How often do you switch lenses?

[miq.maq]

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I'm just curious how often do people switch lenses on their M cameras? Do you tend to keep one prime lens most of the time or do you switch weekly / daily / hourly 🙂 ?

I'm a bit new to Leica and for now very happy with my 50 Summicron but saving up to also get a 35. 

Can (very) frequent changes wear out the lens mount? Or should they usually last a lifetime?

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[Lee S]

When I first got into photography I’d change depending on the subject when on holiday / travel / walking about. 

Now I’m one lens with me only unless I’m doing a model shoot. 

[rogxwhit]

Well I don't change lenses by the clock or the calendar but over a year I suppose it could be the equivalent of once a week.  And I commonly go out with just one lens already mounted.  But that's in the context of photographing just for my own satisfaction. 

 

I wouldn't worry about the mounts.  But bear in mind that dust (or worse!) enters and can stick to the sensor ...

[darylgo]

24 minutes ago, miq.maq said:

Can (very) frequent changes wear out the lens mount? Or should they usually last a lifetime?

Occasionally I've seen brassing on the camera side and more often on the lens side but don't believe that makes a difference.  I would be more concerned with large heavy lenses distorting the mount or damaging the attachment to the body.  This would not be an issue with the M body except for the Noctilux lenses and adapted lenses such as the larger R lenses. 

There are whole forums (almost) discussing the topic of skewed sensors and misaligned lenses, a real issue that is known to drive photographers crazy. 

The King of misalignment and skew:

https://diglloyd.com/blog/2020/20201008_1420-SonyA7R_IV-sensor-parallelism.html

[miq.maq]

vor 21 Minuten schrieb Al Brown:

YOu do not switch lenses on a Leica M. You get a body for each lens. That's the unwritten rule of the chosen.

Yea, i was waiting for that comment .... 🙂

 

Thanks for the other comments. Guess those mounts are pretty tough. I mean lets assume 1o years of use - one change per weekend. Would make for more than 500 changes alone. And i guess some people change more often / and or use their equipment for longer. 

Edited October 15, 2024 by miq.maq
Added Informatio

[Topsy]

31 minutes ago, Al Brown said:

YOu do not switch lenses on a Leica M. You get a body for each lens. That's the unwritten rule of the chosen.

Like this..........

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I normally take my 3 bodies, usually I take the 2 spare lenses but 99% of the time they stay in the bag.

[jankap]

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Leica equipment is made for eternity.😇

[lexffm]

I change lenses while I'm out and about. At the moment I have a 35mm, 50mm and the Apo-Elmarit R 180 with me. Not every minute, but in two hours I can use all three. Of course, sometimes I only go out with one lens, for example the 75mm or 90mm.

[kkm]

vor 1 Stunde schrieb Al Brown:

YOu do not switch lenses on a Leica M. You get a body for each lens. That's the unwritten rule of the chosen.

Luckily I‘m using Zeiss and Voigtländer lenses - they are not familiar with this unwritten rule 😀

[aficionados]

we need a fixed lens M camera, then this question is solved.

[lct]

3 hours ago, miq.maq said:

I'm just curious how often do people switch lenses on their M cameras? Do you tend to keep one prime lens most of the time or do you switch weekly / daily / hourly 🙂 ?

I must own something like 30+ M lenses, i don't count them any more, so i switch each time i need or want so, mainly each time i need a different focal length. Why that many? Because i began to buy M lenses in the seventies and most of them are keepers.

3 hours ago, miq.maq said:

Can (very) frequent changes wear out the lens mount? Or should they usually last a lifetime?

They are made to last. I have in front of me an Elmar 35/3.5 from 1949 and a Summicron 35/2 from 1960. They still work the same way as when i bought them and they will last probably longer than me. Ready to write a thesis on The Real Leica Man? 😄

[JoshuaR]

I usually go out with two lenses. 28/50 and 35/50 are the most common pairs, but I've also done 50/90 or 50/135. I always like having options.

[miq.maq]

vor 2 Stunden schrieb Topsy:

Like this..........

 

I normally take my 3 bodies, usually I take the 2 spare lenses but 99% of the time they stay in the bag.

Love the patina on your gear!

[CP93]

I used to do it a lot. Then I used zooms almost exclusively. Now I’m back to fixed lenses, but generally just stick with one per outing.

[pippy]

 

5 hours ago, miq.maq said:

I'm just curious how often do people switch lenses on their M cameras? Do you tend to keep one prime lens most of the time or do you switch weekly / daily / hourly?...

Can (very) frequent changes wear out the lens mount? Or should they usually last a lifetime?

I'll consider which lens(es) I wish to use on a daily basis. Normally I will take out a pair of Digi-M bodies each of which will be fitted with one chosen lens. I might take along another lens (or two) but will normally stick with whichever lens has been put on each camera at the start of the day.

As far as mount-wear is concerned? Several Lifetimes would be an underestimate. Why might you think otherwise?

Philip.

[LocalHero1953]

My M2, when I sold it, had seen 60 years of changing lenses, and had little/no sign of mount wear. My M4 has seen 40+ years of use, ditto. My 1932 II Model D, on the other hand, needed a bit of gentle straightening back into proper shape in the experienced hands of Malcolm Taylor. Barnacks, though well engineered, were not quite as tough as the M. 

[OR120]

if i'm out shooting a job - i take what i need for the job ------ when i'm out shooting for myself - i might change a lens once, maybe twice a month -- and for myself i usually pick between the same three lenses - i have many i don't use very often - just keeping them forever - because you never know

[Pika898]

Never.

I am back to having only one lens and would probably be an ideal target group for the Q3 43 but still prefer the M experience. 

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[Rick in CO]

get a 28/35/50 Vario-Elmar for walking about and other lenses for those special shots.

[newtoleica]

When out for a couple of hours walking the street I probably change lenses 3 times. I usually take the 24, 35 and 50, sometimes the 75 instead, depending on where I’m going. I swap both for subject matter, 24 if I can be close in, 50 or 75 if the place is less crowded and sometimes just to give myself a different perspective and keep fresh. I’m not bothered by sensor dust, I clean it when needed. I have a 10-P and a 10-M but only ever take one body out.