Going Wide...

[laowai_]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I think since camera phones have become ubiquitous the way we see has changed, too.

Not too long ago you just did not take portraits with a wide angle lens, maybe with the exception of journalistic photographs that wanted to show context. 

One could argue that today 28 mm is the new normal and wide angle starts with 24 mm or shorter focal lengths.

 

[ianman]

6 hours ago, laowai_ said:

Not too long ago you just did not take portraits with a wide angle lens, maybe with the exception of journalistic photographs that wanted to show context. 

Try a search on Jeanloup Sieff.

[tgray]

The two times I went to Japan, I took 50/28/15 and 90/50/28/21. I’ve not really used the 15 at all since I got the 21 (though I should - it is a fun lens). The 21 was relatively new on my second trip, so I used it a fair amount. I still probably used the 28 more.  Looking back through the Flickr albums, there are some shots that I’m glad I had the wider lens, but honestly, I would have been just fine with a 50/28 combo.  Now I tend to go out shooting with either 50/21 or 50/28 depending one what I am doing.  People/indoors -> 28. All outdoors and not really interacting with people -> 21.

I sold my 35 long ago as I find 28/50 is a better fit for me.  Since you have a 35, I’d skip the 28 and get a 21. 24/25 is an odd focal length on RF for me as it’s too wide for the finder, but not much wider than a 28.  

[laowai_]

2 hours ago, ianman said:

Try a search on Jeanloup Sieff.

Thank you. Love  his images!

You might argue that he was a visionary and far way ahead of his time and certainly not a mainstream photographer.

[albertknappmd]

I would encourage you to rent an 18 and 24 or 28 and see. 

I use the 18 a lot particularly in street photography given the DOF and the unobtrusive nature of the lens.

Albert

[mikeamosau]

I got back from Japan a few months ago. 

Took a 21, 35, 50 and 75. I ended up using the 35mm the most, 75mm surprisingly a lot, and the 21mm a lot too. Didnt use the 50mm that much. 

The 75mm was great - so many interesting people to take portraits of, especially in Kyoto. 

35mm for me is perfect - wide enough to capture the scene, but still pick up the detials. 

21mm Super Elmar I love - so sharp and amazing for landscapes, buildings and the tight lane ways found in both Tokyo and Kyoto. 

[Archiver]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

On 9/12/2019 at 5:09 AM, mikeamosau said:

I got back from Japan a few months ago. 

Took a 21, 35, 50 and 75. I ended up using the 35mm the most, 75mm surprisingly a lot, and the 21mm a lot too. Didnt use the 50mm that much. 

The 75mm was great - so many interesting people to take portraits of, especially in Kyoto. 

35mm for me is perfect - wide enough to capture the scene, but still pick up the detials. 

21mm Super Elmar I love - so sharp and amazing for landscapes, buildings and the tight lane ways found in both Tokyo and Kyoto. 

It's funny, that was my exact focal length kit in Japan ten years ago. Zeiss 21mm, Voigtlander Nokton 35mm, Summicron 50, Voigtlander Heliar 75mm f2.5. In my case, I used the 21 the most, the 50 when I wanted a more tele look, and the fast 35 at night and for some general shooting. I didn't use the 75 very much, at all, as I like to capture context in my travel images. Since then, I tend to travel with 21/35/50. That's been my kit for interstate and international travel since then, going to Sydney, Queensland, Canberra and Hong Kong.

[colint544]

This just shows how everyone has a different opinion. Me, I reckon that a good two lens set-up is 50mm and 28mm. There's very little you can't do with that combination. A 35mm is handy to have too, if you want the option of going out with one lens.

Any Leica M (aside from the M3) is really optimised for 28mm, 35mm and 50mm lenses. Those are the lenses which, I find, work best on a Leica M.

Keeping within the 28mm-50mm (or even more limited) range has a further advantage - it's easier to develop a style, for people to recognise a picture as one of yours. I often see photographers showcasing their work, and they have shot on everything from a fisheye lens to a 600mm. The further you drift from 50mm, the more the lens is doing all the work, and it sometimes masks the creative input of the photographer. Cartier-Bresson made a stunning body of work, mostly with just a 50mm lens. Less is so often more!

[danieldouloslee]

@colint544 – you are right. Upon reflection, I was just getting increasingly anxious about the thought of missing out on any "moment" during my extended trip to Japan with my young family. Since I only brought the Q for my last trip to Japan, all the photos had the same consistent vibe due to the focal length, which was a HUGE plus when printing them out on a photo album.

Perhaps I will keep with the 50APO and learn to be content on missing a few shots at the cost of keeping a consistent style that reflects my perspective. 

 

PS - will be bringing the Fuji X-T3 for family documenting, and will be hiring a family portrait photographer so the M is purely street photography.

Edited September 13, 2019 by danieldouloslee