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28mm project


Nick De Marco

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I have decided to soon begin a new photo-project using only 28mm once a week over 28 weeks, mainly for street photography, and mostly with film cameras (using black and white film). 

 
I hope to post more about the project as I do it, but in the meantime a little gear question and cheeky favour request... I am currently away from home so having to recall form memory my favourite 28mm lenses, but I think I have the following, or am soon to receive the following, and each of these shall feature in the project, but (a) are there any REALLY glaring omissions from the list in your view and (B) if so, would anyone be so kind as to lend me whatever is omitted for one week :)
 
Nick
 
The list so far....
 
1. Leica 28mm Summicron-M Aspherical 
2. Canon LTM 28mm f3.5
3. Orion LTM 28mm f8
4. Voigtlander Skopar 28mm f3.5
5. Nikon-S 28mm (f3.5?)
6. Contax G with 28mm Biogon f2.8
7. Leica Elmarit-R f2.8
8. Contax/Yashica 28mm Distagon f2.8
9. Pentax screw mount 28mm f3.5
10. Olympus Zuiko 28mm f2
11. Nikon 28mm f2 AF
12. Canon 28mm f2.8 FD
13. Leica Q with 28mm Summilux f1.7 (fixed)
14. Sony A7s with 28mm Sony FE
15. Minolta TC-1 with fixed 28mm Rokkor f3.5
16. Ricoh GR1v with fixed 28mm
17. iPhone 7 Plus
 
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Thanks both

Dan - the two you mention are in fact top of my list (as well as the Nikon AI-S)

I would love the 28mm Elmarit - mainly because of its size. But it's not cheap and considering I own the 28mm Summicron Asph, which is one of my all time favourite lenses, i am not sure I can really justify it. The 28mm Avenon/Kobalux F3.5 is the other I fancy and I am currently thinking of buying one. Again the small size is attractive, and I have only ever heard good things abut the image quality. plus, it is bit different... 

 

Thaks for the offer, but I fear i might have bought one by the end of the week ... How do you compare the lenses with one another?

 

John - I'm not so interested in super fast 28s, mainly due to their size and cost, and the fact I don't wides them in such a way that I would really need the extra stop(s). The new old style sum micron on the other hand is interesting, though I am not sure I would buy one. Maybe someone lovely at Red Dot would lend me one for a week...

 

Nick

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Nobody mentioned the old and the new Summaron - you can have my pristine old one for a week.

2 gorgeous Hektors are on display in the German Historica sub-forum.

You can have my Kobalux, too. But I think I remember Pete in London has also one, using it mostly for IR on his M8, as he said.

Olympus XA-4 :) ? There's one here.

Unfortunately not a Nikon fixed-lens p&s with the quirky displays on top, though.

Edited by tri
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Thanks both

 

 ...

 

John - I'm not so interested in super fast 28s, mainly due to their size and cost, and the fact I don't wides them in such a way that I would really need the extra stop(s). The new old style sum micron on the other hand is interesting, though I am not sure I would buy one. Maybe someone lovely at Red Dot would lend me one for a week...

 

 

 

Hi Nick,

 

I think you have your models mixed up.  The 28 Summaron-M I referred to is f/5.6 - it is the re-release of the 1950s 28 Summaron LTM lens.  It's tiny, and has loads of character.

 

The 28 Summicron-M ASPH (also re-released) is fast at f/2, but also relatively modest in size (if you ignore the hood).

 

Cheers

John

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28 Summaron-M

 

28 Summilux-M ASPH

 

and no, you can't have mine ...

Well you did mention the Summilux :)

 

Nick you can borrow my 28 Elmarit Asph if I can borrow your 28 Summicron ;) (after you've shot it for the project of course)

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Many thanks for the further replies.

 

​I have now got together enough cameras and lenses for the project - and must thus stop (only room for 28)

 
28 varieties of camera/lens - from my favourite cameras or those I use the most, across a variety of different types of camera. I am including 12 slrs, 9 rangefinders and 7 point & shoot/mirrorless cameras. 24 cameras are 35mm film, the other 4 are full frame digital.
 
I have many cameras I shan't be using, as I have narrowed down to one type of camera and only one 28mm lens. These might not be the best, but they are the best for me, and I like each of these cameras/set ups for different reasons. 
 
So here is my final list of 28 - I am glad I have now done this as I have no further excuse, on this project, to buy yet more stuff!
 
Canon A1 28mm Canon FD f2.8
Canon P 28mm Serenar f3.5
Contax G2 28mm Biogon f2.8
Contax S 28mm Contax C/Y Distagon f2.8 T
Fujifilm Cardia Mini Tiara 28mm Fujinon f3.5 fixed
Konica Autoreflex TC 28mm Konica Hexanon f3.5 
Konica Genbakantoku 28WB 28mm f3.5 fixed
Leica M 28mm Summicron f2 ASPH
Leica M2 28mm Orion f6
Leica M6 28mm Avenon f3.5 ltm
Leica Q 28mm Summilux f1.7 fixed
Leica R6.2 28mm Elmarit f2.8 (v1)
Minolta CLE 28mm Color-Skopar f3.5
Minolta TC-1 28mm f3.5 fixed
Minolta X-700 28mm Minolta MD f2.8 
Nikon D750 28mm Nikkor f2.8 AF-D
Nikon FM3A 28mm Nikkor AIS f2.8
Nikon SP 28mm Nikkor f3.5
Olympus OM4 28mm Zuiko MC f2
Olympus XA4 28mm Zuiko f3.5 fixed
Pentax LX 28mm Vivitar MC f2.8 Close Focus
Pentax MX 28mm SMC M f2.8 
Pentax Spotmatic F 28mm Super-Takumar f3.5
Ricoh GR1v 28mm 2.8 fixed
Sony A7S 28 Sony FE f2
Yashica FX-D 28mm Yashica C/Y ML f2.8 
Yashica YF rangefinder 28mm Canon f2.8 ltm
Zeiss Ikon ZM 28mm Biogon f2.8 ZM
__________________
 
Nick
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In a couple of days I should have an AF Nikkor 28mm/f1.4D, which might take my love for the 28mm focal length to some new places. I've had and sold (twice - I never said I was smart!) the Summicron 28, but that was back in the days of the M8 and M8.2, and it didn't click. Since then I've used 28's on Pentax (AF and manual), Nikon (also AF and manual) and especially Olympus - the 28/2 Zuiko is a beauty! Currently using a 28/2 Ultron on the M2, since I can't afford a Summilux 28.

 

Looking forward to seeing your results.

 

Chris

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  • 1 month later...

Dan - the two you mention are in fact top of my list (as well as the Nikon AI-S)

I would love the 28mm Elmarit - mainly because of its size. But it's not cheap and considering I own the 28mm Summicron Asph, which is one of my all time favourite lenses, i am not sure I can really justify it. The 28mm Avenon/Kobalux F3.5 is the other I fancy and I am currently thinking of buying one. Again the small size is attractive, and I have only ever heard good things abut the image quality. plus, it is bit different... 

 

Thaks for the offer, but I fear i might have bought one by the end of the week ... How do you compare the lenses with one another?

 

 

Hi Nick,

 

How's your project going? 50 50s would be a good follow-up.

 

An update from my original post, I now have a 28mm Elmarit ASPH. If you want to have a play in a cafe or a stroll with it, you are welcome to. I traded the Kobalux/Avenon towards it (it's at Red Dot if you want it).

 

As for testing lenses, I look at a few non-technical things:

1- How does it look? What do I feel when I look at the images? Do Iike them? Are they distracting? Are they unique or do they look like everyone else's photos?

2- Do I enjoy using the lens? (this has been a real problem with 28mm lenses for me due to finder blockage - both the excellent 28mm Voigtlander Ultron 1.9 LTM and Summicron 28mm ASPH lasted only a few weeks for me)

3- How will the images look next to my other images? Would it jar with them in an article or exhibition? (The Noctilux is my one exception to this)

4- Then I technically compare the lenses with those I already have and enjoy of the same focal length or wider. Lenses that are a little wider, I crop a street scene taken with the new lens and just see how they compare. I ask myself, 'how will this look printed on an A3+ sheet?'

 

Of course, I check this forum and a few Internet reviews, but it is all opinion and my favourite lenses are not always the most popular.

 

Enjoy your 28mm project. I'll be thinking about it as I explore my new 28mm acquisition.

 Dan

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Hi dan

 

Thanks for your response. The 28 project is going well. I am now half way through. Here is the final list of camera and lens combinations I am/will be using:

 

Canon A1                                 28mm Canon FD f2.8

Canon P                                   28mm Serenar f3.5 (3)

Contax G2                                28mm Biogon f2.8

Contax S                                  28mm Contax C/Y Distagon f2.8 T

Fujifilm Cardia Mini Tiara         28mm Fujinon f3.5 fixed

Konica Autoreflex TC              28mm Konica Hexanon f3.5

Konica Genbakantoku 28WB  28mm f3.5 fixed

Leica M3                                 28mm Canon f2.8 ltm

Leica M6                                 28mm Orion f6

Leica MP                                 28mm Avenon f3.5 ltm

Leica M (Typ 240)                   28mm Summicron f2 ASPH

Leica Q                                    28mm Summilux f1.7 fixed

Leica R6.2                               28mm Elmarit f2.8 (v1)

Minolta CLE                             28mm Color-Skopar f3.5

Minolta TC-1                           28mm f3.5 fixed

Minolta X-700                          28mm Minolta MD f2.8

Nikon D750                             28mm Nikkor f2.8 AF-D

Nikon FM3A                            28mm Nikkor AIS f2.8

Nikon SP                                  28mm Nikkor f3.5

Olympus OM4                         28mm Zuiko MC f2

Olympus XA4                          28mm Zuiko f3.5 fixed

Pentax LX                                28mm Vivitar MC f2.8 Close Focus

Pentax MX                               28mm SMC M f2.8

Pentax Spotmatic F                28mm Super-Takumar f3.5 (1)

Ricoh GR1v                             28mm 2.8 fixed (4)

Sony A7S                                 28 Sony FE f2 

Yashica FX-D                           28mm Yashica C/Y ML f2.8

Zeiss Ikon ZM                          28mm Biogon f2.8 ZM

 

Never got to include the new Elmarit as you can see - I did buy an Avenon for a good price though, and shall be using that...

 

​However, would love to meet and have a go with your Elmarit even though I can't now include it in the project. Are you in London? Better still, we should try and arrange a London Leica Users get together, it's been a long time...

 

​I shall be doing a 35 project next. 35x35s. I have most of the 35mm lenses I want/need, but I don't have either the old oringal 35 summilux M or the new ASPH one. I'm thinking of buying the old one if I find a good price, as I love its small size and I would mostly use it on film so I am not in need of the razor sharpness - but if anyone on the forum in London wants to lend me the new 35 summilux ASPH, even for only an hour and half, I would jump at the chance!

 

Nick

Edited by Nick De Marco
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  • 3 weeks later...

... You can have my Kobalux, too. But I think I remember Pete in London has also one, using it mostly for IR on his M8, as he said. ...

Hi, Simon,

 

You're right, I do have the 28/3.5 Kobalux (well two actually, one in M and one in LTM) but I use the 21/2.8 Kobalux with my M8 for IR but well remembered!  :D

 

Pete.

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Nick,

 

It's an impressive list of 28 mm lenses but as for 'glaring holes', I don't see a Voigtlænder on the list.  Might I suggest the excellent 28/1.9 Voigtlænder Ultron?  It produces a classic rendering, almost Mandler-like, and is much less prone to copy variation and focus shift issues than its newer 28/2 Ultron cousin is. It's not going to out-perform your 28 Summicron but, since that is an utterly sublime lens, what is?

 

Pete.

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