POLL: How did I end up with this lens collection???

And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack
And you may find yourself in another part of the world
And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife
And you may ask yourself-well...how did I get here?
--Talking Heads, "Once in a Lifetime"

I ask myself this last question about all kinds of things, including lenses!
 
...and here are my current lenses:

25/4 CV Snapshot-Skopar
35/2 Summicron-asph.
50/1.4 Summilux pre-asph.
50/2 M-Hexanon
50/2 Summicron collapsible (en route)
50/2 Jupiter 8
50/2.8 Elmar-M
90/2.8 Elmarit-M
 
Should unload some...

35/3.5 Elmar
35/3.5 Summaron
35/2.8 Canon Serenar Type 2
50/1.4 Nikkor S.C.
50/1.5 Summarit
50/2.0 Summicron Collapsible
50/2.0 Summicron
65/3.5 Elmar
85/2.0 Canon Serenar Type 2
90/2.0 Summicron
90/4.0 Elmar
105/3.5 Noflexar
135/2.8 Elmarit
135/3.5 Nikkor
135/4.0 Tele-Elmar
135/4.5 Hektor
135/4.5 Hektor
135/4.5 Hektor
200/4.5 Telyt
200/4.0 Telyt

Very few of my lenses were acquired for an exact reason. Most were either inherited, gifts, part of a group or came with a camera.

For example, the Noflexar came with the bellows I wanted, The 135 Nikkor, I got mainly because I wanted the 135mm viewfinder that came with it. All of the Hektors were part of package deals.
 
It's a sickness I tell you... and it's nice to see that I'm not alone with this affliction, nor do I have the worst case.

Syndromes of my affliction:

RF Bodies: 4 film and 1 digital.

Lenses: 15, 21, 25, 35 (2), 50 (4), 75, 90

I also have a DSLR body and 5 lenses (down from almost 20 when I used to shoot SLR's/DSLR's exclusively).
 
OK, list of my lenses:

CV 28mm Skopar
CV 35mm Skopar
Jupiter-3 50mm
Jupiter-8 50mm
Industar 61LD 55mm
FED 50mm f/3.5 collapsible
Leica 50mm f/2.8 Elmar
Jupiter-9 85mm
Jupiter-11 135mm

I have been very pleased with all of my Soviet glass. Any shortcomings in image quality are due to the photographer (me) not the lenses.
 
I like these "show-off"- threads ... 😀

let's see ... I still have (m-mount):

21/3.4 Super-Angulon-M
35/1.4 Summilux
35/2 Summicron-M IV
50/1.0 Noctilux
90/2.0 Summicron-M (just received)

I used for some time (and have sold) ...
CV 15/4.5, CV 35/2.5 PII, ZM 25/2.8, 35/2.8 Summaron, 35/3.5 Summaron, 35/2.0 Canon, 40/2.0 Summicron-C, CV 50/1.5 ASPH, 50/1.4 Summilux, 50/2.0 Summicron Rigid I, 50/2.0 Summicron Rigid II, 50/2.0 Summicron dual-range, 90/2.8 TE thin, 2x 90/2.8 Elmarit-M
 
Yes Gadge, it's been a downhill slope for me as well. About 5 years ago I'd just got sick of lugging a huge bag of SLR gear around and one night spied a new Hexar RF kit in a shop in the Adelaide Central Market. The idea of going back to a small camera with just a 50 seemed like a breath of fresh air. However they had a super special deal with the kit plus the 28 and 90 Hex M's that I couldn't pass up. And that was the beginning of the end. Since then I've added in order a CV21, 35 Hex UC, CV75, Zeiss18 Distagon and a Hex 50 2.4. (plus a new M6 ttl). All I can say is thank goodness middle age affluence has allowed me to afford it.
 
One body and lens for each walk.

I find I relax more on my photography walks if I have only one camera body and one lens with me. So, I go out with:

R3A with CV 40 or 75, or
Bessa T with CV 25, or
IIIc with CV 28 or 50.

And whichever gets to go out on my walk gets to sit snugly with a few rolls of film in my new little one-camera Domke bag.
 
I too seem to have acquired quite a pile of glass, without really trying. My first RF was a zorki (2, 3?) like the old SM leicas, with it came the standard collapsible industar elmar clone. I also picked up a sticky 80/2, and a nice light 135/4. After deciding that I liked this RF business, I managed to score a beat up M3, in good working condition. 6 months later I had a lens to match-summilux v1- And it was all downhill from there.
Currently (not counting fixed lens RF)
M: VC 15/4.5(w/M adapter) 50/1.4(v1), 50/2 (DR), 90/2 (v2), and 135/2.8
SM: (Canon) 85/2, 135/3.5 (Nikon) 35/2.5 and Summarit 50/1.5
Also, it seems to be picking up speed, all of the screwmount lenses (except the 15) and the IIIf to put them on were all purchased this year (2008) I'm also considering adding a 28 or a 21 to the mix.

Oddly enough, I tend to shoot one lens, one body. Every now and then I'll take a second body and lens. (one fun recent combo IIIf w/85, M3 w/15) If I'm feeling really adventurous, I'll throw and extra lens into my bag. Usually though, it's just one camera. Mostly the M3, but more and more the IIIf.
 
35 x 2
50 x 2
75 x 1

My all-round body is my MP, so I will use any of these lenses on my MP. But I love shooting my longer focal lengths on my M3....same for the 35s on my M2.

I am very grateful to have the tools that I do; versatile functionality.
 
35 / 3.5 Summaron
50 / 2 Summicron (tabbed, 80s)
50 / 2 Summar
90 / 2.8 Hexanon

Body: Hexar RF

These are all less than a year old. So many possibilities here; such good glass. It seems the majority of my "keeper" shots come from the Summicron. But each has done something amazing at some point. Can't see parting with any. Sometimes I think a new lens is kinda like a new adopted pet: it'll be all adorable at first, to convince you not to return it to the pound.
 
I haven't really thought about what I have, but this thread got me counting. I started with Rangefinder cameras in end Feb/early Mar 08. Not being familiar with a lot of things, some friends with bad influences and a severe case of GAS, I have accumulated 20 bodies, mostly VC, 2 Leica and 2 ZI and 50 lens (from 12 to 135mm) in the past 5 months.

Lenses
12 X 01 - VC
15 X 02 - VC
21 X 02 - VC
25 X 01 - VC
28 X 04 - VC, Canon, Leica
35 X 11 - VC, Canon, Leica
40 X 03 - VC, Rollei
50 X 18 - VC, Canon, Nikkor, Leica
75 X 02 - VC, Leica
85 X 01 - Canon
90 X 02 - VC, Leica
100 X 01 - Canon
135 X 02 - Canon

I use all my gear, but not quite as frequently. I'm sure I'll be thining out what I don't find suitable to my liking in the future, especially in the 35/50 department.

Cheers,
 
Wow, some of you have a lot of lenses. 😛
I bought an M at the end of June and bought the following lenses:

- 28/2.8 Elmarit ASPH
- 35/2 Summicron IV
- 50/1.4 Summilux ASPH
- 90/2 Summicron

Now I am done buying and broke. Which is almost the same 😀
 
35 summicron v4
75 summicron asph

You asked how did I end up with this lens collection. By trial and error. Tried and sold 24 elmarit asph and summicron 50 v3 canon 28 2.8. and the rokkor 90. All very nice lenses but they all seemed wrong for me and how I look at things. They became complications not simplifications and clarifications. The two lenses I have are very satisfying. Especially the 35 v4 which for BW is a wonderful lens whose sensitivity continues to surprise me in terms of how it renders light. The 75 is a bit intimidating, clearly a kin to the 35 but fussier. I have a good working relationship with the 35 but don't pretend to understand that 75, so it keeps me intrigued.
 
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