You can only choose one lens…

shawn said:
Either the Konica 21-35 or the Leica Tri-Elmar 28-35-50.
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Thinking outside the box, I see. ;)

My choice would be the Zeiss Distagon 35mm f1.4. No surprises there. It has been pretty much glued to my M9 since the end of 2020, leaving only for when I need a wide like 21 or a short medium like 50, or to be adapted to my Panasonic S5. It is the sharpest, most contrasty and overall amazing lens I've ever used. Michael Bialecki's photos with it grabbed my attention, and others on RFF highly recommended it, and I was not disappointed. It overtook my Summicron 50 v5 for favourite M mount lens, indeed, favourite lens of all.

M9 - Floating Flowers by Archiver, on Flickr

M9 - Early Edition [explore 2024 07 11 #175] by Archiver, on Flickr

M9 - Relaxing with Cascade by Archiver, on Flickr

If there was a way to improve the Distagon 35, it might be to pair it with the Leica SL2S and a close focus adapter, making it more versatile. But as it is, the Distagon 35 would be my one and done lens. Looking back through my M9 images, I'm really looking forward to the next international trip where I can take the M9 and Distagon.
 
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DownUnder said:
Hoo, this is an easy one.

In mould age
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That was not a typo, was it. 😄

DownUnder said:
I now favour minimalism in almost everything in my life. This is a major sea-change for me, as my previous #1 life principle ran along the lines of "excess in moderation in all things".

If I had to go with film, it would be a Contax G1 with a Zeiss Biogon 28/2.8 - the lens I could easily be happy and live with for the rest of my life. As a second choice the Zeiss Planar 35/2.0, but for me the 28 wins.
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I've seen many Contax 28/2.8 photos, and I know what you mean. My first RF lens was the Biogon 28/2.8 ZM because I hoped it would give a similar look to the Contax version. Perhaps not the same, but still a wonderful lens.
DownUnder said:
As for digital, this conundrum has again surfaced in my life as I'm planning and preparing for two weeks in Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak in February. For this journey I'll take my new (to me) Fuji Xpro2 and the super duper Fujinon 23/1.4, the older lens with the manual focusing facility.

This Fuji kit along with two changes of clothing and a few basic life essentials, will easily get me into carry-on luggage when I fly - my ticket to Kuala Lumpur with Batik Air allows for 10 kilos of cabin bag, and the Fuji won't add much to my total weight. On the other hand the Contax G kit along with film would push me to more than my allowed cabin bag weight, and possibly create problems. So digital wins out on this trip, for this reason alone.
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Safe and happy travels, and congrats on your X-Pro 2. That 23/1.4 is an excellent lens, too.
 
Archiver said:
That was not a typo, was it. 😄


I've seen many Contax 28/2.8 photos, and I know what you mean. My first RF lens was the Biogon 28/2.8 ZM because I hoped it would give a similar look to the Contax version. Perhaps not the same, but still a wonderful lens.

Safe and happy travels, and congrats on your X-Pro 2. That 23/1.4 is an excellent lens, too.
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Yes... but I'm still in a state of feverish lust for a Leica CL...!

My old, not mould. Or TBH, maybe a bit of. both. In fact I had corrected that at the end of my first draft, darn it - but my MacBook wasn't paying attention. Odd, as it's far less old/mouldy than. I am.

Your choice of the 35/1.4 (DX or FX?) would be either a 50 or a 35, depending on format. My Fuji 23/1.4 9 = 35 FF/film) has usurped the first place of my long-beloved 28/2.8 Nikon D for the 'new' style of photography I'm trying to evolve to. That the Fuji lens can be manually focused is a massive plus for me.
 
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I want to say the Leitz Summicron DR, because I love the way it renders, especially on black and white film. I also admire the unique engineering, but too often I find the 1m minimum focus without the goggles limiting, and I don't always like to carry and swap on the goggles.

So this leaves me with my other favorite, the vintage Zeiss Sonnar 50mm 1.5 on an Amedeo dedicated 50mm Contax to Leica adapter. It has good sharpness and smooth bokeh when stopped down to f2, and it is darn compact. I would have to decide between my unusual coated pre war 5cm, and my perfect glass post war Zeiss Opton 50mm. I think the Opton has the edge because it has very nice contrast.
 
Easy, a 5cm or 50mm Sonnar lens. These lenses are already on my Contax bodies most of the time so that's the easy choice.

I guess the hard choice for me would be whether to go modern (West German) or old (Jena) or f2 or f1.5. A good f1.5 copy can be used all the way down to f1.5, but you have to deal with the lens throwing the odd tantrum. It's f2 brother is not as prodigious but also much more even keeled and will usually not give you any surprises.

All that considered probably my very late west German 50mm 1.5 Sonnar. The reason being that it's still a 1.5, but Zeiss has refined the design and overall these lenses behave a bit more predictably than their pre-war and war-time brethren.

I mean I would dearly miss the 35 Biogon, 85 Sonnar 25 Topogon et cetera, but if I had to make one lens choice that would likely be it.
 
TenEleven said:
Easy, a 5cm or 50mm Sonnar lens. These lenses are already on my Contax bodies most of the time so that's the easy choice.

I guess the hard choice for me would be whether to go modern (West German) or old (Jena) or f2 or f1.5. A good f1.5 copy can be used all the way down to f1.5, but you have to deal with the lens throwing the odd tantrum. It's f2 brother is not as prodigious but also much more even keeled and will usually not give you any surprises.

All that considered probably my very late west German 50mm 1.5 Sonnar. The reason being that it's still a 1.5, but Zeiss has refined the design and overall these lenses behave a bit more predictably than their pre-war and war-time brethren.

I mean I would dearly miss the 35 Biogon, 85 Sonnar 25 Topogon et cetera, but if I had to make one lens choice that would likely be it.
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Well that makes us two, my choice came down to the very same lens just a post above. 🤝
 
For me, versatility wise, would be my Leica Summar 50 ( a coated copy). Would fit almost all of my 35mm cameras. Sharp enough, full of character, compact.
However, @Archiver ‘s post about the 35 Distagon reminded me about just how awesome that lens is…so maybe that one if I were to buy a lens.
 
Leica Summilux 50mm f/1.4 ASPH -- among my very top choices for almost every kind of photo I'd typically take, from low level natural light portraits to architecture to landscape. Sharp enough across the frame from wide open, very sharp and detailed stopped down even just a bit, very pleasing bokeh, excellent color, great handling, relatively small size and light weight for such a fast lens, very minor vignetting stopped down a bit which would allow easy stitching together of multiple images to get a wider effective focal length whenever necessary, and great image quality is maintained even at closest focusing distance due to floating element.
 
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