Picking a lens for the street

[ileicacameras]

Hello everyone, I apologize in advance if I've posted this in the wrong spot or if it's an old topic.

I'm just about to purchase a Voigtlander Lens to attach to my M5, and I was wondering what advice I could get from people who had used them as to which one to pick?

I am tossing between the color Skopar 21mm f4, the 25mm f4, the 35 f2.5 or the 35 nokton 1.4.

I'm limping a bit after getting my M5 so this will be my every day lens for a while, I shoot almost exclusively street, using black and white film and shooting quite close to people.

I'd appreciate any advice you may have for me.
cheers!

 

[jsrockit]

The 35mm 2.5. Cheap and great. The rest are too wide for everything you may want to photograph and the 35mm 1.4 shifts (which you may or may not care about).

 

[Joosep]

My vote for Nokton 35.

 

[j6ppc]

The 35 should be well suited to the task.

 

[Sparrow]

... 50 as a starter, get a 35 when you're feeling braver .... the actual lens doesn't matter that much as you will be using it around f8 anyway

 

[Teuthida]

VC 21 f4.?.......

 

[gb hill]

VC 21 f4.?.......

Color Skopar 21/4 ltm. Stephen still has it listed as in stock on his site.

 

[ileicacameras]

... 50 as a starter, get a 35 when you're feeling braver .... the actual lens doesn't matter that much as you will be using it around f8 anyway

My thoughts about the aperture.

Thanks guys, to be honest I was about to grab the 35 f2.5 off camera quest tonight but I thought I'd make an account and ask first. I've been reading on here for a year or so but only just took the plunge to a really nice rangefinder.

Camera quest seems the place to buy from, and alot of you guys seem to be on first name terms. Do you know anywhere else?

 

[Teuthida]

Color Skopar 21/4 ltm. Stephen still has it listed as in stock on his site.

Yes. Sorry to confuse. The ? Snuck in there by mistake. I have a VC 21 which I love. Great street shooter.

 

[jcrutcher]

My thoughts about the aperture.

Thanks guys, to be honest I was about to grab the 35 f2.5 off camera quest tonight but I thought I'd make an account and ask first. I've been reading on here for a year or so but only just took the plunge to a really nice rangefinder.

Camera quest seems the place to buy from, and alot of you guys seem to be on first name terms. Do you know anywhere else?

You won't go wrong with Cameraquest plus he's a wonderful supporter of this forum. Fast shipping and always available if you have a question.

 

[ileicacameras]

Nice one, cheers.

Any idea if the lens shade on the 35 obscures an M5's viewfinder?

 

[hteasley]

C-Biogon 2,8/35mm is great.

 

[Sparrow]

... the more of the M5 that gets blocked the better in my opinion 😀 :angel:

 

[Godfrey]

Hello everyone, I apologize in advance if I've posted this in the wrong spot or if it's an old topic.

I'm just about to purchase a Voigtlander Lens to attach to my M5, and I was wondering what advice I could get from people who had used them as to which one to pick?

I am tossing between the color Skopar 21mm f4, the 25mm f4, the 35 f2.5 or the 35 nokton 1.4.

I'm limping a bit after getting my M5 so this will be my every day lens for a while, I shoot almost exclusively street, using black and white film and shooting quite close to people.

I'd appreciate any advice you may have for me.
cheers!

I use the Color Skopar 35mm f/2.5 a lot with my M9. Superb lens, tiny and wonderful imaging.

21mm is a bit wide for most street work, for me anyway. I have one but only use it occasionally, or use it a lot with my GXR-M where it returns an effective FoV somewhere around 30mm equivalent.

On 35mm format, though, my favorite street lens is a 40mm focal length. The only issue with this on the M5 is that it doesn't have a 40mm frame line, the 50mm frame lines are what comes up for the Nokton, M-Rokkor, and Summicron-C 40mm lenses. (BTW, all three of these are excellent quality and modestly priced ... I'd recommend any of them.) However, you can take a file to the frameline actuation tang in them and that will bring up the 35mm framelines, which are actually a closer fit to the 40mm lens than they are to the 35mm focal length for my vision with glasses.

I use the M-Rokkor 40mm f/2 II with the CL body and it produces just beautiful photographs. The lens cost me $600 or something like that, a hundred and some more than the Color Skopar 35/2.5.

 

[back alley]

You won't go wrong with Cameraquest plus he's a wonderful supporter of this forum. Fast shipping and always available if you have a question.

stephen owns the forum...he knows his gear.

i would go for a 35 as a general purpose lens...probably the 2.5 for size and sharpness.
i also love the 40mm focal length and it is cheaper than the 35/1.4 in the cv line.

 

[ileicacameras]

... the more of the M5 that gets blocked the better in my opinion 😀 :angel:

Haha shame on you. 😛
I was playing with a few different Leicas and I fell in love with the M5. It was only after I got it home that I saw all of the M5 bashing. For me it's perfect... and I can always use it as a weapon if things go bad.

stephen owns the forum...he knows his gear.

Well, that explains that.
Funny enough I was going for a sum40 a while back when I first got the camera but I didn't get it in the end. I decided I'd rather a new lens that is guaranteed no problems to begin with and then graduate later. I'd rather get out and shoot tomorrow than wait for a lens indefinitely.

I'm going for the 35 2.5, and aim to put two rolls of film through it every weekday for 3 months. After that I'll see if I need to make changes.

How are people's feelings on using filters on these lenses? It seems to me that some people feel that the lens shade is enough and others swear by filters for protection. I've always been a uv filter guy on my dslr ef lenses and no filters on my cheap film lenses sort of a guy.

 

[j6ppc]

How are people's feelings on using filters on these lenses? It seems to me that some people feel that the lens shade is enough and others swear by filters for protection. I've always been a uv filter guy on my dslr ef lenses and no filters on my cheap film lenses sort of a guy.

I'm a believer in both filter *and* lens hood. Both far cheaper to replace than a damaged lens.

🙂

 

[Joosep]

I'm a believer in both filter *and* lens hood. Both far cheaper to replace than a damaged lens.

🙂

Same here.
If I would be rich, I would only use the hood. But Im a poor student, so I use both.

 

[taskoni]

I use 50mm and 28mm on the street. I skipped the 35mm and I never miss it.

Regards,

Boris

 

[nightfly]

If you can find one, get the CV 28/3.5. This is my primary street lens. It very well built, small and gives wonderful images in both color and black and white.

28mm is a challenge but I find it's the perfect length for street work.