35mm ramblings

[raizans]

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I'd say it depends more on subject matter and setting than "personal preferences." If you identify as a "___mm" guy, it probably doesn't mean much.

[LocalHero1953]

On 7/23/2025 at 9:28 PM, Olaf_ZG said:

And this will be a problem, cause if, and only if, I decide to buy a 35, the question would be which one?

Just spend some time on the Summilux-M 35mm pre-asph thread. 172 pages of visual contentment.

[hansvons]

On 7/23/2025 at 10:28 PM, Olaf_ZG said:

And this will be a problem, cause if, and only if, I decide to buy a 35, the question would be which one?

I only use 35mm lenses. That’s due to my filmmaking background. 35mm is the focal length that tells stories best, has the ability to direct the attention to your subject almost like a 50mm but shows more of the context. Also it represents human vision’s field of view; not the distances, though. That would be the 50mm.

In Leica’s M lens stable, the 35mm Summicron ASPH represents the best compromise of size and weight, performance and soul. And it’s price-wise affordable on the used market without that vintage premium.

Voigtländer offers alternatives that mirror the Leica lineup. The 35mm Nokton f/1.4 MC is the counterpart to the Steel Rim/Summilux V1, the Nokton 1.5 to the FLE, the Ultron f/2 to the Summicron ASPH. Their build quality is on par to Leica, the glass is excellent. However, they render differently, most notably cooler and tend to vignette a tad more. Also, they retain market value surprisingly well. Buying one and selling it after 20 days of extensive use for 150-200 euros less isn’t the exception. I’ve done it a few times. That’s the thing with Voigtländer: you buy and sell them. The three Leica M lenses I own are forever keepers. 

[Eoin]

Way back when I shot the M8 the 28 Summicron Asph and 35 Summilux Asph (pre FLE) were my go to lens choices.

Now with M10/M11 I seem to be stuck in a rut and enjoy a 24mm Summilux the most.

[Olaf_ZG]

On 7/25/2025 at 12:04 PM, LocalHero1953 said:

Just spend some time on the Summilux-M 35mm pre-asph thread. 172 pages of visual contentment.

According the wiki, that one might not fit on a m9. As I most probably buy online, I wouldn’t take this risk.

At current my thoughts are going to a nokton 1.5, latest version, or the distagon, a lens I had in a different mount back in the film days.

But, my mind is still not made up, and having the 45p on my 907x, I can do without a 35 on a M…

[IkarusJohn]

On 8/2/2025 at 10:20 PM, Olaf_ZG said:

According the wiki, that one might not fit on a m9. As I most probably buy online, I wouldn’t take this risk.

At current my thoughts are going to a nokton 1.5, latest version, or the distagon, a lens I had in a different mount back in the film days.

But, my mind is still not made up, and having the 45p on my 907x, I can do without a 35 on a M…

On the Wiki, only the v1 and the v2 “ELC” versions need modificaiton to use on the M9 (not sure why).  The black and titan versions of the v2 are fine.

Edited August 13 by IkarusJohn

[costa43]

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On 8/2/2025 at 12:20 PM, Olaf_ZG said:

According the wiki, that one might not fit on a m9. As I most probably buy online, I wouldn’t take this risk.

At current my thoughts are going to a nokton 1.5, latest version, or the distagon, a lens I had in a different mount back in the film days.

But, my mind is still not made up, and having the 45p on my 907x, I can do without a 35 on a M…

I have a black 1986 Canadian and it works fine on the CCD cameras. An interesting Voigtlander lens is the f1.2 imo. A version IV of the 35mm has recently been released and it’s the lightest version to date. From samples I’ve seen online, it looks like it renders real nice wide open.

[nodrog]

11 hours ago, costa43 said:

I have a black 1986 Canadian and it works fine on the CCD cameras. An interesting Voigtlander lens is the f1.2 imo. A version IV of the 35mm has recently been released and it’s the lightest version to date. From samples I’ve seen online, it looks like it renders real nice wide open.

I have this Voigtlander lens, and yes, it really does render nicely wide open on my M10M and M10R. It is also, for its size, surprisingly light.

[costa43]

On 8/16/2025 at 11:02 AM, nodrog said:

I have this Voigtlander lens, and yes, it really does render nicely wide open on my M10M and M10R. It is also, for its size, surprisingly light.

I can imagine it working well on Olaf’s m8 also. Circa 47mm and f1/6 equivalent for depth of field. 

Edited August 17 by costa43

[Olaf_ZG]

Olaf was thinking to go for the 1.5 version, but it looks like I need to try both to see the difference in size and weight.

[Tseg]

I'm still a firm believer an iPhone is good enough to take great photos.   The real question is what photographic equipment inspires me to try to take great photos?   I spent over a decade taking photos only from the 1st gen Sony RX1 (FF 35mm Zeiss fixed lens).   Most of the best photos in my life were taken with that camera.   But after a decade I was becoming uninspired.  This led to the purchase of the Q3 43, which led to the purchase of an M11-D, which led to the purchase of a 28mm, then 50mm, then 90mm... and now adding a 35mm.   This morning I got myself out of bed before sunrise to get in my car, drive to a park on the river, and take photos for a few hours with the M11 + 35mm APO Summicron.  Like many of my collectibles, I rotate what I'm going to use for the day and then make the most of the equipment I have on hand.

Inspiration is a funny thing.

The Bridge... shot a couple hours ago.

 

 

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[Kiwimac]

The lens I wish I still owned more than any other is the 35 Apo Cron. 

Tiny, brilliantly made and as close to flawless as makes no difference. 
 

At the moment, my 35 is the LLL 8E. It’s also very good but nobody could call it flawless. That’s no fault of LLL, by the way. It’s simply the age of the design and the material science. 
 

I’m using the Apo 50 Cron at the moment which is also amazing - possibly even more amazing than its 35 cousin. 
 

I’m evaluating whether 50 is still my thing to such an extent that I can convince myself that using the best of the best is justified. 
 

Back in the days when film SLRs came with 50 lenses almost as standard, I used 50 for about 5 years exclusively because as a schoolboy I couldn’t really afford any other lenses. I never really felt I was missing out. 
 

Now, I might well say that 35 is more versatile and that if I was allocating budget accordingly, my 50 Apo could be replaced by the standard Cron or Lux and the bulk of the funds spent on the 35 Apo. Or maybe I’ll buy the Voigtlander 35 Apo, although the size of it would be a drag.