Driver8 Posted May 17, 2010 Share #1 Posted May 17, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) The online “24 x 36" Leica M photography portfolio lists what's in the kit bag of some prominent film photographers: PHILIPPE BORDAS LEICA SUMMICRON-M 35 mm f/2 ASPH LEICA SUMMICRON-M 50 mm f/2 JOHAN WILLNER LEICA SUMMICRON-M 35 mm f/2 ASPH ALEX WEBB LEICA ELMARIT-M 28 mm f/2.8 LEICA SUMMICRON-M 35 mm f/2 ASPH RAGNAR AXELSSON LEICA ELMARIT-M 28 mm f/2.8 LEICA SUMMICRON-M 50 mm f/2 ANDREA HOYER LEICA ELMARIT-M 24 mm f/2.8 ASPH LEICA SUMMICRON-M 35 mm f/2 ASPH BRUCE GILDEN LEICA ELMARIT-M 28 mm f/2.8 JEFF MERMELSTEIN LEICA SUMMICRON-M 35 mm f/2 ASPH BERND ARNOLD LEICA ELMARIT-M 28 mm f/2.8 LEICA SUMMICRON-M 35 mm f/2 ASPH TOMASZ TOMASZEWSKI LEICA SUMMICRON-M 28mm f/2 ASPH LEICA SUMMILUX-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH LEICA APO-SUMMICRON-M 90mm f/2 ASPH Though this is a small sample of only nine photographers, a few things strike me: 1. Only one photographer shoots anything longer than 50mm. 2. Only one photographer shoots anything shorter than 28mm. 3. The lack of exotic glass: no 50mm Noctilux, no 50mm Summilux ASPH, and only one favors the 35mm Summilux ASPH over the 35mm Summicron ASPH. 4. The most popular lens is the 35mm Summicron ASPH - used by six photographers; followed by the pre-ASPH 28mm Elmarit used by four. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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Xmas Posted May 17, 2010 Share #2 Posted May 17, 2010 Hi This means that Winograd, HCB, and E Smith were working at a serious disadvantage and are thereby real giants? Noel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ndjambrose Posted May 17, 2010 Share #3 Posted May 17, 2010 I suspect the list may not be very accurate. For instance, I have Ragnar Axelsson's 'Faces from the North', and there are a couple of images in there that were shot with a Summilux, and several with a Pentax 67. (One of his summilux images is in the Leica lens catalog). So the "what I have in the kitbag list" is unlikely to be exclusive. But, ignoring the detail for a moment, it might show that successful photographers invest time mastering the equipment they have, and tend to spend their resources on making images rather than buying gear. You could also conclude that they're all documentary photographers, hence they work within a similar genre and have similar demands for subject/camera distance, which translates into shared preference for focal lengths. And then there's the practical side.... documentary photography doesn't tend to be generously paid, which might lead to a more practical view on which lenses are really needed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Calahan Posted May 17, 2010 Share #4 Posted May 17, 2010 This is what I try to drum into my students' brains that one does not need a bag full of exotica to make quality images. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilfredo Posted May 17, 2010 Share #5 Posted May 17, 2010 I've narrowed my lens choices on the M8 to two: 35mm and 50mm, so it looks like I'm in good company. In the last year I sold my 18mm and 90mm lenses, they mostly sat in my bag. I'm not a pro but the documentary and especially the Magnum genre resonate with me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ampguy Posted May 17, 2010 Share #6 Posted May 17, 2010 It's clear that they do not want to highlight current photographers using non-current M lenses. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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