One or two lenses for 35mm?

[lct]

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7 hours ago, jhonzatkl said:

One option is to have 2 lenses (a large fast aperture lens and a small lens) and use the one that fits best at the moment. The other way is to use only one lens and here I would like to ask if that single lens can be this new Nokton 35/1.5?

I would vote for the 2-lens option. Allows me to use both my sharper but bulkier Summilux 35/1.4 FLE together with a compact 35 (Summicron 35/2 asph v1, 35/2 v4 or Biogon 35/2.8) or a tiny LTM lens (Tessar or Elmar 35/3.5). I have no experience with the Nokton 35/1.5 though. Only Nokton 35/1.4 SC v2 but it is a character lens i would bring as part of a 3-lens option if needed.

[Pangur Ban]

I'm not convinced by the need for a fast 35mm - I find my Zeiss c-Biogon 35/2.8 to be excellent and sufficiently fast for what I use a 35mm for (I shoot on film) and it's super compact. If I need faster I have an Ultron 28mm F2 and a couple of fast 50mm. 

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[Ernstk]

Welcome to the forum.

I really don't understand what your '35mm problem' is.

You already have 3 x 35mm lenses. You're unhappy with all of them? Is there a danger that you're over thinking this?

Just pick a lens and go out and take photos. That's what matters.

PS. 2.8 as a max aperture is perfectly usable. There is nowhere in Europe where that won't work.

Ernst

[jhonzatkl]

My "problem" is that I would ideally like one universal lens that can handle everything Every lens I currently own is a compromise in some respect.
Obviously there is no other was than accept, that there really is no ideal solution.
I went to try the Summilux FLE today ... beautiful glass, but definitely not EDC.
To my surprise, the Summicron v6 appealed to me much more. Except for the price, of course

[rich_]

Welcome!

I only recently purchased a second 35mm lens. The first is the Asph v1 Summicron. I know i can always trust the low distortion, but with colours that appeal to me! The new aquisition is the 35 lux (pre-asph) which is totally wacky under f2. I love the contrast between them. I also have two cameras so they both find a home most of the time. 

I notice that i barely go under f2.8 with my film camera, but i often do with my digital for experimenting.

If it was to choose just 1 35mm i'd go with a summicron or the lux asph v1. It's at the limit of my weight preference for M lenses.
If choosing Voigtlander then i'd go with the 35 1.5. Buy them used and you can always make a mistake and not lose much!

[tedd]

I've had two CZ's (not the 1.4) after people online raved about them and I hated them both. I now have a Summarit 2.5 and love the little thing. Not as sharp as the CZ's maybe but much prettier rendering to my eye - modern without being clinical stopped down and sharp in the centre with smooth corners opened up. I pair it with a 50 Lux ASPH and sometimes lust for the 35 Lux FLE to match the pair, but I struggle to imagine many shots that could justify the expense to me. 

[pgk]

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3 hours ago, tedd said:

I've had two CZ's (not the 1.4) after people online raved about them and I hated them both. I now have a Summarit 2.5 and love the little thing. Not as sharp as the CZ's maybe but much prettier rendering to my eye - modern without being clinical stopped down and sharp in the centre with smooth corners opened up. I pair it with a 50 Lux ASPH and sometimes lust for the 35 Lux FLE to match the pair, but I struggle to imagine many shots that could justify the expense to me. 

Oddly enough I have just bought the 35mm Summarit (second time). I have the 50 Lux Asph and a pre-FLE 35mm Asph too, but the Summarits are actually a very good compromise and when marketed originally were said by Leica to offer "amazing quality plus outstanding value" who also refer to "impressive performance". They stated that edge performance of the 35 could be improved in the extreme corners by stopping down to f/5.6. My pre-FLE 35mm is a stunning lens despite its marginal focus shift and does pair well with the 50 but I rarely use my 50 and the Summarit is a very good compromise between size, weight and handiness and it does pair well with my 75mm Summarit.

As stated in #24, every lens is a compromise so its important to find a compromise that you can live with. Personally I will keep both my current lenses having tried most other Leica 35mm offerings. Neither is perfect but they compliment each other well and I'm happy to use them for what they are. I also have a Sony 35mm f/1.8 which is a totally different, high performing but ultimately fairly bland, beast.

Edited June 2 by pgk
typo

[a.noctilux]

On 6/2/2023 at 9:18 AM, pgk said:

Neither is perfect but they compliment each other well and I'm happy to use them for what they are.

After using so many 35mm lenses, like you I end with Summarit-M 2.5/35mm without selling the other 35mm I own

and happy to use them once in a while.

 

Owning lenses is not as pleasing than learning to use them.

However learning to use might leed to own more lenses than usual.

So I look learning as "journey" not destination.

[hdmesa]

The CV 35 1.5 in the lighter aluminum matte black sounds like what you're after. It's essentially an ASPH non-FLE wide-aperture lens the size and weight of a small 35 f/2. Best of both worlds if you're looking for a single lens solution.

That said, I find these conundrums confusing. This is how I see it:

• BAD SITUATION: Have only one 35mm lens, but I end up needing a 35 I don't have it
• GOOD SITUATION: Have many 35s, and my only job is to make up my own fucking mind about what to use/take

It's insane the lengths photographers will go to in order to not have to think – to avoid having to pick out what gear to use before shooting. It's a mental condition that needs addressing before finding a gear solution.

[Danner]

35mm Summicron-M ASPH.

[hansvons]

On 6/1/2023 at 8:09 PM, jhonzatkl said:

My "problem" is that I would ideally like one universal lens that can handle everything

 

6 hours ago, Danner said:

35mm Summicron-M ASPH.

Solves this, IMHO. Recently, I cleaned my shelf and sold everything superfluous. I bought two analogue Ms, a 50mm Summicron V4 (latest optics but with the tab) and the 35mm Summicron 35mm ASPH. Why the latter? It's a high-quality, compact piece of metal and glass, resolving already at f2 enough for environmental portraits and anything journalistic, with no glow but clear focus, and has tons of character at the full aperture, including the bent focal plane you find with its famous ancestors. This would be it if I were forced to use only one lens.

Full disclosure: I've owned the Voigtländer 35mm Nokton II f1,4 and the Color Skopar 2,4. The Nokton II doesn't render images I like, and the F1,4 isn't usable for me. Even at f2, it's visibly weaker than the Summicron, has less contrast and shows a video-ish look. The Color Skopar 35mm, on the other hand, is a little gem because it's super tiny and surprisingly cheap for what it can do. It makes the M pocketable without a hood and renders nicely on B&W film. Both Voigtländers render images cooler; they vignette more than their Leica counterparts and tend to smear at the corners, especially on digital (SL2-S). I can't comment on their aspherical siblings, but I suppose they are on another level.

[lct]

11 hours ago, hdmesa said:

[...] It's insane the lengths photographers will go to in order to not have to think – to avoid having to pick out what gear to use before shooting. It's a mental condition that needs addressing before finding a gear solution.

You mean when ignoring what the next shooting will be about i guess. I often choose Mandler lenses then, in order to getting good enough sharpness w/o harshness on portraits. 

[hdmesa]

3 hours ago, lct said:

You mean when ignoring what the next shooting will be about i guess. I often choose Mandler lenses then, in order to getting good enough sharpness w/o harshness on portraits. 

Mostly I was talking about being ok with having choices and choosing a lens to shoot for a given situation without:

• Obsessing over having made the right decision
• Worrying that the lenses you didn't choose are being used often enough to warrant keeping them
• Always wondering if there is better lens or solution out there

I usually have a harder time deciding on what focal lengths to use than I do which specific lens to use. Do I take 35/75 or 28/50?

[Stein K S]

I define myself as a 35mm guy! I do, however, still own (only) two 35s, the cron v4 and lux pre-fle… (even if I have aquiered a number of other (duplicate) FLs). And that is because I again and again experience that these two covers it all 😉

[lct]

The OP was after two lenses of the same focal length. Choosing different focal lengths is another story. Not that difficult for people who don't crop like me. 

[hdmesa]

16 minutes ago, lct said:

The OP was after two lenses of the same focal length. Choosing different focal lengths is another story. Not that difficult for people who don't crop like me. 

I feel like at some point I transitioned from deciding what lens to use based on how I thought it rendered to deciding based on which lens I enjoy shooting. I'm much happier this way. The differences between ergonomics and the joy of shooting these lenses varies much more than the look of the images. I can make good (or bad) images with any lens.

[spydrxx]

22 minutes ago, hdmesa said:

. I can make good (or bad) images with any lens.

And therein lies the truth of the matter. We obsess over our vision of "the perfect lens for each situation", but really, a skilled photographer will make the best of what they have with them, and rely heavily on both knowledge of the lens' capabilities, the medium characteristics, and their own artistic vision. I'm as guilty as the next person when presented with a choice of lenses, but in reality if I only have one lens, I do a much better job of producing a shot representing my vision because of lack of distraction from what really counts - the shot.

[Ernstk]

On 6/1/2023 at 7:09 PM, jhonzatkl said:

My "problem" is that I would ideally like one universal lens that can handle everything Every lens I currently own is a compromise in some respect.
Obviously there is no other was than accept, that there really is no ideal solution.
I went to try the Summilux FLE today ... beautiful glass, but definitely not EDC.
To my surprise, the Summicron v6 appealed to me much more. Except for the price, of course

Try the Summaron 35/2.8.

It's the forgotten lens in Leica's offerings. Superlative build quality and renders beautifully with modern sensors.

Ernst

[lct]

2 hours ago, Stein K S said:

I define myself as a 35mm guy! I do, however, still own (only) two 35s

50mm guy here so when i don't know what the next shooting is about, i tend to bring one 50 with one WA and one telephoto like 35/50/90 classically or variations around that. No rocket science but it is a matter of taste obviously.

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[tedd]

9 hours ago, hdmesa said:

Do I take 35/75 or 28/50?

35/50 😎

It took me years to accept that they were the only focal lengths that I needed and that they do in fact work well together. Possibly they are the two "easy mode" focal lengths and I'm not good enough to take advantage of anything wider (keeping the whole frame interesting) and tend to dislike the compressed look of anything longer than 75 (which 50 is close enough to), but taking a step back and thinking about how my gear works for me was a revelation after thinking that I needed a lens for every situation that I was never going to find myself in.