Which 35mm lens for Indian light?

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Nigel Meaby

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Just tossing this one out there to any of you that have been to India. The light in India can be very special but also very strong/bright. What would be your all-round 35mm lens of choice to use with black and white and colour film?
 
Nigel Meaby said:
Just tossing this one out there to any of you that have been to India. The light in India can be very special but also very strong/bright. What would be your all-round 35mm lens of choice to use with black and white and colour film?
Click to expand...

I guess it depends on where you're going in India, and what kind of light you're accustomed to.

I'm from Texas, and I'm used to desert southwest light, which is intense, and clear. Lots of blue skies. Not too much pollution or haze.

I was in south India a few years ago-- primarily in Bangalore, but also about a week in Mumbai. There was so much pollution and haze in B'lore, mainly from automobile exhaust, and I suppose also from wood/charcoal cooking, that it never seemed very bright to me. In fact, from my first minute off the plane in India to the time I left, there was always the smell of smoke in the air-- either petroleum, charcoal or both. Mumbai might have had slightly cleaner air, because it's coastal. Perhaps less pollution, because of the sea breeze. But also more humiditiy.

Anyway, hope this helps. I see you're from the U.K. It might be brighter in India than you're accustomed to. Just not sure.

With or without the pollution, I look forward to returning to India. It's a magical place-- great food, friendly people, and you know you're in a different place. I wimped out and used a p/s digital when I was there. It was so much easier than my larger film cameras. Next time I'll definitely do it right-- with fiilm!
 
I should add that I have actually been there a couple of times in the past. Also I'm thinking more about rendering and contrast rather than speed of lens. So I'm just interested to hear other's opinions and choices of what worked well for them. Thanks for all contributions so far!
 
The light of the sun is the same on all the earth. Take what you have and trust your exposure meter.

How to handle contrast is another matter. You will have to accomodate your sensor/film dynamic range in some form or other, just as in Sweden in the glistening sun at the beach ... Practice in full daylight at home when the sun is bright, ok?
 
Having lived in Delhi for the last couple of years (just got back last year), let me ask you this: what kind of photography are you looking for (architecture/monuments vs. street photography vs. nature) and where (in the Himalaya/Ladakh vs. Delhi vs. southern India vs. etc.)? More details might be helpful here. In general, the best darn 35mm lens you can afford, of course 😀
 
uhligfd said:
The light of the sun is the same on all the earth. Take what you have and trust your exposure meter.

How to handle contrast is another matter. You will have to accomodate your sensor/film dynamic range in some form or other, just as in Sweden in the glistening sun at the beach ... Practice in full daylight at home when the sun is bright, ok?
Click to expand...
lattitude, longitude etc etc .................
 
I'm going to have to clarify my posting here as most people have interpreted the post as a plea for advice on which lens to get for a trip to India. That wasn't my intention. It's pure and simply what worked/works for you?

Mukul the Ultron is a great lens which is becoming a bit of a forgotten/unfashionable gem with the introduction of a number of m-mount 35's in recent years. Produces superb results with both colour and Black & White
 
My favorite 35mm(-equivalent) lens in Delhi was probably my 90mm Rodenstock Grandagon -- great for tight architecture shots in the many monuments around town. As far handling the sharp light contrasts there, the haze was especially pronounced in the mornings, so shooting then helped in certain situations...
 
I have been to India and photographed there but with a Nikon FE. However, I have used my Leica in SE Asia where the light is similar. On this basis I would recommend the 35mm Summicron v4 which handled the tones and textures beautifully for me as well as being usefully small and light. This was the only 35mm lens I had with me, so I can't offer a comparative assessment, just that I wouldn't look for any other lens than this one.

However, if photographing in the crowded streets and tight little streets such as in Old Delhi you may find a wider lens to be useful. I used my 28mm a lot in India on the Nikon.
 
I've wandered India quite a bit with Leicas, starting in 1970 with a pair of M4s then switching to 3g and 3f models for later trips because of compactness and expense. The Barnacks were my beater cameras, not too much money tied up in case they got lifted, but with decent image quality in spite of drawbacks like squinty finder and difficult loading. For 35mm lenses I used both the old non-asph Summilux and the tiny Summaron f/3.5. There was many a time I cursed the Summaron and wished for more speed so would be hesitant to recomend too slow a lens even though the Summaron made some great images. I don't know how you will be traveling or the area, but beware of taking too much gear, it can be a mill stone around your neck. For example, if you're alone and traveling by train you'll want to take your gear along when you use the loo. Leaving it at your seat is begging to get it swiped. I know of people who have lost expensive gear on Indian trains so this is not useless paranoia. Many of the train toilets are the squat variety so try to imagine using one with a heavy camera around your neck. It's considered a no-no to pull the emergency cord if you loose your wallet or lightmeter down the hole and want to go back looking for it.... ;-)

India can throw a real mix of light conditions at you, high contrast bright sun all the way to dim bazaar lanes in the shade. Being able to handle the mix on a single roll of film can be a challenge. For B&W a lot of my stuff got processed in split D-76 to help tame the contrast. Films I used were Tri-X, and Plus-X with Agfa CNS and few rolls of Kodachrome for colour. My choice today would be Tri-X and Fuji Superia 400 asa.

These days my lens choice for travel would be (1) something wide, (2) something long, and (3) something fast in the middle.

For my M4 system this would be....
Wide... 15mm CV Heliar or 21mm Super Angulon
Long... 90mm Tele-Elmarit (the short fat one)
Fast... 35mm Summilux or 40mm Nokton

For the 3f it would probably be.....
Wide... 15mm CV Heliar
Long... 90mm Apo-Lanthar
Fast... 35mm Ultron.

Besides a single film body and lenses would probably also take a little digital P&S for tourist record shots and to conserve film. In fact on my last India trip to the south four years ago all I took was a tiny 2MP Canon P&S. Sure missed the Leica so won't leave it behind next time.

In case there's any interest here's a link to a photo essay I did in the seventies using Barnacks (3f & 3g). It follows all the stages of producing hand woven carpets. Most shots were with the 35mm f/3.5 Summaron, and yes the slow speed dial saw lots of use....
http://photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=611003

Other than the last shot all these were in India with a 2MP Canon P&S...
http://photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=611672

A helpful India travel resource is the IndiaMike web site... http://www.indiamike.com/

India is an extremely diverse place to photograph, am sure you will find lots to aim a lens at. Have fun and remember it may take several lifetimes to see everything, that's what reincarnation is for.....

Glenn
 
While I have never had the opportunity to travel there I have spoken to several folks who have. There is a lot of what I heard from them in what Glenn said.

I'm a big proponent of taking only what you can keep with you. Perhaps a second IIIc body deep in some socks but everything in a small bag. IIIc is such a small body I would say two, one with the CV 15, one with the CV 35/1.7. I'd go with a CV 75/2.5 rather than a 90 just for size and speed.

From a digital perspective get a Ricoh GR-D II, you will love it.

B2 (;->
 
Well, my 35mm Asph Lux was working fine in Bangalore this morning...
I'll give it another go in Chennai tomorrow morning and just to be sure, kick it around in New Delhi on Thursday and Friday mornings...

Also using a 21mm Elmarit and 90mm SAA and using Tri-X. Must admit that Im having to stop down a lot with the light at 400 speed
 
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