Guest moonwrack Posted February 13, 2008 Share #1 Posted February 13, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) Stereotypically, having reached retirement age, I bought an M6 (and then another!). After using them for some months - for attempted 'art' photography of landscapes - I find that the only lenses I am using are of 35mm and 50mm focal length, although I also have a 90mm and a 28mm. I think this has something to do with the way of seeing with a rangefinder. I realise that this contains more of a personal statement about my style of work but I don't think I am unique. Has anyone else had a similar experience? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 13, 2008 Posted February 13, 2008 Hi Guest moonwrack, Take a look here Most useful lenses with M Leica. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
RITskellar Posted February 13, 2008 Share #2 Posted February 13, 2008 I'm quite boring. I use only a 35mm Summicron and 50mm Summilux & Summicron. I have a 90mm Elmarit, but I touch it only 2-3 times a year for special needs. I find too many choices detracts from me thinking about the stories and composition. I use a couple MP bodies with a different lens on each or different film. Beyond that, I try to keep it as simple as possible. Good luck with your new M6's! Cheers, Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizard Posted February 13, 2008 Share #3 Posted February 13, 2008 It is largely a personal thing. Most people favour certain focal lengths over others. I for example seem to obtain my best results with 35mm and 90mm, regardless of whether I use a rangefinder or an SLR, although lately I have had more and more success with other focal lengths as well, e.g. 19mm (on an R9). Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlancasterd Posted February 13, 2008 Share #4 Posted February 13, 2008 Stereotypically, having reached retirement age, I bought an M6 (and then another!). After using them for some months - for attempted 'art' photography of landscapes - I find that the only lenses I am using are of 35mm and 50mm focal length, although I also have a 90mm and a 28mm. I think this has something to do with the way of seeing with a rangefinder. I realise that this contains more of a personal statement about my style of work but I don't think I am unique. Has anyone else had a similar experience? For my main work of railway photography with an M8 I find I use a 28mm most often, followed by a 35mm and then the 15mm (or 12mm if things are really tight). My 50 and 90 get used very rarely. This equates fairly closely to your main use of the 35 and 50 on an M6 - although the 15mm 'becomes' a 21mm on the M8, so I do go quite a lot wider on occasion, and then I often have to fiddle with perspective correction in PhotoShop. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
garygsandhu Posted February 13, 2008 Share #5 Posted February 13, 2008 28 on an M6. 50 on an M3. 21 on an M8 Maybe I should just get fixed focal length cameras? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pelican Posted February 13, 2008 Share #6 Posted February 13, 2008 My Leica M8 is just one month old and I only have one lense which is Summicron-M 1:2/50mm 6-Bit Coded. I'm so happy with it and highly recommended it. In the future, I'm planning to buy a wide angle lense for travel and landscape purposes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eyedeebee Posted February 13, 2008 Share #7 Posted February 13, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) I use mostly a Elmar 50, sometimes a Elmar 90, but have just (today!) got a CV 35 - so we'll see how that goes. I went to a talk by an Architectural photographer last week, who was selling the virtues of very wide angle lenses - I'm sort of thinking about trying one of the CV 12/15 lenses - anyone got any experience of these? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ndjambrose Posted February 13, 2008 Share #8 Posted February 13, 2008 I use 21, 28, 50 and 90. The least useful length to me is 21mm; I find to make the most of this length really requires a dominant foreground subject, or else the desire to make a statement about space. But the others I use almost equally. In fact, for landscapes, it's often the 90 that I prefer the most. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photoskeptic Posted February 13, 2008 Share #9 Posted February 13, 2008 When I first started rangefinder (Leica) photography I bought all the "standard" lenses. 28, 50, 90 & 135. After several years I found the only ones I really used were the 28 & 50, so I sold the others. Then I sold the 28. When the M8 came out, I used my 50 on it and my film M, swapping back and forth. But the 50 on the M8 wasn't really a 50 so I got a 35. Now the 35 lives on the M8 and the 50 for the M3. So two lenses pretty much does it for me. Oh yeah, almost forgot about when I want really wide, then it's the CV 15! But in actuality, I don't have to carry the 15 what with all those neat stitching programs available now Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bastian A. Posted February 13, 2008 Share #10 Posted February 13, 2008 35mm + 50mm. Sometimes 21mm or 90mm, but not very often. But it's nearly the same with SLR cameras. B. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBA Posted February 13, 2008 Share #11 Posted February 13, 2008 I have a 35 and 90 that I use with an M6. After using the 35 for months, I got a 90 and immediately found that it captured photos as I'd envisioned them. This past weekend, I rented an MP and 50 Summilux, and shot at least one roll of all the films I use the most under a variety of lighting conditions. This should give me an accurate sense of how the 50 works for me, but my initial impression is that it's an enormously versatile lens. I think these three could cover all my M lens needs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted February 13, 2008 Share #12 Posted February 13, 2008 I use a 25 with (viewfinder) and 50 on the lllf, and 35 or 90 (sometimes a 50) on the M2. I think my overall favourite 'general' lens is the 35 although I also like a 28 on an SLR. For travel photography I reckon a 35 and 90 prime will cover nearly every situation. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PATB Posted February 13, 2008 Share #13 Posted February 13, 2008 I mostly use 50 Lux ASPH, 50 Cron, and 35 Cron -- in that order. Indoors, mostly the 50 lux. Outdoors, I prefer the 50 Cron (my favorite due to light weight and sharpness; but not as fast as the Lux), except when in a crowded area, where I use the 35. I also have a ZM 21/4.5 that I rarely use. If I could only have one, definitely the 50 Lux (personal preference). I only have one MP (saving for another). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted February 13, 2008 Share #14 Posted February 13, 2008 I have 15, 28, 35, 50, 75 and 90 in LTM and 35, 40, 50 and 90 in M-mount. All of the LTMs can be used on the M, of course. The "holy trinity" is 35-50-90. Everybody differs, of course. If I had to be restricted to one lens it would be a 50, regardless of mount. That said, I find myself using wider lenses with the LTMs than with the Ms. A two-lens set for an M for me would be 35-75 or 40-90, but on an LTM it would be more likely 28-50. Regards, Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
j. white Posted February 13, 2008 Share #15 Posted February 13, 2008 Indeed, 35-50-90 is the set that I use and am quite happy with. Some of this related to the size of the framelines on the M6 with .72 magnification - the 35, 50, and 90 are the most comfortable for viewing with glasses. I also have a 28 available on the Tri-Elmar, but find that I only use it when the 35 is just not quite wide enough - and this is something of a rarity. -J. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
usefeet Posted February 13, 2008 Share #16 Posted February 13, 2008 It can pay to attach a lens you use least, and have a go with that for a few weeks, ...it's amazing how you get new eyes! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamey Posted February 13, 2008 Share #17 Posted February 13, 2008 With me, it's the 35mm f2..ASPH on the M7. Simply superb. Ken. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted February 13, 2008 Share #18 Posted February 13, 2008 On a film M then it would have to be the 35mm ASPH Summicron. Simply an outstanding lens. In my film days it took 80-90% of everything I shot. William's idea of using an underused lens is very good advise. Strap a 15mm to the camera and the world looks like a very different place. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotografr Posted February 14, 2008 Share #19 Posted February 14, 2008 I doubt your experience is all that unusual. I think wide lenses are difficult to use with a rangefinder because you really can't envision the image you are creating. You can see the parameters, but it's not the same. I have always used 35mm and longer much more than wide lenses--the one exception being when I shoot interiors for architects and builders. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
photophile Posted February 14, 2008 Share #20 Posted February 14, 2008 my m6 is most at home with my 35 cron - however, I find my 21 extraordinarily good for hyperfocal shooting in candid reportage situations. it has become an almost constant companion. good luck with your 6. it is a fabulous camera. best. CH Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.