Is it better to master one focal length with a rangefinder before using other lenses?

[Jeff S]

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I agree with you, and when changing systems I think it's prudent to be aware of possible financial ramifications.

 

Just to be clear, I'm not making a case for minding financial ramifications, as each person has his/her own capacity and tolerance. I'm primarily making the point, in my case, about first taking time to decide what tools are needed, based on actual photographing (and printing), not based on reviews. Ultimately that may result in even more money spent over time, but the process to get there is more deliberate.

 

In other words, not how much spent, but how it's spent and the process to get there. Especially for someone who has never used a given system. Different strokes...

 

Jeff

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Just to be clear, I'm not making a case for minding financial ramifications, as each person has his/her own capacity and tolerance. I'm primarily making the point, in my case, about first taking time to decide what tools are needed, based on actual photographing (and printing), not based on reviews. Ultimately that may result in even more money spent over time, but the process to get there is more deliberate.

In other words, not how much spent, but how it's spent and the process to get there. Especially for someone who has never used a given system. Different strokes...

 

Jeff

 

Thanks for the clarification.

[gberger]

To go back to the original question: I'm rather familiar with his first idea.

 

I was fortunate to get a IIIc with the 50mm f3,5 in December of 1945 (in Germany). That was my one camera-one lens until I was able to acquire an M4 in '68. I shot Kodachrome only.

 

Meanwhile,between cameras and lenses, I learned a helluva lot about light, subject matter, composition, and patience. All essential when working with Kodachrome. I didn't recognize I was limited with only a 50mm.

 

Now, it's a 35 Lux ASPH and a 50mm Lux ASPH - - - with a 28 Elmarit ASPH that mostly sits in the drawer.

[zlatkob]

1. Start with 50mm until proficient before moving on to other focal lengths.
   
2. Alternate between the 35mm and 50mm before moving on to other focal lengths.
   
3. Use all my lenses from the start selecting the best focal length for the situation.
   

 

One more vote for #3. Use them all and often. I can understand a photography teacher assigning use of one lens for an assignment. But when you are deciding for yourself, better to select based on the situation.

[thompsonkirk]

I guess you missed that, in addition to the 21 and 90, he already bought the 35 Summilux FLE, as well as the 50 APO Summicron. Camera and 4 lenses totaling over $26,000, at retail. Without ever having used an M. Hope he likes it.

 

Jeff

 

Sounds like a terminal case of GAS. My advice is still to put it all away and start now with M9 and 35 Cron.

[StephenPatterson]

 

I was fortunate to get a IIIc with the 50mm f3,5 in December of 1945 (in Germany). That was my one camera-one lens until I was able to acquire an M4 in '68. I shot Kodachrome only.

 

I did the same thing George!!! (except it was forty years later and in North Carolina)...

[erl]

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I've just ordered a new car. It will have 5 gears.

Should I use all 5, or just practice with one till I understand it?

[Paulus]

I am coming up on the 1 year mark from ordering a Leica M. While waiting for delivery I’ve had time to assemble my desired lens kit (21/3.4, 35/1.4, 50/1.5, 50/2, 90/2). As a novice to rangefinders, can you become more proficient with a rangefinder by starting with one lens before moving on to other focal lengths? From what I have read, both the 35mm and 50mm are in the sweet spot for rangefinders. Those two focal lengths will easily retain 80% of shots taken by me with the M even after expanding to 21mm and 90mm. Would using both the 35mm and 50mm at the start extend my learning curve?

 

I’ve started carrying a Ricoh GR all the time and suspect it will accompany the Leica M as well. It seems the 50mm focal length would complement the GR’s 28mm focal length. That combo will provide more flexibility and backup if I am struggling with the rangefinder. I preferred 35mm with the D700, but would choose the 50mm focal length on a rangefinder as I want to capture more candid shots of people.

 

I would appreciate feedback on which following option would be the best path forward:

 

1. Start with 50mm until proficient before moving on to other focal lengths.
   
2. Alternate between the 35mm and 50mm before moving on to other focal lengths.
   
3. Use all my lenses from the start selecting the best focal length for the situation.
   

 

And I am glad I didn't have much money in that time. I did not have to worry, what to choose, because I only had money for one second hand Summicron 50mm lens and the camera M6. The M6-50mm felt so great and I learnt so much of it. Still for me the best combination ever.

[rramesh]

I've just ordered a new car. It will have 5 gears.

Should I use all 5, or just practice with one till I understand it?

And I wonder why Fred Flintstones uses his feet a lot?

[Guest malland]

...IMO you got off on the wrong track by buying the 21 and 90 lenses because they seemed scarce, and now you're in danger of making your RF kit as clumsy as your DSLR...Leicas need an external finder for 21, and the VF image is too small with a 90 – or you have to stop and screw in a magnifier....In your position I'd re-sell the Leica 21 and 90 and follow the one-lens route (w/DSLR backup) to get started...If you've been waiting a year, you might even own an M before you have another birthday. In the meantime, try a used M9 – they're about $4K now, and unless a flood of Ms appear, they can be resold in the near future without much loss. Also M9 color, at least until Leica comes out with a firmware update, is more beautiful than M color. And get a 35mm Summicron. Then by the time your M is born, you'll know what other lens(es) you'd really need...

The advice on the lenses in this thread reminds me of the story of the about the nine blind men trying to describe an elephant that they are feeling out by touch. We don't even have an idea of whether the OP is going to shoot color or B&W, although there is some reference to street photography. There is nothing wrong about the choice of any of these lenses and which one to start with depends what and how the OP wishes to photograph. For me the idea of getting rid of the 21 is off the wall: the SEM-21 is a great lens — and I've been recently using the Elmarit-21 ASPH for night photography, half the time just pointing the camera from chest- or stomach level, slightly upward pre-focussed, of which there are two examples below. Shooting through the external finder is no problem at all, in my view. Apart from the 21, for street photography I would initially shoot with the 35 rather than with the 50, although actually I prefer a 28 to the 35. But the OP has a Ricoh GR, which has a 28mm EFOV lens.

 

Having shot with the Ricoh GRD3 and GRD4 cameras, I would normally have rushed to buy the the new GR, except that I have been taken so much with the color rendition of the M9 since I bought in February that I'm not interested in the color that I've seen from the GR. That bring's me to the one point on which I agree with thompsonkirk: having the lenses that the OP now has I would buy a new M-E (with 2-year warranty), now rather than waiting for an M240. I feel that the M9/M-E color rendition is unique and similar to the general look of color slide film, with the specific look dependent on the processing, and am among those that are skeptical in this respect about the M240 color rendition. Once more M240s are in use, say in a year or so, the OP can decide whether he really wants one.

 

Here are the two 21mm "no finder shots" night shoots. They are made using the technique of "Shoot at ISO 640 and push Exposure in post (LR4/5)." This technique is discussed in this thread, which, contrary to the conventional wisdom, shows that the M9 can be a great low-ISO camera. In the second picture the Exposure on the main subjects at the right is pushed 4.15 stops in LR5, which is equivalent to ISO 11,776.

 

 

 

Leica M9 | Elmarit-21 ASPH | ISO 640 pushed 1.66 stops on main subject | f/2.8 | 1/60 sec

Bangkok

 

 

 

 

Leica M9 | Elmarit-21 ASPH | ISO 640 pushed 4.15 stops on main subjects | f/4.0 | 1/60 sec

Bangkok

 

 

 

—Mitch/Paris

Surabaya-Johnny

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Malland,

You're one persistent emmeffer!

Tip hat.

[Guest malland]

Only when the discussion is in the theatre of the absurd, which unfortunately it often seems to be. Such as the OP should sell his SEM-21. Jeez!

 

—Mitch/Paris

Surabaya-Johnny

[BrianUK]

KanzaKruzer,

 

My tuppence-worth:

 

On balance - #3.

 

You've a set of lenses that many would die for. Use them, but don't get bogged down faffing about carrying them all and swapping lenses every fifteen minutes. Carry one for a day's shooting and develop your eye and move on with another focal length for another day's shooting etc.

 

Eventually you'll prefer one or two lenses over the rest (as you have already with your present equipment).

 

Get to know your equipment and its limitations. Fantastic though they are, camera is a tool. Nothing more.

 

Don't sweat it if rangefinders (Leica) aren't for you: they're not for everyone. Move on and find something that does get your passion and vision going.

 

Main thing is - enjoy your photography. It's about you and how you see the world, using gear you're in tune with.

[tomasis7]

Is it better to master one focal length with a rangefinder before using other lenses?

 

ABSOLUTELY!

 

I tell you from my experience. Dont fall at trap and if you want to take really good photos, stick a body attached with a lens and forget everything else.

 

It is just sad to see some people stuck in evil circle and never improving their photography. But such life it is.

 

Less is more.

[lct]

War of Gurus on the LUF!

[StephenPatterson]

The OP is getting an M, so he can just buy a Novoflex adapter and a couple of zoom lenses and...oh wait, he's already done the dSLR dance. Mitch is right that it's silly to sell a lens you haven't even shot with, but listen to the excellent advice given here by others and don't try and carry all that glass around, swapping lenses every 15 minutes. You will make yourself crazy.

 

Sometimes less is more.

[Guest malland]

Stephen, I agree on the lens-change caper. I usually have one lens on the camera and one in the pocket, but I almost never change lenses on any particular day, or night; except when trying out something that I don't normally do.

 

—Mitch/Paris

Surabaya-Johnny

[KanzaKruzer]

The OP is getting an M, so he can just buy a Novoflex adapter and a couple of zoom lenses and...oh wait, he's already done the dSLR dance. Mitch is right that it's silly to sell a lens you haven't even shot with, but listen to the excellent advice given here by others and don't try and carry all that glass around, swapping lenses every 15 minutes. You will make yourself crazy.

 

Sometimes less is more.

Steve,

 

I don’t have any interest in adding zoom capability to the Leica kit. The camera bag I plan to use will hold the Leica M with an attached lens and either the GR or one additional lens. I don’t really like changing lenses in the field as I often miss opportunities. It is much easier for me to have a backup camera like the GR that can be used for flash, different focal length, etc. I normally have a good idea which lens will be needed before going out. In some cases, I have gone a month without switching lenses, although I have found it helpful to try a different focal length that is not the old standby to get the creative juices going.

 

I have a friend that let me borrow his Monochrom and M9 for about an hour. I tried out my 50 APO and 35 FLE and nailed focus on static subjects, but was hit or miss with subjects who walked into a pre-focused area. I was impressed with the output from the Monochrom APO combo and felt comfortable with the process. He sold his M9 but has offered to let me try out his new M which I plan to do in the next week or so. While I anticipate a normal learning curve, I did not want to introduce any variables into the process which would slow down the process.

 

I also want to clarify the decision to switch to Leica was not on a whim. I buy used vehicles, brown bag my lunch, don’t have a boat, and sold a ton of items to help fund the rangefinder kit. With one kid out of college with a job and the other on track in college, I felt it was time to do this before my eyesight goes downhill.

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Kanza,

 

Enjoy your new system. Do you have an eta for the M?

 

When I want to shoot my son (4 years old with no off button), I focus while tracking him (as a habit I always start off from infinity) and fire the shutter while the RF is close to perfect (thus accounting for him moving into the zone). It's not a difficult thing, but takes practice to learn. Once you start using the system, you'll surprise yourself with your own ingenuity to solve such problems and will developer a system that works for you.

 

I can't begin to imagine the pent-up anticipation you must be feeling by now!

 

Have fun with the gear, man.

[Mixalis]

My two penn'orth: From a personal perspective, I find the 35 Summicron and 75 Summicron are the lenses I choose most often. I have access to both Summicron and Summilux in 35 and 50mm and I find the extra weight and size of the 'Luxes is a deciding factor when setting out in the morning. Do I really need f/1.4? In most cases the answer is "no" and I end up taking the 'Cron. I am seldom disappointed and almost never *need* the wider aperture in daylight.

 

The 'Luxes have obvious advantages in low light conditions and are an excellent choice but, I believe, as an addition to the Summicrons rather than as a replacement. I cannot imagine being without the Summicrons but I could make a case for selling the Luxes. The 75 'Cron I love because it is compact, relatively light and is actually a good choice for street photography if you value your nose. Of course, popular prejudice runs to 35mm for this task but it isn't always so. As for 90mm, the ancient f/2.8 Tele-Elmarit is a very economical and fine choice for occasions when only 90 will do.