28mm, what gives?

[agentlossing]

As I understand it, the OP is not looking for a 28 viewfinder. He is rather making a point about the use of the 28 FOV and the empirical evidence of a minority of 28 new lenses and accessories from Leica, Voigtlander etc.

IMHO the hegemony of phones photography is one reason people are looking for a different FOV in cameras.
The other is many photographers take the 28 for a too close FOV to 35. personally for me it is totally different in many ways.

28 is a difficult FOV to master. it is where a professional is apparent and also a very individual connection to a certain point of view.

Both 28 and 35 tempt the photographer to take shots standing back, taking it all in. 35 shots look okay this way. 28 shots look pushed out, creating an artificial distance from the subject or scene.

The real magic of the 28 is recognizing this: being further back pushes content away, getting close sucks it into the frame and gives it greater prominence in the composition. Working with these two factors and intentionally creating compositions around them makes the 28mm a very powerful lens. But it's easy to stop thinking about the way it must be used, and come away with lackluster results. Somehow a 35mm lens just works for everything you point it at, albeit with slightly less impact than other lenses.

 

[Bill Blackwell]

Accessory finders are becoming scarce in any FL due to digital screens and electronic view finders. However, there are still a small selection of 28mm finders still available.

Look here.

 

[james.liam]

Accessory finders are becoming scarce in any FL due to digital screens and electronic view finders. However, there are still a small selection of 28mm finders still available.

Look here.

But doesn't it stand to reason that with fewer people relying on finders, more should come to market 2nd-hand?

 

[Bill Blackwell]

But doesn't it stand to reason that with fewer people relying on finders, more should come to market 2nd-hand?

Not necessarily. You're more likely to hang on to something you don't use (or rarely use) if you can't ever replace it. Plus, remember that film use is on the rise, which accounts for the substantial increase in value of film M cameras no longer being produced. Those wide-angle lenses will need those (no longer produced) finders to go with them.

 

[james.liam]

Not necessarily. You're more likely to hang on to something you don't use (or rarely use) if you can't ever replace it. Plus, remember that film use is on the rise, which accounts for the substantial increase in value of film M cameras no longer being produced. Those wide-angle lenses will need those (no longer produced) finders to go with them.

Valid points. I ended up landing a Leica Universal (16-28) for a reasonable price. It is a little big but with the spirit level and parallax compensation, hard to beat.

 

[Bill Blackwell]

Valid points. I ended up landing a Leica Universal (16-28) for a reasonable price. It is a little big but with the spirit level and parallax compensation, hard to beat.

That's actually a good call! It's a one-stop-finder (down to 16/15, at least); its size is a reasonable compromise.

 

[Bill Blackwell]

After looking around for a 28mm viewfinder, ... There is no current offer of a high end brightline 28mm finder neither by Leica or Voigtlander (there are 25/21mm choices). ...

FWIW - the 28mm (FF) Fuji finder is currently available at Adorama for just 60 bucks!!! It is identical to the now discontinued 28mm finder once offered by Voigtlander.

 

[David Murphy]

The old Canon 28mm finders are pretty good for wide angle finders and not too expensive. They are usually found on eBay. They are not modern bright line finders, but in my experience notably more eye friendly than the typical vintage finder - nicely made too.

 

[Canyongazer]

Before I got into M Leica I never owned a 35mm focal length nor did I ever consider getting one. It was always 28(or 24), 50, and 85.

Totally get that, Ray. If you use 50mm as the pivot point, as I do, 35mm seems a snoozer.
28mm? Now that is a REAL wide angle!

 

[the_hunter]

Tell me about it. I was shocked to see how hard to find the old Nikon 28mm finders are to find (they are not even bright line) There is an old Voightlander one but they are hard to find and expensive.

 

[KenR]

28mm

28mm

For me the 28 is perfect, wide enough but not too wide. I find the 35mm isn’t wide enough and the 21 is too wide with too much distortion at the edges of the frame. Obviously everyone’s tastes and shooting styles are different.

 

[teddy]

28 is tough call or just another dross lens...
So, demand matching it. 28 is awesome in mass photography. Phones have 28. Do you need dedicated camera for selfies, drooling toddlers and crap you paid to be cooked? Camera and 28 attachable lens, less demand, not so many with balls and vision, capabilities.

This is an interesting comment and one I will agree with - and I'm having trouble accepting actually. I have only two 28mm lenses. The angle that comes with the Fuji XF 28-55 f4 Zoom (great zoom) but I only use the 35 and 55 end of it; and the OM Zuiko 28/3.5 (sharp). I have 8 50mm's and 5 35mm's in my stash for example.

I find the 28mm the most boring angle, but when there is REAL meat in the content - it is fine. A lens that works, BECAUSE of the content. Not a lot of distortion on the corners (shearing or whatever it's called) - but just too flat boring. I have not completly given up on it though. It is versatile enough for most situations, like instagraming bacon and eggs on toast, cats, photos of electrical lines at a distance and foggy photos of our dear old relatives.

Yes, setting at f8 for street will work just dandy. I don't do street - respect - but I don't like taking photos of uninterested folk looking sad as they walk.

I was also wondering - what does DROSS mean?

Have a nice day all - keep safe.

Olympus OM1n, OM Zuiko 28/3.5, Fuji 160s

 

[Rayt]

Before I got into M Leica I never owned a 35mm focal length nor did I ever consider getting one. It was always 28(or 24), 50, and 85.

Totally get that, Ray. If you use 50mm as the pivot point, as I do, 35mm seems a snoozer.
28mm? Now that is a REAL wide angle!

After getting the M6 I basically had to adapt to the camera. My go-to 50mm and 28mm merged into a single 35mm. The 35mm can do anything whether close up or far away. Also I could get a 35/1.4 in a small package whereas the 28mm only came in 2.8 with tight framelines. Since jumping into digital and live view I am using or at least try to shoot with a 28mm for street again and I must say it is a different animal not merely a wider 35mm.

 

[agentlossing]

Like I said, get close... you can drastically alter the relative importance of subjects and context via size.

R0000861 by Andrew Lossing, on Flickr

 

[David Murphy]

FWIW - the 28mm (FF) Fuji finder is currently available at Adorama for just 60 bucks!!! It is identical to the now discontinued 28mm finder once offered by Voigtlander.

Nice deal for sure, but is this a full frame finder, or some smaller digital frame size?

 

[Freakscene]

I was also wondering - what does DROSS mean?

dross drŏs, drôs►
n. Waste or impure matter.
n. The scum that forms on the surface of molten metal as a result of oxidation.
n. Worthless, commonplace, or trivial matter.

 

[Majki]

I don't do street - respect - but I don't like taking photos of uninterested folk looking sad as they walk.

🙂)


@pulp_picture

 

[Richard G]

The lack of 28 finders is because the full Leica VF is thought to be equivalent, or there are bright line frames built in or users have their 28s on digital and wing it, like me, with glasses. So there's less call for it. I've used the 21 and the 25 finders on film and digital and once the ZM 25/28 with my new 28 2.8 ASPH and after that first time I didn't bother.

 

[Bill Blackwell]

Nice deal for sure, but is this a full frame finder, or some smaller digital frame size?

The field of view matches the Fuji x70's fixed lens (18.5mm) and the WCL add-on (14mm) which, in 35mm equivalents ("FF"), are 28mm and 21mm lenses, respectively.

 

[jsrockit]

The field of view matches the Fuji x70's fixed lens (18.5mm) and the WCL add-on (14mm) which, in 35mm equivalents ("FF"), are 28mm and 21mm lenses, respectively.

To be even clearer, yes it’s a 28mm viewfinder with a 2:3 aspect ratio. Anyone complaining about the lack of a 28mm vf needs to snatch that up.