battle of the 28mm

[meandihagee]

hello everyone,

i decided to give a shot at this lens for hyperfocal, quick, blam-blam shooting.

people here hold the cv 28/3.5 in high esteem, but is there a better option in terms of size and nice drawing with both bw and color for this type of lens?

the zeiss looks pretty glorious, but a bit pricey and i think it will block a r4 viewfinder. anyone uses this combo?

thanks

 

[healyzh]

The Voigtlander 28mm f/3.5 looks interesting, but it was discounted over 4 years ago. I have their 28mm f/2 Ultron, it has definite backfocus issues wide open (at least on the M9), and I question its sharpness at times.

The lens I want is the Leica 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M ASPH, but I'm going to have to save up for it.

 

[sanmich]

In the VC price range you also have a nice canon f/3.5.

 

[Moriturii]

Let's not forget Konica M-Hexanon 28mm f2.8. Same build and optical quality of Leica Elmarit 28m f2.8.

 

[EthanFrank]

I have no complaints about my Voigtlander 28mm Ultron f/1.9.

 

[jsrockit]

IMO:

The CV 3.5 is the best under $500.00 28mm lens
The ZM is the best under $1,000.00 28mm lens
The Elmarit ASPH is the best under $2,000.00 28mm lens

 

[Tompas]

I like my Ultron 2/28. It's nice to use both in 'street use' (in which I nevertheless prefer my Snapshot Skopar 4/25) and in available light situations. Best used on a R4m or R4a, I guess.

I also have an apparently rare Ricoh GR 2.8/28 in LTM. Also very nice, but since I got the Ultron I don't use it very often anymore. Plus it's in chrome finish while most of my cameras are black... 😉

 

[meandihagee]

I like my Ultron 2/28. It's nice to use both in 'street use' (in which I nevertheless prefer my Snapshot Skopar 4/25) and in available light situations. Best used on a R4m or R4a, I guess.

I also have an apparently rare Ricoh GR 2.8/28 in LTM. Also very nice, but since I got the Ultron I don't use it very often anymore. Plus it's in chrome finish while most of my cameras are black... 😉

how's the blocking with the ultron on the r4? i guess it would be the same with the biogon.

 

[sazerac]

How about 35?

How about 35?

Do you have a similar list for the 35mm focal length?

IMO:

The CV 3.5 is the best under $500.00 28mm lens
The ZM is the best under $1,000.00 28mm lens
The Elmarit ASPH is the best under $2,000.00 28mm lens

 

[Pikapig]

how about the nikkor 2.8cm f3.5 as well as the canon 2.8 f3.5

 

[jsrockit]

Do you have a similar list for the 35mm focal length?

Sure. These are just my opinion though and based on me shooting the lenses... not on scientific data.

Under $500 - CV Color Skopar 2.5
Under $1000 - Zeiss 35mm C-Biogon 2.8
Under $1500 - Leica Summicron Version 3 or Summarit 2.5
Under $2000 - Leica Summicron V4
Over $2000 - I have no idea.

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

You can carry a medium format camera... That will give you way better tone and sharpness. Unless you're doing real street shooting, it's the best option if those are your goals.

For fast street shooting, those (superb tone and sharpness) are not a priority... The differences between a CV3.5 and a Leica2.8Asph when both are stopped down, prefocused and handheld, with ISO400 film, are close to nothing: everything in the image and all we do as photographers will matter a lot more than the lens... When a street photograph is great, no one thinks about image quality... It's not about that... Any decent lens is more than enough for B&W and color...

If you haven't owned one of them before, look for the smallest (shortest) 28mm lenses and give one of them a try... The R4M has uncluttered frame lines for 28mm, and with the CV3.5 without hood you are really unobtrusive... The whole set is incredibly flat! I can place it in my jeans pockets...

Size matters a lot IMO... Sometimes you won't be seen, but lots of times we are seen, and we better have a flat camera/lens set those times, to be able to get the shot, and even keep shooting around...

I carry a fast 40 and a fast 50 and a HexarAF too, for low light/difficult focusing situations, but I'd never add a millimeter to my 28 for getting more speed: I have never used it at 3.5 or 4 or 5.6 in my life! It's my most used lens just because of its size, and its image quality is a lot higher than I need for my photography.

If you have already owned a Bessa R4M with a CV 28 3.5, please ignore this well intentioned advice...

Cheers,

Juan

 

[meandihagee]

You can carry a medium format camera... That will give you way better tone and sharpness. Unless you're doing real street shooting, it's the best option if those are your goals.

For fast street shooting, those (superb tone and sharpness) are not a priority... The differences between a CV3.5 and a Leica2.8Asph when both are stopped down, prefocused and handheld, with ISO400 film, are close to nothing: everything in the image and all we do as photographers will matter a lot more than the lens... When a street photograph is great, no one thinks about image quality... It's not about that... Any decent lens is more than enough for B&W and color...

If you haven't owned one of them before, look for the smallest (shortest) 28mm lenses and give one of them a try... The R4M has uncluttered frame lines for 28mm, and with the CV3.5 without hood you are really unobtrusive... The whole set is incredibly flat! I can place it in my jeans pockets...

Size matters a lot IMO... Sometimes you won't be seen, but lots of times we are seen, and we better have a flat camera/lens set those times, to be able to get the shot, and even keep shooting around...

I carry a fast 40 and a fast 50 and a HexarAF too, for low light/difficult focusing situations, but I'd never add a millimeter to my 28 for getting more speed: I have never used it at 3.5 or 4 or 5.6 in my life! It's my most used lens just because of its size, and its image quality is a lot higher than I need for my photography.

If you have already owned a Bessa R4M with a CV 28 3.5, please ignore this well intentioned advice...

Cheers,

Juan

thanks for the good thoughts and advice, everybody.

Juan, you're definitely right. r4+28/3.5 is the perfect combo for the job. But I kinda feel I'm going to regret not dropping that cash on a ZM. I want to print as big as I can and I feel that the ZM will make some difference there.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

The Kobalux 28/3.5 is an incredible lens too. These days they run from about $450 on up to $800ish depending upon the condition and more so, depending upon the seller.

Phil Forrest

 

[sanmich]

just to add about the

hyperfocal, quick, blam-blam shooting.

The CV is superior in another way: its lever allows you to prefocus very effectively.
I really think it's the best blam-blam shooter, due to its flatness as Juan so rightly pointed.

 

[raid]

The Kobalux 28/3.5 is an incredible lens too. These days they run from about $450 on up to $800ish depending upon the condition and more so, depending upon the seller.

Phil Forrest

I was just about to mention this lens here. I sold the Canon 28/3.5 but I kept the Kobalux and I also kept the Rokkor 28mm 2.8.

 

[ferider]

I have CV 28/3.5 and 28/1.9 - nothing else required in addition to that pair.

If you get a good sample, under most conditions, the 28/1.9 runs circles around any other 28mm lens but the 28 Summicron. Confirmed by Puts 🙂

Cheers,

Roland.

 

[rpsawin]

Let's not forget Konica M-Hexanon 28mm f2.8. Same build and optical quality of Leica Elmarit 28m f2.8.

Agreed...excellent lens!

Bob

 

[rpsawin]

I have no complaints about my Voigtlander 28mm Ultron f/1.9.

Yes...this is an excellent lens and you really don't hear much about them. I think most who own one keep them.

Bob

 

[Tompas]

how's the blocking with the ultron on the r4? i guess it would be the same with the biogon.

You see the lens in the bottom right corner of the 28mm frame, but according to my taste it's not too bad. I got used to it very quickly. YMMV, of course.