28mm to 35mm, too close in focal length?

[Dennis]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

28mm to 35mm, too close in focal length?

There are close enough to bring the 28+35+50 trio for a trip 🙂 35mm is always on. When I need to zoom it a bit, put the 50. When I need more context, 28. Everything perfectly viewable in the OVF

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[rramesh]

A 28 is a great wide-angle lens. It's extremely versatile and hence why most mobile phones and even the Leica Q uses it as a base. You can get pretty wide, plus it gives you the flexibility to crop closer to say a 35 if needed.

My two lens kit is often the 28-50. If I need to carry only one lens on a business trips, it's often the 28.

Edited June 21, 2023 by rramesh

[RexGig0]

Another reason, in my personal case, that 28mm and 35mm are not “too close,” is that I have a 28mm Summaron, and a Cosina/Voigtlander 35mm Color Skopar, both of which are so tiny, there is never a reason to decide between them, when packing for a trip, if I am unsure whether or not to be without either focal length. (On the other hand, it is amazingly easy to misplace such tiny lenses.) As was the case with my earlier reply, these lenses have different renderings, one vintage and one modern, adding another dimension to their differences.

[raizans]

IMO, there are some focal lengths that are too close to bother with, but most aren’t. 28mm and 35mm are distinct enough that it’s more about whether you need the different angle of view for practical or aesthetic reasons.

- 21mm vs. 20mm

- 38mm vs. 40mm vs. 43mm vs. 45mm

- 55mm vs. 58mm

- 100mm vs. 105mm

- 200mm vs. 180mm

Edited June 22, 2023 by raizans

[yanidel]

I wouldn't say they are too close, but you could shoot the same pictures in 90% of cases with either the 28mm or 35mm mounted. The only caveat is that for tall people like me, you get more distortion with the 28mm. 

Therefore, I prefer 24mm which forces me to take pictures that look different than the ones I take with the 35mm (I shoot street only.)

So for me, it is a kit made of 24mm, 35mm and 60mm lenses. The focal spacing allows for framings that are different enough. I usually take only two lenses for an outing, depending on where I shoot and the light conditions. The 35mm being my core focal for 80% of my shots, I usually go 24-35mm or 35-60mm.