Which Lenses for Stable?

35mmdelux

35mmdelux

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Hi All:

Consolidating lenses again and appreciate your opinion -

Present lineup: 21mm VC, 28mm/2.8 Leica V4, 35mm Cron V4, 50mm Lux pre-asph, 90mm/2.0 pre-asph.

I'm thinking of selling 28mm/2.8 Leica V4 as one too many in a cramped 21mm-50mm range. What say ye? Thanks - Paul

PS: I have been considering adding 90mm/3.5 VC for the occasional use when trekking. As you know, much lighter than 90mmSummicron.
 
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what do you mostly shoot? and what do you enjoy using?

I personally would drop the 28, just because I never warmed up to that focal length. Never found anything that *had* to be shot 28, where I couldn't just back up 10 steps with the 35.

But I also would drop the 90, never really liked using that with RF's.
 
many possibilites.

drop the 90, it would be my first to go as i rarely use it.
then...
combo the 28/50 or drop them both and use the 35, get closer/back up for 28/50 approximations.

combo the 21/35 - that would meet 98% of my needs.

if i had to, i would go with 25/35 combo in my kit.
glad i don't have to.
joe

per the 90, if you wanted one for travel or occasional use, get the rokkor/elmar 90/4 - very sharp & very small.
 
A lot depends upon what you shoot and where. Speed is very handy at times. With the MP/M7 you use, the 28 rocks because you do not (I think) need an external finder.

Strange thought, what about selling the 21 and getting a 15/4.5 CV? It's a big step, but perhaps that is what you need. I've never really been sold on the 28mm focal lenght because I have 35s or a 40mm, it just feels too close. I do however have and love the CV 25/4. For my carry kits, I like to have a bit more of a spread between lenses. My one body kit is a 15 and 40 CV and a 105/2.5 Nikkor. When I want a second body, it has a CV 25/4 on it. When it is just one body and lens, it's the 25/4 on her, unless I need speed, then it's the 40/1.4

For a walk around lens, while the CV is a fine lens, the Leica 90/4 is a bargin and very very small. I used mine just for that for years and loved it. An old 35/3.5 and a 90/4 with an M4-P was a great NYC treking kit. It went everywhere and never got a second look.

B2 (;->
 
Hi Rogue_Designer:

The 28 V4 is a great lens but at f/2.8 on the slow side for avail lite at the fringes. I've owned four 90mm's over the years and seldom get any use - nice in theory for portriats, but I find myself using the 50mm Summilux instead (love it).

I don't want alot of lenses but I want to be good with what I have.

I shoot anything and everything, a generalist photographer. Thanks
 
Your first thought is probably your best; it comes from somewhere, and likely reflects the way you shoot.

Personally, my regular 4 lens kit has boiled down to the 4 classic RF lengths- 21mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 90mm. I have a bunch of other lenses, in a variety of other lengths, and like many I have tried almost everything out there. But in the end, I find those four best cover anything I really want to do. If I'm only going out with one body, I'm likely to carry any one or two of these, and I have found that almost any combination of these lenses makes a good two or three lens kit. When I add other lenses into the mix, I tend to lose my mental focus, and waste time and energy wondering what lens to use and how to approach the subject. I never much got along with the 35mm length, and it's certainly my least used lens; and I always thought I would love the 24mm to 28mm lengths which I really liked on my SLR's. But I have come round in my RF shooting to mostly go from 50mm straight to 21mm, with the 35mm coming out for indoor shooting when I don't really want wide angle.

There's a reason why 21mm, 35mm, 50mm and 90mm lenses have been the mainstay focal lengths of Leica's lineup for so long, I guess. The main thing is to find what works for you and stick with it. Now that I'm settled with my own lens line up, I'm quite content with my results. (Hey Frank- does that mean I'm done?)
 
I agree with the general consensus here.

Unless do take a lot of portraits, drop the 90. You can get rid of the 28 too since it's so close to the 35 anyway.
 
I have to offer a differing opinion -- the 28mm focal length is to me the classic wide angle perspective. And it's sufficiently wider than 35mm to not be redundant. Anything wider (and I do love 24/25mm) starts to get a little extreme, and thus of limited usefulness. 21mm is just too wide a focal length to be of use except in unusual circumstances. (But the 21/4 VC is cheap enough that I'd hang onto it.)

Truth be told, I think you could use the 28 in lieu of the 35 and not miss the 35mm focal length. And I don't think f2.8 is too slow for a 28 by any means.

I like your idea of selling the 90 and replacing it with the VC 90.

Let me propose further heresy -- sell the 35 and 50 and replace with a 40 Summicron (if you must have Leica) or Rokkor, or the 40 Nokton.
 
35mmdelux said:
Present lineup: 21mm VC, 28mm/2.8 Leica V4, 35mm Cron V4, 50mm Lux pre-asph, 90mm/2.0 pre-asph.

I'm thinking of selling 28mm/2.8 Leica V4 as one too many in a cramped 21mm-50mm range. What say ye? Thanks - Paul

PS: I have been considering adding 90mm/3.5 VC for the occasional use when trekking. As you know, much lighter than 90mmSummicron.
Click to expand...

I have the same set of lenses, for my shooting requirements I wouldn't sell any of them. There's no law that says we have to carry every lens we own every time we go out. My "low light" outfit is 21/2.8, 28/1.9, 50/1.4 and 90/2. My "light weight" outfit is 21/4, 28/2.8, 50/2 and 90/2.8. The 35/2 is the lens I carry when I carry only one lens, and I have a 135/4 for travelling because I like to have a more complete set.
 
Alot of great ideas. Thank you very much.

Until a couple years ago I shot w/ a 35mm Summicron since 1992 and a 50mm for twenty yrs previous to that because I could only afford one lens at a time. Resources have improved finally! but now I'm not accustomed to a fuller set after so many years of fewer resources.

Some of my environments, such as the Grand Canyon, a 28mm is not wide enough. So I recently brought on the 21mmVC. I got to tell you like it. The 90mm I hardly ever use but I like to have it around for those times I want straight on portrait. Its a "fashion photography" thing.
 
As Bill suggests, you might want to sell the 21 and get a 15. If you sell the 28 but keep the 21 I think you have a big gap until your 35 from the 21.

My main lineup is 24, 35, 50 & 90 but I have (and use) a very good Konica 28 and Leica 75. The 28 makes a great pair with the 50 and the 35 really goes with the 75 as a pair. I know 6 lenses sounds like a lot but they give you tremendous situational flexibility.
 
Sell the 28mm...and I will take it. 😀😀 I've very similar set up as you do, except I don't have the 28mm, and my 90 is the tele-elmarit (thin). AND I love 28mm which was my favorite FL in my SLR days. 😉

Cheerz,
🙂 bm
 
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