Lens usage and value for money.

[IWC Doppel]

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I have just had a look at pictures taken with my M9 and what %age I take with different focal lengths. Not a surprise but food for thought about where to spend the budget (I have excluded lenses I have sold or borrowed)

 

21mm 4%

24mm 6%

28mm 15%

35mm 45%

50mm 27%

90mm 3%

 

It suggests I should sell my 21 or 24 and forget longer lenses

[Fgcm]

Definitely yes.

My range goes from 28 to 75.

I also traded heavy lenses in favour of light ones.

The only heavy one I kept is Summilux 50 asph.

 

Franco

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[jaapv]

You only need to take one prizewinning shot with a lens... It is the quality of your images that counts, not the quantity.

And I found that lens preference is highly variable over time.

[Carduelis]

I have just had a look at pictures taken with my M9 and what %age I take with different focal lengths. Not a surprise but food for thought about where to spend the budget (I have excluded lenses I have sold or borrowed)

 

21mm 4%

24mm 6%

28mm 15%

35mm 45%

50mm 27%

90mm 3%

 

It suggests I should sell my 21 or 24 and forget longer lenses

 

Are your percentages representative of all the types of photography you participate in over a reasonable period of time? Interesting that you don't seem to use your 90 mm much as say a telephoto lens for portraits and distant landscape features. I suppose it all boils down to what we enjoy photographing.

[TomB_tx]

Over 40+ years with an M I used 35 & 50 at least 95% of the time, but most of that time my only other lens was a 90. For the longer lenses I used SLR. I've since added 21 and 75, but not expecting to use them much I couldn't justify Leica prices, so went with CV for the rarely-used lenses. I've been very pleased with them, and find I still use 35 the most.

[philipus]

I have just had a look at pictures taken with my M9 and what %age I take with different focal lengths. Not a surprise but food for thought about where to spend the budget (I have excluded lenses I have sold or borrowed)

 

21mm 4%

24mm 6%

28mm 15%

35mm 45%

50mm 27%

90mm 3%

 

It suggests I should sell my 21 or 24 and forget longer lenses

 

This percentage wouldn't happen to have anything to do with your many very helpful test shots you've done? And the fact that you have two 35s (or did you sell the Asph already)?

 

I just got myself a 35 and find that I am liking this focal length a lot. But like Jaap wrote, and which is certainly true in my experience, lens preference varies a lot over time.

 

I find that I use my 90 Elmarit-M (which is the one you have too, no?) much less than my other focal lengths (which go from 2,8cm to 135mm). But I am happy I have this lens because I do need it occasionally and wouldn't, therefore, want to be without it.

 

Still a question that pops into my mind is the proximity of the first three lenses, which, that notwithstanding, do render quite differently. Is the 28 the Summicron? If so I would definitely keep it because it is pretty amazing from what I understand (I have yet to go there). But the 24 does seem a tiny bit out of place to me.

Edited September 5, 2012 by philipus

[IWC Doppel]

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Philipus your right !

 

I looked at 5,900 pictures as the base with M9's for the above analysis. I should exclude tests shots, so that makes three pictures for each lens

 

I'll keep 'em

[Paul J]

35 and 50 are my main focal lengths. I shoot pretty much everything on these. I have 75 and 90 too. 90 is used much less than the 75 but sometimes I prefer the 90. I use it little but I'd never part with it because it is a tool with a purpose. Nothing wider than 35 yet and don't feel a pressing need just yet. I think I will get the new 28 Summilux when it's out though and eventually the 24. Obviously I want a 35 Noctilux but won't hold my breath.