15 or 75?

[cbass]

My employer gave me a bonus this week and I've decided to treat myself to a new lens for my RF kit. I use Bessa R and L bodies along with the following lenses: CV 25/4, CV 35/2.5 and a J-8 50/2.0. I'd like to add either a CV super-wide or short tele to round out the kit.

I've been following the threads started by users of the CV 15mm and it seems like a fun lens. I don't know much about the 75/2.5. The few reports I've read indicate that it's a very good lens but that can be difficult to focus accurately. Part of me also thinks that 75mm is "too long" for an RF ( but perhaps that's just convention messing with my head! 😉 ).

Should I go for the 15 and use it as part of a two-lens WA travel & landscape kit with the Bessa L & 25/4? Or should I go for the 75 and have a 35-50-75 RF-coupled group for use with the R body? I would appreciate any advice from users of either lens.

I'm traveling to Europe at the end of March so I'll be making the lens purchase early next week. Thanks in advance for any tips.

 

[wrenhunter]

Hmm, tough call. I have similar equipment (see my signature). My first instinct is the 75, because you already have wides in the 25 and 35, but you don't have a portrait lens.

Then you have the Europe trip coming up. Are you the kind of person who takes "street portraits" while travelling (or would like to)? If so, that's two counts for the 75. If not, the 15 could allow for some great landscape and architecture shots.

One other consideration: there are cheaper long LTM lenses than the 75 but there isn't a cheap alternative to the CV 15 (afaik). Since this is a bonus, you may prefer to splurge on the 15 and pick up a J-9 or 90 Elmar in a month or two.

 

[Fred]

I have the 15 and love it. Just got the 21 and a Bessa L also.

The 75 has been on my shopping list a while now but in real terms it needs to focus correctly to get the best out of it. The Bessa R is more than capable of this but the L is in a different ball park. For portraits using the R the 75 should be good, The 90 Lanthar is also an option for the R. Having just got an L to complement my M Leica my choice may well have a bias. Love the L by the way, The M gets out a tad less these days.

 

[back alley]

the 75 is a great lens and balances nicely on the r.
i think that the 35/75 is a near perfect combo, especially for travel.

it is not as specialized as the 15 and might be used more.
you owe it to yourself to try it and discover a 'slightly' longer lens.

joe

 

[gustav[] pEña]

I own both

I own both

I own both. the 15mm is always in my camera. The 15mm is a story teller. I like that. but I guess that depends on you.


gustav[] pEña

 

[dostacos]

for your trip I would also suggest the 75mm over the 15. being able to take pictures of people with getting "in their face" is nice

 

[Doug]

I have both as well, and used equally rarely. The 15 takes some learning to make good use of, and that can be a usefully interesting challenge. The 15 can be useful in small spaces or interiors like museums & cathedrals to grab more volume. The 75 is easier of course, but I don't often have use for lenses longer than 40mm. This is a personal-preference thing! Both would be fun and useful depending on your inclination.

 

[FPjohn]

A super normal...

A super normal...

Hello:

I find a 75 to be a "super" normal lens - more adhesive than a 50mm and posessed of a reach with out the flattening which is suggested by a 90. That said it requires a bit more distance than a 50 so a 35/75 combo might be an ideal travel pair. ' Cannot comment on a 15mm.

Best of light for your trip.
Frank

 

[BillBingham2]

Chris,

Again, I am the weird one here and I love long lenses. My standard kit is a 25/40/105. I have way too much stuff and include the 75 and 15. I have not shot enough with the 15 to feel comfortable with it.

I’m not a big fan of the Russian 85s, I have not had good luck finding one that focuses correctly, one was off 3 inches, the other off 6. I have heard great things of the Steinheil Munchen 85/2.8, but never had one.

I have loaned (my wife forbids me from giving) my son an R 35/1.7 and 75/2.5 lens set and have been very surprised at how well the set feels. I think if you put your 25 on an L, you have a perfect travel kit.

The 15 would be great to catch the grandeur of large special places, but I am not sure how many of those you run into. Originally, I thought the 75 was too short, but the framelines on the R are Big and clear. It has a great balance, wonder feel and it’s nice and sharp.

I would go with the 75 and find the extra pennies to get an L at the same time (if you do not have one yet). CameraQuest has the L at a discount of you get it with a lens!

Hope this helps.

B2 (;->

 

[cbass]

Wow, thanks so much for all the advice! I did not realize there were so many of you who use both lenses. The few pictures in my gallery sort of tell the story of what I like to shoot -- mostly people (candids, not posed portraits), interiors and landscapes/cityscapes.

You bring up good points about the 75/2.5 -- It will allow me to take photos without getting in anyone's face and it's fast enough for indoor use. Plus, it does not require an accessory VF on the Bessa R. I'll leave the L at home this time...I've already done enough obsessing over gear and I don't feel like lugging two bodies around Paris.

So, I think the kit for this trip will be the Bessa R with the 25, 35 and 75. Thanks again to everyone for helping with the decision.

Now, do I purchase from CameraQuest or PhotoVillage...? 😉 Ha, ha...

 

[BillBingham2]

Chris,

Bring the L and leave it in the room along with an extra pair of batteries or two. The L is a great back up, just in case.

I would carry both, not around the neck. Leave the 25 on the L and put it my bag, pull it out when I want it. Much quicker than switching lenses. While you can leave the finder on the R, I do not find the L adding that much weight to my case.

I've had great luck from both, though I do much more business with Stephen.

Good luck, stay safe and have fun!!!

B2 (;->

 

[x-ray]

I don't shoot Bessa but do have the 15 that I use on my Leica M's. I also have the Leica 75 and the 90. The 15 is a fantastic lens but one that I rarely use. It's just too wide for general use however it's one of those lenses that there's no substitute for when you need it. I am not really a landscape photographer but did study with Ansel Adams in the mid seventies. If you study his work you'll see that very few shots were done with a wide much less a ultra wide. Most of his work was done with normal to moderate teles.

As to my preferences for the perfect two lenses, if I could only own two it would be a 35 and 90. I've owned almost everything from 15 to 200 for my leica M's. I currently own the 15, 21, (just sold my 28), 35, 50, 75, 90 and 135. I almost never used the 28 and sold it and rarely use the 135. My main kit is the 35, 50, 75 and 90. In my Nikon RF kit I have the 24 CV, 35, 50, 85 and 105. When I was building my kit for the Leicas the 24 wasn't available otherwise I might have purchased the 24 rather than the 21. My reasnoning behing the 90 vs the 75 for my longer lens is that the 75 is very close to the 50. It's a very valuable lens when I want to work a little closer to my subject but it doesn't have much reach. The 90 is ideal for portraits and allows a slight compression and at wide apertures it will render the background a little softer. The 90 has a bit more reach and seems to fit my needs very well. If i couldn't own a 90 then i would pick the 35 and 75.


http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=5045

 

[Talisker]

Bit late in on this one. They are both good lenses. Its suprising how quickly you can get used to the angle of view on the 15mm - I was out with it yesterday and hadf to do a double check that I had the 15mm finder mounted and not the 24mm! The 75mm is very sharp and quite compact (if you take the hood off). Given the rest of your outfit I would agree with your decision to go for the 75mm - it is likely to open up more possibilities, particularly with the type of 'long' views you can get.

 

[dostacos]

Wow, thanks so much for all the advice! I did not realize there were so many of you who use both lenses. The few pictures in my gallery sort of tell the story of what I like to shoot -- mostly people (candids, not posed portraits), interiors and landscapes/cityscapes.

You bring up good points about the 75/2.5 -- It will allow me to take photos without getting in anyone's face and it's fast enough for indoor use. Plus, it does not require an accessory VF on the Bessa R. I'll leave the L at home this time...I've already done enough obsessing over gear and I don't feel like lugging two bodies around Paris.

So, I think the kit for this trip will be the Bessa R with the 25, 35 and 75. Thanks again to everyone for helping with the decision.

Now, do I purchase from CameraQuest or PhotoVillage...? 😉 Ha, ha...

easy for you to say.... if I use CameraQuest I pay SALE TAX PhotoVillage no tax higher and LONGER shipping costs and time :bang:

so far I have stuck with Cameraquset the sales tax is worth the 2 day MAX shipping times been happy with all my dealings.....

 

[cbass]

After reading everyone's comments and thinking about my needs and the type of shooting I prefer, I have decided against purchasing any more gear. I am going to save my money and travel with my usual kit: the Bessa L & 25/4 for scenics & interiors and the Vivitar 35 ES (fixed 40/1.7) for everything else. One body for B&W and the other for color. Both will easily fit in my Timbuk2 bag and it won't be a financial or emotional disaster if they are lost or stolen. I will also carry a tiny digital P&S in my pocket.

I am going to enjoy my holiday instead of worrying about my gear. Again, please allow me to thank you all for your valuable advice. :angel: This is why I enjoy visitng this site so often.

 

[pdx138]

This is a great thread. Travelling is a great excuse to indulge in some GAS. I've been thinkin about the same issues for an upcoming trip to Hong Kong. I have 25, 28, 35, and plenty of 50s, but no ultra-wides and no teles.

When traveling, I like to get as much context as possible, so an ultra-wide seems like a great travel lens and I've been thinking about getting a 15 for my L. But this thread is actually taming by GAS (for once) and I think the 25 or 28 will probably be plenty wide enough for my purposes.

I want to bring two bodies max and do as little lens switching as possible, so I might limit myself to two lenses also. What do you all thnik would complement the 25 in a travel kit? I was kind of thinking of getting a canonet QL17 G-III for a quick AE shooter. So far I don't really feel much urge to go longer than 50. What do you all think of a 25 and 40 for travelling?

 

[rpsawin]

I have to agree with Back Alley. The 75mm combined with a 35mm is a great, classic shooting combination. I have the 75mm and it's my favorite lens. I use it far more often thn the 90mm. The results are consistantly excellent.

My 15mm rarely see action. I expect to use it in my landscape work later this spring.

Bob

 

[Rick Waldroup]

I hate changing lenses. Yesterday, I was at a street festival in Dallas for over 12 hours. I never carry a camera bag unless I really, really have to. I wear a vest. I shot the fesitval with a Bessa L with a 25mm. That rode in a inside pocket in the vest. I also had a Bessa R2 with a 75mm lens and an R3A with a 40mm lens. Both of those I wore on straps on the outside of my vest. I loaded up 2 pockets with 15 rolls of Neopan. All I shoot is B&W. I shot 2 rolls in the L, 3 rolls in the R3A , and a surprising 5 rolls in the R2 with the 75mm. I say surprising because I normally shoot with a Konica 90mm and I had just recently purchased the CV 75mm. It is a really nice lens to use and I was astounded at how much I used it. I processed all the film this morning and the results with the 75mm were excellent. So I am right there with Joe- for a 2 lens set I think I would take the 35 or 40mm and the 75. It made for a great combination yesterday. I would highly recommend the 75mm to anyone.

 

[AGN]

I enjoy the CV35 and CV75 with my IIIa. I also take along a 50 Elmar, being collapsible, I can place the camera in a pocket if necessary. Like a previous member stated, when using this kit, I wear a vest and eliminate a bag. My vote is for the CV75.

 

[stevenellis]

I use the 15mm all the time; it is super sharp and dramatic!