28mm vs 35mm

In my eyes a 35mm is not a real wide angle. It is a normal lens that shows a little more than a 50mm. ;-)

With a 28mm you start to get a wide angle effect. So it depends on what you want to get...
 
The choice of focal lenght is very personal, everyone has a diferent taste for it. So it is dificult to advice. If you have the feeling you described at the start of this thread - go for it and try it for yourself. I have looked at your photos on flickr and I think that you will like the 28mm fl. And the Ultron itself as well. It's marvelous lens and I love mine. Although I use the 35 Skopar as my carry-everywhere lens for it's size, my favourit is the Ultron. I take it every time I feel I need to be "inside" in the action. Last time I took it when my daughter was born and I think it was right:
http://www.fstop.cz/e/slavik/410-am/
 
First of thanks for all the answers!



Michaelbialecki,

the first picture is great! And yeah, although they are pretty close they don't look too distordted to me.

Well... I think I'd like to go fort a 28mm lens. Now I just have to decide if the Ultron isn't too big for me and my bag, but that's different topic. *g*






<offtopic>
I've got another question and I don't want to start a new thread for this: If I want to attach the Ultron on the R4A I need a LTM<->M adapter. For the Leica I have to choose a fitting adapter due to the automaticly upcoming frames. With the R4A I have to set that manually. Do I need s specific adapter then? Or... just any one?
</offtopic>
 
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For the R4A you don't need a 28/90 LTM>M adapter, for the reason you stated. Looking ahead, however, to a potential Leica purchase, however far off, you might as well get the appropriate adapter just in case you are overcome by GAS. Remember what forum you're on...
 
I keep that im mind.. *g* but I don't think I can afford a M6, M7 or M8 in the near future, so... ; D


But okay... just to get it right (sry): I can use the adapter I use with the 35mm color-skopar for the R4A/Ultron 28mm combo as well as I set the frame lines manually?
 
der.chris.tian said:
I keep that im mind.. *g* but I don't think I can afford a M6, M7 or M8 in the near future, so...
Click to expand...

Meterless Ms cost considerably less than the Ms on your list, though not everyone likes to go meterless. For me, sharing one adapter between lenses wouldn't be worth the inconvenience.
 
As mentioned in the first post, I already own a M4-2 (but just like the M2 and M3 it has no 28mm frame).

I also wouldn't share the adapter, coz I'd sell the 35mm color-slopar - see first post. ; D
 
Try not to sell anything unless you know you don't want to use it anymore. I'd suggest you find a nice used 28 and an accessory 28 finder to put on top of the camera. For that matter, since the M6 finds room for 28mm framelines in the very same viewfinder your M4-2 has, I'll bet you can just use your full finder window to approximate 28mm field of view anyway. Then if you find you like 28 a lot more than 35, you can sell the idle 35 later. Getting a Bessa 4 to replace your M4-2 is quite a change of commitment too; try to avoid selling your Leica if at all possible, just my 2 ¢ents...

Doug--the accumulator
 
i just started using a 35mm summicron asph, and i can already say that shooting indoors is much easier with a 28mm.
 
Doug,
as I wear glasses and so I already have problems to see the 35mm frame correctly, taking the full viewfinder for 28mm is no opportunity for me. Plus, I don't want to use an external viewfinder, coz I like to focus properly. I don't shoot much in "infinity mode" and/or f11, you know...

Aizan,
yea, I think so, too.
 
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der.chris.tian said:
Hi,

okay... this sounds like a dumb question, but... what do your prefer for street and
reportage stuff? I own a M4-2 with a 35mm color-skopar and somehow the idea
comes up to sell this gear for a R4A with a Ultron 28mm. I don't why.

Actually, I have the feeling that with 35mm I am not "in the situation" - almost
like working with a tele. With 28mm it seems one is involved. What do you think
about that? Is this maybe some kind of "trend trap" I'm going to fall into, or what? ; D

Just to bring up an example:


1560057608_ad1e43c1b0.jpg


This is shot with the 35mm lens and although there are some lines, which should
increase a feeling of depth and perspective, it doesn't really looks wide-angle to me.
I'd just like to see some other positions just to get some more input. Do you know
this kind of issue?
Click to expand...

You hit the nail on the head. That's why I love the 28mm focal length. It's my normal lens. It forces you to be part of the scene, to enter it. I know a lot of people hate this length, but I find it one of the most useful.

Keep your M4-2. There is nothing wrong in using external viewfinders. Especially with glasses, you'll be able to see the framelines.
 
Sorry, I forgot your 1st post said you have an M4-2. I also have one, & there's no way I'd trade it for an R4. I got the M4-2 rather than the slightly more expensive M4P because I have a ZI 25, so 28 frame lines are irrelevant for me. Focus 1st, verify composition in the acc. VF, shoot. Didn't take too much practice to get it down, and to shoot reasonably quickly. Since the LTM>M adapters cost the same for whatever focal lengths, my preference would be the correct one. I thought you were going to share the adapter because of post #25.
 
kbg32,
it has nothing to do with "right" or "wrong". I just want to be able to focus with the original viewfinder. I'd like to keep the M4-2, but you know... it's the money thing.


grainhound,
as stated above... this switching between viewfinders is no solution for me, sry. As to the adapter: I'd take the adapter off the 35mm before I sell it and use it with the Ultron.
 
There's a video out there somewhere which shows Winogrand street shooting with the 28 on a Leica M and an accessory finder. He appears to judge focus by distance then quickly raises the finder to the eye and shoots. Depth of field is your friend.
 
With 28mm you get a wider FoV compared to the 35mm but I didn't find the difference so big that I sold my 28mm and kept the 21mm. 21mm needs an external VF anyway (except when using some of these Bessa cameras) and works better with zone-focusing compared to the 28mm, IMHO.
 
visiondr said:
There's a video out there somewhere which shows Winogrand street shooting with the 28 on a Leica M and an accessory finder. He appears to judge focus by distance then quickly raises the finder to the eye and shoots. Depth of field is your friend.
Click to expand...


That sounds right. I think the video you 're referring to is the one where he was shooting in LA (?), where the strong Californian light allowed for a nicely closed down 28 lens and lots of DOF.

The 28mm focal length forces upon you a very particular, very intimate (in the sense of physical proximity) kind of street shooting and that leads to a very specific look in the pictures. Of course, the same can be said for all focal lengths but it's the 28mm that made me distinctly aware of it. I personally prefer it for indoor, available light portraits where the composition (and the clatter that tends to creep in) can be kept under control but there's little doubt that some people work magic with it on the street.
 
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