RE: [Leica] Lens choice--sole lens for M6

["B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>]

Sorry, Julian...I missed the original post and just jumped into what seemed
to be the usual "which is best" thread..:-)

Now for an attempt at a real answer to a real question...Both the pre-asph
Summicron 35 and the Summicron 50 are terrific lenses. And, frankly, were it
not for Erwin's lab tests and the availability of the ASPHs, we'd all still
probably think they were the world's best...So then the question is, which
focal length will you be happiest with? If it were me, I'd go for the 35,
which I find to be less limiting than the 50. The 35 allows me to get
relatively close to a subject and yet still include some of the subject's
environment. At the same time, if I need to, I can get just about as tight
with the 35 as I can with the 50. The 50 is a neat lens, but as someone, I
think Michael Hintlian, observed a while back, when you really nail it with
a 50, you get a superb photo...but the percentage of getting that kind of
shots is lower than it would be with a 35.

So go for the 35...And don't forget, it's also a minute lens, which,
combined with an M, makes a pocketable lens/body combination.

B. D.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Julian
> Koplen
> Sent: Wednesday, December 15, 1999 6:47 PM
> To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Lens choice--sole lens for M6
>
>
> B.D.,
>
> Thanks for your input, but I'm afraid you misunderstood my
> so-called problem
> (deciding which kind of Leica lens to buy is the kind of
> "problem" we all
> want more often).  I don't feel I can spring for the ASPH
> lenses at present.
> So, unless I start feeling a lot richer, my current choice
> would have to
> come from one of the pre-aspheric 35 or 50mm, either the
> Summicron or the
> Summilux.   Of course, Ted is telling me that maybe I can
> focus indoors
> adequately with my present Summicron-R lenses.  I have the 50
> and 35.  I
> confess that I never put myself to the real test trying to
> focus on faces at
> f2.0 indoors with the R lenses, but on an informal dry run, I
> felt like I
> wasn't doing so well.
>
> I would still value your opinion about the above choices, if it is not
> putting you to too much trouble.
>
> Regards...........Julian
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: B. D. Colen <bdcolen@earthlink.net>
> To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
> Sent: Wednesday, December 15, 1999 6:38 AM
> Subject: RE: [Leica] Lens choice--sole lens for M6
>
>
>
> > Julian Koplen wrote:
> > >So, for my one lens with the M6, what's my best choice?
> >
> > 35 Summicron ASPH - no doubt at all!
> >
> > Henry
>
> Unless you want to do a good deal of available light
> photography, in which
> case it's the 35 Summilux ASPH - no doubt at all!
>
> B. D.
>
>
>
>