Leica 24 or 28mm when I own a 35?

[bherman01545]

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All;

I currently own a 50mm F2 Summicron, 50mm F/1.2 Nokton and a 35mm F2 Summicron ASPH. I'm looking for something wider, 

but don't need anything wider than a 24. I can either estimate the framelines for the 24 or use my Visoflex. Although Leica has discontinued the 24 F/3.8 Elmar, I might be able to get one new. 

My real question is whether or not a 28 is too close to a 35? I can get a 28mmm F/2.8 Elmarit or if I really want to go 'all-out', a 28mm F2 Summicron. I shoot street and some landscape.

What do you guys think? Should I go for a 24 or a 28?

Thanks!

-Brad

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[tobey bilek]

My opinion is 24 3.8 if you can find one.   28 2.8 ASPH are nice lenses own right, but too close to 35.  Back in the day, people used 35 & 21.

Tamarkin may still have a display that shows all the focals.

 

 

[Jeff S]

Impossible for us to know your shooting style and preferences.  But if you have a frame preview lever, that should help you determine how 28 frame lines suit.  I personally only use the RF, and 28/35/50 have worked for me for decades with various M bodies....without ever surveying others to see if I’m crazy.

Jeff

[LeicaR10]

Bherman01545,   I most highly recommend the 24mm Elmar for several reasons.  First, the lens very high in resolving edge to edge, near flat field curvature, no focus shift, no flare or aberrations.  Second, the 24 gives you flexibility to shoot wider than 28mm and if you need to shoot at a 28 FOV, you simply move closer or crop.  Last, the 24 Elmar is one of the best M lenses made for landscape and street photography and other genres of photography.  Some of my best selling landscape photographs are taken with the M system and created with the 24 Elmar.  Hope this helps.  r/ Mark

[jwr50]

For me, it's 28/35/50/90.  I've never found a need to go wider than 28.  In the past, the 50mm has been the default lens on my Leica M, but now that I have the higher resolution Leica M10-R, I'm gravitating more toward the 35mm as the default lens.  With the higher resolution on the M10-R, it's easy to crop from there.  And, frankly, the 90mm rarely leaves my bag -- I've got better tools for that longer reach. 

[TomB_tx]

I also find 28 quite different than 35 - good for working in tight quarters, without much perspective distortion. I remember when Leica talked of the 28 as an ultra wide, but gave examples of how useful it was in smaller rooms.

I also have shifted from 50 to 35 as normal on digital, and have started to use 21 quite a bit. I have a 24, but find I like the 21, 28, 35, 50, 90 progression.

[AndreasG]

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The Elmarit 2.8/28 ASPH is my standard lens, next to50mm. 21, 25 (from Zeiss), 25 I only use occasionally.

[Mute-on]

I actually vastly prefer shooting with 28 and 35 (on individual M bodies) than either 28 + 50 or 35 + 50. I don’t think 28 and 35 are too close together at all. Rather, after using 28 for a period, I find 35 feels like a wide Tele. 

Having said that, I’ve used 24 in a different system, and really enjoyed the extra breathing room for tighter spaces and some landscapes. With this experience, I would happily add a Leica 24, but not before using a 28 extensively, as I have.

Good luck!

J

 

[martinot]

Personally I like the Zeiss Biogon 25/2.8 extremely much (needs no frame lines, as the whole finder area matches up), and for me personally it complements my Leica 35/2 ASPH very well.

That said, I might add a Leica 28/2.8 ASPH in the future, which seems to be very nice lens. But so far I manage well with the above lenses (and my 50:ies) in my camera bag.

I think you will be happy with either a 24/25 mm, or a 28 mm.  But best is of course to get both?

[Guest]

My two main lenses are the zeiss 35mm f1.4 distagon and zeiss 25mm f2.8 biogon.

I feel there is a big difference in focal length with these two lenses but the 28mm focal length is too close to 35mm to be worth bothering with.

Just my view aided by the fact that i never got on with 28mm lenses.

[martinot]

10 hours ago, steve 1959 said:

My two main lenses are the zeiss 35mm f1.4 distagon and zeiss 25mm f2.8 biogon.

I feel there is a big difference in focal length with these two lenses but the 28mm focal length is too close to 35mm to be worth bothering with.

Just my view aided by the fact that i never got on with 28mm lenses.

Yes, I agree the 24/25 mm is a very good complement to the 35 mm.

If the poster only had a 50 mm, a 28 mm would probably make more sense (or when he has a lot of lenses, and yet want some more  ).

Edited September 10, 2020 by martinot

[Paulus]

After the 50 I bought a 28, then I bought a 35. I sold the 35. ThenI bought a 90mm . Then I bought a 50mm. I sold the 90mm and bought a 75. I returned the 75 and bought a 21mm. Then I bought a 24mm. 
I

just this monday I used the 50,90, 35, 21 and 24 mm. 
But I must say, that on hold, I use the 50 and 24mm ( Elmarit -M 2,8)  90% of my time. 

I hope you see an advice here somewhere. 

[jdlaing]

In other words you vasilate.

[Rick in CO]

MY 24mm Elmarit ASPH complements my 35 Summicron ASPH nicely for mostly travel and landscapes.  

With the M10 the 24mm fills the viewfinder so no additional finder is needed, only the extreme edges are not seen.

If you think its too wide, it is very useful for pix with vertical subjects (ie, trees, buildings, etc.).

You can center your subject with some extra space on the edges (in the viewfinder) and when you go to straighten things out on the computer you don't lose anything.

[mujk]

Definitely the 24. I have both a 28 and 35 (+ 50, 75 and 90) and very rarely use the 28. When I need to go wider than the 35 cron asph, I prefer the 21 sem over the 28 even though the gap between 21 and 35 is quite big. So 24 should be what you want.

Edited September 10, 2020 by mujk

[bherman01545]

Well, I solved that problem. I just picked up a 28 and a 21. Got a great deal on both!

[Gobert]

I love the 24, I love the 28. Wouldn’t want to miss either of them.

Traded in my 21 for a Wate, which gives me more flxibility.

[Manicouagan1]

You will note that most of the major camera makers have their standard zoom lenses made with widest setting of 24mm (24-70mm, 24-105/120, or in the case of Leica SL  24-90).   24mm seems to be about the widest a lens can be without a lot of perspective distortion.    As for me my 24mm  f2.8 ASPH is a staple for my M Camera landscape photography, but lens choice has to match you personal style.  

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[bherman01545]

I've read that the 21mm F/3.4 Elmar has some of the lowest distortion of any Leica wide-angle lens

[Jeff S]

1 hour ago, bherman01545 said:

Well, I solved that problem. I just picked up a 28 and a 21. Got a great deal on both!

Well, you couldn’t decide which lens to buy; good luck regularly deciding which lens to use. 😅

Jeff