noah_addis Posted August 9, 2009 Share #21 Posted August 9, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) If I'm not mistaken, Noah Addis, a forum contributor and IMHO a great photojournalist loves this lens: you may want to check his portfolio. Thanks Ecar for the kind words. I'm redoing my site so some of my projects aren't back online yet but nearly everything that's up so far is M8 work. Lens choices are very personal and depend on what you want and need to do your work. But I would forget about upgrading to the 35 Summilux if you're doing it because of some subtle difference in optical fingerprints. I would only switch if you absolutely NEED the faster aperture. It sounds like you're happy with your 35 'cron so it might not make sense to switch. The 24 Elmarit quickly became my favorite lens for the M8 right after I got it. It's a great focal length on the M8 and the lens itself is amazing. I've since traded mine for a 24 'Lux, but I hated to part with the Elmarit and it is a special lens. I'm sure the Elmar is good too, but for me the difference in speed is significant. I have a 35 'Lux as well. I think the focus shift is inherent in the design, but from what I understand some lenses might front-focus a tiny bit wide open and this minimizes the rearward focus shift at F2-4. Mine must be set up this way, since it appears sharp wide open and at all apertures. I don't shoot brick walls or newspaper pages, but the images are sharp in 12x18in prints so that's proof enough for me. My normal kit for the last year has been two M8 bodies and 24 and 50mm lenses and I can't see changing that. (I also travel with a 21ASPH and 75 Cron and that's it. My other lenses are pretty much in storage in case I go back to shooting film or a full-frame M camera comes out.) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted August 9, 2009 Posted August 9, 2009 Hi noah_addis, Take a look here Dilemna upgrade to 35 lux or get 24 Elmarit?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
glenerrolrd Posted August 9, 2009 Share #22 Posted August 9, 2009 Noah This might be a bit off topic but I am interested in your lens choices(I bought your 35/2 asph BP). I shoot primarily for myself but try to take on each opportunity as a professional PJ would. So 2 weeks street shooting in Paris would require a kit of 5-6 lenses and 2 bodies. For the type of work shown in your portfolio....faster lenses would seem a real value. I find that the 2.8 limit on the 21 and 24 asph to be "limiting" . My assumptions(because yours may differ)....1. people move so even if I am steady below 1/60 is more luck than skill 2. ISO above 640 on the M8 requires precise exposure ....1 stop under on say a face kills the image. 3.. Night shooting even with street lights requires about 1.4 at 1/60 and care in subject selection. I have tried every combination between 18-50 and find (cost aside..I know a real issue) that the 21 or 24 1.4asph and the 35 1.4 asph on the M8 are the best combination for street PJ work with the M8. If we ever see FF ....the 28/2 will be the sweet spot and then the combination maybe a 28 and a 50. The relevant point to this thread would be that the type of photography you do determines the requirements (e.g. a 24/3.8 might be sharper on the edges but for a PJ the extra speed of a 24/2.8 is way more important and the opposite if you shoot landscape or architecture). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLV Posted August 9, 2009 Author Share #23 Posted August 9, 2009 Noah, I find your portofolio breathtaking. The wall distroyed with the Vuitton logos is one of a kind, but I loved all of them. I will go for the Elmarit and will train myself to this focal lenght. Thanks to all, Warm regards, Jean-Luc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
noah_addis Posted August 9, 2009 Share #24 Posted August 9, 2009 Noah This might be a bit off topic but I am interested in your lens choices(I bought your 35/2 asph BP). I shoot primarily for myself but try to take on each opportunity as a professional PJ would. So 2 weeks street shooting in Paris would require a kit of 5-6 lenses and 2 bodies. For the type of work shown in your portfolio....faster lenses would seem a real value. I find that the 2.8 limit on the 21 and 24 asph to be "limiting" . My assumptions(because yours may differ)....1. people move so even if I am steady below 1/60 is more luck than skill 2. ISO above 640 on the M8 requires precise exposure ....1 stop under on say a face kills the image. 3.. Night shooting even with street lights requires about 1.4 at 1/60 and care in subject selection. I have tried every combination between 18-50 and find (cost aside..I know a real issue) that the 21 or 24 1.4asph and the 35 1.4 asph on the M8 are the best combination for street PJ work with the M8. If we ever see FF ....the 28/2 will be the sweet spot and then the combination maybe a 28 and a 50. The relevant point to this thread would be that the type of photography you do determines the requirements (e.g. a 24/3.8 might be sharper on the edges but for a PJ the extra speed of a 24/2.8 is way more important and the opposite if you shoot landscape or architecture). Hope you're enjoying the 35 'Cron! Faster lenses are basically required for my work. And on top of that, slow 'sunny day' lenses are of little use, since I'm often shooting outdoors in nice light but then the project might take me into a dark home or business where I need the wider apertures. I might add that I don't like fast lenses for the super-shallow DOF look. I prefer to have some depth to my images, and this is actually why I like rangefinders so I can see what's going on in the whole frame, even the out of focus areas. But when the light gets low I often need the wide apertures. You're right to an extent--while I can handhold my M8 at 1/4 sec or slower with a wide lens, subject movement definitely can be a problem at slower speeds. I don't mind some motion blur in my images, often I like some slight blur as it can add atmosphere and depth to an image. But at least having the option to freeze subject motion is preferable. And even at F/1.4, I'm often shooting at very slow shutter speeds to work in very low light. I don't go above ISO 640 and prefer to stay at 320. Anyway, with film/full frame my primary lens was always a 28mm or 35mm with a slight preference for the former. I tried the 21mm but it felt wider to me on the M8 than its 28mm effective focal length would suggest. Also I don't mind the external finder for a less-frequently used wide lens, but I don't like using one for my primary lens. As soon as I tried the 24 Elmarit, I knew it was the ideal lens for my work. On the M8 the 32mm EFOV is between my two favorite film lenses, so it's perfect for my preferences. For most PJ and documentary work fast lenses are important. F/2.8 is already a bit slow, so a 24 Elmar for example doesn't interest me, though of course it would be great for landscape and architecture and other uses. As I've said before I've settled on the 24/1.4 and a 50/1.4 Pre-Asph for my main kit. I carry the same kit for local street work, weddings or an extended overseas trip for a project or assignment. When I travel I also take a 21 Elmarit ASPH and 75 'Cron as backups or for special circumstances. They rarely get used but backup is a must for me. I initially wasn't going to go for one of the new Summiluxes but as I realized how much I like the 24 focal length, and since it's really my main lens and I was using a 24mm 90% of the time or more, I was able to justify it. I was really hoping for a 24/2 that would be smaller and maybe cheaper, but I've settled in nicely with the F/1.4. I think you're on the right track. I would think a 24/35 or 24/50 kit would be perfect for street and documentary work. And while the fast lenses are great, I don't want people out there to think that you can't do good work with less expensive gear. I could do just fine most of the time with F/2.8 or F/2 lenses. A 24 Elmarit and 35 or 50 Summicron is a world-class kit and also has the benefit of being more compact. If I weren't doing this professionally and didn't have editors to answer to, I'd probably only own two lenses, the 24 Elmarit and my 50 pre-asph. JEAN LUC-thanks! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
yanidel Posted August 9, 2009 Share #25 Posted August 9, 2009 Noah, The work shown on your website is amazing. A question on it : Do you actually go into the Favelas with the M8 and the 24 Lux ? I would already hesitate a lot in doing that in some suburbs of Paris but in a favela ... these are among the most dangerous place on earth, how did you handle that out of curiosity ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
noah_addis Posted August 10, 2009 Share #26 Posted August 10, 2009 Noah, The work shown on your website is amazing. A question on it : Do you actually go into the Favelas with the M8 and the 24 Lux ? I would already hesitate a lot in doing that in some suburbs of Paris but in a favela ... these are among the most dangerous place on earth, how did you handle that out of curiosity ? Thanks, I appreciate it. I didn't have the 24 'lux last time I went to Brazil, but I will next time and I'll definitely take it. Last time I was using the Elmarit. I've never had a problem in the favelas, they're actually not bad so long as you talk to the right people and get permission to shoot first. The vast majority of residents are very kind and welcoming. They're just trying to get by and provide for their families like everyone else. Like anywhere else, it's about being street smart and aware of your surroundings. And of course my gear is insured. I get more attention when shooting with larger gear. I think a large SLR (even an obsolete Canon or Nikon like the ones I used to use at my newspaper job) look more expensive than a little rangefinder camera. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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