Focal length or cropping?

[IkarusJohn]

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“Which lens should I take [insert destination ]” threads are perennial on the forum.  With increased resolution and improved dynamic range of sensors, many have suggested take one lens and crop and process as required.  In the days of film (particularly the likes of Kodachrome), we needed fast lenses and different focal lengths for the given situations.  My cellphone also offers me a 28mm field of view, with options of 0.5, 1x, 2x & 3x magnification.

Do we need the lenses we have?  I have an SL, and with the exception of my 21 Summilux-M ASPH, the 24-90 SL zoom covers the entire focal range of my M lenses, granted at slower speeds, but the dynamic range of the sensor and usable ISO deals with most of that (albeit at a size and weight disadvantage).

And yet … in my travels planned later this year, I will take an M camera and a lens or two.  Why bother?

Leaving aside the pleasure of using an M camera over all alternatives, what do I achieve taking more than one lens?  The comment is made more than once here that you can take a 28mm or 24mm lens and just crop, particularly if you have an M11 or M10-R.  Is that really the answer?

From a snapshot point of view, cropping may be the answer - the perspective doesn’t change; but that is only part of the picture.  Depth of field will be set by the focal length and aperture, and lens character also plays a part, particularly if the crop is off centre.

More critically, the lens choice involves far more than simply capturing a global scene and cropping out the final image.  When choosing a lens, a number of factors come into play for me - the character of the lens and its challenges, composition (framing and depth of field) and the subject.  Conversely, if I have one lens choice, then the consideration is in the reverse - how do I make the scene work for the focal length I have.

A long and rambling post - thank you if you have got this far.  Looking at a number of the images threads on this forum, I’m struck that too many photos are posted without really considering what image works best for the lens carried; and once you have that consideration, why crop?  It’s all part of the image making process, rather than “capturing”.  A local landscape photographer commented recently that it can take him a year to set up the image he wants.

Now, what do I pack for my trip to France and Italy …😀

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[Ouroboros]

12 minutes ago, IkarusJohn said:

 

Now, what do I pack for my trip to France and Italy …😀

A change of boxer shorts and a toothbrush

[Guest]

Your mobile -> LUF in the Roman forum  

Why else?

[lct]

Depends on what one likes in photography. To me, it is composition in the first place, i mean composition with the camera, not the computer, so cropping is a no no normally but i may cheat when i am lazy or when the pic is too crappy w/o cropping.

[jankap]

My package is typically 15mm (R) + 35mm (Lux) + 50mm (LTM).

[Ouroboros]

The 'wisdom' of cropping from a wide angle image to emulate a longer focal length is alien to me, I assume it's covered in 'Photography For Dummies'.  

28, 50 & 90mm or 28 & 50mm are what I would take.

To hell with cropping.  I paid a lot of money for those Leica pixels.

[Kwesi]

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I like to see in the focal length that's mounted on my M11. I very often travel with a 35 FLE,v1 a 28/2,v2 and a 50/1.4 BC. I don't believe in leaving my favorite lenses at home when I travel knowing that I will be excited to see new things and capture new images.

[pgk]

40 minutes ago, IkarusJohn said:

With increased resolution and improved dynamic range of sensors, many have suggested take one lens and crop and process as required.

I have to say that I've never actually met a photographer who has made and followed such a suggestion. At what crop factor does the image degrade I wonder? How do they envisage the crop whilst looking through the wider lens? Is their technique so impeccable that even at the maximum crop the image remains as good as is desired. In all honesty this idea is flawed in many ways. Its not a photographic path that I either want to go down or will ever advocate.

[Ernstk]

57 minutes ago, IkarusJohn said:

 Looking at a number of the images threads on this forum, I’m struck that too many photos are posted without really considering what image works best for the lens carried;

In my view, the image shouldn't work for the lens, the lens should work for the image

Ernst

[fil-m]

My 24mm forces me to adopt an "immersive" approach in which I must get close to the subject and (almost) become part of the context, at the risk of being intrusive. A 50mm makes me more of a distance observer, with a different risk of having something that gets in the way between my lens and the subject at the wrong moment. Each focal represents (in my view) a different style of photography, with a specific mindset and a unique approach.

Now cropping is not a drama to me. At the end, it is part of the image making process as much as an old lens adds its own interpretation though its "character", or adjusting colors etc. I consider cropping an occasional tool to tune composition. Why? sometimes I'd rather shoot even if I am a bit far, to avoid missing the moment, then I crop a little bit.

There is an image making process that starts in my mind, goes through the camera and the lens, and completes in my digital darkroom. Each step contributes in a certain way. But what matters and stays at the end, is the resulting image.

Edited May 31, 2023 by fil-m

[Jeff S]

Not either/or for me; whatever it takes to achieve the desired picture.  Nobody else cares about the method if the end result resonates (except maybe on a gear oriented forum).

Most people simply seem to lack a “good eye.” Technique isn’t the issue.

Jeff

[IkarusJohn]

2 hours ago, Ouroboros said:

The 'wisdom' of cropping from a wide angle image to emulate a longer focal length is alien to me, I assume it's covered in 'Photography For Dummies'.  

28, 50 & 90mm or 28 & 50mm are what I would take.

To hell with cropping.  I paid a lot of money for those Leica pixels.

Yes Steve, I agree. 

For this trip, I’ll probably take 21, 28 & 50.

@pgk, It’s covered in a number of discussions about the benefits of the M11 with its new 60MP sensor, along with the strange idea that, if you crop an image taken with 35mm, it will be the same as if you took the image with a 50mm.  It perhaps comes with the in camera cropping of the Q cameras and the M11 …. It isn’t photography for me.

@Ernstk, if it’s the only lens you have on you, then you really have to make the image work for the lens, don’t you?  I always factor in how the lens will resolve the image I have in my mind and adjust accordingly.

Who is Anzeige, posting “Fallback”?  Does anyone else see the post immediately after mine and before Steve’s above?

[spydrxx]

Who is Anzeige, posting “Fallback”? 

I sent a msg to the moderator earlier today but haven't heard back yet. It keeps showing up in almost every forum I follow.

[Photoworks]

Since i am on my way there too I can tell you what I will be bringing.

M11 28 Summilux, 50 Summilux, and 90 Summarit.

A backup camera is the SL2 with M adapter.

I have been using the 28 Lux so much, and it is very sharp even wide open. and I will crop heavily if needed.
I am not taking the 21, but I will turn the 28 horizontal and take a few frames to make it into a panorama if needed.

50 Lux is always good to have, giving you an opportunity for details, and night photography.

90 Summarit can stay in the room if I don't have the intention to use it, but it is a good lens and quite light.

 

Don't carry so much, enjoy the trip.

M11 28 Lux,

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

same with more crop...

heavy crop from 28mm

still 28 lux 

 

[cboy]

7 hours ago, IkarusJohn said:

Depth of field will be set by the focal length and aperture, and lens character also plays a part, particularly if the crop is off centre.

More critically, the lens choice involves far more than simply capturing a global scene and cropping out the final image.

Yep. A crop is just a crop and will always be different than using equivalent focal length.  Anyone with a telephoto lens cropped can see apparent difference. But the difference varies; to some its negligible and outweighs convince of carry, while to others it more nuanced with other factors you mentioned come into play. Seems the flavour of the month has been cropping lately. Lol

There's no rules. To each their own. That's why bird and Wildlife photographers like using a crop sensor or people with medium format have more room to crop in post.

[IkarusJohn]

14 minutes ago, cboy said:

…

There's no rules. To each their own. That's why bird and Wildlife photographers like using a crop sensor or people with medium format have more room to crop in post.

The main reason bird and wildlife photographers use APS-C cameras is they are generally cheaper, lighter and the lenses smaller for greater reach, with good quality.  Downside, wide angle lenses.  That has always been the appeal to me of the Leica M lenses (fast, high quality and small), and Zeiss lenses in medium format, though they can’t quite match the fast and small bit!

I was always intrigued that Victor Hasselblad took such wonderful bird photos with a 500C and relatively modest telephoto lens - a large an unwieldy system compared to what we have today, with slow lenses as well.

[LocalHero1953]

11 hours ago, IkarusJohn said:

Looking at a number of the images threads on this forum, I’m struck that too many photos are posted without really considering what image works best for the lens carried; and once you have that consideration, why crop?  It’s all part of the image making process, rather than “capturing”.

As someone who considers content, composition and light to be the most important factors in a photograph, I'm not convinced of the importance of the lens. Yes, it makes a difference, but IMO is secondary. Can you post or refer us to examples where a better choice of lens (in terms of FL vs cropping) would have made a significant difference to the final image? 

Edit. A challenging thought. An interesting image (one that you want to keep looking at) is the least improved by a better choice of lens FL (vs cropping). The difference such a choice makes is much more important for an uninteresting image, because there this nothing else worth looking at. Perhaps those images you see where the lens choice appears to be wrong are obviously so because they have nothing else in them worth looking at?

Edited June 1, 2023 by LocalHero1953

[LocalHero1953]

11 hours ago, IkarusJohn said:

Now, what do I pack for my trip to France and Italy …😀

A folding canoe and a cleft stick for messages.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Ernstk]

11 hours ago, Ouroboros said:

The 'wisdom' of cropping from a wide angle image to emulate a longer focal length is alien to me, I assume it's covered in 'Photography For Dummies'.  

Because we crop our images doesn't make us dummies.

There are more reasons for cropping other than emulating a focal length. For me, that would be the last reason to crop.

Ernst

[Ouroboros]

1 minute ago, Ernstk said:

Because we crop our images doesn't make us dummies.

There are more reasons for cropping other than emulating a focal length. For me, that would be the last reason to crop.

Ernst

Read the op again and if you are going to quote me, do so in the context my reply to the opening post.