Homage to the 50mm focal length

nico said:
I'd add, for my experience, that the 50mm is a good "storyteller".
Ciao 🙂
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I couldn't have said it better!

The 50; able to isolate a subject, and able to give a clue about the context at the same time.. perfect..
 
pvdhaar said:
The 50; able to isolate a subject, and able to give a clue about the context at the same time.. perfect..
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That just about nails it, I'd say. To me, it's the most versatile FL.

I went out shooting last night with my 35mm. I had a hell of a time making it work for me. I felt like a fish on land. Lately, I've used my 50mm for about 90% of my shooting. It's the FL I'm used to. It's always been the easiest one for me to use.

Add me to the 'Gang of 50'.
 
I do like my old 50 Elmar (it dont have serial, so I dont know how old it is), and results that it makes...especially when I remember pull out the damn lens barrel before taking the picture... :bang: 😀

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For me, 50 is nearly always the first choice, for street, portraits, landscapes, abstracts, whatever. Every other focal length apart from 40/42mm feels like trying to fit a composition to match the FL of the lens I'm using, but with a 50 I nearly always get exactly the composition I saw before I lifted the camera to my eye.

I like 28mm on occasion too, but it could never be my standard lens.

Nowadays my lens collection is limited entirely to one 28 and a couple of 50s. Don't feel the need to add to it.

Ian
 
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Thanks for your story, Bosk.

Sometimes I think of trying something wide, but then I realise that so far my 35mm didn´t get that much use. I prefer 50mm. It´s how I see. Nevertheless I go on trying to find a relationship to 35mm.

Thomas
 
No, I don`t like it at all. No matter how I tried, the answers is no. With the 50 I`m allways too close, and I find it also very very boring FL. You need a ladder to make it interesting, and the DOF is very limiting. A very difficult FL to make an interesting shot, but I know it can be done... I just can´t, and I´m tired to make it happen.:bang:
 
All the 50mm FL lenses that I have used gave excellent results but I just never could live with only a 50. I don't do street and maybe that is part of it. The 35 is my most used lens. I do own a 50/3.5 Elmar with no serial number and believe that it is from a period when Leica lenses first became interchangeable with various bodies. Just a surprising lens to use even today. Nice to see someone can eventually get it and maybe I'll have another go too.

Bob
 
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