Please help me with some advice.

[wrs1145]

I need some advice: whether to buy a Russian 20 LTM or a Canon 25 LTM for a street shooter? They're both about the same price and Matt Osborne said on eBay that the 25mm was close to the 28 mm. which I have presently.

Thanks for your assistance.
Bill

 

[Benjamin Marks]

It sort of depends on how you "see." I have several lenses in the 20-21 focal length range and several in the 24-25. I use the 24-ish lenses a lot more. But that's just me. I guess it also depends on your subject matter. I find for street scenes, the 24's are very useful, because people are my main interest, but 20mm starts to be more about the scene than the individuals. But once again, that's just me and your own sense of what looks right may well be different.

FWIW, I find that the 24 is where Really Wide starts, and 28 feels like wide-normal. They feel like very different beasts to me.

 

[Coldkennels]

I personally think 25mm is to 28mm what 35mm is to 50mm - i.e. a bit too close to justify using both, especially at the same time.

If you like and plan on keeping your 28mm, I'd look for a 21mm or 20mm lens... but I think I'd skip the Russar. It's a cool lens, but a bit overpriced for what it is. Have a look for a Voigtlander 21mm Color Skopar instead - you get an extra stop of light (21/4 vs 20/5.6), an easier-to-use aperture ring, and good QC. Just keep an eye out for haze - these early LTM Voigtlanders are prone to it.

 

[lynnb]

I'm in agreement with Coldkennels. 21mm is good on the street if you like getting in close, or want a lot of context. Note you'll get some distortion of people at the edges of the frame compared to the 28mm, which shows hardly any in comparison - I'm talking about elongation. The 21mm Color-Skopar is compact, well made, good IQ and it handles well IMO. I scale focus with the 21mm... very easy with the DOF, so it's very fast in use.

 

[Coldkennels]

I tend to use the 21mm on a Leica Ic, so yeah, I'm scale focusing quite a bit. Even at f/4 you have a lot of depth of field to play with.

I don't do a lot of street shooting these days, but here's the sort of thing you could expect from the 21mm Color Skopar close up:



Note I'm probably 70cm away from the train here, at a guess. You really can (and have to) get in close with this thing if you want to photograph people. Thankfully, the distortion really isn't bad at all, and corner sharpness is generally quite good (on film, anyway).

Some perspectives can result in weird effects, but again, I don't think it's too objectionable:



It is quite an easy run-and-gun lens, though. I tend to use it a lot when I'm out hiking as it's such a quick and pleasing thing to use.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Russar is no go for digital color. Maybe with cornerfix.
It is scale focus only.

I have Russar's VF and CV CS 21/4 LTM. This is better lens for street and else.
And it is OK on digital, just have to dial exposure correction to +1.7 for daylight, to have correct exposure.

25 is odd focal length. 21 is easier to frame even without VF.

 

[wlewisiii]

I have the Voigtlander 21mm f/4 & finder and it's a delightful lens that is very different from my 28's. The one time I used a 25, I didn't feel like there was enough difference to warrant the price.

I honestly rarely use it but when I want to go really wide, I can't think of a finer lens to grab.

 

[Glenn2]

The 21mm Super Angulon is one of my favourite lenses for close in street shooting. In India I found getting close allowed you to concentrate on an individual and not the surrounding crowd. As long as people are kept nearer the centre of the frame weird perspectives can usually be avoided. An arm or leg stretched out towards the lens is where it really shows up.

Glenn