Multiple lenses of the same focal length

[bindie]

Ridiculous! Or so I thuoght until in one weekend I bought a 50mm pre-aspherical Summilux AND a Nokton all to go with my 50mm aspherical. And I almost bought a 50 Sonnar too but chickened out of that one in view of the others.

Deciding what lenses to take is determined by which camera to take:
M6 always with the 50mm pre-asph (both are black paint)
M8 with 35 Summicron and 50 aspherical Summilux
G1 - that is always a tough choice of what to take with the standard kit lens. Usually the 35 R Summilux wins (despite its size).

So, No. I dont have a problem to decide which lens to take but have to decide which camera to take on a trip is always tough.

[oscroft]

How have others acquired duplicates?

A couple of ways for me.

A lot of my RF gear was acquired second hand, so bodies have arrived with lenses already attached - that's how I got all my FSU 50s (most of which I've now sold on, together with most of the bodies).

But the main way I've acquired multiples is by buying stuff cheap from forums, the Famous Auction Site, etc, whenever I've seen stuff I want to compare. With so many bargains around, if I see a lens I fancy trying, I'm pretty confident that if I decide I don't want to keep it I can get my money back by reselling it (or, at worst, take a small loss). I don't have any great problem letting go of things I'm not using, so it works for me and I don't end up accumulating too much stuff.

That way I bought and tried a late-model Elmar 50/2.8 (sold because its contrast is too much for me), an uncoated Summitar 50/2 (sold because, while I liked it, it wasn't getting used), Skopar 50/2.5 (kept - it's my favourite RF 50), Summaron 35/2.8 (loved the results, but it was the goggled version and the goggles were a pain on my M2/M6, so sold).

I expect I'll buy more duplicates to try...

I should really try one of the Summicron 35s some day, just because they're there, and an ungoggled Summaron if I see one at a decent price (though I really don't need any more 35s). And I'd quite like to try a Rokkor 28 if I should ever see one without the white bits at a reasonable price, to see how it compares with my two CV 28s. A fast 50 would come in handy too - my fastest is a J-8 50/2.

[Doug]

I do have some multiples of the same focal lengths, mostly chosen to see how I like the different "looks" and ergonomics. On the current vacation trip I brought both M8s, one with 2/50 Heliar Classic and the other with 2.8/25mm Biogon ZM. (unfortunately I mistook a UV filter for a UV/IR on the 25) Did a lot of thinking beforehand to bring this Heliar rather than the Sonnar ZM or Planar ZM. I do have a 2.5/50 Skopar also but not a coded adapter, and left the M-mount 4/25 Skopar behind for lack of coding as well.

Had a bit of fun last night where the proprietor of a shop I'd entered exclaimed about what he saw as a classic film camera and was extra impressed with the old-time collapsible lens!

Focal length choice was tough too as I likely would have found 21 + 35mm as useful (C-Biogon or Elmarit, and Biogon or Nokton or Summilux to choose among), but figured the slightly longer-than-normal FoV of the 50 might be fun to work with.

[Rob-F]

I have five 50's and that is my least favorite focal length on the Leica. It doesn't make sense! OK I have five 35's as well, but that is a favorite focal length--although I can only shoot with one at a time anyhow.

I think I should reduce the number of 50's to 4, or even 3. No, better make it 4. I can do without the Elmar, but not sure I should part with any others.

Lately I've actually been using all five 50's in order to learn their characteristics better. Something I'm noticing is that the Summarit f/1.5 is actually a good lens, despite its age. I'll do some comparisons with the Summilux. I think it will hold up well!

The Elmar is good too, but it's a pain when the lens rotates while trying to change the aperture setting.

[raid]

I cannot get enough 50mm lenses. They seem to have different points of strengths and weaknesses, or they are so exquisite that one is not sufficient. I don't think that I have any duplicates, while I may own over 20 50mm RF lenses for LTM/M/Contax.

Leica Elmar 5cm 3.5, Elmar 50 2.8, Summar, Summarit, Summitar, Summicron rigid, Summicon Collapsible, Summicron-C.

Canon 50 1.2, 50 1.5, 50 1.8

Zeiss Jena 50 1.5 50 2.0. Zeiss Opton 50 1.5

Many FSU 50mm lenses (J-3, J-8, I50, ... etc.)

Luxon 50 2.0 LTM (for Braun Paxette)

[pvdhaar]

For my Bessa, I've got two 50mm lenses. One is a 50/2 M-Hexanon. It's plenty sharp for all practical purposes, even wide open. It's very very well built, it's got a built-in hood, and focusses down to 0.7 meter. The other one is a 3.5 collapsible FED. Flares and ghosts when there's any highlight anywhere, everything under 1.0m is out of the question, and its construction is.. well, let's say it's not refined. Still, it's so light and small, that it is sometimes more practical to take along than the Konica.

Short story; two fifties and I decide based on how compact/light I need to go..