Which camera for 28 and 50mm?

Godfrey said:
The Summaron-M 28/5.6 is a lovely lens! It makes any body lighter and handier. I've used it most on the M10 Monochrom, a little on the M10-R. It took a bit of work to find the proper 34mm green filter for it...

While I zone focus with it quite a bit (easy with a 28mm lens @ f/8), at close up distances (~6 feet or less) I always use the rangefinder.

G
Click to expand...
I use mine almost always at f5.6 for the light fall off at both ends of the 36mm axis of the frame. It’s great for portrait orientation photographing trees, darkening the sky and moderating foreground content. Not sharp to the corners, but I think undersold by Leica in regard to how little compromise there is in its qualities compared to modern designs. I guess they had to warn customers. But after using this I hardly want the sharp high contrast of my 28 Elmarit ASPH for most shots I take.
 
A point & shoot w 28mm? The Ricoh GR....would fill the bill. Personally though, the lack of replacement parts for cameras w electronics, keeps me in the mechanical end of the pool & i like the clean bright unobstructed vision of an accessory viewfinder....
Realistlcally cameras aren't made w/ do-it-yourself repairs in mind. There is service available pretty much most places in the world....
IMG_7131.jpg
 
38Deardorff said:
A point & shoot w 28mm? The Ricoh GR....would fill the bill. Personally though, the lack of replacement parts for cameras w electronics, keeps me in the mechanical end of the pool & i like the clean bright unobstructed vision of an accessory viewfinder....
Realistlcally cameras aren't made w/ do-it-yourself repairs in mind. There is service available pretty much most places in the world....
View attachment 4860179
Click to expand...

This is fantastic advice on your part, thanks.
 
piero2025 said:
Hello,

I am shopping for a camera. The focal lenghts I like are exclusively 28mm and 50mm (the 28 much more than the 50).

Many excellent fixed lens rangefinders exist in 35mm, but my eye just does not see the world in 35mm. 28mm is the ideal lens for me.

The idea is that I shoot many photos "instinctively" in 28mm and I forget to check the framelines. My brain considers that the photo is what it sees in the whole finder. When 28mm is the largest set of framelines, that is not a problem - I don't get crop.

With the 50mm, my photos are much less instinctive and I don't forget to look at the frame lines.

If a point and shoot rangefinder existed in 28mm, I would get that and a second 50mm point and shoot (of which many excellent ones exist), which could easily fit in a practical soft case, but the shortest point and shoot I know of is 35mm.

What to buy? To the best of my knowledge, these are my options:

- Zeiss Ikon ZM, perfect viewfinder (the 28mm is the largest set of framelines ) but the focus system on rangefinder can get out of whack quite easily, and you cannot fix it yourself, which is a big no-no for me. I am quite surprised that German engineers thought acceptable sending the camera back just for calibrating focus
- Konica Hexar - same as above
- Leica - 28mm is the larget set of framelines, you can fix focus yourself, but I could buy two or more cameras of other brands for the same money
- Bessa R2/3: don't have 28mm framelines, can fix focus yourself. To which degree 28mm corresponds to the whole finder? That could work for me - I would instinctively do the right framing
- Bessa R4: 28mm is an intermediate set of framelines, my eye would instinctively go for the 21mm framelines and the photo would be cropped.
- Contax G2: it's a toy camera, nobody fixes it anymore, the batteries are a nightmare ecc.
- Others?
Click to expand...
In your case since you are in essence a 28 shooter I’d say the Konica Hexar RF is a great choice. Great frame lines.
 
I just use the entire frame on my Leica M2's when shooting 28mm. After years of experimentation I've gravitated to this old model as my mostly (as in almost always) used camera and have several of them. After initial service, reliability has been excellent. Ironically, I feel these old cameras might serve longer than newer offerings because they don't rely as much on spare parts for repairs.
 
steveyork said:
I just use the entire frame on my Leica M2's when shooting 28mm. After years of experimentation I've gravitated to this old model as my mostly (as in almost always) used camera and have several of them. After initial service, reliability has been excellent. Ironically, I feel these old cameras might serve longer than newer offerings because they don't rely as much on spare parts for repairs.
Click to expand...
Hard to beat simplicity.... (I've since replaced the MP w the M4....and will always miss my black M2)
40672119452_498b6a47b2_z.jpg
 
Leica Q3 and Q3 43 would be perfect.

I had the same thought many years ago to carry two cameras with 28mm and 50mm so owned a .58x MP for the 28mm and a .72x M7 for the 50mm. After some time I decided it was a hassle and just traveled with one camera with 35mm and zoomed with my feet. But I know what you mean and currently prefer 28mm mostly. This is because I go out looking for a particular type of photo appropriate for 28mm or wider, whereas while traveling I shoot what I can get thus need flexibility.
 
Without a doubt get a Leica MP. You will never regret it. I'm a 28mm guy as well. I bought the MP back in 2003 as at the time I only had an M3. The pair are a match made in heaven. The M3 gets the 50mm & the 90mm; the MP gets the 28mm. When I travel light I just take the MP with the 28 & 50 lenses.
 
It's really hard to beat the quality of LTM Leicas. I've never (until lately) been a fan of the 28mm., but last summer I took only a Leica CL and 28mm to Italy along with a folding MF. I can easily travel with a 21/35, 28/35, or 28/50....or just one lens. With fine grain film like Delta 400 or TMax 400 you can get beautiful results and have an f8 zone focus point & shoot.
IMG_5886.jpgIMG_9471.jpg
 
Last edited:
Certainly lots of options to pick from and the Barnack Leicas are certainly on my list of favorites. But to cut a long story short, in your shoes I would use the Zeiss Ikon.

I have the ZM right now and mine has been trouble free through 5 years of hard service. I have also sent it directly to Germany every couple of years for focus adjust, cleaning and lube. I let the pros who build the camera do what is necessary to keep it running. I thought every pro who made a living with a camera did that without thinking about it. You either clean your equipment regularly or you are eventually out of business. Even if you are not a pro it is still good advice. The people who hired me back in the day paid for the investigations and my pictures were part and parcel of the deal. Fortunately I am now retired but some old habits die hard.

My K1000 is my backup workhorse now and it has been since the 70s, even while I was still working. For awhile I used an LX but I kept the K1000. To be honest if I had to go with just one camera I wouldn't even bother with a rangefinder. I would pack the K1000 with the the Pentax-M 28/f2, Pentax-M 50/f2, Pentax-M 200/f4 and a Macro. Of course nowdays it is all digital but it is sometimes hard for an old dog to learn new tricks.

I know this is a rangefinder forum but my K1000 followed me into lots of big underground and surface mines all over the world and it has never failed. It too has been cleaned lots of times but, like I said, I thought that went without saying. I have burned out a lot of flash units throughout the years but never did break that camera.
 
Pioneer said:
Certainly lots of options to pick from and the Barnack Leicas are certainly on my list of favorites. But to cut a long story short, in your shoes I would use the Zeiss Ikon.

I have the ZM right now and mine has been trouble free through 5 years of hard service. I have also sent it directly to Germany every couple of years for focus adjust, cleaning and lube. I let the pros who build the camera do what is necessary to keep it running. I thought every pro who made a living with a camera did that without thinking about it. You either clean your equipment regularly or you are eventually out of business. Even if you are not a pro it is still good advice. The people who hired me back in the day paid for the investigations and my pictures were part and parcel of the deal. Fortunately I am now retired but some old habits die hard.

My K1000 is my backup workhorse now and it has been since the 70s, even while I was still working. For awhile I used an LX but I kept the K1000. To be honest if I had to go with just one camera I wouldn't even bother with a rangefinder. I would pack the K1000 with the the Pentax-M 28/f2, Pentax-M 50/f2, Pentax-M 200/f4 and a Macro. Of course nowdays it is all digital but it is sometimes hard for an old dog to learn new tricks.

I know this is a rangefinder forum but my K1000 followed me into lots of big underground and surface mines all over the world and it has never failed. It too has been cleaned lots of times but, like I said, I thought that went without saying. I have burned out a lot of flash units throughout the years but never did break that camera.
Click to expand...
I guess it all depends on your preferences. For travel I sure appreciate the smaller size of the Barnacks/CL/CLE etc..... i now reach for those before my M4....and that's saying something.
 
Last edited:
38Deardorff said:
Rayt, I'm on the other side....i'll never go digital. "I love the smell of acetic acid in the morning"
Click to expand...

I still have all my Rolleis, Hasselblads and 3 large format cameras so maybe it will not be never. I know I’ll never sell those. My wife hasn’t complained about all the film in the kitchen refrigerator yet. 🙂
 
Pioneer said:
Certainly lots of options to pick from and the Barnack Leicas are certainly on my list of favorites. But to cut a long story short, in your shoes I would use the Zeiss Ikon.

I have the ZM right now and mine has been trouble free through 5 years of hard service. I have also sent it directly to Germany every couple of years for focus adjust, cleaning and lube. I let the pros who build the camera do what is necessary to keep it running. I thought every pro who made a living with a camera did that without thinking about it. You either clean your equipment regularly or you are eventually out of business. Even if you are not a pro it is still good advice. The people who hired me back in the day paid for the investigations and my pictures were part and parcel of the deal. Fortunately I am now retired but some old habits die hard.
Click to expand...
I would love to recommend the Ikon as well, as it is a light and precise camera with a huge viewfinder, but mine just stopped working one day. It will have to go back to the mothership for repair. But it's lighter than a Leica body, loads like a modern film camera with a hinged back, and has a longer rangefinder base which means it's theoretically more precise than a Leica.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom