advices on best small lenses

[joykafka]

Thanks - I'll try and find some specific photos I've taken with both the 35/2.5 and the 28/3.5. It won't be a very good comparison though, because I think my 35mm shots have all been colour and 28mm shots mostly b&w. I'll see what I can do though - if you don't mind waiting a few days I'll post them here.

Thank you in advance, oscroft. No, I am not in a rush at all.

Does your usage of the two lenses mean that the 28mm can show more of its advantages with b&w film, while the 35mm has some more advantages with colour film or that the 35mm has actually some disadvantages with b&w film, in terms of image quality? Or, there are other reasons, such as higher tolerance for smaller aperture, contrast, FoV, DoF, etc, for which colour and b&w are chosen respectively?

 

[joykafka]

I mean the new M 28mm 2.8 Elmarit. It's super small. No use for R lenses.

A Pre-Asph 35mm Summicron is not rare...

You also might want to look at the new CV 35/1.4...

Thanks, nightfly.

New Elmarit 28mm costs about usd 1500 on ebay, exactly as you said, and this lens looks good. Speaking of this, I am wondering if a ZM Biogon T* 2,8/28mm would be recommended for my purpose? A length of 37mm doesn't look quite small though.

However, a pre-asph summicron 35mm ranges from usd 1800 to 3300... The latter is somehow overly priced in my eyes.

I'd presume CV 35/1.4 would not be very different from 40/1.4. What I am thinking is the better image quality I can get for the large aperture I give up.

 

[foto_fool]

To complicate your decision a little, check out the threads on the Konica 35/2 UC Hexanon. It is the smallest lens in my kit, and I love it specifically for its color rendering and bokeh.

 

[oscroft]

Does your usage of the two lenses mean that the 28mm can show more of its advantages with b&w film, while the 35mm has some more advantages with colour film or that the 35mm has actually some disadvantages with b&w film, in terms of image quality? Or, there are other reasons, such as higher tolerance for smaller aperture, contrast, FoV, DoF, etc, for which colour and b&w are chosen respectively?

It's really just that when I got the 35mm (I've had that for quite a bit longer) I was mostly shooting colour. So I really don't know how it works with b&w, though I'd expect it to be fine - I really should get round to doing a b&w test of my 35mm lenses.

When I got the 28, I was doing both colour and b&w, so I used it for both. It's great with both, but I think it excels with b&w - I seem to get a very nice balance of contrast and mid-tone tonality from it, and it's that that makes me like it so much.

 

[ferider]

The 28/3.5 is an absolutely stellar lens, performing very well with color film, too.

Have a look here:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/86731438@N00/pool/tags/VoigtlanderColor-Skopar28mmf3.5

I don't think that the 35 Color Skopar will outperform the 40 Nokton from
f2.5 up. Maybe a little more contrast, which makes it harder to handle, IMO.

Best,

Roland.

 

[oscroft]

Here's three B&W shots taken with the 28/3.5 - the first two on Delta-400, the third on Tri-X.

 

[oscroft]

and three more, all on Delta 400

 

[oscroft]

These from my RFF gallery are colour shots from the 28/3.5, on Sensia 100..

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=74202
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=74272
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=74271
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=74203

And I was just going to add another couple, but I don't seem to be able to upload any images right now - I'll try again tomorrow.

 

[joykafka]

These from my RFF gallery are colour shots from the 28/3.5, on Sensia 100..
...
And I was just going to add another couple, but I don't seem to be able to upload any images right now - I'll try again tomorrow.

Thank you, oscroft! I like particularly the one captioned "Devotions I", and it's also quite special for me to see cosplay in b&W. A pity that I don't know how to compare the B&W with the colour films yet....

 

[Jeroen]

I sold my Nikkor 35/2.0 because I didn't use it anymore after buying an Olympus Stylus Epic/Mju:II. The camera alone was more portable than the lens...

 

[oscroft]

Thank you, oscroft! I like particularly the one captioned "Devotions I", and it's also quite special for me to see cosplay in b&W. A pity that I don't know how to compare the B&W with the colour films yet.

Glad you liked them. The "Devotions I" shot is actually taken with a CV 21/4. The woman in the foreground is my wife (the other one is her sister), and the arm sticking up into the bottom of the frame belongs to our little boy.

And the cosplay/fashion shots were a real stroke of luck - I was wandering round Bangkok one day last year with my M6, CV 28/3.5, and a bag full of Tri-X, and I just happened upon this huge outdoor event. There were some professional models all doing their stuff, and hundreds of other pretty young things all there in their finery. And all of them (including the professionals) were delighted to pose for the cameras.

I've just realised that all of these photos in my gallery were taken with the CV 35/2.5 (don't forget to click on the pic for a full size one - on the new-look RFF it seems to start off showing them smaller than before).

 

[jlancasterd]

I'd suggest you consider the CV 28/3.5. It's really quite small, and in my opinion is a real gem - its resolution, contrast, tonality are all very nice indeed, and it's possibly my favourite ever lens.

The CV 28mm f3.5 Color-Skopar is a real gem. Apart from those winter months when low light levels mandate use of the CV 28mm f1.9 Ultron, it is the 'body cap' lens on my M8. My sample is bitingly sharp and delivers exactly the combination of delicate tonality and contrast that I require for steam railway photography. I used a cropped contra-jour shot for the cover photo of a Magazine I edit and the printers (who pride themselves on producing the highest possible quality) decided to do a large print from the original TIFF to put on their office wall as an example of their expertise - it came out at about 90x70cm and they are delighted with the result.

 

[myoptic3]

I also would recommend the VC 35 2.5 Color Skopar. I sold mine because I just don't use wide angles much, but it was a fine lens. Very sharp, though it did need to be sharpened up a bit in PS at the lower apertures. The reviews on this lens are all over the map, where some people love it and some say it is just average. Mine was very good, and it is a really small lens. One thing about it though. Photos at 2.5 tend to have a background more like 4 or 5.6, or maybe that is how wide angles are. Things were more in focus in the back then I am used to, but as I shoot w/ longer lenses, what do I know? I do remember a post on here somewhere though where someone said the same thing about a posted shot. For the money a great buy.

 

[myoptic3]

Color Skopar Shots

Color Skopar Shots

Here's a couple taken w/ the 35 Color Skopar lens, showing what could only be New Mexico sky..

 

[Avotius]

Once again I plug the 35 PII because it just steadied my hand from spending 1750 dollars on a Leica 35 f2 asph which I have been dreaming about for so long. But the 35PII is 90% of that lens at 15% of the cost (mine was at least), so I hung onto it.

 

[Bruin]

Alan mentioned the CV 21/4, and it's cousin the CV 25/4 is another small lens with great IQ. The CV 50/2.5 and 50/2 are also pretty compact in the 50mm FL.

 

[joykafka]

Glad you liked them. The "Devotions I" shot is actually taken with a CV 21/4...

You have tempted me to go toward a wider view angle...

The 28/3.5 is an absolutely stellar lens, performing very well with color film, too...
I don't think that the 35 Color Skopar will outperform the 40 Nokton from f2.5 up...

ferider, in which case, I am starting to consider a focal length of 28mm or even wider, in addition to the 40mm Nokton.

I've just realised that all of these photos in my gallery were taken with the CV 35/2.5 (don't forget to click on the pic for a full size one - on the new-look RFF it seems to start off showing them smaller than before).

I like the one taken in the Delamere Forest, Cheshire, and I don't think my landscape shots with the 40mm Nokton is as good as these photos taken by your CV 35/2.5. I can't help but they are pleasant to my eyes, even though I prefer to use my RF for street photography more.

Your examples drew my attention to 21mm, 25mm and 28mm, while I have been thinking that using a lens wider than 28mm for street photography is .... d i f f i c u l t.

Alan mentioned the CV 21/4, and it's cousin the CV 25/4 is another small lens with great IQ...

Now things became complicate again. 😛

I just realised recently that a 24mm can produce some nice photojournalist style photos, probably better in comparison to my 90mm.

Here are some shots by 24mm, not film though.

(a tribal ceremony in preparation of a firebolt conjuration 😛 )

(whereas the girls were just playing springily with their sparkling fire stick.)


Yet it is still difficult.

 

[joykafka]

Once again I plug the 35 PII because it just steadied my hand from spending 1750 dollars on a Leica 35 f2 asph which I have been dreaming about for so long. But the 35PII is 90% of that lens at 15% of the cost (mine was at least), so I hung onto it.

Congratulations! In order to stop my thirst, I bought an Xpan II from ebay. It is similarly small in size, small in aperture, but better for me in terms of view angle, and presumably a tad in terms of image quality. This decision might be too much abrupt, but choosing a nice lens takes time. Probably at the end I will hang onto my bessa and give my bessa a nice wider angled lens...

I saw you got a monstrous set of 503CW for yourself. I was thinking to do so but it would elbow out my already bulky enough 5D. That's why size matters to me.

 

[oscroft]

Your examples drew my attention to 21mm, 25mm and 28mm, while I have been thinking that using a lens wider than 28mm for street photography is .... d i f f i c u l t

It is difficult, yes, because they're all so good 🙂

The CV 25 is also a great lens - I had the uncoupled screw thread version, but I found I couldn't really use it when I got my R4A because the viewfinder frame's parallax was all wrong. So I sold it with the intention of getting the coupled version, which I haven't got round to yet.

I thought its rendition was very similar to the 21, but probably even a bit sharper - if you're thinking of something in the 21-28 range it might just fit the bill.

 

[joykafka]

It is difficult, yes, because they're all so good 🙂
... - if you're thinking of something in the 21-28 range ....

The 28mm is really small, whose lens length is only 19mm . The 21mm and 25mm are small enough too, both about 25mm long. Having seen the discussions and examples, the major difference seems to me only a matter of view angle. Would skip 35mm/2.5 first since I've got 40mm/1.4.

Guess I'd rather need an R4A than use an extra VF on top of my R3A. For the moment I'll fool around with my other system to get a clearer idea about the view angle and view finder I might prefer.