And One lens to rule them all

[naruto]

Can't understand this kind of thread. How can the opinion of others be possibly relevant for a lens that YOU will use?

since we are community of rangefinder aficionados I found it might help to crowdsource an opinion 😀

See what you want to do, and what photographs of others you like best and which focal length better serves this. Let that decide which lens you go for.
.

I am partial towards the 35 in most cases. But, I might have an offer on a 50 Lux which is too tempting.

A titanium M6! This changes everything!

The question is actually wrong, it should read: "Should I get the matching titanium 35 pre-asph summilux or sell the titanium M6 and get a black one instead?"

The titanium M6 deserves the titanium 35 pre-asph summilux, it's the ONLY choice 😀

HAHA. Yes. That is the one I should actually get if I can ever find one in the wild.

 

[jonmanjiro]

The titanium M6 deserves the titanium 35 pre-asph summilux, it's the ONLY choice 😀

Not so fast!!! The titanium Summicron 35mm ASPH looks pretty damn sexy too 😀

https://www.mapcamera.com/item/3000007360852

 

[michaelwj]

Not so fast!!! The titanium Summicron 35mm ASPH looks pretty damn sexy too 😀

https://www.mapcamera.com/item/3000007360852

I confess I had forgotten about that one, I suppose it is acceptable but it really should be mated to the later bodies, the M6 is a bit early for the ASPH 🙂

 

[kiemchacsu]

I am a 9o% of the time 35 person and my one & only is cron asph.....

Quite similar my case. 98% 35mm and my only 35mm lens is the King of Bokeh or whatever you call it.
The remained 2% is accounted for 90/2


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[css9450]

Eh, go cheap and get a $35 Jupiter-12.

 

[Roger Hicks]

For decades it was my 35 pre-aspheric Summilux. Nowadays it's at least as often my 1,5/50 Zeiss C-Sonnar. I'd hate to have to choose between the two. Fortunately I don't have to. Imaginary or hypothetical or plainly meaningless choices are the bane of countless threads.

Cheers,

R.

 

[splitimageview]

35/1.4 ZM rules all.

🙂

 

[Timmyjoe]

Prefer the 35mm focal length to the 50mm, but not a fan of that particular 35mm lens. IMHO it renders too heavy, especially in B&W. Love the B&W rendering of the 50mm Cron ASPH, but not a big fan of the focal length.

 

[sara]

Super tough question.

I have the 35 ASPH, and 50 pre-ASPH.

Depends which is your favourite focal length. I shot too much of 50 at uni that when I discovered 35, it was like WOW I love this lens and I loved my photos better.

I use my 35 more than 50 so that's just me.

Just get your fav in ASPH, and the other in pre-ASPH, although I heard all the 35 summicrons are excellent regardless.

 

[Spavinaw]

35mm vs. 50mm? I've always been able to crop a picture but never expand it. 'Nuff said!

 

[naruto]

I confess I had forgotten about that one, I suppose it is acceptable but it really should be mated to the later bodies, the M6 is a bit early for the ASPH 🙂

Not so fast!!! The titanium Summicron 35mm ASPH looks pretty damn sexy too 😀

https://www.mapcamera.com/item/3000007360852

sheesh you guys. stop clouding my judgement. 🙂

Recently, we were all agreeing that — as long as the owner/user is a heterosexual cisgender male — only BP is a «chick magnet».

So, obviously, titanium is only for people who decided to live completely chaste, I hope... 😀

BP is over-rated. also, my rig is under a half-case. heterosexual points for style. :dance:

 

[naruto]

For decades it was my 35 pre-aspheric Summilux. Nowadays it's at least as often my 1,5/50 Zeiss C-Sonnar. I'd hate to have to choose between the two. Fortunately I don't have to. Imaginary or hypothetical or plainly meaningless choices are the bane of countless threads.

Cheers,

R.

my choice is the one I plan to stick with for rest of my years *famous last words*.

35/1.4 ZM rules all.

🙂

But... the size.

I use my 35 more than 50 so that's just me.

Just get your fav in ASPH, and the other in pre-ASPH, although I heard all the 35 summicrons are excellent regardless.

35mm vs. 50mm? I've always been able to crop a picture but never expand it. 'Nuff said!

Two lenses are out of the question now. So, it's most likely the 35.

 

[pechelman]

Two lenses are out of the question now. So, it's most likely the 35.

For the cost of either of those lenses, you can get 2 great lenses that dont start with the letter L. Just something to consider...

If you know you're only ever going to want one lens ever, then sure, go for a 35mm. But for me, that just didnt work, for a variety of reasons. The complement to a 35 is usually thought to be a 21/24 and a 75. While I do like 21 a lot, it's usually just a bit too wide for me when just walking around in new places and I end up cropping it more than i like.

I've never used a 75 and I could probably get along with it ok but I get the impression from my experience with 50 and 85/90mm's that it's just a little too tight for me walking around on a daily basis. In my shooting, I've also found 35 is can be both too tight and not tight enough for me.

So with this all said, it's up to you to know what focal lengths will work for how and what you shoot. For me, if I was in your position, and since I know that 1 lens only doesnt totally work for me long term, I'd go for the 1 lens that would have the complementing focal lengths that I know would also work, so 50mm. (so I can then get a 28mm) Or you could do it the other way around and get the 28mm first, but most people already have one of those in their pocket as a cell phone.

 

[Talus]

Quit kidding yourself. There'll never be just one lens.

 

[ferider]

For the cost of either of those lenses, you can get 2 great lenses that dont start with the letter L. Just something to consider...

This. VM 35/1.7 and Nokton 50/1.5 (or 1.1 if you don't mind size). Technically better than the pre-asph lenses on your list. Close enough to the aspherical ones to make no difference in practice. And you'll still be far away from the price of a 50 lux asph, you could add a 3rd lens (75, 90 or 21 ?). 🙂

If you really only want one lens, get a 35. You can always crop a 35 to 50, but not the other way around.

Roland.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Quit kidding yourself. There'll never be just one lens.

Not forever, anyway.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Roger Hicks]

If it's "one lens to rule them all, and in the darkness bind them" then surely it has to be a Noctilux.

Cheers,

R.

 

[jmilkins]

hmmnnn - the VMs from CV get you a lot of lens for the money. Unparalleled really.

With your stipulations in mind though (1 lens , film, size,etc) I would choose the 35 pre-asph.

Then spend the next decade looking for the Ti version ;-)

Have fun!

 

[tightsqueez]

If it was a gun to my head? 35 Cron. All of versions have +/- but at the end of the day the audience that matters cannot tell the difference. Don't let the poseurs tell you otherwise. Even though I picked the 35, the 50 is my preferred view (I feel the 28/50 pair is greater than a single 35). My first Leica twenty years ago was an M6 and a 35 Cron. If I was told I had to have a single setup today, that choice would still be the same.

But for you? It's hard to say because you have a single image posted on Flickr and it's of a camera. So, I looked at the images you "Faved" and I'd definitely say a 50mm, without a doubt. Even the MF images seem to be of normal FOV. Crowdsourcing, as you had suggested one of the reasons for this post (hasn't there been 1,000 of these exact posts before?) will probably give you answers that will distract, leaving you pondering into an old of age where your eyesight will be failing. Ask people that KNOW you, know what you shoot and can provide insightful feedback.

When all else fails; pick one and roll with it. If it's not feeling right you can always take the other route.

 

[naruto]

If it's "one lens to rule them all, and in the darkness bind them" then surely it has to be a Noctilux.

Cheers,

R.

Gandalf. Can I call you Gandalf of RFF? please. Always wanted to let you know that. 🙂

Then spend the next decade looking for the Ti version ;-)

Have fun!

haha. I could start an investment fund for the Ti version I suppose.

But for you? It's hard to say because you have a single image posted on Flickr and it's of a camera. So, I looked at the images you "Faved" and I'd definitely say a 50mm, without a doubt. Even the MF images seem to be of normal FOV. ...
When all else fails; pick one and roll with it. If it's not feeling right you can always take the other route.

Thanks. This is the kind of feedback that I expected. Something which I perhaps could not see myself.

I love the 35 only because it allows me to take such shots in a crowded street in India.

Well, I suppose the 50 could have made the framing tighter. hmm