Right Application Right Time
Right Application Right Time
harmsr said:
Choosing a 35 is also a big problem for me.
The Zeiss Biogon is out as it is even more contrasty than the Cron ASPH, and uses a different thread for the filters than a 43 mm Leica does. That means you have to use B+W filters which give a different filtering / in camera correction than the Leica filters do.
Ray
Ray:
Not having your money it's hard to fault what your personal experiences with these lenses are whether the are street shooting, indoor, low light, bright sun, sun over the shoulder, sun at 20 degrees off, in shade, against bright color and so on.
No lens in my experience is great for all situations. Criteria like 'sharp to the corners', and 'Nokti bokeh' are like obsessing with a pimple that should be popped on a beautiful girl's nose. True, there are some characteristics that just have to remain personal.
Here's my evaluation of the Biogon, just to give you an example of what I believe helps others in a lens evaluation. Of course you may say these are just personal opinions and not emperical, but I'm going to try my best after shooting about 20 rolls behind it.
The Biogon is a lower contrast lens compared with later model Summicrons. It has very even and broad tonality given by its wider range of depth of field. It has excellent microcontrast, and scanned from film with middle to lower contrast films reders with little noise. I have no digital camera experience with it.
The Biogon is not in its element in bright sunlight with color film. It gives a very substantial blue coloring that when corrected in Photoshop subtracts some important information. This blue is part of the even tonality that is this lens' forte. Warming filters help but I prefer not use them. Even with the factory hood it can exhibits curtain flair 20 degrees from a bright light source, and moderate veiling flair that erases shadow detail.
The Biogon is very good in evenly lit situations and indoor shots. It is very kind to women and a wonderful portrait lens.
Not withstanding its blue cast (red rocks appear pink) it is a good landscape lens. Like the 3.5 35mm Summaron, its imagery is like that of a 4x5 or other larger format camera as it's lack of distortion is remarkably flat so that it is very good for architecture and indoor scenes.
All in all the Biogon is very unique but is rather large. The 28 will fit into a traditional eveready case, the 35 will not. If you hike, use public transportation, photograph in crowds or like to toss your camera under a car seat, it may not be the right choice for you. It is a good value, but for a more adaptable and smaller lens an older Summicron or Summaron might be a better choice if one is on a tight budget. I like my Biogon but I don't think I would buy one again.
Ray, I am sorry that you had focusing issues with your Summilux. Not owning one I can only judge its imagery from what I see on the net from others. It would be my choice if I had your money. I know from experience that all lenses of one model are not created equally. The old adage of the best lens is one that is a bit shop worn with perfect glass is correct. Those are signs of lens that was loved by an owner who knew what he had and evidently he had good one. Of all my lenses I have three that are more than perfect in construction which I will never sell. I think you may have had some bad luck with your Summilux.