Dilemma 35mm / 50mm

[George Stoichev]

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Hi,

I recently bought Leica M6, only body.

Now I neet to buy lenses and I’m impatient to make first shots with it.

I’m confused, at first I wanted to buy 50mm Summicron, because I use Contax G2 with 45mm Planar and this is my perfect focal length. When change the button of the camera to see the ilumination of different foca lenghts 50mm seems a bit narrower thann my test, but 35mm is too wide.

 

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[SiggiGun]

Take a 35mm

[George Stoichev]

1 minute ago, SiggiGun said:

Take a 35mm

Too wide man, I never crop my photos

[a.noctilux]

Try this, 40mm maybe in Summicron-C, M-Rokkor or Voigtlander, they are cheap to try out without framelines on M6 though:

 

 

[Jean-Michel]

Hi,

I was in София in 2019, very pleasant visit.

Are you planning to keep your Contax and 45 mm? If yes, getting a 50 Summicron for your M6 sort of duplicates what you now have, so why bother. You write that 35 is too wide  for what you do, so perhaps carrying your Contax and M6 with similar lenses would let you load different films in each camera (b&w in one, colour in the other, or…). For what it's worth, a 90 Macro-Elmar is a fine a small lens that works nicely on any M body.

Jean-Michel 

 

[rsolomon]

There is no right , there is no wrong answer.  I find it hard to give advice on this one.  
 

personally , 35 

[pippy]

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From reading your preferences I'd say that a 40mm f1.4 Voigtlander Nokton would be my #1 choice (and, FWIW, it usually is my #1 on a day-to-day basis) especially for use with a film body. Otherwise the 40mm f2 Summicron / Rokkor if you can find a good copy (both of which lenses Arnaud mentions in post #4).

All three of these lenses can be bought for around the same price-point. The Voigtlander can be bought new. The Summicron / Rokkor can only be found on the used market as the Leica CL was discontinued in the late '70s and the Minolta CLE - the cameras for which these two lenses were created - was culled back in '85.

Best of luck!

P.

Edited October 17, 2021 by pippy

[oldwino]

@George Stoichev you need both. 35 and 50 are the two best focal lengths for a Leica M camera. 

[Peter Kilmister]

With greater megapixels available, and if undecided, maybe use a 35mm and crop?

[pippy]

6 minutes ago, Peter Kilmister said:

With greater megapixels available, and if undecided, maybe use a 35mm and crop?

Hello, Peter, but just in case you - or, indeed, anyone else - might have missed this little detail in the OP I thought I might repeat it here;

"I recently bought Leica M6..."

Philip.

Edited October 17, 2021 by pippy

[Peter Kilmister]

OK, mea culpa. My mistake. I'd forgotten about film. 

[plaidshirts]

On 10/16/2021 at 11:32 AM, a.noctilux said:

Try this, 40mm maybe in Summicron-C, M-Rokkor or Voigtlander, they are cheap to try out without framelines on M6 though:

 

 

I recently lucked into a 40mm Summicron-C for the second time in my life and I must say if I had to choose one focal length this may be it.

I’ve been strictly a 35/50/90 kinda guy but am finding that 40 covers enough to be useful most of the time  

Composing just outside the 50mm frame lines (which the lens brings up) seems to do the trick. 

[pippy]

9 hours ago, Peter Kilmister said:

OK, mea culpa. My mistake. I'd forgotten about film. 

Yes, I know what you mean, Peter

I suppose if the OP prints his own photographs he can crop into his negatives but if he is relying on simply a lab printing whole-frame then getting a lens whose focal-length is best suited / closest to the way he 'sees' is going to be a good idea.

Philip.

[pippy]

6 hours ago, plaidshirts said:

I recently lucked into a 40mm Summicron-C for the second time in my life and I must say if I had to choose one focal length this may be it.

...Composing just outside the 50mm frame lines (which the lens brings up) seems to do the trick. 

Around about this time last year I was consideing the 40 Summicron and one well-known, highly respected dealer had a Leica CL c/w 40 combination for a good price - but I passed. Nowadays the lenses themselves are going for the same asking price so I'm feeling I sort of messed that idea up a bit. Still; I might get lucky one day.

And yes; looking just outside the 50mm frame-lines is a very good guide for angle-of-view.

Philip.

[Drmat]

to OP - sounds like you do not like the 35, so 50 is probably your best option.  i used exclusively 50 for the first 8 years with my leica.  my wife bought me a 35.  i used it for a year and now my 50 feels tight.  to be honest, it really doesn't matter - you will adjust to whatever you get.  unless you have a special love of background separation (or wear glasses, in which case the frame lines on the 50 are easier to see), then you really can't lose on the choice.

[Herr Barnack]

On 10/16/2021 at 2:20 PM, George Stoichev said:

Too wide man, I never crop my photos

You don't have to crop - just get closer to your subject to fill the frame.  Ernst Haas:  "The best zoom lens is your feet."

If you just get 2-3 steps closer, your subject will fill your frame with a 35mm lens and render about the same perspective and framing as a 50mm lens would.

Just don't try this at the rim of the Grand Canyon or at the edge of Niagara Falls.

Edited October 18, 2021 by Herr Barnack

[spydrxx]

Years ago my first cameras had 42-45mm lenses, and I got used to that focal length as a standard. When I got my first Leica my friends tried to get me to get a 50 as my first lens, but I thought a little wider than what I was used to would be a better fit, so I went with a 35, and it became my primary lens for almost 30 years. The above suggestions are all very good ones, but in the end only you can decide what is best for you. Ideally, IMHO, keeping the Contax and having the flexibility of a 35 or 50 on the Leica seems like a great idea, as you age you may find your tastes change, and it is nice to have the tools handy to accommodate those changes. Best of luck with your choice.

[Hans-Dieter Gülicher]

I have the M 10-R and the lenses Summicron 28 mm, the new 35 mm, 75 mm and my old beloved Vario-Elmar-R 21-35 mm + R to M Adaptor.. But using the new 35 mm you can forget all the other lenses. The APO-Summicron-M 35 mm was that one I was looking for. Take a crop and you will get all you need.

Regards Hans

Edited October 18, 2021 by Hans-Dieter Gülicher

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[Jeff S]

34 minutes ago, Herr Barnack said:

If you just get 2-3 steps closer, your subject will fill your frame with a 35mm lens and render about the same perspective and framing as a 50mm lens 

Similar framing possible, but different perspective when zooming with feet. Trade offs.
 

Jeff

[pippy]

33 minutes ago, Hans-Dieter Gülicher said:

I have the M 10-R......But using the new 35 mm you can forget all the other lenses......Take a crop and you will get all you need...

The OP has just bought an M6. He is shooting film.

Even if he has access to a darkroom for B'n'W if he is also shooting transparency or colour neg. then it might not be straightforward to simply 'take a crop'.

Philip.