Having both a 35 and 28mm? Lens dilemma

[Peter H]

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I use both extensively and they feel very different to me.

 

I use the 28mm for when I'm likely to be closer to people, which I really like to do but isn't always appropriate, and the 35 when I may wish or need to be a little further away, or don't know what too expect.

 

Many of the photos I take take with either end up being very similar, but the important difference is how I am able to behave while using them, and I wouldn't wish to have to make do without either, though I'm sure I could get used to the restricted freedom of choice if I needed to. In which case the 35 would be my choice because of its extreme versatility.

[Per P.]

I use the 28mm for when I'm likely to be closer to people, which I really like to do but isn't always appropriate, and the 35 when I may wish or need to be a little further away, or don't know what too expect.

To put "closer" into perspective: For an environmental portrait of a single person with a 35mm you will often need to be as close as 3-4 meters for the picture to have an impact. With a 28mm we are talking 2-3 meters. This is obviously a very rough guideline.

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[Peter H]

To put "closer" into perspective: For an environmental portrait of a single person with a 35mm you will often need to be as close as 3-4 meters for the picture to have an impact. With a 28mm we are talking 2-3 meters. This is obviously a very rough guideline.

 

 

Yes, that's about right.

 

When you're that close, one to two meters can make a very big difference, which is why they can be so different to use despite looking very similar on the face of it.

[Exodies]

If you have a smartphone, there is an App which shows the framelines for different focal lengths. The only reason I suggest this is it's really down to you and what field of view you prefer. Perspective is the same - it's really just how much goes in the frame and the level of distortion.

I find one of these apps very useful from time to time but on an iPhone the widest you can go is 35mm without adding a separate lens to the phone. Then it becomes a bit cumbersome.

[Guest )-(]

For what it is worth the 28mm is the one I have been tempted to sell most often.

Same here. The 28/50 pair often gets put forward as the reason to have a 28mm lens, it's partly why I bought one originally.

But in practice these days I either have a 35 or a 50 and just live with it.

 

Do I want everything to appear a little smaller than it did to me at the time, or a little bigger?

 

I haven't used my 28mm in quite a while but I'm still keeping it for now. I do use 21mm when I know architecture might be a subject.

 

I feel like messing around with focal lengths was a step back in the taking of photographs by me and improving at it. I could have made do with only 35/50 but gas/kits/feeling you need to cover all possibilities intervenes.

[Mute-on]

I bought at 0.58 MP about 12 years ago knowing that I had always found the 28mm perspective very useful on SLRs. This year I finally bought a 28 Elmarit ASPH and attached it to my MP.

It was worth the wait, and is never coming off the MP

 

 

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[stephengv]

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Thank you for the comments. Can someone post a comparison shot? if you guys don't mind. Thank you. 

[UliWer]

35mm (Summilux asph. f/5.6)

 

 

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28mm (Summicron asph f/5.6)

 

 

 

With 28mm I couldn't avoid to get the edge of the house on left in the picture

Edited September 13, 2017 by UliWer

[stephengv]

35mm (Summilux asph. f/5.6)

 

 

35mm.jpg

 

 

28mm (Summicron asph f/5.6)

 

 

28mm.jpg

 

With 28mm I couldn't avoid to get the edge of the house on left in the picture

 

 

Thank you very much!

[jmahto]

Everybody is talking about FOV differences but for me DOF difference is more important. It is much easier to do zone focusing (or even quick RF focusing) on 28mm knowing extra DOF will cover your sloppiness. When I use 35mm then I have to be careful of aperture since DOF is much shallower compared to 28mm.

 

I guess best thing is to shoot with both and look at the results and decide for yourself.

[Exodies]

I find one of these apps very useful from time to time but on an iPhone the widest you can go is 35mm without adding a separate lens to the phone. Then it becomes a bit cumbersome.

I just discovered that the frame lines app I use (Mark II Viewfinder) will help with lenses wider than 35 - if you pinch squeeze the image it shows the lines for wider lenses against a grey background.

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Edited September 14, 2017 by Exodies

[Mute-on]

Did you buy the 28 Elmarit yet?

 

J

[stephengv]

Did you buy the 28 Elmarit yet?

 

J

 

 

Honestly not yet. I reserve it until Sunday haha

[tobey bilek]

The wider the lens, the less suitable it is for many subjects.    As the view gets wider,  the subjects shrinks within the frame unless you get closer.   One can say it is harder to use.

 

The main use is changing perspective,  i.e. making close objects appear larger compared to far.  

 

In my opinion you have all the lenses you need, too many in fact.

[M11 for me]

35mm (Summilux asph. f/5.6)

 

 

 

35mm.jpg

 

 

28mm (Summicron asph f/5.6)

 

 

28mm.jpg

 

With 28mm I couldn't avoid to get the edge of the house on left in the picture

I do not want to appear stupid, but it seems to me that there is not too much of a difference in the 2 angels of view and both have the exact same perspective. So in the case I had the 28mm I just would crop a bit in post. Isn' this just an reason to go for 28mm?

[M11 for me]

I thought that back and forth and for myself I came to the conclusion that I should have the 28mm. Finally I have the 28mm, 50 and 75mm. Here it is about the 28 and 35mm. But when I decided for the 75mm I thought exactly the same way: When I have the 75mm and would like to have a narrower angle of view then Imjustmcould crop a bit . . .

[jmahto]

I do not want to appear stupid, but it seems to me that there is not too much of a difference in the 2 angels of view and both have the exact same perspective. So in the case I had the 28mm I just would crop a bit in post. Isn' this just an reason to go for 28mm?

There is enough debate about cropping. Some (like me) have no calms about it and I do regularly crop. In fact it has become part of my shooting style. I shoot loosely with 28mm and compose later in the post. I also maintain that "just for FOV need" (note quotes) one doesn't need another FL between X and 2X. Cropping is not punitive if the goal is A4 or smaller print using 24mp non-AA sensor. With this guideline, I use 28 and 50 and not 35 (50mm is closer to 2X from 28mm). Although I do own 35mm and 40mm as well (Gas ).

 

BUT... there are some who would like to either i) shoot film or ii) want all the pixels for large printing, for them cropping is no no. And I respect that.

Edited September 14, 2017 by jmahto

[stephengv]

I was thinking to use the 28mm as my go to lens for landscape in general. Still can't decide. Thanks for the opinions though. 

[Peter H]

35mm (Summilux asph. f/5.6)

 

 

35mm.jpg

 

 

28mm (Summicron asph f/5.6)

 

 

28mm.jpg

 

With 28mm I couldn't avoid to get the edge of the house on left in the picture

 

 

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.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Mute-on]

You can't decide if 28mm will work for you until you buy it and use it. Anything else is pure speculation.

 

As for the opinions of others, the only limitation is that they aren't you ...

 

 

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