You can only choose one lens…

[F456]

For me if would be something like a pre-aspherical Summilux in 35mm of course. It's like having two lenses in one -- stopped down vs wide open. Limited to only one lens the rest of your career, you would want the variety. Or one of the early Summicrons and travel a lot for the variety of scenes.

I think you've tempted me to change back to the very same Summilux 35 again! But I'll stick it out rather than abort the mission...

 

[The_Film_Fellow]

I was day dreaming on a recent bike ride, and for some reason or another this thought crossed my mind:

Strictly speaking of rangefinder lenses (including lenses permanently affixed to RF cameras.) Not mirrorless, not SLR or DSLR, only glass for RF cameras qualifies. (Contax G is considered an RF for this exercise.)

You can only choose one lens for the rest of your photographic life.

Which single lens would be your choice?

Very simple: the Hexanon 50 1.8 on my Konica IIIA! Nothing beats it. Not even the Summicron of its day 😂

 

[38Deardorff]

Me? If we're really talking one lens..... 50 mm doesn't work for me....nor 40mm. As many decades as I've used a Summicron 35, there was something just something about the Summaron 35 2.8 LTM I had. But since this is of course all hypothetical, i'd settle for the re-issue steel rim Summilux & just my old black M4.

 

[Jonathan Lewenhaupt]

Definitely, the Voigtländer LTM Nokton 50mm ƒ1.5 Aspherical. 👌😌

 

[MNS]

If I could only choose one lens it would have to be this one...

 

[Bill Blackwell]

In a similar thread awhile back I chose a 28, but as I read the musings in this thread and reflect on all of the lenses I've owned over the years, if I could only pick one to carry for the rest of my life it'd have to be a 50mm Noctilux f/1. I've never enjoyed a lens more and I've always regretted selling it.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Dual Range Summicron.
Phil