My preferred focal lengths

[rramesh]

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Owning a number of Leica and Voigtlander lenses in 15-21-28-35-50-90  focal lengths, I was curious to understand which focal lengths I use most often.

So I analysed 7,000 photos taken using the M9 and M10, over the past several years that I deemed keepers, and when I had lenses in these focal lengths.

I guess each photographer will have his/her preferences, but here are mine:

15mm - 3%

21mm - 5%

28mm - 32%

35mm - 22%

50mm - 30%

90mm - 8%

[pegelli]

Interesting, just for fun I determined the "curve" for my M-mount rangefinder coupled lenses on my M246M (I also use some other mount lenses with an adapter and focus with the EVF-2 and use M-lenses with an adapter on other mount bodies but didn't count those)

15 mm  -  6%

21 mm  -  12%

28 mm  -  8%   (quite recent lens acquisition, I guess over time this number will go up)

35 mm  -  23%

50 mm  -  40%

90 mm  -  7%

135 mm - 4%

[evikne]

For Canon, I had one lens for each focal length (I've disregarded a few zoom lenses, but it's funny to note that almost all of those photos were taken at either end of the zoom range, so what's the point of a zoom lens?) My favorite was the 85L.

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For Leica, I've had several lenses for each focal length (seven 35mm and seven 50mm. My 75mm Summilux was mostly back and forth to service, until I sold it.

[Cobram]

My most used focal lenght by far is 28mm. 

Other focal legths in my collection: 21 / 50 / 75

 

 

[Lelmer]

My most used FL is 50mm, followed by 35mm. I almost never use 28 and 90mm. 

[105012]

21, 28, 35, 50, 90, 135

~0.1%, ~0.2%. ~0.0%, ~94%, ~4%, ~2%

I guess that makes my preference very clear indeed! Remind me, which M is best for 50, 90, 135? Oh yes, the OG  

[lct]

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50mm is my default focal length on full frame but i use most of them from 15mm to 135mm on M cameras. Besides 50mm, my most used FLs are probably 90mm and 21mm. I am too lazy to do the stats though sorry. My least used FL is 24mm. FWIW.

[Kiwimac]

I used to shoot two Nikon bodies, one with a 17-35 and another with a 70-200. 
 

When I analysed 50,000+ images my most used focal lengths were 17,35,70 and 200!

 The majority were at the hard stops of the two zooms. 

Edited June 27, 2023 by Kiwimac

[Olaf_ZG]

I don’t have a slightest idea 😔

[evikne]

1 hour ago, Olaf_ZG said:

I don’t have a slightest idea 😔

If you have Lightroom, you can filter and sort your images in all sorts of ways.

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Edited June 27, 2023 by evikne

[Olaf_ZG]

I only have LR 6 months. Thanks though.

Despite the stats, I know 50mm is my fl.

[RexGig0]

I do not have a unified, organized storage system for my images, in order to be able to see my statistics, but I certainly shoot far more 35mm images than 50mm images. When out and about with a 35mm lens, I am shooting a range of subjects, often with no specific genre in mind. I will often have the focusing ring and aperture positioned to cover a set distance to infinity, which lessens the need to focus, enabling quicker shooting. When using a 50mm lens, it may well be for a specific type of subject. I will usually have to use the rangefinder to focus, when using a 50mm lens, which means that the moment may be lost, before I can get the shot that I want.

It is not that I prefer 35mm, or that my favorite M-mount lens is 35mm. I originally added the Leica M system, starting with a Summilux-M 50mm ASPH, for images of people. That Summilux remains my favorite M lens, five years later.

Before I bought really good 35mm lens, I frequently used 28mm, set for six feet to infinity. Buying a better 35mm lens, and then more recently adding the Elmar-M 24mm ASPH, relegated 28mm to niche status. Notably, I shoot while wearing eyeglasses, so, the 35mm frame lines are widest that I can see. If I learn to like using an electronic Visoflex, this could affect which lenses I like to use.

My Zeiss 18mm, 25mm, and 85mm ZM lenses remain in the experimental stages of use. I like them, and am unlikely to sell them, but, there seems to be no urgency to use them. I would like to try them for landscapes, in the US Southwest. (We live on rather featureless coastal prairie terrain.)

I am still experimenting with 75mm. I bought a pre-owned Voigtlander threaded-mount Color Heliar f/2.5, to try 75mm, but then had an opportunity to acquire a well-preserved APO Summicron-M 75mm ASPH, so, have not even shot with the Color Heliar.

My only 90mm M lens is a Thambar-M. I am still experimenting with its special qualities, wide-open. The Thambar really sharpens-up when stopped-down, so, is not a one-trick pony, but, it has to compete with some really good SLR lenses that we have. (I still use SLRs, on occasion.) So, the Thambar is rarely mounted on a camera, and its image count remains low.

One challenge, for all of my telephoto lenses, for Leica cameras, is that I still find it difficult to use the rangefinder to achieve accurate focus. I can really enjoy walking-about with a telephoto lens, but, not with it mounted on a Leica M camera.

[ianforber]

I only have 2 lenses: a 35mm and a 50mm. I began with the 50mm and only recently bought the 35mm but have been playing with my new toy quite a lot so I expect my overall use is about 60/40 in favour of the 50mm. I’ve always liked telephoto focal lengths so I’m tempted to trade in the 50mm for the 90mm elmar f4. Or maybe keep the 50mm and crop the hell out of it to get a telephoto image (I have an M11 so that plus software like Topaz Gigapixel should make it feasible). Choices, choices…

[IMAGEPOWER]

Interesting topic!

On my M bodies (M10 variants and M11) for stock photography my results are:

15mm (Carl Zeiss 15/2.8 ZF.2 with Nikon adaptor) - 2% (mostly because the lens is too big and heavy to use on the M)

21mm - 46%

28mm (3 different variants) - 23%

35mm (2 lenses) - 6%

50mm (3 lenses) - 5%

75mm - 9%

90mm - 8%

On my Nikon equipment (more lenses, mostly sports photography) the 400/2.8 and 600/4 are used most often, with the 28/1.4 and 180-400/4 TC14 and several other lenses lacking behind

[evikne]

Since becoming a Leica user, I've primarily been a 50mm guy. But something has changed in recent years (probably thanks to my beloved and versatile 35mm Summilux pre-ASPH). Now the use of the focal lengths has evened out, and in the future I will probably use 35mm even more.

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[M11 for me]

That is an interesting chart:

Indeed our photography develops and changes over time.

Whereas I loved Zoom lenses with Canon a few years ago (not yet thinking of the weight of that gear). But that has changed completely since I use Leica. Today my Canon lenses are primarily 50mm f/1.2 and 135mm f/2. The 2 lenses together make more than 90% of the images with Canon (mainly events). The Zooms 70-200 and 24-70 or 16-35 are used very rarely. Leica Q or M took their place (travel and landscape) with mainly the 28mm and also 50mm. Plus quite a lot 21mm and rarely 35mm and 75mm. 

But there is a thing here: I would not sell any of my lenses. There are always cases where I am happy tho have one of those. Same with Leica: I am happy to have all the focal lengths that I have. Still if I had to start today I would probably leave it with 28mm and 50mm. And the latest is that I could easily do with just the Q3 plus Canon.

 

[Lelmer]

On 6/27/2023 at 2:21 PM, Olaf_ZG said:

I only have LR 6 months. Thanks though.

Despite the stats, I know 50mm is my fl.

So, you have more than a slightest idea 😊...same with me

[Gregm61]

21mm f3.4 SEM, 35mm f1.4 FLE, 75mm f2APO and 135mm f3.4 APO; the default set in my bag today, yesterday, tomorrow.

There are days I’ll go at a time not using one or more of them and days when I’ll maybe pick just one and only shoot subjects for that one specific field of view.

Some get used more, some less but I’d not be caught out without all four because I do use them all and if I lost an opportunity because I thought I didn’t need to have a specific one with me that day, I would not be a happy camper.

Leaving one or two of them behind does not save enough weight/bulk to be all that beneficial and lord knows, I paid enough for each one of them to then not utilize them.

[yanidel]

I have owned the M10 for a year now and my Lightroom statistics give me the following :

- 10% 24mm Elmarit

- 55% 35mm Summilux Asph

- 35% 60mm Konica Hexanon

And my 13 years archive with the M9 gives me

- 5% 24mm Elmarit

- 50% with the 35mm Summilux Asph

- 10% 75mm Summicron

- the remaining 35% must be mostly the 60mm Hexanon, but it did not get registered since it is not coded and the M9 did not allow to manually set the lens (I set the Hexanon as Noctilux on the M10)

Interesting exercise but not too surprising to me. The ratio between wide and tele has remained the same over the years.

Perhaps it was a mistake to sell the 75mm Summicron, though I enjoy the simpler 3 lenses kit. 

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Max EPR]

I took my M11 and my 28 / 1.4 and 50 / APO 2.0 to London and Paris (still in Paris). The 28 has not come off the camera yet.