35 FLE only or better 50mm + 28mm

[Anika]

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Hi,

for my new M10 monochrom I wonder if I should keep my 35 Summilux FLE as the only lens, or get rid of it and take 50mm Summicron (maybe APO) and the 28mm Elmarit?

What would you suggest?

Thank you

Anika

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[anrotil68]

I've the same question..thanks

[a.noctilux]

In my view, there is no RIGHT answer, as each choice can be a good/right choice depending on so many things.

Only one 35mm is what it is, peace of mind no worry to see/change to another field of view = only ONE framing affair.

28+50 can be a bit more "universal" but fiddling with two fields of view can be disturbing, at time.

 

Mind you, for some decades, I tried to have the right answer * = found any 🤔.

I end up with too many lenses ( and number growing ...), my pleasure (when I don't have to carry them).

 

* once in a while, I use MATE 28/35/50, but now that lens is in my wife's good hands

mate, see this interesting thread

Edited February 3, 2020 by a.noctilux

[SiggiGun]

With the resolution power, you can go with a 28cron and crop if necessary. Same approach with the Q2

[jakontil]

It all depends on your style

personally i have multiple 50’s and 35’s since they are both my most comfortable focal length

[evikne]

It's a tempting thought and many benefits of having just one lens, including less dust on the image sensor. And if there is a lens that can do that job, the 35 FLE is definitely a good candidate.

With 41 MP there will be no problem to crop the images corresponding to both 50 and 75 mm. But you have to ask yourself if you'll need to go wider than 35 mm.

[WurzelbertAngenervt]

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I wouldn´t sell my fifty, as I find it an interesting addition.

I am shooting 28mm on a Sony A7 and 50mm on my Leica and find 35mm a little useless for my need.

[Daniel C.1975]

Ha! The old unanswerable question 😉

 

I am quite sure many of us ran through the same thought process with different outcomes. So I will answer the question, but only from my point of view

 

If you would force me to only have one lens, and one lens only - yes, then it would be my most beloved 35mm lens (in my case the 35 FLE). It's my mostly used focal length by far. 

But, I do also love a good 50mm, ... as I do 28mm

 

How to solve? My solution:

I have the 35 FLE and the SL 50 asph. Both quite modern lenses with lovely IQ and a large aperture. To add here a modern 28mm, would be feasible, but not super helpful. In fact I had the 28mm Elmarit (really great lens), but the character was very similar to my 35mm, just a bit wider and of course smaller. 

I sold it and bought the latest 28mm Summaron incarnation. Which I dearly love. It is extremely small and light, and its rendering is just wonderfull. It delivers a total different character then the other two lenses (and the SE21) and is a perfect complement to my other lenses. 

 

Very often I only take the 35, sometimes ths 28 and the 50, very often all three. And very seldom a combination of those with the SE21mm or the Elmarit 90 (which again as a Mandler-lens is a bit different, best bang for the buck).

I do have less lenses than many here, but still sometimes too many. 21 - 35 - 75 - would also be good to go combo. But than I have to buy a 75mm. 

 

The good thing, it nearly doesn't matter what I take -  more often than not I just throw the 28mm Summaron in, as it is sooo small and really gives a different rendering. 

 

Final take: There is no right solution or answer, just try to keep it simple 

AND: Never ever get rid of the 35 FLE - it's a lens to be burried with

 

Cheers

Daniel

[lct]

Do you "see" in 35mm or, in other words, is 35mm the focal length you prefer? If so, keep the 35, otherwise, assuming you "see" in 50mm, get a 50 and eventually another lens if you need to go wider or longer. Me? I "see" in 50mm so i would get a 50 + a 35 + a 70 or a 90. That's what i did in the eighties and i never regretted. Matter of tastes as usual.

[Lelmer]

1 hour ago, Anika said:

Hi,

for my new M10 monochrom I wonder if I should keep my 35 Summilux FLE as the only lens, or get rid of it and take 50mm Summicron (maybe APO) and the 28mm Elmarit?

What would you suggest?

Thank you

Anika

Whatever lens you decide to buy, never get rid of your 35 FLE 😊

[pgk]

1 hour ago, Anika said:

..... I wonder if I should keep my 35 Summilux FLE as the only lens, or get rid of it and take 50mm Summicron (maybe APO) and the 28mm Elmarit?

What would you suggest?

I would suggest that a 50 and a 28 do not replace a 35. Its unanswerable. I tend to use my 35 by far the most of all although I have both 50 and 28 lenses. All I can say is that to me the tree lenses are quite different and this is the problem - they seem to be quite close together in focal length but I find that they are not close together in how they may be used. The only way you can decide is to try them and find which combination or single lens works best for you. Sorry, no easy answer. Mind you if you are thinking of the 50 ago, why not just buy a cheaper version and add a cheap 28 - you won't lose much money reselling them and if you lose a little it is cheaper than buying focal legths you then regret.

[evikne]

My goal has always been to have only one lens. But instead, I have ended up with more and more lenses.

It's not easy. 🙄

[lexontario]

I agree with pgk.  Keep the 35 and get a used 50 cron or what ever focal length and apature you are interested in.

Try them out  and  you can resell with minimal cost or any.

I have 21 sem. 28/2.8 elmarit,, 7 Artisans 50 /1.1, 50 cron V5, 50 APO. 

Most used 50 APO and  28,

 Usually pick a focal length I want and leave it on for the day and have fun shooting with it, they all get great pics.

[TomB_tx]

For 40 years on film Leica 50 was by far my most used lens, with 35 in distant second place. So I tend to see a 50 FOV. However, on M10 I use a 35 almost all the time, as it is more flexible and crops to 50 or 75 FOV hold up so well. Now I almost never travel with more than a 35 - and normally a 2.5 Summarit. Avoiding lens changes certainly does keep the sensor cleaner.

[advil]

I had this same question myself and went with the 50 Summicron (non-apo) and the 28 elmarit, both new current versions. I couldn't be happier.

 

I think that I'll eventually get a voigtlander 35 1.4 for super low light nights but the 50 + 28 combo is excellent for travel and day-to-day photography. I prefer the 50 v5 rather than the apo because I shoot film and I enjoy the look quite a lot but that's just me.

 

 

[M11 for me]

With the Q2 you have 28mm only but you easily can crop to 50mm or maybe 75mm. With your new Monochrom you can't do that in the same extend as with the Q2. So wait for the M11 monochrom which will provide you with 40 - 50 MPix. Then your problem will probably be solved. In the meantime its a bit difficult. As long as you have only one lens you would sometimes wish another focal length which I fully understand. And once you have bought ithat other focal length your happy and you will carry around 2 lenses and eventually 3 or 4. Then you come to the conclusion that the whole lot is too bulky and then you start to think before you go out which lens might be the most appropriate. So one time you might take the 28mm for towns or the 35mm in case you can not make up your mind and another time you will take your 50mm and then the 75mm etc. But one lens at a time and you will probably be happy. I told you actually my own story. And I look forward to the 45 MPix sensor as it will make the whole dilemma much easier with cropping. And another thing: When I know that I will shoot inside or at night time at some stage then I choose a fast lens with f/2.0 or faster. This then limits my choice a bit. However more and more often I have just one lens with me.

[spydrxx]

The answer simply is, what do you shoot? Let that be your guide.

[lct]

Or wait for the M12 multikrom with 250Mpix, put a 16mm lens, stick the camera to a tripod and crop, crop, crop. You don't even need to be there the camera will take pics for you . 

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[BJohn]

That's a question you cannot answer. I started with the Lux 28 and the Lux 50. Awesome combination. Then I got the Lux 35 and was amazed by how awesome this focal length (and of course the lens) is for shooting people. Which is kind of silly, isn't it? 28mm is not really that much different from 35mm, especially if you are considering cropping...anyway I found it very very stupid to keep the Lux 28 and the Lux 50. I then switched to the Lux 24 and Cron 75. But I am still struggling with the thought that I could be a some damn much better photographer if I would keep on practising my vision utilising only one focal length, the 35mm. With that being said, I am kind of dreaming to sell the other two lenses. I guess we can finally state that I am not the one who is capable of given any advice at all.

I would start using only the Lux 35.

[a.noctilux]

4 hours ago, evikne said:

My goal has always been to have only one lens. But instead, I have ended up with more and more lenses.

It's not easy. 🙄

I thought that getting older, I may be more reasonable.

Instead, more and more lenses * (and bodies **) 🥰 .

Maybe I need not to resell/trade to buy more, while younger that was the only way to go.

 

* one lens + one M is a must, to use now and then

** the good thing is I carry less and less (benefit of maturity  ... before falling 😇)