50mm Lens purpose and struggles

[KM-25]

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Well these are all from one roll of the 50 Lux Asph....I just need to try harder for good narrative...and it is a bit harder with a 50 than a 35....but I still want another M6 and a 35....

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[MarkP]

They all look good to me but of course I don't know what you were trying to achieve here.

 

I think that if street work is your main interest the wider lenses may just suit you better. You have already written that you work with 21& 35.

 

Persevere a bit longer, it's not like the lens will devalue whilst you 're deciding. You mentioned that you like the 21 for landscapes as do I, but this may be where you could also explore usng the 50.

 

However, I wonder whether a 28 might suit you better for what you photograph, fast to use with increased DOF, gives your subject even more environmental context, or you can get in nice and close.

[adan]

Ummm - MarkP - I believe you are confusing the original poster (enbee, who uses a 21 and 35) with the pictures posted above by KM-25 (who has a long professional track record, and likely doesn't need to "persevere" or receive instruction in other ways.)

 

@ KM-25 - btw your comment about preferring a 50, but needing a 35 for RF work, echoes what David Alan Harvey said at one conference I attended. He also felt his "vision" favored a 50, but with his Leicas, used the 35 f/1.4 instead, for the extra DoF to ensure focus when working fast for street moments.

[KM-25]

Thanks Andy, I appreciate it and really appreciate the big difference in how the two lenses end up working out on RF. I'll start working towards getting an M6 and 35 1.4 Asph back in my hands.

[MarkP]

Ummm - MarkP - I believe you are confusing the original poster (enbee, who uses a 21 and 35) with the pictures posted above by KM-25 (who has a long professional track record, and likely doesn't need to "persevere" or receive instruction in other ways.

 

Oh yes. My mistake.

Correct on both points.

But like I said , they look good to me and now I know why

:o

[pico]

50mm is my rural lens. In the city 35mm is normal, and when I want to be close enough to the subject so I can smell 'em, it's a 15mm.

 

75mm? Concerts, especially outdoors.

 

A contrary preference is an old 47mm over 6x10cm, .... and here.

Two different copies of the lens. One was so screwed up I loved it.

[rosuna]

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For two lenses (a more common scenario) I would take a 50 & 28, no question. Three? well it could be a classic Leica 28-50-90 or 21-35-75 depending where I'm going and how I feel. I

 

Like the OP, I use a 21 and 35, and just go right on up to a 75-85-90-105 for longer shots. But if I needed f/1.4 or thereabouts on a limited budget, I would look at a 50, because a 21, 24, 28, 35 or (R.I.P) 75mm f/1.4 costs at least twice what a 50 would (some 50 f/1.4, not necessarily the latest Summilux NIB!).

 

 

Do you think a 24 may replace the 21 in the 21-35-75 set?

 

I have 35 and 75, and need something wider, with more DoF, for street photography of crowds at short distances (Winograd-like).

 

The 28 is too near to 35, so I am thinking on 21 or 24. Maybe 21 is too wide...

 

R.

[SiggiGun]

No. I don't think so. 24 is best if your combo is 24 50 90

[rosuna]

I think the 90, 50 and 28 is the best combo, for me.

 

My problem was the lens set configuration for the M8. The crop factor explains the 35-75 choice.

 

Then, coming back to the 35mm format I was trapped in a 35-75 set.

 

Anyway, the question for me now is 21 or 24. I need something wider than 35, not too wide (big, expensive) lens.

[NJH]

50mm is my rural lens. In the city 35mm is normal

 

100% that. I don't live in a city so 50 is my most used lens.

[adan]

@rosuna - yes.

 

In my early Nikon days, I found a 24-35-85 to work quite well. Of course, that was partly because Nikon's first 20 was huge, slower (f/3.5), and rather soft compared to the 24.

 

Later on, I'd just hit too many walls (literally, with my back to them) with the 24, and moved to a 20mm f/2.8 when I made a switch to Canon FD. Never really looked back. I'm used to the 20/21 now.

 

But, ignoring overall wideness, the spacing of the 24 and 35 is perfectly functional. I'd certainly never be confused about which to use in a given setting.

[pico]

@rosuna - yes.

 

In my early Nikon days, I found a 24-35-85 to work quite well.

 

 

The first 24mm was terrible. I don't know why I still have it except perhaps that it sucks so much my brain doesn't distinguish from an old dust bunny so it has become invisible.

[semi-ambivalent]

I think the 90, 50 and 28 is the best combo, for me.

 

My problem was the lens set configuration for the M8. The crop factor explains the 35-75 choice.

 

Then, coming back to the 35mm format I was trapped in a 35-75 set.

 

Anyway, the question for me now is 21 or 24. I need something wider than 35, not too wide (big, expensive) lens.

 

Can't imagine how you could be disappointed with the 21SEM. Whether or not it's the one you need ? I'm staying out of that.

 

s-a

[A miller]

Ummm - MarkP - I believe you are confusing the original poster (enbee, who uses a 21 and 35) with the pictures posted above by KM-25 (who has a long professional track record, and likely doesn't need to "persevere" or receive instruction in other ways..

 

Adan - hmmm, if you read KM-25's post you'll see that by his own admission his use of a 50mm for "street" photos is somewhat of a challenge for him. And with all respect, the samples he chose to post reflect this. He, I am sure, is selling himself short by posting so many shots from a single roll, for keepers in this shooting context don't come around that often.

 

So I think that Mark's comments were spot on (whether or not KM-25 was the original OP) and I am sure that KM-25 appreciates them.

 

KM-25 - I would keep trying, as I see real potential here and if in fact you are an accomplished photographer there is no doubt that you can make the focal length sing beautifully in this context. With the 50mm you have more control of what's inside the frame, and you also have that compression effect. It just takes a little more patience relative to wide focal lengths. I hope to see more of your photos.

 

Best,

Adam

[KM-25]

Adan - hmmm, if you read KM-25's post you'll see that by his own admission his use of a 50mm for "street" photos is somewhat of a challenge for him. And with all respect, the samples he chose to post reflect this. He, I am sure, is selling himself short by posting so many shots from a single roll, for keepers in this shooting context don't come around that often.

 

So I think that Mark's comments were spot on (whether or not KM-25 was the original OP) and I am sure that KM-25 appreciates them.

 

KM-25 - I would keep trying, as I see real potential here and if in fact you are an accomplished photographer there is no doubt that you can make the focal length sing beautifully in this context. With the 50mm you have more control of what's inside the frame, and you also have that compression effect. It just takes a little more patience relative to wide focal lengths. I hope to see more of your photos.

 

Best,

Adam

 

Hi Adam,

 

It's not so much I use it for street as I do for several journalism projects and a big one coming up. At the end of the day I have been trying to make a 50 work for the past 4 years as my only lens in RF and tend to want a 35mm a lot of the time. It's not that I don't get usable images out of the 50, I do and will. But I need those images to really impart the narrative and feel I want and in my experience and in being totally honest with my self, the 35mm 1.4 Lux was perfect for that.

 

So my plan is to sell the 50 lux, replace it with a 50 Summicron or Planar and get a M6 and 35/1.4. When a gut feeling is slight, you still ought to follow it. But when it is using a megaphone, then the writing is on the wall, your forehead, your pet, etc...

[A miller]

Hi KM - I am a little confused as I am not sure if you are saying that you have been trying to conduct your photojournalism work with a 50mm for the past 4 years. As much as I favor a 50mm for its rendition, my instinct would be to use a 35mm (or perhaps even a 28mm) as a primary focal length for typical photojournalsim that benefits from a broad context as opposed to having a tighter frame that can put more creativity in our hands to create our own scene but doesn't do AS good with capturing the broad surroundings.

 

In any case, it seemed like your images were posted to illustrate the challenge you are having, and I just wanted to chime in to concur with Mark's post.

 

I'd love to see some of your "work" at some point.

 

Best,

Adam

[KM-25]

I posted the images as ones I like...I do have a bunch I like from the 50, just sorely missing a 35 1.4 is all. I might have found both a 50 Planar and 35 Lux but still need to source a good not mint M6.