50mm vs 35mm... sharpness, bokeh, and versatility on M

[asimrazakhan]

<p>I'm not sure what specifically I want to ask.... but I guess i'd like to get peoples opinions of the benefits of a 35mm focal length versus a 50mm focal length.</p>

<p>I've used 35mm lenses on various brands for years. I've also used a 43mm on a Pentax extensively. In fact I replaced my Pentax 50mm for the Limited 43mm and 77mm lenses and was quite happy with the combo.</p>

<p>Now I've just recently gotten a Leica M6 with a CV 35mm and a 75mm and I'm at times thinking that I might be better off with just a 50mm along with a very wide such as a 24mm. I like shooting with the Leica.</p>

<p>I shoot only travel photography... which itself includes a variety of styles. I like to take environmental portraits, landscapes, street and architecture shots, as well as minimalist detail shots (a doorknob, a pot of flowers, a cat sitting on a wall, etc...). </p>

<p>using the 35 gets me thinking that I could improve my environmental portraits with a 50mm as well as take detail shots without having to switch to a longer lens ... there would be less distortion and enhanced out of focus blur. </p>

<p>and i could have a 24mm for my wide shots. </p>

<p>I guess the feedback from this question would lead me to ask whats a better combo.... 24, 50, and 90... OR... 21, 35, 75.</p>

<p>By the way... I've thought of the 40mm lens route but have decided against it.</p>

<p> </p>

[Robin Smith]

<p>My favorite for your type of photography is 28/50/90. 35/75 makes an ideal 2 lens kit, and for me a 1 lens kit would always be just the 50mm.</p>

<p>Personally, I would prefer a 28/50mm rather than a 24/50mm double act if you want this kind of spread, if only because you do not need a separate viewfinder for a 28mm.</p>

[soeren_engelbrecht1]

Not to sound rude, but with your

extensive experience, who are we to

know better than you what would be

the best solution for your needs ??

 

Personally, I prefer a 28/50

combination for minimalism, but then

my style is likely different...

[leslie_cheung]

<p>I used to bring 21/35/90 for travel though I had a 28mm and 50mm as well. My logic was: If I was going to use an ex.VF (which I hate) might as well as go really wide. For normal street shooting I'd just bring the 28/35/90. It is a highly personal decision... </p>

[michael_a._shapiro]

<p>First, be certain to have a 50. Use it all the time. Then, if you find a need for another length, buy it. Don't think about concepts or kits. Make sure the lens doesn't block the viewfinder.</p>

[rgerraty]

<p>What Robin Smith said. Except that I am happy to trouble myself to have the 25 and viewfinder. I can't see the 28 framelines of my M6 anyway. A 50 is great. You've convinced yourself already. Bill Pierce over on rangefinderforum told a great story of rediscovering the 50mm focal length. He was habitually using a 35, the 'get it all in' PJ's focal length of the time, and he and his friend swapped cameras to take a photograph of each other so that each would have a photograph of themselves on their film. Bill was stunned to see this wonderful view through his friend's remarkable short telephoto lens. It was a 50. Some people have lots of 50s, more than they have copies of other focal lengths. I have two 50s and have had three in all. I never fully appreciated it until I had shorter focal lengths. I am out to 21 so far and each widening of my view gives me increased appreciation of the previously widest focal length. </p>

[jim_jones3]

<p>I usually carried a 21, 35, 50, 90, and 135 with my M4. Probably half of the shots were taken with the 50, and many of the rest with the 35 and 90. I rarely used the 21. Other people have different shooting styles, though. Wide open spaces favor longer lenses; cramped cities often demand something like the 21.</p>

[mukul_dube]

<p>The 35 (street) and 75 (portrait and detail) combination should cover most things. For architectural and landscape work -- but only if you do enough of that to justify the expense -- you might add a 24 or a 21. I have a 35 and a 75 and a 90, and I use those: but the lens that spends the most time on my camera is a 50. If ever I whittle down to two lenses, I'll probably opt for 50-90 rather than 35-75: though that will only be because I know those lengths better. The 35-75 will be the choice if my vision should deteriorate.</p>

[Uhooru]

<p>Pretty much a 35. used to be a 50 but about 5 years ago i got used to the 35. Never felt i needed any thing else for walk around photography since.</p>

[Rob F.]

<p>The M6/M7/MP have very undersized 50mm framelines. I seldom bother with a 50 on these models. If I want to use a 50, I'm more likely to have it on my M2 or M3, which have more realistically sized 50mm framelines. I get very frustrated trying to use a 50 on an M6. The frameline only covers, at a distance of say 12 to 15 feet, the same area as the 60mm on an R6.</p>

<p>Even with a more reasonably sized frameline, I still find the 50mm focal length too tight for most shots. You have used 35mm and 43mm lenses extensively, and you don't seem to say they are too wide. I think you might be unhappy with only a 50. I certainly would be! There is just not enough room in the frame!</p>

<p>Take your M6 out for a walk, and try framing scenes with the 50mm framelines, using the frameline selector. See if you think you'll be happy with a 50. I bet not.</p>

[anthony_brookes5]

<p>This is a prennial question which always receives varied answers. It all depends on what you want your photographs to be. If you like wide sweepng landscapes then a little distortion is almost undetectable. If you like photographing people nearby then a 35mm will distort their faces. I tend to photograph anything that catches my eye so I don't want any distortion. I don't mind not being able to pack in the whole scene so I use a 50mm.( Actually a 40mm Summicron on an M8)</p>

[didier]

<p>I am a 50 guy. I prefer the 28/50 combo, rather than a 35.<br>

the more experience I get, the more I reduce my kit.. and the more I shoot with my 50.<br>

In the mountains : Elmar 50 + 'cron 28. 80% of the shots with the wide angle.<br>

Anything else : 90% of my shots are with a 50. I use my (wonderful) 75 quite rarely, and the SAA 90 hasn't been used in months, not to say years...<br>

but this is just my liking</p>

<p>Didier</p>

<p> </p>

[jose_angel]

<p><em>"... the more experience I get, the more I reduce my kit.. and the more I shoot with my 50." </em>Me too. Absolutely. :)</p>

<p>My list: 24, 35, 50 and 90. I`m quite outlandish, you see ;)</p>

<p>The 35 and 50 are irreplaceable for travel photography; as <em>one lens </em>setup I take the 35 when I feel myself more interested in the environment, the 50 when I`m going with someone worthy of being photographed (or when I`m on big, open spaces).</p>

<p>About the 90, I got tired of using a bulky SLR for closer portraits and finished buying a 90. I scarcely use it, but I love to have it for that close up shots.</p>

<p>The 24 is my wide angle, also my most unused lens; don`t ask me why, maybe because for this kind of shots I use to take a DSLR... with either a 14-24, 24-xx or even a 24 prime, but rarely the Leica M. Maybe because the external viewfinder thing. Anyway, that 24-to 35 jump seem "natural" to me.</p>

<p>Every focal lenght in the M system is really nice, but if I have to be realistic, I don`t have the need of having all of them nor the budget needed, so I`m fine (more than fine, actually) with that four focal lenghts. The 75 is also nice, but I prefer something a little longer for portraiture... for a two lens setup I still prefer the 35-90 combo, or even the 24-50. If I were going with a 35-75 combo, I think I`d prefer the 50 alone. If the 24-75... I never felt the need of it.</p>

[ray .]

Sure does depend mostly on......... you.

[john_brewton]

<p>I used a 50 Cron for 90% of my Leica film camera shots. But when I got an M8 I bought a 35 Cron ASPH to most closely approximate a 50. When I tried the 35 on my M3 I just hated it. So defintely a 50, but not the Noct! I will play the contrarian here and suggest a 75 2.5 for when you want a little more reach. If you want wider I would go with the 28 Cron myself. But everyone's opinion is subjective so take my advice as do others...with a large grain of salt :)</p>