28mm Focal Length: Far too wide or good all rounder?

[wda]

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For those members of the Leica forum still contemplating purchase of a Leica Q,  London-based website Macfilos has published today my article entitled:

28mm Focal Length: Far too wide or good all rounder?

Here is the link http://macfilos.com/photo/2018/11/13/leica-q-28mm-focal-length-as-all-rounder

Edited November 15, 2018 by wda
Absence of preview button to check before publishing my posting

[falcon468]

Thank you.  I have several cameras including a Nikon D7000 with all the lenses I need and a Lumix GX1 with a sizable stable of lenses as well.  I travel a lot these days and take just the Leica Q with me.  Last month, I took 1,400 pictures on a 13 day trip to Europe, and most of them were fantastic.  Look, I don't photograph for National Geographic, nor do I shoot for the NFL or NBA.  What I want is the simplicity of using one camera that will cover landscapes, interiors and street scenes and still let me have a beer or two at the end of the day knowing that I captured the essence of the places I visited.  Many years ago,  I used to have a Volkswagen and Kodak 110,  and I enjoyed both. Now a little older (a lot older),  I look for a little more satisfaction, especially in photography, and with the Q, I feel that I am at home. 

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[MLochmansPhoto]

Thanks David for this well balanced / considered review. IMO you hit the nail in your thought process when it comes to invest in the Q.

I have always wondered  why people dismiss the Q because of the 28 mm "restriction". It seems that a lot of them still have the 35 mm lens surged in their brains as the ideal

walk around lens and dislike the thought of sacrificing the full 24 mp's to get there. While 15 mp is more than enough to print big at A3 plus. (the only real proof of the pudding 😀)

For me the 28 mm is the ideal focal length to cover subjects like falcon468 mentioned above. You have the option to shoot fast with an excellent AF system if needed.

And when you want to slow down ...you can because of the fabulous MF this camera has.) 

For street scenes It gives you more latitude when you want to zone focus compared to a 35mm, thus a higher succes rate.

The close-focus ability this camera-lens combo offeres is an extra bonus.

At the moment I use the Q professionally as my main camera because it suits my style perfectly, leaving my OLY system gathering dust since day one the Q arrived.

I am seriously thinking of selling the Olympus gear and invest in a CL with the 35 summilux and 60 macro.

Then I have the ideal 2 body set up ( Q with 28-35 mm option and CL with  50-90 mm option) Much less weight to carry and a smaller footprint.

Of course.....when Leica decides to treat us with a Q 50mm I would buy that before the ink of the announcement has dried up.😉

 

[IamTheDistance]

Good article, thanks! 28mm is my favorite focal length for street📷

[wda]

2 hours ago, MLochmansPhoto said:

Thanks David for this well balanced / considered review. IMO you hit the nail in your thought process when it comes to invest in the Q.

I have always wondered  why people dismiss the Q because of the 28 mm "restriction". It seems that a lot of them still have the 35 mm lens surged in their brains as the ideal

walk around lens and dislike the thought of sacrificing the full 24 mp's to get there. While 15 mp is more than enough to print big at A3 plus. (the only real proof of the pudding 😀)

For me the 28 mm is the ideal focal length to cover subjects like falcon468 mentioned above. You have the option to shoot fast with an excellent AF system if needed.

And when you want to slow down ...you can because of the fabulous MF this camera has.) 

For street scenes It gives you more latitude when you want to zone focus compared to a 35mm, thus a higher succes rate.

The close-focus ability this camera-lens combo offeres is an extra bonus.

At the moment I use the Q professionally as my main camera because it suits my style perfectly, leaving my OLY system gathering dust since day one the Q arrived.

I am seriously thinking of selling the Olympus gear and invest in a CL with the 35 summilux and 60 macro.

Then I have the ideal 2 body set up ( Q with 28-35 mm option and CL with  50-90 mm option) Much less weight to carry and a smaller footprint.

Of course.....when Leica decides to treat us with a Q 50mm I would buy that before the ink of the announcement has dried up.😉

 

Martin, thank you for your insightful contribution to this discussion. Referring to your possible choice of adding a CL plus two relevant prime lenses makes a lot of sense for professional work. The CL is truly delightful to use  and far from being a burden to carry. Go for it. It would work brilliantly with your Q, both sharing similar DNA and menus.

[JeremyG]

An excellent article David, thank you. The Q is indeed a joy to use and since getting it in May 2018 I have had two things happening, firstly I no longer avidly read the new equipment reviews in magazines because  other than possibly an M I couldn’t have anything better and secondly I’m eyeing up my Olympus gear to help subsidise a CL. I’ve also found that with the 28mm lens plus the cropping options I’m having to think more about my photography, no bad thing and something I had to do many moons ago with my Nikon FM2 which doesn’t even need a battery in it to work.

[likealot]

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David, thank you very much for such a nice and interesting article to read. Truly look forward to future articles of this kind from you.

Edited November 27, 2018 by likealot

[wda]

On 11/23/2018 at 8:23 PM, JeremyG said:

An excellent article David, thank you. The Q is indeed a joy to use and since getting it in May 2018 I have had two things happening, firstly I no longer avidly read the new equipment reviews in magazines because  other than possibly an M I couldn’t have anything better and secondly I’m eyeing up my Olympus gear to help subsidise a CL. I’ve also found that with the 28mm lens plus the cropping options I’m having to think more about my photography, no bad thing and something I had to do many moons ago with my Nikon FM2 which doesn’t even need a battery in it to work.

Jeremy, you love the CL equally; opening up many interesting and rewarding avenues for you.