back alley
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i had planned, after selling off half of my canon gear, on buying the zm 28/2.8 lens.
the wider look has started to appeal to me more and i thought i had a few good shots from the canon 28.
but then talk turned to the 25/2.8 lens.
zeissfan speaks very highly of it and his blog has some very nice shots taken with it.
i started to wonder if the 25 was a better way to go, especially since my other zm lens is the 35.
25 & 35 or 28 & 35, which is a better combo?
would the 25 be 'better' for street shooting than a 28?
or would a 25 be harder to use on the move?
any discussion on this subject would help me in deciding.
thanks.
joe
the wider look has started to appeal to me more and i thought i had a few good shots from the canon 28.
but then talk turned to the 25/2.8 lens.
zeissfan speaks very highly of it and his blog has some very nice shots taken with it.
i started to wonder if the 25 was a better way to go, especially since my other zm lens is the 35.
25 & 35 or 28 & 35, which is a better combo?
would the 25 be 'better' for street shooting than a 28?
or would a 25 be harder to use on the move?
any discussion on this subject would help me in deciding.
thanks.
joe
billwheeler
Established
From what I read about the new Zeiss lenses, the 25mm lens is supposed to be outstanding, one of the best if not THE best lens in the lineup, and would nicely compliment your 35mm lens. I'd go for the 25mm lens (or excellent 21mm lens!).
darkkavenger
Massimiliano Mortillaro
my little finger says 25mm ... 
C
ch1
Guest
Joe,
If you can "swing" it cost-wise, I would go with a 25/35 combo. I have a 28 CV for my Nikon system and like it. But I'd love a 25 instead.
Those 3mm make a "big" difference (espescially if you want to shoot both f/l's of the same subject).
If you can "swing" it cost-wise, I would go with a 25/35 combo. I have a 28 CV for my Nikon system and like it. But I'd love a 25 instead.
Those 3mm make a "big" difference (espescially if you want to shoot both f/l's of the same subject).
back alley
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any words of wisdom re. use of the wider lens.
i think the widest lens i ever owned was a 24 (tho i borrowed a 17-35 zoom once) and i recall lots of poor shots with it.
of course that was many moons ago and i was not then the shooter i am today.
for once i am not too concerned about the cash. i sold enough gear last night to cover either lens + shade and maybe a domke 5xb bag.
i think the widest lens i ever owned was a 24 (tho i borrowed a 17-35 zoom once) and i recall lots of poor shots with it.
of course that was many moons ago and i was not then the shooter i am today.
for once i am not too concerned about the cash. i sold enough gear last night to cover either lens + shade and maybe a domke 5xb bag.
Andrew Touchon
Well-known
back alley said:any words of wisdom re. use of the wider lens.
i think the widest lens i ever owned was a 24 (tho i borrowed a 17-35 zoom once) and i recall lots of poor shots with it.
of course that was many moons ago and i was not then the shooter i am today.
for once i am not too concerned about the cash. i sold enough gear last night to cover either lens + shade and maybe a domke 5xb bag.
I would opt for the 25 since you already have the 35.
C
ch1
Guest
back alley said:any words of wisdom re. use of the wider lens.
i think the widest lens i ever owned was a 24 (tho i borrowed a 17-35 zoom once) and i recall lots of poor shots with it.
of course that was many moons ago and i was not then the shooter i am today.
for once i am not too concerned about the cash. i sold enough gear last night to cover either lens + shade and maybe a domke 5xb bag.
I have an 18-35 Quantary AF SLR lens. But I bought it for using on my D70 dSLR which has a lens factor of 1.5.
Never tried it on my SLRs at the widest - not quite a fisheye to be sure - but could get a bit "weird".
I think the 25 is about as low as I would go for general shooting - some might want 20 but not sure it would "work" for me given subject I like to shoot (such as builidings which already I have a conveging verticals problem at 35!).
Since you are CDN$ capable - buy the 25 and shoot it for a couple of weeks. You can always sell it (or trade in) for the 28 if you're not "satisfied".
back alley
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...I think the 25 is about as low as I would go for general shooting...
maybe that's a better question...is the 25 too wide for general shooting?
joe
maybe that's a better question...is the 25 too wide for general shooting?
joe
Joerg
Dilettant
Joe,
I like the 35mm 25mm combo alot. Somehow I prefer the 35mm over 50mm and never warmed to 28mm lenses because the view is not that different from the 35mm that feet would not cover the difference. The 25mm will allow great shooting in tight spaces (backalleys?) and make for terrific landscape.
Ciao
Joerg
I like the 35mm 25mm combo alot. Somehow I prefer the 35mm over 50mm and never warmed to 28mm lenses because the view is not that different from the 35mm that feet would not cover the difference. The 25mm will allow great shooting in tight spaces (backalleys?) and make for terrific landscape.
Ciao
Joerg
Huck Finn
Well-known
Joe, Bill Wheeler is correct about the reputation of the 25. When I was in New York at the Zeiss Ikon exhibit, Erland Pettersson of Hasselblad told me that the 25/2.8 Biogon is the best lens in the line-up in terms of resolution, which seems to be consistent with their posting on the Zeiss website today. However, I understand your dilemma. You've got those nice 28 frame lines built in, so why not take advantage of them? Actually, I wonder if you can learn to use the 28 framess with the 25 as a guide.
Huck
Huck
C
ch1
Guest
back alley said:
Your first statement is the correct one.
I don't think you'll regret going for the 25. As I said above, lower than that gets into "specialty" needs (IMHO). But I think that a kit with a 25 has a solid "foundation" lens. Your can top off at 85/90 or 105/135 depending on system and desire - but I don't think you'll ever regret having a 25 instead of a 28 at the bottom.
darkkavenger
Massimiliano Mortillaro
The 25 should be nice in situations with huge crowds and scenic captures. I think it's a nice addition to your 35mm
N
Nikon Bob
Guest
Joe
With my Nikon FM2n my favourite set of lenses was 24/35/85. I used the 24 indoors a lot and for scenics. I am trying a 28 for it's closer focussing and less distortion in the corners. You really have to watch out for camera tilt when using the 24 and I think the 25 Zeiss would be the same as opposed to the 28mm FL. If you like wide I would vote with the others for the 25mm.
Nikon Bob
With my Nikon FM2n my favourite set of lenses was 24/35/85. I used the 24 indoors a lot and for scenics. I am trying a 28 for it's closer focussing and less distortion in the corners. You really have to watch out for camera tilt when using the 24 and I think the 25 Zeiss would be the same as opposed to the 28mm FL. If you like wide I would vote with the others for the 25mm.
Nikon Bob
I really like the look of the photos I took when we were in NYC with my CV 21. The only criticism I have of them is a common fault/error that I made that day, I wasn't close enough to my subject. The super wide angle lens is an intimate tool. Sure, you capture a whole lot of environment in your photos, but you have to be real close to make it really work. I am sure that 25 is not as drastic as 21, but it is a step closer than the 28. I like the thought of the 25, would love the opportunity to use one. Think in terms of what you see with your eyes when you are in a group of people or walking the streets. You know the view of a 28mm lens, can you see wider than that? Is it more natural for you? I think I tend to see generally wide, 28 or wider, or focused on something specific, 50mm.
K
Kyle
Guest
I like the 25mm field of view. I think that the 25/35 combo is the better choice over the 28/35. Lots of people on here use the CV 25/Bessa L combo for street shooting and love it, so I'm sure the ZM 25/ZI combo would be awesome as well.
peter_n
Veteran
One way of testing the waters is to beg, borrow or steal a 24 or 25mm viewfinder and walk around with it. I recently acquired a 24mm lens and it is all very new but I really like the focal length. I think a 25/35/50/90 kit would be just perfect...
hoot
green behind the ears
You can use the 28mm without an external finder. In practice, this is a huge advantage. Personally, I find it extremely annoying to change both the lens and the finder while out shooting, but it really depends on your shooting style.
I wouldn't get hung up on which lens is considered optically superior. To risk repeating an old saw, most of the iconic street photographs we know were taken with lenses that are crap by today's standards. The best camera/lens combo is the one that becomes an extension of your body. To me, an external finder adds bulk and slightly increases the time needed to take a photo.
Just my 2c...
I wouldn't get hung up on which lens is considered optically superior. To risk repeating an old saw, most of the iconic street photographs we know were taken with lenses that are crap by today's standards. The best camera/lens combo is the one that becomes an extension of your body. To me, an external finder adds bulk and slightly increases the time needed to take a photo.
Just my 2c...
back alley
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for the zi it's gonna be a 25 or 28 and the 35 kit for now along with a canon 50 in there.
i have been walking around here with the zi in hand and looking through the finder with the 28 fl popped up and there is not radically more room around those framelines.
i think i could live with a 25.
tho it does seem a shame to waste those built in 28 fl.
and i just realized that stephen at cq takes paypal. i might just help the economy tonight and spread the buying around california.
joe
i have been walking around here with the zi in hand and looking through the finder with the 28 fl popped up and there is not radically more room around those framelines.
i think i could live with a 25.
tho it does seem a shame to waste those built in 28 fl.
and i just realized that stephen at cq takes paypal. i might just help the economy tonight and spread the buying around california.
joe
Trius
Waiting on Maitani
I don't want to confuse things here (but I'm sure I will)... my conventional thinking used to be that 28 is close enough to 35 that the natural choice would be to go to 24/25. So on my SLRs, I skipped 28 and went to ... well, I went to 21 cuz there was a deal I just couldn't refuse. But years later (like last year), I got a couple of 28s for the kit and whaddya know, 28 IS different enough from 35 that I was really surprised. It's not just field of view, it's perspective, and drawing.
So now I DON'T have a 24/25 and so I can't comment on how different it looks/feels from a 28. All I know is that for ME, 21 is really comfortable as a wide lens, and I THINK a 24/25 would not give me a wide enough FOV and feel now that I am addicted to the 21. I consider 35 pretty normal for a lot of situations, 28 "wide-normal", and 21 wide. 42 is "longish-normal" and 50 is the close to "telephoto normal"/lens for isolating stuff and for presenting the eye's natural view without peripheral vision.
If I had this choice, I'd be in a real quandry because the 25 seems such a stellar lens. My suspicions is you won't be getting a 21 for the ZI, so 25 would be almost the default choice. And yes, 25 is a good street shooter. But that extra 3mm of FOV means taking more care in framing. Street shooting is about context, but too much context can reduce visual impact.
OK, I'll shut up and hope you're not more uncertain than before. :bang:
So now I DON'T have a 24/25 and so I can't comment on how different it looks/feels from a 28. All I know is that for ME, 21 is really comfortable as a wide lens, and I THINK a 24/25 would not give me a wide enough FOV and feel now that I am addicted to the 21. I consider 35 pretty normal for a lot of situations, 28 "wide-normal", and 21 wide. 42 is "longish-normal" and 50 is the close to "telephoto normal"/lens for isolating stuff and for presenting the eye's natural view without peripheral vision.
If I had this choice, I'd be in a real quandry because the 25 seems such a stellar lens. My suspicions is you won't be getting a 21 for the ZI, so 25 would be almost the default choice. And yes, 25 is a good street shooter. But that extra 3mm of FOV means taking more care in framing. Street shooting is about context, but too much context can reduce visual impact.
OK, I'll shut up and hope you're not more uncertain than before. :bang:
back alley
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now you've done it earl...i'm gettin' a 50!