Portraiture, distortion and minimum focus distance

[fededuran]

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I've been considering a 28mm lux for a while now, but the use I'm planning is not the typical one. Despite loving street photography, portraiture is my genre. I like the subtle distortion that a 35mm produces if you are close enough to your subject and also think that a 28mm would obviously create a more dramatic look, just at the limit that suites my taste. The challenge or the problem is the minimum focus distance of 0.7m.

As I have not yet had the opportunity to use this focal length on a rangefinder camera, I do not know if the ability to isolate the subject and, above all, to get close enough without making it look far away is still reasonable. 

Any experience from other forum members on their use of this lens specifically for portraits would be very welcome.

Edited May 18, 2023 by fededuran

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[Olaf_ZG]

Try Ben Staley on YT; he does/did a lot of portraits with the Q2.

[fededuran]

That's true, Olaf, but the Q2 has a macro mode and unluckily is not a reference in terms of MFD. 

BTW, Ben's channel is on my top list of Youtube. 

[Ko.Fe.]

About minimal focus distance

My avatar was made as recognition of studies about nose size reducing surgeries demand and correlation of  taking selfies with 28FOV phones cameras.

 

I don't have money for this particular lens. But I went through many 28mm lenses on my Ms. Currently, I returned to tiny Orion-15. This lens is perfect match for Ms.

Tiny and not obstructing even framelines, with low distortions.  

 

WA/UWA lenses are in use to create environmental portraits. Where photographer is using surroundings as part of the portraits. No object isolating involved.

To find out what environmental portraits with Leica M looks like, get An Inner Silence by HCB. This is how 28 lens could be used for environmental portraits.

      

[fededuran]

Lee Jeffries is an excellent example of mastering portraits with 24-28mm close focusing but, again, with SL lenses.

[BastianK]

I did use the 7artisans 28mm 1.4 for that (which by the way I think draws much nicer bokeh than the Leica pendant at the cost of higher weight and bigger size) and I indeed mainly replaced it because I found 0.7 m mfd rather limiting in a 28mm lens. 

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That being said I think for typical portrait applications the 0.7 m should be sufficient, unless you really want to do close-up headshots with it. 

[fededuran]

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Thanks, Bastian, and good pictures.

[Jeff S]

Another recent discussion…

Jeff

[RexGig0]

This post made me think of this article/images:

https://www.streetsilhouettes.com/home/2017/10/17/choosing-between-the-nikon-d850-28mm-f14e-or-the-leica-m10-28mm-f14-summilux

I do not think this one will provide a complete answer. He may provide more information, on using the Summilux-M 28mm, in some of his other articles, regarding wide-angle lenses for portraiture.

[RexGig0]

Another. I do not remember seeing this one, before today.

https://www.streetsilhouettes.com/home/2017/2/12/anna-in-new-york-with-the-m10-28mm-f14-summilux