35 or 50? Will it ever end

[kivis]

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I own Seven 50mm lenses and no 35mm lenses (I use a 21mm lens for wide angle). I know a lot of folks that use a 35mm lens for everyday. I have tried but can not seem to warm up to it. Not complaining really but wondering am I just a 50mm lens bigot and leave it at that? 😏

[jaeger]

50mm does everything,

Edited August 26, 2021 by jaeger

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[105012]

There is no right or wrong, just depends on what works best for each person/project.

For me the 50mm (47 degrees diagonal) feels comfortable (and I have 10 or 11 50's). I have one 35mm (63 degrees diagonal, with goggles) and do try to use it sometimes, but it comes off the M3's pretty quickly. 28mm (75 degrees diagonal) is more useful for me if I need wide.

[JonPB]

Yes: no, it will never end. I’m a 35mm shooter. I’ve tried 50mm, I keep wanting to try 50mm and even the extreme long lenses like 90mm, but I always gravitate back to 35mm.

So I both envy you and am bewildered by you. 50mm is so straightforward! Yet, it lacks the leading lines. 50mm has so much emphasis of subject! Yet, it lacks spatial context. 50mm has so many great lenses! Well, we can call that one a draw.

I see so many wonderful shot with 50mm lenses, except when on the other side of my camera from my face.

They require different aesthetic sensibilities, I suppose. Perhaps if there were more 42mm lenses, we could learn the true neutral and better approach the other side.

Until then, we can only agree, perhaps, on one thing: 21mm, when called for, is stunning.

[Capuccino-Muffin]

It never ends!

35 does everything. 50 does everything.

Haha

[wlewisiii]

While I have a 21/4 on order, my usual EDC is a 50 on my M 240 with a 35 & 90 in the bag. I expect the 21 will be in the EDC as well. 

I find I'm one of those that prefers the 50 FOV but the other two are regularly used tools too. I have finally found a 35 I like in my Voigtlander 35/1.7 and the Elmar 90/4 has always been a glorious portrait lens. 

I only have five 50's in LTM right now. I hope to double that over the next year

[Anakronox]

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I have more 50mm lenses than 35mm, however it’s the 35s that stay glued on my Leica cameras.  I love how a 35 can give context to a scene rather than just focus on a subject.  The exception to my preference is in medium format - the 80 Planar gets the most use on the Hasselblad and 80mm f/4 is my go-to lens for the Mamiya 7.  They’re still closer to 40mm in 135 format than 50 though!

[evikne]

I love 50mm. And I love 35mm.

It's funny. I feel that each of them could be my only lens. But at the same time, I cannot live without any of them. 

[Lelmer]

3 hours ago, kivis said:

I own Seven 50mm lenses and no 35mm lenses (I use a 21mm lens for wide angle). I know a lot of folks that use a 35mm lens for everyday. I have tried but can not seem to warm up to it. Not complaining really but wondering am I just a 50mm lens bigot and leave it at that? 😏

As long as you are happy with your 50's, the answer is yes 😄

[Gobert]

I THINK I am a “50 man”. Besides my 50ties I have however a 35 Lux.
The latter is always fighting to be paired with the camera. Now and then it succeeds and then it stays there usually for quite a while.

I consider the 35 a little too wide. However, if you are visiting old cities with narrow roads, the angle might be preferable over 50mm lenses. But on the other hand, in that case you might take a 28. Choices, choices. May be it is better to put them all in the camera bag, otherwise you always bring the wrong lens with you.

[a.noctilux]

As "35 AND 50 AND 28 AND more" (😔) fan, innocently, when MATE came some years back, I thought that 99% of my lens hesitation would end.

No way, this MATE was fun to use but I always need Noctilux/Summilux so carried along heavy lenses plus the MATE 😄.

The good thing that at same time I had revelation that wanting to "do-it-all" is impossible.

 

Now I'm happy with one lens (or kit), the one that I choose for the day or outting which can be something from 12mm to 560mm in M mount 🤗.

So this kind of discussion of "ideal xxxx lens" had long gone for me.

 

I understand that guy/girl can have different 'ideal lenses', of course.

[KFo]

I find that when I work outside my norm of 28 (I have 4 M 28s)it can take “forever” for me to warm up to the alternate prospective.

One thing I do sometimes is that I force the alternative.  For example, right now I am traveling and I switch among the three lenses I brought each day.  They are 3 very different lenses as well, 28 Summaron, 35 summilux, & 21 Voigtlander.

Regards,

Kevin

[shirubadanieru]

I shoot both equally! I have two bodies one for 35 one for 50! 

50: Better Bokeh, perfect for portraits, can do street too but harder to do zone focusing, a lot of choice available in the Leica world

35: Smaller lenses in general, easier zone focusing, versatile (although 28 is better for street/zone focusing & the 50 better for portraits, the 35mm can do both well so as a travel kit or one lens kit it can be the better option)

[FrozenInTime]

Try a 40mm 😉

[cboy]

I was a bit amused by your thread considering this a leica forum which a majority of its users are using rangefinder m cameras. The M systems is predominately suited for that range, and anything beyond it pushes the system out of its comfort zone in the sense an accessory or additional aid is needed to perform optimally. i.e external viewfinder, evf, liveview. Many live and breathe 35- 50, although they may dabble with the odd wide and tele, but they always come home to their tried and true focal length 😆.

Horses for courses. We just accept the inevitable and enjoy it! 

[Danner]

2 hours ago, shirubadanieru said:

I shoot both equally! I have two bodies one for 35 one for 50! 

50: Better Bokeh, perfect for portraits, can do street too but harder to do zone focusing, a lot of choice available in the Leica world

35: Smaller lenses in general, easier zone focusing, versatile (although 28 is better for street/zone focusing & the 50 better for portraits, the 35mm can do both well so as a travel kit or one lens kit it can be the better option)

Pretty much all this for me.  Two bodies; 35 'cron on one, and 50 'cron on the other. I have been going to the 35 for street photography, but just got a 28 Elmarit, which has been used lately.  The thing about 28 for street shooting is that you really have to get close to your subject, and all that entails.  A MATE would be versatile for street shooting, but a bit large for me.

Horses for courses. ;^}

[shirubadanieru]

1 hour ago, cboy said:

I was a bit amused by your thread considering this a leica forum which a majority of its users are using rangefinder m cameras. The M systems is predominately suited for that range, and anything beyond it pushes the system out of its comfort zone in the sense an accessory or additional aid is needed to perform optimally. i.e external viewfinder, evf, liveview. Many live and breathe 35- 50, although they may dabble with the odd wide and tele, but they always come home to their tried and true focal length 😆.

Horses for courses. We just accept the inevitable and enjoy it! 

true story

[Erato]

FYR.

There's an interesting review might give you a great idea of FLE/M10M combination in terms of keeping it simple scenario.

 

Edited August 26, 2021 by Erato

[FrozenInTime]

3 hours ago, Erato said:

FYR.

There's an interesting review might give you a great idea of FLE/M10M combination in terms of keeping it simple scenario.

 

A clear indication of deep underlying issues with Leica users, when it takes more than two hours to discuss ‘keeping it simple’

 

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[NigelG]

TLDR : No 😉