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35mm Summicron 6-Bit as 1st lens : A good choice or not?


leicamode

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Greetings fellow M8er's!

 

I need your input on whether a 35mm Summicron 6-bit will be a good choice as an overall walkabout lens.

 

My most-used lens when I shoot both digital and film SLRs is a 50mm Prime.

 

35mm when attached to an M8 will translate to 46.55mm (35mm x 1.33) which is relatively close to 50mm on SLRs.

 

Will you recommend a 35mm or should I go for a 50mm Cron?

 

Appreciate your comments in advance.

Alan

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Yes that is a very good choice. That was my first NEW lens I bought when I got a M8 to go with my older 50, 90 & 135. I have since replaced the 50 and gotten a 75, 28, 24 and have a 21 CV SP4 P on it's way.

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I would have said the 35 (46.55mm) as a walkabout on the range finder was fine but not always wide enough sometimes. Now having a 28 (37.24mm) I'm kind of liking the 28 FOV with the rangefinder. I'm ignoring for the moment your preference for 50mm with SLR's because the viewfinder in the RF is quite different. The 35 brings up the 24 & 35 frame lines with the 35's being visible if you ware glasses. The 28 brings up the 28 and 90 frames with the 28 being visible if you don't ware glasses and almost fully visible if you do(your prescription may differ). The point being more of the visible frame in the VF window matches the FOV of the 28mm lens. From a usage point of view, many times I find it harder to move backwards to frame than to move forward, objects, people, traffic in the way so I decided to try the 28 FOV to see how I liked it. It's early days yet, but already I'm starting to like the perspective of the 28 when I bring the camera to my eye. If I need tighter cropping, generally I can move forward. My initial feeling is while I seem to prefer the FOV of the 28 Summicron Asph, I think I prefer the fingerprint & colour of the 35 Summilux Asph. I just can't win!:rolleyes:.

 

Now getting back to your point about the 50mm being your favorite focal length on SLR's, Perhaps the 35 being effectively 3.5mm wider may suit you just fine, but the RF viewfinder seems slightly more comfortable to me when what you see is what you get and you're getting that little bit more to a full viewfinder frame with the 28mm, perhaps it's my hangup from past SLR's. They say effective 50mm on SLR's are a sweet spot and they also say effective 35mm is the sweet spot for RF, I tend to agree.:)

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Yes, the 35 is a very good choice as a walkaround especially if youb liked 50mm fullb frame. The 'cron is a superb lens and as Leica lenses go is reasonable in price.

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My 35 (admittedly the Lux) is my standard lens of choice on my M8. Like you, on my M7, the 50 was my standard lens. I found it very easy to make the 35 the lens I carried with me everywhere. Good choice.

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Be advised that a 35 mm lens on an M8 does feel quite a bit wider than a 50 mm on a film M camera. Because it is! The difference is really not between 37 mm and 50, but 37 mm and 52 mm – which has been the typical focal length of '50 mm' or '5cm' Leica lenses since 1925 ...

 

I do personally like a 'standard lens' which is a bit wider than 52 mm. So I am quite happy with my old 35 mm lenses. Remember that the old definition of a 'standard lens' was one with a focal length close to the diagonal of the negative format. That, on a film 35 mm camera, would be 43 mm.

 

The old man from the Age of 6x9 cm Roll Film Folders (with 10.5 cm lenses – right on!)

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definetely the 35mm cron is my first and second choice. I have an ASPH and pre ASPH and they're both excellent. Actually they're the only lenses I use for the time being. The fov and framing is perfect for me and my M8.

 

I also have a cron 50mm. which I don't like. It disappointed me and is set for sale;)

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I think a 21, 35, & 50 is a great 3 lens set. So starting with the 35 cron is a good choice.

 

 

Greetings fellow M8er's!

 

I need your input on whether a 35mm Summicron 6-bit will be a good choice as an overall walkabout lens.

 

My most-used lens when I shoot both digital and film SLRs is a 50mm Prime.

 

35mm when attached to an M8 will translate to 46.55mm (35mm x 1.33) which is relatively close to 50mm on SLRs.

 

Will you recommend a 35mm or should I go for a 50mm Cron?

 

Appreciate your comments in advance.

Alan

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Muchos Gracias for all your replies.

 

As I am overwhelmed by the range of lenses out there, it's really hard to make a decision.

 

Our arsenal of lenses will certainly see expansion but for the meantime, I'll stick with the 35mm Cron as a first. :)

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Muchos Gracias for all your replies.

 

As I am overwhelmed by the range of lenses out there, it's really hard to make a decision.

 

Our arsenal of lenses will certainly see expansion but for the meantime, I'll stick with the 35mm Cron as a first. :)

 

If you were a 50mm man with film, it would be difficult to find any reason not to try the 35mm as your first choice. What is a little weird is the fact that some people prefer a different perspective when using the M8. This does not make any sense but nevertheless I prefer a slightly longer perspective when using my M8.

 

Rex

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