Best lens for street photography on Leica M10

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Dear Friends;

I will try to keep it simple: I am Leica M8 user. I will be selling my M8 and 50mm Summarit. I will be upgrading to Leica M10 very soon. I have a very limited budget. After Leica M10, I can afford only one life time lens. Options in my mind are 50mm Summilux or 35mm Summicron. On the long run I am not sure which one will do the job for good, since M10 is full frame and M8 was not. Which one do you think will be "the lens" for me. I really like street photography. I both shoot portraits and scenery. Which lens do you think will be enough as stand alone.

 

And last cliche question before my purchase: Silver or Black, which M10 would you choose and why?

 

Your comments appreciated in advance.

 

Hakan Karademir

Edited July 27, 2018 by William Michael

. . . Which one do you think will be "the lens" for me. I really like street photography. I both shoot portraits and scenery. Which lens do you think will be enough as stand alone. . .

 

Neither, without you giving more information.

 

Specifically, you presently use a 50mm lens on an M8. You state that you are considering a 50mm or a 35mm for use on an M10. Both these lenses, on the M10, will provide a wider FoV than what you have at the moment.

 

Let's make a comparison - in 135 Format terms: you're presently using the approximate equivalent of 67mm lens; OK, there's not much of a difference to using a 50mm lens, arguably you could get the similar Perspective and Framing in your Portraiture as when using the 50mm on the M8, by shooting a bit wide and cropping in Post Production.

 

But the change to a 35mm lens's FoV is, IMO, quite a different ball game: especially for Street Photography and Portraiture.

 

So the information I think we need from you is the answers to these questions:

"Are you happy with the 50mm on the M8? Especially with respect the FoV are you finding any limitations concerning what you want to achieve in your Photography?"

 

WW

I both shoot portraits and scenery.

 

Camera brand aside...If you like to make street portraits with environmental context, consider a 35mm (on a full frame cam) lens. When I was shooting a lot of street portraits on a Canon DSLR, my only lens used for many years was a 35mm f/1.4. There was nothing sweeter.

Edited July 24, 2018 by Brad_

Just my 2ct: I'd stay away from the 50mm 'lux. A 50mm 'cron is nice, sanely fast and as a street shooter you can't use the shallow DOF at f1.4. - If any Summilux is up for discussion, it should be a 35mm. - Don't ask me about bokeh or similar; I didn't care so far and haven't looked at the stuff you are pondering. - I get my 50mm 'cron focused on M8 or old Monochronm, so I am confident about a 35mm 'lux. Since I am struggling with my 90mms, I'd worry about f1.4 at 50mm.

 

Don't ask me which single(!) lens will make you happy for the rest of your life. - Personally I'd be leaning towards a 50mm, especially with something like portraits in mind but I don't buy a system camera to keep a single lens welded on it and call it my kit. - Sod that plan. Get a 35mm for starters if you want to try one and save up for a used 90mm Elmar C or similar to complement it. Or maybe even a 85mm Yongnuo on a beater EOS...

 

Yes, Leicas have their charm and can be droolworthy awesome but I'd want more than one lens.

 

Finishes: I lean a wee bit towards black, assuming that it will look rattier in the long run, which I'd consider an advantage. I wouldn't mind getting a 3rd body in chrome, to be able to keep them apart easily.

I'm not a street shooter but a lot of people love the 35mm. Some prefer the 28mm, such as Gary Winogrand:

 

Link: 10 Things Garry Winogrand Can Teach You About Street Photography

I find that I can usually do most things with 35mm in full frame. I have a 50 and 14 on a crop sensor so a 21 and 75mm equivalent and they are nice too. If just one, clearly a 35 for me.