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What is the most used lens on your M?


HenrikP

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It is interesting that members are voicing preferences without stating what are they using the lens to shoot. The photographic preference dictate lens choice.

 

For me most commonly used lens is 28cron ASPH. It is used for general purpose shooting outdoors (hikes, walks).

 

After I bought 35 FLE one year ago, I thought I will use it more often but I continued with 28mm. I used to be 50mm guy in DSLR world and own 50lux but I hardly use it. For me these two have become specialized lenses. 35FLE is used when I go to evening gathering. For me it is people lens (vs 28mm which is environment lens). I use 50lux when I need to shoot pictures with one main person (ex: my wife) in it. For me it is single person lens. Since I carry a single lens most of the time, this categorization helps.

 

However, I should add that I don't feel handicapped if I am stuck with "wrong" lens since there is no wrong lens. I can shoot single person portrait with 28mm and use 50mm for outdoors as well. It just requires more careful shooting.

 

Was it a long winded reply to a simple question? :D

 

 

relating choice of lens to usage makes a lot of sense!

 

My answer is similar except that I use my 35 FLE more than the 28 cron when doing street photography - though the 28 cron is so valuable for the casual walk / hike I often also bring that out.

 

My 50 lux and a Hexanon 90mm are more for specialised purposes e.g. portraits of my wife or telephoto shots of landscapes, or stage work...

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It is interesting that members are voicing preferences without stating what are they using the lens to shoot. The photographic preference dictate lens choice.

 

I think you're kind of right about that. However, it seems the 50 lux seems to be edging out the other lenses as something a bit special. It is my walk around lens.

 

I think that the thing is, without knowing what you are going to shoot at all, a 50 is probably the most versatile. It isn't ideal for many things and it can look boring if you fall in a rut with composition since people have been shooting with that FL since the dawn of 35mm photography. It doesn't provide tha freshness that people want without some effort. 50 is special because it so closely maps to what you see. Even the 35mm the other big favorite is a bit of a specialization a bit more context or a bit more intimate. And probably 1.4 is about where you have maximum flexibility. Noctilux is heavy and big. Summicron  is smaller and lighter. APO Summicron is sharper, Summarit is cheaper lighter and smaller.

 

So If you know what you're going to shoot or know the conditions, pick the right lens, if you have no idea, and it might be day or night, inside or outside probably the 50 Lux is the best default. Everything else is a optimization.

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It is interesting that members are voicing preferences without stating what are they using the lens to shoot. The photographic preference dictate lens choice.

 

For me most commonly used lens is 28cron ASPH. It is used for general purpose shooting outdoors (hikes, walks).

 

After I bought 35 FLE one year ago, I thought I will use it more often but I continued with 28mm. I used to be 50mm guy in DSLR world and own 50lux but I hardly use it. For me these two have become specialized lenses. 35FLE is used when I go to evening gathering. For me it is people lens (vs 28mm which is environment lens). I use 50lux when I need to shoot pictures with one main person (ex: my wife) in it. For me it is single person lens. Since I carry a single lens most of the time, this categorization helps.

 

However, I should add that I don't feel handicapped if I am stuck with "wrong" lens since there is no wrong lens. I can shoot single person portrait with 28mm and use 50mm for outdoors as well. It just requires more careful shooting.

 

Was it a long winded reply to a simple question? :D

 

 

A bit. 

 

I shoot with 35 and 75 lenses on the M most of the time. I shoot all kinds of things with them: people, portraits, street, flowers, graphic abstracts, trees, landscapes ... etc. Obviously, I use the shorter focal length when I want a wider field of view, and the longer focal length when a tighter field of view is desired. All of these could be considered "general purpose shooting outdoors" but also cover indoor shooting. It's what these focal lengths are best at.

 

Why would it necessary to articulate all that? Isn't it somewhat obvious?  :rolleyes:

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It always used to be the 28mm Summicron ASPH - a focus distance I prefer as a one lens kit and a lens I really love that shines on the Leica M. But since getting the marvellous Q (which I admit I use much more often now than the M - am I alone?) I pot the 50mm Smilax ASPH on the M which is another wonderful lens.

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If you reworded the question to ask 'which is the most useful lens on the M' you might get marginally different answers. As ever it depends on what you photograph but I would suggest that the most useful lenses are 35 and 50mm (and actually these focal lengths are more likely than not the most used too). Of these my preference is 35 because its wide enough to shoot just a bit more with but narrow enough to move closer for a slightly tighter shot. That said some will present convincing arguments as to why they prefer 50.

 

Either side of these focal lengths becomes more of a specific choice for particular way of shooting or subject preferences. FWIW I don't think that many people would really regret going for 35 or 50 as a first lens and which version will depend on price and whether you are likely to shoot at fast apertures. Again, just my personal position, but if you can find either a recent 35 or 50 Summarit at a good price you are likely to lose little (or least) if you sell/trade it for a different lens in the future. Buying any specific version of a lens on someone else's say so is fraught with problems though, so my comments are based solely on the lowest cost to experience ratio of current/near current, very good lenses. Hope this makes sense.

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My preferred lenses are:

Summicron 35 >50%

Summicron 50 > 30%

Elmarit 21 ~ 10%

Elmarit 90 ~ 10%

Elmarit 28 sometimes

Elmar 135 sometimes

During my last trip to China I recognized that 50 mm is coming back in my ranking.

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My best pictures are with 50f2, as you already have a Q camera I think that the most logical choice would be to add a 50mm.

Furthermore the 50mm allows you to use the viewfinder with sufficient space around the frames.

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1. Leica 50mm f/1.4 Summilux M Aspherical (60%)

2. Leica 50mm f/2.0 Summicron M Version 4 (25%)

3. Leica 35mm f/2.0 Summicron M Aspherical (10%)

4. Leica 90mm f/2.8 Elmarit M (5%)

Edited by d0c0m0
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I always hope to use my 50mm Lux first, but the 28mm Cron gets used the most since I'm usually shooting groups of people in offices and classrooms. 

 

It probably breaks down something like this:

50% 28mm Summicron

30% 50mm Summilux

15% 90mm Elmarit

5% Special circumstances that require the 15mm VC Ultron, 135mm Elmarit or 280mm APO Elmarit

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With 28mm already covered by the Q, the sensible choice would be a 50mm. Depending on your budget, you've got a good selection. Personally I have a 50 Summicron, and it works well in partnership with my 28 Elmarit. 

 

I think 35mm will be too close to 28mm for you.

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With 28mm already covered by the Q, the sensible choice would be a 50mm. Depending on your budget, you've got a good selection. Personally I have a 50 Summicron, and it works well in partnership with my 28 Elmarit. 

 

I think 35mm will be too close to 28mm for you.

 

 

This -- if you really want just one lens and will carry two bodies-Q and M

 

I am lucky to have most focal lengths from 18-135.  Use just about every one at one time or another so carry 24, 35, 50, 75 or 90, maybe 135.  Also MATE for travel with 18.  50 Summilux is a marvelous lens if you can afford it.

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