Dennis Posted January 2, 2021 Share #41 Posted January 2, 2021 Advertisement (gone after registration) 11 minutes ago, Steven said: I think the best objective one lens setup is a 35mm. +1 11 minutes ago, Steven said: I personally have been shooting 99% of my photos for the past 12 years on a 35 focal length. Doesn't mean I don't like to switch things up for fun sometimes of course. But id be happy for the rest of my life with a 35. That's precisely my point. If a friend has a 300/2.8 and asks me if I want to try it out for a few photos, I would probably say yes. Just for fun, how you said. But I think that using one lens only, if one really believes it, after years mastering that FL, can produce stunning work. If I become a sports photographer primarily, I would probably use a specific tool and lenses, not the M system. But I enjoyed a lot shooting a sporting event with an M10 + 2.8/35 Biogon, a very different mindset, and workflow. And according to my taste, I'm happy with what I created. I think to use (professionally) one lens kit is very possible. And challenging. And exciting. Steven, you are saying 99%... You are very close to 100% Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 2, 2021 Posted January 2, 2021 Hi Dennis, Take a look here a photographer who uses only 1 lens. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Lelmer Posted January 2, 2021 Share #42 Posted January 2, 2021 3 hours ago, Aryel said: .....By all mean, do what is right for you. Fully agree...definitely the most important 😉 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lelmer Posted January 2, 2021 Share #43 Posted January 2, 2021 1 hour ago, Steven said: Actually, on my Leica cameras, Q2 aside, im 100% 35mm at the moment. an M makes the most sense with a 35 indeed. its the perfect carry around setup. 50 isn't bad either 🙂 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis Posted January 2, 2021 Share #44 Posted January 2, 2021 1 hour ago, Steven said: Actually, on my Leica cameras, Q2 aside, im 100% 35mm at the moment. For stills, do you think you can shoot, work with, and enjoy your kit above w/ needing any other lenses, for a few years? Can one resist? 😬 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrozenInTime Posted January 2, 2021 Share #45 Posted January 2, 2021 40mm is the best in my mind for a one lens solution ... it feels close in handling to 80mm on 120, which many people managed to work with just fine in the Rolleiflex era. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted January 2, 2021 Share #46 Posted January 2, 2021 (edited) On 12/30/2020 at 7:26 AM, aksclix said: perhaps there should be a World Wide "one-camera-one-lens-day".. ( or O-COLD). Somewhere in Northern Scotland? Philip. Edited January 2, 2021 by pippy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted January 2, 2021 Share #47 Posted January 2, 2021 Advertisement (gone after registration) On 12/30/2020 at 7:35 PM, Dennis said: There is always someone out there preferring the 40ish FL. Present, Sir! Philip. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted January 2, 2021 Share #48 Posted January 2, 2021 (edited) Very interesting discussion. Professionally I need more than one f/l of lens. No question whatsoever. Personal work, however, is a far more interesting proposition. Like FrozenInTime I have discovered that 40mm is my Goldilocks f/l. If I were to be told that from tomorrow I would have access to only one body and one lens then I could cope quite easily and happily. Not a problem. Philip. Edited January 2, 2021 by pippy 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Prime Posted January 2, 2021 Share #49 Posted January 2, 2021 (edited) It’s good to have lenses in the cupboard, like pots and pans for cooking you want one pan one day, two different pans the next. If you have the $$ then why not have a 28, 35 and a 50. Some days you take just one (any of them), some days you take two and you still have the option to tool up with all three. I’ve seen people realize that 50mm is their thing, then years later find 35mm is their thing, which reminds us that tastes can change back and forth and getting our brains outside of their comfort zone can be the other side of the coin to getting our brains out of a rut too. Edited January 2, 2021 by Mr.Prime 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis Posted January 2, 2021 Share #50 Posted January 2, 2021 45 minutes ago, FrozenInTime said: 40mm is the best in my mind for a one lens solution 41 minutes ago, pippy said: Present, Sir! Yes, I thought a lot about this lens in the past. I agree with people saying it could be an ideal focal length. Somewhere between the 35mm and the 50mm, the lens makes more sense to use with M cameras. Let's say that there are not many people using 40mm on M, but the ones who own it, they don't just love it, often they are the kind of one-lens guys, you know what I mean? P.s. Open letter to Leica. My Dear Leica, Please design a new 40 Summicron f/2 (Asph or Apo) and enable a-la-carte frame lines for all M cameras. And I'll buy it tomorrow ... (after selling something. 🤣) Imagine using only an M10 camera (or P or M or R) with 40mm frame lines to use it w/ 40mm FL ... wow. Please support my Leica wish 🙏 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Prime Posted January 2, 2021 Share #51 Posted January 2, 2021 (edited) Dennis, I’ve thought along these lines myself. Then I ask - does it make commercial sense for leica to make a 40mm ? if it eats into sales of 35mm and 50mm, or if people buy one instead of two lenses? I also wonder if it’s really needed, people will say that a 50mm is close enough to a 40mm and there are sooooooo many 50mm options available, or that a 35mm is close enough to a 40mm, you can always crop, and there are sooooooooo many... you get the idea. We do like to ‘optimize’, to avoid having to pick between one or the other but sometimes we swap decision anxiety for an inferior solution. Ever noticed that one scoop of chocolate gelato paired with one scoop of vanilla gelato is not as satisfying as going all-in on chocolate this time and maybe all-in vanilla the next time you are out ? Edited January 2, 2021 by Mr.Prime 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted January 2, 2021 Share #52 Posted January 2, 2021 6 minutes ago, Dennis said: Let's say that there are not many people using 40mm on M, but the ones who own it, they don't just love it, often they are the kind of one-lens guys, you know what I mean?... Completely. I've been using the Voigtlander 40mm f1.4 Nokton ever since I bought my crop-sensor M8.2 and, having since switched to full-frame, have since found it to be the perfect f/l for me. Delighted as I have been with the f1.4 I have to admit to be extremely tempted by their newer f1.2 version having seen the superb images posted here in the forum by the aforementioned FrozenInTime. Heigh-Ho; First World Problems. Philip. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted January 2, 2021 Share #53 Posted January 2, 2021 (edited) 17 minutes ago, Mr.Prime said: I also wonder if it’s really needed, people will say that a 50mm is close enough to a 40mm and there are sooooooo many 50mm options available, or that a 35mm is close enough to a 40mm and there are sooooooooo many... you get the idea... Absolutely. But here's a (very friendly, I assure you!) suggestion; try a 40mm for yourself and see what you think! It might be too long. It might be too short. It might be just perfect! Happened to me. Philip. Edited January 2, 2021 by pippy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis Posted January 2, 2021 Share #54 Posted January 2, 2021 12 minutes ago, Mr.Prime said: Dennis, I’ve thought along these lines myself. Then I ask - does it make commercial sense for leica to make a 40mm ? if it eats into sales of 35mm and 50mm, or if people buy one instead of two lenses? I also wonder if it’s really needed, people will say that a 50mm is close enough to a 40mm and there are sooooooo many 50mm options available, or that a 35mm is close enough to a 40mm, you can always crop, and there are sooooooooo many... you get the idea. We do like to ‘optimize’, to avoid having to pick between one or the other but sometimes we swap decision anxiety for an inferior solution. Ever noticed that one scoop of chocolate gelato paired with one scoop of vanilla gelato is not as satisfying as going all-in on chocolate this time and maybe all-in vanilla the next time you are out ? I get your point, and it totally makes sense. But people have many lenses of the same FL as well... I think it will always exist much difference between close FL like 21 and 24, 28,35,40,50 etc etc People will always buy. As there will be many people not liking the new 40/2 Leica.. Who knows? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis Posted January 2, 2021 Share #55 Posted January 2, 2021 6 minutes ago, pippy said: Completely. I've been using the Voigtlander 40mm f1.4 Nokton ever since I bought my crop-sensor M8.2 and, having since switched to full-frame, have since found it to be the perfect f/l for me. Delighted as I have been with the f1.4 I have to admit to be extremely tempted by their newer f1.2 version having seen the superb images posted here in the forum by the aforementioned FrozenInTime. Heigh-Ho; First World Problems. Philip. The newer CV 40/1.2 is amazing, I saw incredible photos. But because I would love to find my perfect combination camera lens and stick with it, I'm not sure I can live with guesstimate all the time. As everything, with practice, you can master it soon. But being one lens kit only, I would love at least 90% of my composition. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narsuitus Posted January 2, 2021 Share #56 Posted January 2, 2021 Over time, I have tried 28mm, 35mm, 40mm, 45mm 50mm and 55mm focal lengths lenses on 35mm cameras as a one-lens solution. All of them work. With just one of these prime lenses, I can capture about 40% of the images I need. My personal favorite one-lens solution is the 35mm (f/1.4). My personal favorite one-lens solution zoom is the 28-70mm (f/2.8). With just this one zoom lens, I can capture about 70% of the images I need. With my Leica rangefinder, I use a 35mm f/1.4, 90mm f/2, and 21mm f/1.4 to capture about 80% of the images I need or I can use just my 35mm to capture 40% of the images I need. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jto555 Posted January 2, 2021 Share #57 Posted January 2, 2021 When I shoot for myself I go out with one body and a 21mm, 35mm and a 75mm. I mainly use (recently anyway) the 21mm, but I do use the other lenses. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
evikne Posted January 2, 2021 Share #58 Posted January 2, 2021 I really wish I could live with only one lens, I would have felt it very liberating. I feel I am primarily a 50mm guy, but I've also learned to love the 35mm view very much. And even though I often prefer a slightly vintage look, I think my camera also deserves some modern lenses to "get the best out of it". So now I have one of each (35/50 pre-ASPH & 35/50 ASPH), and my single lens has turned to four … 🙄 3 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktmrider2 Posted January 2, 2021 Share #59 Posted January 2, 2021 (edited) One lens on a Leica- either 35 or 50 depending on how I feel that day. Two lenses kit is very easy as well-35 and 90. I just recently had a 25 and 90 stolen. If I am honest I don't use anything wider then 35 very often. On a recent trip to the national parks in the American southwest, my 35 lived on the camera for over 90% of the time. I don't plan on replacing the 25. For film, an M2 with 35 is and either color or b&w film. Of course, we are all different and have our own favorites which are all equally valid. Edited January 2, 2021 by ktmrider2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Prime Posted January 2, 2021 Share #60 Posted January 2, 2021 (edited) I remember sometime over 30 years back I went hiking through the Himalaya with my Minolta X-500 and three lenses. The 28mm was particularly important for interiors and around the villages, the 70-100 zoom was used to isolate some people without disturbing them or capturing mountain peaks. And I don’t remember using the 50mm much because the short end of the zoom was close. What a pitty - because my 50mm was the best lens of all of them, the zoom was mediocre at best, but as a young ‘un money was limited. What I learned from this is that some trips would compel me to take more than one lens if to be happy because indoors vs outdoors are very different in their needs. One lens only would, for me, be useful only when I’m doing mostly one thing. If I were going back to the Himalaya now and wanted only prime lenses I would find it hard to limit myself. But the challenge is different between 35mm film (hard to retain quality on small negatives) and digital where an M10 can give you high iso and loads of scope for cropping. Or perhaps I would end up taking a 6x6 with 75mm lens (equiv to 35mm if it’s even possible to compare square with 2:3) primarily for the scenery and a WA for 35mm when indoors. I’m going to spend more time weighing up, through use, my feelings about 50mm vs 35mm in 2021. Edited January 3, 2021 by Mr.Prime Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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