28mm or 35mm as every day lens

[Anbaric]

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47 minutes ago, Al Brown said:

It does not fake what you cropped out, it invents its version of the surroundings in the new Midjourney v5.2 as a brand new feature available for all.
https://petapixel.com/2023/06/23/midjourney-v5-2-update-features-impressive-zoom-out-tool/

'invents its version of the surroundings' ~ 'fake what you cropped out'

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[Jeff S]

Post 59.  Fake surroundings…not the point.

Jeff

[jmahto]

So much photographic innovations in 5 years!! Can’t wait to see what we will have in next 5!

AI will take over. It will visit interesting places, shoot pictures on my behalf and post it here with boastful comments and argue with poor moderators.

While I enjoy sipping my favorite drink on a tropical beach. 
 

This is Leica philosophy. Isn’t it. Camera should disappear. 
 

😂

Edited June 30, 2023 by jmahto

[Life By Stills]

On 5/23/2014 at 1:52 PM, miatadan said:

Is there anyone here using Leica Elmarit 28mm f/2.8 as only lens on camera.

 

Seems most choose between 35mm and 50mm as everyday lens.

 

What are pros and cons of choosing 28mm as main lens on camera?

 

Dan

I could have absolutely missed this, but I don't think I saw an answer to this question - what do you tend to shoot?

I'm a freelance photojournalist and I have used both 28mm and 35mm on various days with only one of those lens, so I consider both of them to be able to act as my "everyday lens".

But if you had to only pick one, then decide based on the kinds of subjects you tend to shoot.

[Life By Stills]

29 minutes ago, Steven said:

I agree with you. The 28 Elmarit has worked for me for weeks at a time as a daily lens, even on film. I learned to adapt to the limitation of 2.8. 
However, when you know that you can have a summilux 35 pre asph for the same price an size, it makes the choice less obvious. 

I'm not too sure it's can be as certain as that. For example, when I still shot M digitals before going all in vintage / analogue with the M system, I would obviously get the aspherical stuff, like the latest 28mm Summicron, only because I needed that sharpness for impact in my work as a photojournalist. I partly shot the Queen's lying-in-state in Westminster Hall with the M10-R and the latest 28mm Summicron ASPH.

So in that instance, even if the pre asph were available for the same price, I'd still probably pick up the 28mm 2.8.

But now I just use my M for fun / specific projects, I don't mind picking up the vintage stuff.

But as I said in my first reply, this inevitably goes back to what you want to shoot, and obviously the reason you are producing the photos. You'll also need to work out your most likely shooting environs in order to decide on whether a 35mm is good for what you need, or whether you need to go wider at 28mm.

But both are great focal lengths, in my opinion.

[jmahto]

Years ago in this thread I said that I use mainly 28mm. Since then my shooting preference has changed. I shoot mostly film now and I have 40 summicron-c on it most of the time.

I have learned not to fret too much about FL. Just pick one that you like (for whatever reasons) and enjoy shooting. Lucky that I don’t shoot as a job. Then I would use all the tools suitable to my project.

[f8low]

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Highly subjective: I find 35mm f1.4 particularly well suited as an all-rounder because it covers my two interests - street and portrait - better than a 28mm (even if it is f1.4 as well). To be more precise, I value the better subject isolation/background blur I get at 1.4 from the 35mm focal length in portraits over the additional context I get from the 28mm focal length on the street.

[jmahto]

1 hour ago, rho said:

Highly subjective: I find 35mm f1.4 particularly well suited as an all-rounder because it covers my two interests - street and portrait - better than a 28mm (even if it is f1.4 as well). To be more precise, I value the better subject isolation/background blur I get at 1.4 from the 35mm focal length in portraits over the additional context I get from the 28mm focal length on the street.

When I shot with 28 mainly, I realized that it can be used quite effectively for environmental portraits and for subject isolation, you use perspective (background objects are much smaller) than high aperture blur. Wide angle also gives a feeling of intimacy by pulling the subject closer to the viewer.

Edited June 30, 2023 by jmahto

[IkarusJohn]

So, this is a post where the pedants and nitpickers will get into a feeding frenzy I suspect, over my sloppy use of language!

Every now and then, with reasonable regularity, we get into a discussion about cropping and perspective. We even get the somewhat optimistic statement that if you crop, you get the same image as with a lens with a corresponding longer focal length (you do, but only superficially). I digress.

You can use your feet to mimic the field of view of a 28 (or wider) with a 35mm lens, but you’re changing the perspective. I love wides. Back in the day, I had the lovely Nikon AF-S 14-24 zoom, and tended to use it at the extremes.  The reason, I’ve found, is that the distortion caused by the wides adds drama, provided you’re careful about objects near the edges and corners, horizons and getting close to your subject.  Clouds, crowds and the like.

The difference between a 35 and 28 lens is surprisingly significant in this respect.  That little bit of extra frame with a 28 adds drama, where the 35 can lack that drama; it can appear a little tight, or “boring”.  I have realised that this is because I haven’t been working on the 35 field of view - I haven’t been thinking about it carefully enough. 

So, for me, the 28 is an easy walk about lens.  With the 35, much like deciding between a 50 or 75, I need to consider the framing carefully.  Counterintuitively, I find the 35 a tricky lens; and many photos taken with this lens (my own included) are stultifyingly boring.  Content, subject distance, framing, distortion and depth of field all obviously play a part in making more that a snapshot that lacks any interest.

 

[Kiwimac]

I like wide angle images where they are done well. They can add drama, atmosphere etc. 

 

However they’re not easy to use well and they don’t really lend themselves to every subject. 
 

I barely consider 28 wide thought, more wide/normal. True wide begins at 21 for me and if I had the $14,000 it costs, I’d probably buy a 21 Summilux. However I doubt it would see even half as much use as the 35 and 50. 
 

I’ve even cogitated selling my 50 and swapping that for the 21 or selling my 35 for a 28 Lux. 

[rmueller]

Was shooting exclusively with the 35mm for few years and thought it is all I need. Then there was a time where I was no longer satisfied, sold it and got a 28 and 50 cron and I'm happy with this combo. I shoot 90% of my images with the 50mm now but when a wide-angle subject comes up, the 28 captures it nicely (and the 35 is not wide enough for my taste of wide angle). Had the 21mm Super Elmar for some time but rarely used it, 28 seems my sweet spot for wide angle. 

So all very subjective and eventually subject to change over the years.

Regards, Ralf

[trickness]

On 5/23/2014 at 8:52 AM, miatadan said:

Is there anyone here using Leica Elmarit 28mm f/2.8 as only lens on camera.

 

Seems most choose between 35mm and 50mm as everyday lens.

 

What are pros and cons of choosing 28mm as main lens on camera?

 

Dan

To me there is only one correct answer to this question. A 28mm gives you a lot more latitude for range focusing than a 35 at typical street photography apertures (f/8) so it make the camera into a point & shoot and you can nail focus every time. Way easier than a 35 for street. If that kind of photography isn’t important to you, a 35 is a better choice because it’s more flexible in different types of shooting.
 

 

[AndreasG]

For several years the standard lens on my M10-D is the Elmarit 28/2.8 and I guess, 90% of my photos posted here were made with this tiny but excellent lens.

[Jeff S]

On 6/30/2023 at 3:27 AM, Life By Stills said:

I could have absolutely missed this, but I don't think I saw an answer to this question - what do you tend to shoot?

 

Post #8

Jeff

[M11 for me]

vor 9 Stunden schrieb trickness:

If that kind of photography isn’t important to you, a 35 is a better choice because it’s more flexible in different types of shooting

You can say that the 28 ist the better choice as you might like to crop a bit. And 28 or 35 are rather near together. In case of doubt I choose 28mm. 

[trickness]

7 minutes ago, M11 for me said:

You can say that the 28 ist the better choice as you might like to crop a bit. And 28 or 35 are rather near together. In case of doubt I choose 28mm. 

I don’t think 28 or 35 are “close” in the context of depth of field at a given aperture. And you can crop with any lens really. 

For street photography, the 28 is much easier tool than a 35. 
 

And a 21mm easier still!

[jmahto]

On 6/30/2023 at 6:54 AM, jmahto said:

Years ago in this thread I said that I use mainly 28mm. Since then my shooting preference has changed. I shoot mostly film now and I have 40 summicron-c on it most of the time.

I have learned not to fret too much about FL. Just pick one that you like (for whatever reasons) and enjoy shooting. Lucky that I don’t shoot as a job. Then I would use all the tools suitable to my project.

Then I picked up 28mm this weekend and came to my senses why I liked 28mm so much.
M240+28cron ASPH

 

Edited October 18, 2023 by jmahto

[Rick in CO]

How do the Q camera users feel about shooting a 28 and cropping to 35?  

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[M11 for me]

As we are all aware most photographs are croped here or there. For me 28 is just fine. Most time it works even without croping (landscape, architecture). 

[M11 for me]

Am 4.7.2023 um 14:48 schrieb trickness:

I don’t think 28 or 35 are “close” in the context of depth of field at a given aperture. And you can crop with any lens really. 

For street photography, the 28 is much easier tool than a 35. 
 

And a 21mm easier still!

When its about taking a decision wether to take 28 or 35 then its about the decision wether to take 28 or 35. And my decision is always the 28mm. That is what I wanted to say.