Take a focal length challenge

[enboe]

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May I propose a thread encourage our community to take a focal length challenge?

 

    Most of the dedicated photography community own more lenses than they regularly use.  Pick one of those lesser-used lenses, typically a different focal length, and use just that selection for a period of time or a project.  Document your experiences and share them here.

 

Entry 1:  

    For the past couple of years, I found myself using a 28mm or 35mm when shooting amusements and gardens.  I decided for my March 2018 vacation in Orlando for the Epcot Flower Festival to switch to a 50mm for the week.  I selected the 50 APO and M10 as the rig, nothing else.  The M10 and 50 APO worked as expected, and are as close to perfect as anything in my collection, but I found myself in need of work on a couple of things.  The 50 APO is lovely sharp at f/5.6, but also at f/2.0, and you get that subject-to-background separation.  I need to remind myself to use the f/2.0 end more often, as I have become complacent with middle apertures with the 28mm and 35mm focal lengths.  Next, I needed to retrain my visual process to see in a 50mm perspective.  I automatically visualize and compose in 28mm and 35mm perspectives, kind of a visual equivalent to muscle memory.  Switching to the 50mm for the week required me to look for smaller details and narrower fields of view, not just to scoop up the whole scene.  I am rusty with that focal length, and will need more practice to get the most out of it.  I'll have another chance to shoot the event again in May.  Maybe I'll even stretch the focal length challenge to a 75 or a 90.

 

Eric

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[Ko.Fe.]

As soon as I'll have 175 CAD to buy Elmar 90/4 locally , I'll get it, take some pictures for some time and post here ASAP.

I sold 90/4 twice, because of not using it.

[tamas]

135 APO-Telyt  A lens that I have hardly used since purchasing it in 2014.  I have not managed to get a shot with it that i'm happy with on the few occasions I have used it and am beginning to have a twinge of regret purchasing.

None of my shots seem to be as sharp  as I wished for, but then it could just be me and focusing issues.  Also, none too satisfied with any of my compositions, and may just be finding it a bit too long for my liking.  I'll bear with it a little longer on the assumption it' s down to operator error/incompetence. Hate to give up on it just yet.    

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[RayD28]

May I propose a thread encourage our community to take a focal length challenge?

 

    Most of the dedicated photography community own more lenses than they regularly use.  Pick one of those lesser-used lenses, typically a different focal length, and use just that selection for a period of time or a project.  Document your experiences and share them here.

 

Entry 1:  

    For the past couple of years, I found myself using a 28mm or 35mm when shooting amusements and gardens.  I decided for my March 2018 vacation in Orlando for the Epcot Flower Festival to switch to a 50mm for the week.  I selected the 50 APO and M10 as the rig, nothing else.  The M10 and 50 APO worked as expected, and are as close to perfect as anything in my collection, but I found myself in need of work on a couple of things.  The 50 APO is lovely sharp at f/5.6, but also at f/2.0, and you get that subject-to-background separation.  I need to remind myself to use the f/2.0 end more often, as I have become complacent with middle apertures with the 28mm and 35mm focal lengths.  Next, I needed to retrain my visual process to see in a 50mm perspective.  I automatically visualize and compose in 28mm and 35mm perspectives, kind of a visual equivalent to muscle memory.  Switching to the 50mm for the week required me to look for smaller details and narrower fields of view, not just to scoop up the whole scene.  I am rusty with that focal length, and will need more practice to get the most out of it.  I'll have another chance to shoot the event again in May.  Maybe I'll even stretch the focal length challenge to a 75 or a 90.

 

Eric

 

 

Sounds interesting.  Not sure I can afford to do the test on a full vacation, but worth a try for a few weekends.  

[lct]

[...] I sold 90/4 twice, because of not using it. 

 

Kept mine but it feels somewhat outdated compared to the Macro-Elmar. Not a slouch lens though. Here on digital CL. Not sure i would use it for a period of time though.  

 

[JohnnySeven]

I have a 90/4 collecting dust, I should dig it out and make some use of it...

[Keith (M)]

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My 90mm Elmarit-R was being much under-utilised so one Sunday last August I loaded a roll of neon 400 into my R5, attached the Elmarit-R and sallied forth to a local town to see what I could find to photograph with a 90mm lens in an urban situation.  To my surprise I found enough opportunities to fire-off all 36 exposures - the results can be seen here in a specific Flickr album.

 

My 135mm APO Telyt-M has also fallen into the 'under-utilised' category - hmm, a new challenge...  

[tamas]

Keith,  a very pleasing set of rural pictures.

[tonyniev]

Elmarit 90 mm