Which 35mm lens for street photography?

[semilog]

Small and light. Since I typically want depth of field and pre focus the lens, I wouldn't want a fast lens but would enjoy the lighter weight and smaller size of a slower lens. If I was using a digital Leica, I would use a Summarit which was designed alongside digital cameras. I wouldn't want a second hand, old lens that was not designed for digital. If you are talking about film, well that is another story...

GREAT choice. That lens and the 35/2.8 Biogon are very comparable and in every respect but speed equal or superior to anything out there.

Currently using a 35 Summilux ASPH but honestly I've used both and the little lenses are better for street work, which almost never demands f/2 or wider.

 

[Ljós]

Any lens with a focus tab and a short focus throw.

A lens with a focus tab and a long focus throw for me. Summaron 2.8. In my experience the key to fast shooting/focusing is to have the lens set to (in my case, this varies with focal length, surroundings and one's taste and style, of course) 3m, and make small adjustments from there if necessary.
A lens with a long through is easy to set and keep at 3m, and if you give it a nudge from there, you can reset it be feel to, say, 5 m or 2 m. With a short focus throw, resetting by feel is certainly possible but harder to finetune, and to not "overshoot" the distance.

Greetings, Ljós

 

[v_roma]

+1 to what Roger said. I am not sure if this is what you are aiming for but Street Photography (in capital letters - think HCB) usually means generous depth of field, which means small apertures, which means the premium you pay for ultra fast lenses may not be worth it.

 

[johannielscom]

Seems you have a predisposition for Leica glass... and there is so much more out there!

Some suggestions:

• Komura 3.5/35mm LTM (very small!)
• Voigtlander 2.5/35 Color-Skopar LTM (also small!)
• Nippon Kogaku 1.8/35mm Nikkor LTM (my only 35mm lens, so it would be my choice )
• Canon 2.0/35mm LTM
• Summaron 3.5/35mm

No need to use fast glass for street shooting unless you're planning to do so at night. Most of the time you'd be around f8.0 for DOF anyway.

Happy shooting!

 

[ramosa]

Seems you have a predisposition for Leica glass... and there is so much more out there!

Thanks--and my mistake here. I should have added several other lenses (e.g., Zeiss and Voigtlander)! The "other" category is quite common, indeed.

 

[ramosa]

35/1.4 Summilux (need to be checked if focus to infinity is posible with the M9) would be my choice. Tiny, works well already at f/1.4 (if the lens is clean ...) and is equivalent to any Summicron pre-ASPH version from f/2.0 and up.

Aha. I knew you'd choose this one. (As I have told you before, I really like how you paint with this lens.)

 

[airfrogusmc]

I have this combo and I love it.

MM and 35 1.4 Summilux FLE

 

[k-vang]

Any 35 Summicron. My current favorite is 6 element V3, which happens also to be the least expensive (along with the similar V2).

1+
I'm using V3 on M9, pass to V4 and wishing a Summicron ASPH as well.

 

[Turtle]

None of the above: 35 Summarit-M

Small, lovely image characteristics (bokeh etc) and plenty fast enough for use with a M240 or Monochrom. Fine with the M9 too, but those shooting in dim light might want something faster. Its also a lot cheaper than many Leica alternatives.

 

[ramosa]

None of the above: 35 Summarit-M

Small, lovely image characteristics (bokeh etc) and plenty fast enough for use with a M240 or Monochrom. Fine with the M9 too, but those shooting in dim light might want something faster. Its also a lot cheaper than many Leica alternatives.

Darn! I thought I had all the Leica lenses, but forgot that one. As has been pointed out, I should have had other brand lenses, too. (But it seemed like the system permitted only 12 options ...)

 

[Exdsc]

All,

There have been lots of related threads over the years. But let's do an updated poll specific to your use of a 35mm lens for street photography on a Leica FF digital rangefinder (i.e., M9, M9P, ME, MM, M).

If you could have JUST ONE 35mm lens for street photography on a Leica FF digital rangefinder, which one would it be?

Thanks ...

If I was in such a situation, I'd buy the latest version of any of those lenses, because they are/must be optimized for digital.

Companies like Leica had decades to perfect their lenses for certain popular films, digital sensors are not like film, each one is different from the previous one, which in other words makes a camera like Fuji X100s more appealing because its sensor and lens are made to work best in combination.

imo, the wisdom of past that said put your money in lenses no longer applies with digital. With digital sensor is the measure of everything, which means buy the best sensor and the highest resolution lens, not the most expensive, the rest is in the hand of almighty Photoshop... So if you're a Leica user buy the M10 and a very sharp 35mm, even if its third party.

 

[Ken Ford]

Same here.

HFL

And here, too.

 

[Fraser]

I dont think you would go wrong with any of the 35mm Summicrons, a summilux asph would be nice but I prefer a smaller lens so maybe a pre asph oh wait I've got one of them

 

[semilog]

Low light: 35 Summilux ASPH and TMAX 3200.


election - stranger party by Semilog, on Flickr


But for most purposes I prefer the 35/2.8 Biogon-C. It's the best 35 I've ever used, and not by a small margin, either.


troll by Semilog, on Flickr


a lighter version, in response to helpfully critical comments by Semilog, on Flickr

 

[Aristophanes]

Something that doesn't say overpriced with no noticeable image quality. (Hint: does not start with an"L")

 

[zuiko85]

I have an M4-2 and a VC 35mm f2.5 but....

My favorite camera for "street photography" is my 50+ year old Olympus Pen viewfinder camera. It is all manual with no meter, select shutter speed and aperture. The 28mm f3.5 lens is scale focused and 28mm on half frame has an angle of view about the same as a 40mm lens on a full frame camera. Sometimes it's handy to get 75 shots on a 36 exp load (sometimes it's not), and I have always liked the 3:4 aspect ratio better than full frame's 2:3 ratio.

 

[Ken Ford]

Something that doesn't say overpriced with no noticeable image quality. (Hint: does not start with an"L")

That's pretty harsh, and rather insulting too.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Something that doesn't say overpriced with no noticeable image quality. (Hint: does not start with an"L")

Fair point. Lumix, Lubitel, Lomo, Lordomat, Leningrad... they're all "overpriced with no noticeable image quality".

On the other side you've companies like Lancaster, Linhof, and Leitz/Leica.

Cheers,

R,

 

[Roger Hicks]

I have an M4-2 and a VC 35mm f2.5 but....

My favorite camera for "street photography" is my 50+ year old Olympus Pen viewfinder camera. It is all manual with no meter, select shutter speed and aperture. The 28mm f3.5 lens is scale focused and 28mm on half frame has an angle of view about the same as a 40mm lens on a full frame camera. Sometimes it's handy to get 75 shots on a 36 exp load (sometimes it's not), and I have always liked the 3:4 aspect ratio better than full frame's 2:3 ratio.

Ever tried the Pen W?

Cheers,

R.

 

[maggieo]

Big Fan of the C biogon 35 2.8 ... Even 2.8 at night I will gladly work with
Thats how much i Love the lens !
Hence I voted 'other'

Next Choice : the 35 Nokton or 35 Lux for that 1.4 speeeeeed

I have to second Helen on the C Biogon! What a great little lens and at a great price, too!