Bill Pierce
Well-known
Digital rangefinders, be they the full range of Leica M’s or the brand new Pixii, have thin cover glasses to minimize the problems that the heavily angled edge rays of short focal length lenses create. When you design wide-angle lenses for cameras with a thick cover glass like Sony cameras, you want to avoid those steeply angled edge rays - and you come up with short focal length lenses that aren’t so short physically. Here’s a lens test on an excellent website that shows the problem when you mount a lens designed for a camera with a thin cover glass on a camera with a thick cover glass.
https://phillipreeve.net/blog/review-voigtlander-vm-28mm-2-0-ultron-type-i/#more-31745
Take a look at the 35mm Voigtländer Apo Panther designed for the Sony. It’s only f/2 and has no focusing motor; so, it has put aside some of the features that would increase its size. Nonetheless, with its small shade in place (and you should protect a lens this good and this expensive), it is 3 1/4 inches long. That’s more like the length of a Lietz 90/2.8 Tele-Elmarit than one of the many 35/2 Summicrons.
So, here’s the question. Is the smaller size of the rangefinder with wide-angle lenses a significant advantage to you? For those who think a smaller camera attracts less attention shooting in public areas - It’s your behavior, mannerisms and shooting technique much more than camera size that attracts or doesn’t attract attention - at least that’s my opinion. But always having a camera with you. It’s wonderful to have a camera you can wear under a jacket or carry in large pocket or a tiny belt pouch. The full frame mirrorless combinations like the one we are discussing are too big for that. I carry mine in a little bag along with the wallet, cell phone, face masks e.t.c.. But I also notice that when I’m out with friends, I’m the only person with the impediment of a “man purse.” Your thoughts,,, And perhaps any solutions to the problem of the little bit bigger cameras and man purses.
https://phillipreeve.net/blog/review-voigtlander-vm-28mm-2-0-ultron-type-i/#more-31745
Take a look at the 35mm Voigtländer Apo Panther designed for the Sony. It’s only f/2 and has no focusing motor; so, it has put aside some of the features that would increase its size. Nonetheless, with its small shade in place (and you should protect a lens this good and this expensive), it is 3 1/4 inches long. That’s more like the length of a Lietz 90/2.8 Tele-Elmarit than one of the many 35/2 Summicrons.
So, here’s the question. Is the smaller size of the rangefinder with wide-angle lenses a significant advantage to you? For those who think a smaller camera attracts less attention shooting in public areas - It’s your behavior, mannerisms and shooting technique much more than camera size that attracts or doesn’t attract attention - at least that’s my opinion. But always having a camera with you. It’s wonderful to have a camera you can wear under a jacket or carry in large pocket or a tiny belt pouch. The full frame mirrorless combinations like the one we are discussing are too big for that. I carry mine in a little bag along with the wallet, cell phone, face masks e.t.c.. But I also notice that when I’m out with friends, I’m the only person with the impediment of a “man purse.” Your thoughts,,, And perhaps any solutions to the problem of the little bit bigger cameras and man purses.