50mm, 35mm, then 21mm or 15mm?

bigdog

bigdog

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For those of you who have both a 21mm and 15mm, which would better round out a 50mm, 35mm kit? If I go too wide I am not sure it won't end up being a task specific lens that sits in my bag.

I have considered a 25mm but it seems it may be too close to my 35mm. I'm shooting with an R2a.

Is there a big jump in field of view going from the 15mm to 21mm? I anticipate my next wide lens will be used for landscape and architecture shots, primarily outdoor shots.

Any input on the image quality, light fall off etc. in comparing these two lenses?
 
There is a huge difference between 21mm and 15mm. I've never shot the same scene with both, so I can't show you direct comparisons.
21mm is very wide, but easier to control. It says "ultra-wide" where 15mm screams it.

21mm landscape
2344000513_aa7f796b5d_o.jpg


15mm landscape
2341692107_4845b602df_o.jpg


A lot of people consider 15mm to be gimmicky. I think it just depends on the application. Sometimes a gimmick is just what you want.

15mm
2365067160_8f3dd6a0c3_o.jpg


I have both lenses. On the hike that produced the landscpe shots above, I had each lens on its own body.
I guess that's not much help for your choice because my solution was to get both.
 
I've only shot 18mm (rectilinear) and FE 180 deg. on ff film SLR, but IMHO, 28 FF is as wide as you will usually need to go unless you are looking for special effects.
 
My 21 get significantly more use.

Except on the M8, where 15/16 equates to 20/21.

That's why I'd like a 4/16-18-21 Tri-Elmar. When I had one on loan, I used it mostly at 16 on the M8 and 21 on the MP.

A 25 is a nice, moderate WA, quite different from 35. A 28 is, for me, neither one thing nor the other: not a wide standard like 35, not a real wide-angle like 25 or (better still) 21. But my wife Frances Schultz reckons she'd be happy with 18-28-50-90.

Cheers,

R.

YMMV.

Cheers,

R.
 
I have a 21, 25, 35, 50, and used to have a 15 (and may yet once again).

The ultra WA of the 15 makes composition a challenge, and I guess that's part of the fun. The downside is that anytime you go out with the 15, you'd inevitably need another lens with you, for general use.

The AOV of the 21 makes it a better utility lens. I think it is a better fit with the 35 and 50, although IMHO, a better option would be to get a 25 now, and then get a 15 later.

Just my $0.02 (which is worth even less these days) 🙁

Keith
 
I have both the 21 and the 15, and if choosing one of them to accompany a 50+35 setup, I'd definitely go for the 21.

The 15 is fun, but it's very easy to end up with lots of gimmicky "look how wide this is" shots, and for me it's not really suitable for general-purpose use.

But I do find the 21 to be very useful indeed - on my last photo trip I had CV 50, 28 and 21mm lenses with me, and that made a great combination.
 
21-35-50-90 really is my thing - but may not be yours, of course. I'd certainly go with 21 first. As you ask for 15 vs. 21, I don't think the 25 will suit you.
 
Difference between 35 and 50 is the same as 25 and 35 so, in theory, the trifecta should be 25, 35 and 50. 20, 28 and 40 have the same spacing. (The factor in each case is 1.4).

But throwing theory out the window, I'd go for the 21. There's too big a difference between 15 and 35.
 
I have a similar problem with deciding what lens to get to fill the gap between 35mm and my 15mm Heliar. Just when I think a 25mm is exactly what I actually need ... I have doubts and start thinking about 21mm ... then I change my mind again. Oh well ... I'm broke at the moment so it's not an issue!

It's a focal minefield out there people! 😛
 
I would seeeeeriously consider something longer than 21mm to close up the gap with 35mm. 28 mm is significantly wider and 25/24 very much wider than 35 with a VERY significant impact on the appearance of things in the frame. I would go 24/5 or even 28 and add a 21 later.
 
I couldn't do without my 24mm Elmarit, no matter what other lenses I had or didn't have. It is certainly not too close to the 35 to consider! Actually a 25mm lens covers exactly twice the area of a 35mm. (The change in area coverage is proportional to the square of a change in focal length. (35/25=1.4; 1.4 squared = 2) And a 24mm is just a tiny bit wider than that.

Rob's law: "The difference in the picture is greater than the numerical difference in focal length."

I might not take the 21 and 24 on the same trip, but I do take 24, 28, and 35; or else 21, 28, and 35. I'd leave the 50 home before the 24.
 
back alley said:
25/35/50 is a near perfect kit, lots of difference between 25 and 35.
Click to expand...

My experience mirrors this. And this is my M mount kit.

I get a lot of use from my ContaxG mount 21mm Biogon but that kit also has the 28mm Biogon.

I had my 15mm Heilar for a month and sold it. At least I sold it to a friend so I can borrow it back if I need it again.
 
I have a 15, a 21, and a 25. I use the 21 most, but if the 25 was the coupled version, I might use it more. After playing around with a lot of options, I found that the classic 21, 35, 50, 90mm lens progression works best for me. But I also really like 25 paired with the 50 for a two lens kit. There are probably about as many ideas on the best lens progression as there are photographers, so take what you read with a grain of salt. As usual, you'll need to play around with a few lenses yourself to make the best decision for you.

As for the 15mm, I use mine very little. In fact, several years ago I sold it- then later regretted it, and replaced it. It still sees very little use, especially next to the 21. But every so often, I find myself in a situation where nothing else will do. For those shots, it's nice to know it's in my bag. I've learned my lesson. I'll keep this one.
 
I find 21 easier to use because it's usually rf coupled. I had a 21, 35, 50, 90 Voigtlander kit for my M3 but have since ditched 50 and 35 in favor of 40 and the 90 for 85. So now my kit is just 21, 40, 85, all quite different from each other. (the 85 is a jupiter-9, fast, cheap, light) For you though I might go 15 because it's easier to tell apart from 35, and maybe you could sell the 50 and get a 75. It's good to work with doubling.
 
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