Having both a 35 and 28mm? Lens dilemma

[UliWer]

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If you look quickly at these two shots they are very similar. But when you look more closely, say at the base of the building and the cars, the 35mm shot gives a much stronger sense of being close to the subject.

 

Admittedly you could crop the 28 to give a similar view, but equally you could crop the 35 to give an even closer view, so the difference is maintained at the same quality.

 

 

Therefore the Leica Q uses a 28mm lens. Cropped it gives you the perspective of a 35mm or 50mm.

 

Or using the M8 with a 28mm gives you the field of view of a 37mm lens on a camera with full frame sensor. 

 

In theory using a 15 or even 12mm lens would make all longer focal distances superflous. Lets stay with 28mm for the moment:

 

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... but perhaps a something like 300mm would have been more interesting:

 

 

Though I wanted the total view - a 24mm would have been better.

 

Photography also means that you make your choice which part of the world you want on picture before you take it. Therefore your choice of lens does matter. 

Edited September 15, 2017 by UliWer

[Peter H]

.......................

 

Photography also means that you make your choice which part of the world you want on picture before you take it. Therefore your choice of lens does matter. 

 

 

Yes. That was the point I was trying to make.

 

You can crop a 28 to a 35 or a 50 in the same way that you can crop a 35 to a 50 or a 75.

 

I pointed out this very obvious fact to counter the suggestion that a 28 is more versatile than a 35 because it can cover both focal lengths. It isn't, it's just different. All photos can be cropped, and there's always a concomitant cost, so you need to decide which you prefer.I think we're saying the exact same thing.

Edited September 16, 2017 by Peter H

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[stephengv]

I plan to use also the 28mm with my 35mm and 50mm as a "travel set". I intend to use the 28mm to cover landscapes when traveling. Also, I don't like changing lenses, I had a bad experience with sensor dust while traveling. I was thinking that the 28mm is versatile enough that after shooting travel landscape, I can use it the "whole day" shooting street and environmental portraits.  

 

What do you guys think?

 

My reservation deadline for the 28mm is until tomorrow haha. 

[Mute-on]

I plan to use also the 28mm with my 35mm and 50mm as a "travel set". I intend to use the 28mm to cover landscapes when traveling. Also, I don't like changing lenses, I had a bad experience with sensor dust while traveling. I was thinking that the 28mm is versatile enough that after shooting travel landscape, I can use it the "whole day" shooting street and environmental portraits.

 

What do you guys think?

 

My reservation deadline for the 28mm is until tomorrow haha.

 

In my experience, you are correct. I used 28 and 35 on a trip to Japan earlier this year. The 28 was as useful for a "whole day" lens as the 35. In fact the majority of my shots were with the 28.

 

Now go down and get the Elmarit before someone else walks in and takes it

Edited September 17, 2017 by Mute-on

[rramesh]

Think with your feet, for you can always move them for a more interesting composition.

[jmahto]

I plan to use also the 28mm with my 35mm and 50mm as a "travel set". I intend to use the 28mm to cover landscapes when traveling. Also, I don't like changing lenses, I had a bad experience with sensor dust while traveling. I was thinking that the 28mm is versatile enough that after shooting travel landscape, I can use it the "whole day" shooting street and environmental portraits.  

 

What do you guys think?

 

My reservation deadline for the 28mm is until tomorrow haha. 

If you want to use 28 as environmental portrait then cron or above helps. Elmarit is ok but you got to be too close. And yes, 28 is more versatile than 35.... depending on what you shoot. People shooters may disagree. (BTW, I personally prefer 28 for general use, and for people go to 50).

[jmahto]

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Another point in favor of 28 is that I can shoot handheld at much smaller shutterspeed than 35. The following was taken with 28 in very dim restaurant (f/2, 1/12, 3200, EXIF aperture is incorrect). It is EV2. One may argue that 35 FLE is a better choice for shots like this, but 28 cron can do equally good job (sacrificing bokeh a little). In fact added DOF helps to cover either multiple people or focusing error. In this picture, lady is perfectly sharp but the gentleman is little bit off, if you pixel peep.

 

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Edited September 17, 2017 by jmahto

[stephengv]

In my experience, you are correct. I used 28 and 35 on a trip to Japan earlier this year. The 28 was as useful for a "whole day" lens as the 35. In fact the majority of my shots were with the 28.

 

Now go down and get the Elmarit before someone else walks in and takes it

 

 

Thank you for sharing your opinion. Do you have a link to your Japan trip? if posted online haha

[Mute-on]

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/205842-i-like-filmopen-thread/page-1701

 

Post 34012

[jmahto]

...and sometimes 35mm is just perfect. (I am sorry, after singing virtues of 28mm, I had to say this... You need them ALL, but carry what your heart desires on a given day. It won't be a wrong choice).

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[stephengv]

Finally got the 28mm Elmarit ASPH II. Thank you for all your help and inputs. I really appreciated it. My 35 and 50 were sent to Germany. Plan to shoot this 28mm for two - three months straight. Lets see. Thank you again. 

[raphael]

I'm also considering buying the 28 Elmarit despite having a 35 Cron and a 50 Lux.

I don't know if I really need it, but I want to achieve results like this (which I can't with my current setup):

 

https://flic.kr/p/URde7u

 

https://flic.kr/p/VZuu21

 

https://flic.kr/p/WRNT1S

 

https://flic.kr/p/WKszbs

 

Have these images been taken through a 28mm lens? Or was the lens even wider?

[dkmoore]

You can absolutely achieve results such as these with a 35 Cron and 50 lux. Take a couple of steps back. The perspective in close quarters between 28 & 35 is minimal.

 

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is GAS.

[jlindstrom]

In close quarters it’s not always possible to step back.

 

On the other hand, if the subject is static, one can take few overlapping photos with exactly same wb, exposure and focus & merge with lightroom.

 

Only takes few seconds longer to shoot and takes couple of minutes for Lr to do it’s magic.

 

Also on the notion of 28 & 35 being close, being more a 50 shooter I rarely felt the need for a 35. It was gathering dust in my bag or at home. The 28 gets used quite often.

 

 

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[dkmoore]

From all I can tell the OP is a casual hobby photographer. Cost is also a large determining factor for the OP.

 

In my estimation most casual hobby photographers will walk around with 1 or two lenses. Will the OP actually take the time to switch out lenses in a grocery store? in a restaurant?

 

Between a 28 & 35 is it worth the hassle? You will have to do some reading between the lines here.

[jlindstrom]

^ Same goes here. Which is why I sold the 35 and replaced with a 28.

 

Perhaps I wasn’t clear in my previous reply: pick one or the other, not both. I picked 28.

 

 

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[dkmoore]

Ah, got yah. I misunderstood. I have both but was assessing the OPs needs based on his comments.

 

One added comment, the OP will not get quite the same results as the images they posted with a 28 2.8 lens.

 

To get some of the background blur with a 28 it would need to be a bit faster.

[jlindstrom]

Absolutely.

 

Until now, my 28 has been the Q. But I’m currently waiting for my dealer to get the new 28 summicron. The deal has already been agreed on, my Q + zm 35/1.4 goes in and 28 summicron + something else very nice (not related to this thread) comes into my direction. Should happen within a week or two.

 

Could have gone for 28 summilux, but I think the Summicron is a better fit for me.

 

 

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[jmahto]

I'm also considering buying the 28 Elmarit despite having a 35 Cron and a 50 Lux.

I don't know if I really need it, but I want to achieve results like this (which I can't with my current setup):

 

https://flic.kr/p/URde7u

 

https://flic.kr/p/VZuu21

 

https://flic.kr/p/WRNT1S

 

https://flic.kr/p/WKszbs

 

Have these images been taken through a 28mm lens? Or was the lens even wider?

By looking at out-of-focus blur in the first pic, I can tell it is not using 28 elmarit. Cron maybe. Better guess is 35mm 1.4. Fourth picture is certainly not 28mm FOV. More like 50mm.

 

Subject isolation using 28mm elmarit in close quarters is difficult (without getting in-your-face close to your object). It does however gives nice effect when there is much space behind the subject (such as open hall).

 

Edit: dkmoore said similar about 28 elmarit above.

Edited September 27, 2017 by jmahto

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I'm selling my mint- 28mm Summicron, #11604.

Just don't use it enough. I will make do with 35mm. I think with 28mm you need to be very close to your subject, closer than my comfort zone. With further away things, they're too small @28mm for my taste.