Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/12/26

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Subject: RE: [Leica] choosing lenses=brain melt!!!!
From: "Dan Honemann" <danh@selectsa.com>
Date: Tue, 26 Dec 2000 14:06:03 -0500

Rusty,

I feel for you, man.  I've been struggling with lens choices for my kit for
longer than I care to remember.

Push finally came to shove and I settled on this line-up:

28/2.8, 35/1.4 asph, 50/2 (already own this), 75/1.4

But this kit suits _my shooting_, which is mainly B&w street photography (28
& 35), indoor candids (35 & 75) and nature (35, 50, 75; color slides).  Once
I started thinking from the perspective of what kind of shooting I do, and
clearly defining requirements for that shooting, then I was able to use
those objectives to guide my decision.  Otherwise, I was lost in a sea of
other folks' opinions and MTF charts--an impossible situation with these
lenses as they are ALL superb.

So, my best advice to you is to do the same.  Write down all the kinds of
shooting you typically do and would like to do.  Then write down all the
ways in which your current outfit doesn't meet those needs.  List
requirements that are necessary to plug the holes, and then start matching
up focal lengths, max. apertures, and optical characteristics to those
requirements.  Then you've got your choices made for you!

Leave money out as a factor until the end.  You can always buy these lenses
one at a time if you can't afford them all at once.  If you make compromises
to fit your budget, you may end up wasting a lot of money by trading up for
the ones you _really_ want later on.

Good luck!

Dan

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of rusty
> hubbard
> Sent: Tuesday, December 26, 2000 12:47 PM
> To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> Subject: [Leica] choosing lenses=brain melt!!!!
>
>
> Ok LUGgers...
> My brain is going to melt trying to decide which lens
> to buy next. I have a 50 Summilux and a 25 Voigtlander
> now for my M6 (which I only bought because it was such
> a good deal i couldn't pass it up!!)  Since money is a
> consideration, i was going to purchase another
> Voigtlander lens,and could not justify a used 35
> Summicron since I can get a 15, 35,or a 75 for $350 vs
> $700 for a used 'cron .I know the typical leica "kit
> "is the 35,50 90..and I really like shooting with the
> 35mm focal length,but since i have the 25 and
> 50....well ,I'm having a tough time deciding
> and the choices are...(drum roll please)
> #1... sell the 25 and put the $$ toward a 35 'cron
> #2...Buy a 75 Heliar..to round out my
>                           "kit"..(25,50,75..makes
> sense to me)
> #3... buy a 35 Ultron
> #4....buy a 90 Elmar-C
> #5....sell my M6,SUmmilux and my 25 Voigtlander and
> put it toward more nikon equipment or  stick it in the
> bank...(:O)
>   Any opinions would be greatly appreciated!!
> THanks...Rusty Hubbard
> "Walking Through Prague"
> <http://home.swbell.net/rustyhub/page1.html>
>
>
>
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