35mm or 50mm

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zanydave

zanydave
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Apr 11, 2005
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50
Hi folks!

New here so, be gentle with me.

Can't decide on a 35/2 Summicron or 50/1.4 summilux. Any comments would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Dave.
 
yeah.. eventually you'll end up with both, so don't lose too much sleep over it.. LOL

if you're looking for a 'normal view' of things (particularly if you're photographing objects), I'd suggest the 50.. if you want a slightly wider angle of view.. ie, street scenes, get the 35

they're both excellent lenses, so you won't be making a bad decision either way
 
Welcome, Dave!

Now, the best suggestion I can offer is to loan both, if you can - or loan any 50 and 35 lens, not necessarily those two you're intending to buy. Shoot some with both lenses, and try to find out which one fits you better.
I've got several lenses for my Leicas in 50mm and two 35mm - none of them as expensive as the ones you mention, though :) (In fact, all of them together probably cost less than either of the ones you're eying...)

I've found out that 50mm fits me better, so I'm in the process of getting another one :D

Denis
 
Welcome Dave

What Denise says regarding trying both a 35 and 50 out to see which field of view you like better. Why not pick between a 35 Lux and a 50 Lux, that extra stop is handy if you do low light work otherwise either focal length at F2 would do and be less expensive. Only you will know the conditions under which you shoot and if a faster lens is worth it. Have fun deciding and let us know which one you get.

Bob
 
Throwing in another idea.
Why not the CV Ultron 35mm 1.7?
It is cheaper than the summicron and (with my shooting abilities) I can't reaaalllyyy see much of a difference. Plus you get a 1/2 stop more.

I just got the Nokton 50mm too. Quality of the lens is great.

With your choices of lenses, I think you only need to decide on the perspective you like. Can't go wrong with either choice.

Nick
 
Nick's option is definitely worth considering.. I've recently checked out the Ultron and put it on my 'must have' list.. if I'm not mistaken, they can be had for around $350.. and if you decide it's not for you, it would probably take you all of a a couple hours to find sometime to take it off your hands

and you also might consider the Nokton 50, or as a bargain alternative, the Jupiter 8
 
The 35 Summicron is a cracking lens, and so is the Summilux 50. If you can only get one of them I'd go for the 35, you can always crop the 35mm frame when getting prints but not the other way around.

I've seen the results from both although I dont own either :-(, It's a hard choice. I've just got a CV35 Ultron to see how I get on with it. I do find that I use my 50 Summicron a fair bit though. Decisions decisions.... :rolleyes:
 
I noted this in another topic earlier. Leica lens division is looking towards a 40% down on prognosis and inofficialy they blame this on the current range of Voigtländer lenses.

I don't use either of them so I don't really care who does what and what effect this has on the other, but a statement like this must have something to say about the V. lens quality..
 
... but then again why buy a Leica and use V. lenses ? ... after all they are not all that great now are they ?
 
If you really have a hard time deciding between the 35mm and 50mm, just get a 40mm Summicron-C or Rokkor :D

ROman
 
Thanks folks,
On the strength of some of your comments, going to check out the Nokton & Ultron.

Will let you know how i get on.
 
Dave, you can also consider the new line of Zeiss lenses. The new Zeiss 35/2 Biogon is half the price of the Summicron. Zeiss doesn't have a 50 as fast as the Summilux, but does offer a 50/2 for about 2/3 the price of a Summicron & a fraction of the cost of a Summilux. These are both superb lenses in the same class as Leica optics. If you really need the speed on the 50, the Nokton is an excellent alternative. For the price of one of the Leicas, you can buy any two Zeiss or Voigtlander lenses & have cash left in your pocket.

The only limitation to these two Voigtlander lenses is that their minimum focus distance is 0.9 meters; Leica & Zeiss are both 0.7 m. It doesn't matter if you don't need to shoot any closer than 3 feet. Also noteworthy is that the Leica 35 Summicron is an exceptionally compact lens, the smallest of these 3 35's & the Voigtlander is the largest - as might be expected, given that it is also the fastest. Both the 50 Summilux & 50 Nokton are fairly large, while any 50/2 would be a more compact option.
 
I think no one can tell you to choose a 35 or 50. It all depend on your own style and how you preceive things. So you may need to try them both and see which one you like more. Personally, I use 50 more than the 35.
 
Dear Joe,

Sorry, I should have been more specific. What I meant was that if you look at the picture captions and the pictures you'll see how often I use a 35 -- usually a Summilux but also an Ultron and a Color-Skopar. But choosing the focal length with which you 'see' may be a good idea for a module: thanks for the idea.

Cheers,

Roger
 
Hm, i see you've decided already. Is it your first/only lens? If you have a 75-ish, i'd go for the 35. If you think you might get a wider one later, the 50 would be better maybe.
 
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