting with that for a change and I find my standard lens on the SLR is becoming the 20mm
Bill Harrison
06-02-2009, 14:47
You don't state what format. I can assume rangefinder because it's RFF. So I can't answer the poll. I use 35mm through 4x5 rengefinders and prefer normal focal length lenses most of the time, 60%+...
gilpen123
06-02-2009, 21:46
35 & 50 but I'm beginning to like 40 for street photography. For medium format 6x7 I like the FOV of 24-35 in 35 mm =.
Oculus Sinister
06-21-2009, 06:51
A toss up between the 35 and 50 but tend to veer towards 35.
Contax shooters represent... yo! 45MM is my fav!
I must be odd because that wasn't even a choice, my second choice is 135MM, but only 2 other people agree.
All the better...
stupid leica
09-17-2009, 23:49
i -enjoy- using a good fast 35 most, i think, but i probably get more keepers with a fast 50.
50mm because that's the only one I've used lol!
I like 35 and 50 the most but lean towards 35mm.
The lens i probably use the most though is the 40mm on my Rollei 35 though.
I voted 35 since that is what lives on the camera. Longest lens I carry is 90. Widest i would normally carry is a 21.
tedwhite
01-23-2010, 08:04
In RF I've only got 28, 35, and 50. I prefer the 28. However, if I switch to my Pentax DSLR, then I've got 28, 35, 50, 55, 50 macro, 105, 135, 200, and 300. And that's not counting the digital lenses. Recently, I've been using the 105/2.8 and loving it.
smkoush@me.com
03-09-2010, 18:22
I used to have a 35mm Summicron-ASPH, but I couldn't get used to it. Traded it in for a brand new 50mm Summilux-M pre-ASPH and never regretted it (plus the 50mm summilux pre-asph is a fantastic lens on its own). The 35mm aspherical summicron is technically an exceptional lens, but it was not for me. I "see" things better with 50mm.
Bogotron
04-20-2010, 05:29
I started with a 40 'cron and love that lens and focal length. However, since borrowing my friend's 25mm snapshot skopar I've found that using an RF is even easier than before. I basically only do street shooting and tend to work fairly close, and if I prefocus on 2m then everything from 3-3.5ft to infinity will be in focus. Super easy for those quick shots, saves precious milliseconds. I recently went back to the 40 and I found myself fiddling a bit too much with the focus for my taste. Maybe I just need to get used to it again, but I think I want something wider. I'm looking into a 28 (25, though great, is just a touch wide for me).
tedwhite
04-20-2010, 11:33
Bogotron. I've got the Ultron 28/1.9 and you can do the same thing with it. Focus at 2m, stop down, and away you go. My favorite for this kind of street shooting is the Olympus XA, because apparently Olympus anticipated this sort of use: 3m on the distance scale and f:5.6 on the aperture ring are printed in orange. All the rest are printed in white! So everything from about 9 feet out is in focus. As the next closest number on the distance scale is 1.5m, I usually leave it between 1.5 & 9. Works great.
umcelinho
04-20-2010, 12:41
50mm is def my fav. my 2nd fav would be a 12mm. :)
Voted 35...BUT, I use the 28 as much.... Just depends on my mood :)
I like the 28 more for waist level shooting outside, and the 35 for both waist and eye shooting outside. Inside family homes...35mm..it is a f/1.4 while the 28 is f/2..and I do like to shoot at wider f/stops inside with a 400 film.
28mm. I like the 2/28 Nikkor and the SMC-Pentax 2/28 very much. And now that I have a 2.8/28 Ricoh GR LTM lens (with M-adapter) I will have to buy a camera for it, maybe a Bessa R4a or...
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