Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/01/29
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>During a weak moment, I purchased a 24MM for my M6TTL. >I now have the 24mm, 35 f2 asph, 50 f2, and 90mm f2 >asph... That was one hell of a weak moment! An expensive one, too, but since you've already taken the plunge, there's no looking back. Re: 35 vs 24, for me. Like another Lugger who responded to your post, I'd say that the 35 Summicron is the lens I use most. It feels comfortable to me and is very easy to use. My mind and eye do not need any adjusting with the 35 focal length - the compositions come spontaneously and are not cluttered by unwanted elements that sometimes creep in with a wide angle lens. I'd say that the 35 is my "normal" lens; for me the 50 serves more as a moderate tele. The 24 is another story. Though in another life I had used a 20mm lens and was rather at home with it, getting used to the 24 has been a difficult task. I haven't mastered it yet, but I'm getting more familiar with what it has to offer, and am figuring out how I can best exploit it's potential. I tend to choose the 24 over the 35 when I want to emphasize and/or exaggerate spatial relationships in the picture. The 24 can really push certain things to the foreground and other things into the distance, and this is a major charm of this focal length for me. In the following shot, the near/far relationship is emphasized: http://home.lainet.com/~gbennett/photography/photography_getty2.html This next shot, taken with a 35, doesn't demonstrate any of the exaggerating potential of the super wide angles; the space is rendered naturally: http://home.lainet.com/~gbennett/photography/photography_courtyard.html I also use the 24 to "pull apart" the inside of a space. For me, it works best on spaces that already have a kind of "open" structure, like this shot, for example: http://home.lainet.com/~gbennett/photography/photography_mall1.html Here the 24 seems to grab the floor and ceiling and just pull them apart, which is an effect I find thrilling. Notice, too, that this lens is sharper than hell (and that's *sharp*, for those of you who have never been to hell and seen how sharp it is down there) wide open, which is how I tend to use it. Compared to the above, an interior shot with the 35 looks normal indeed: http://home.lainet.com/~gbennett/photography/photography_metro1.html The 24 is a fantastic lens, but I agree with those who say that it's difficult to master. I'm still at it and hope one day to feel completely at home with this focal length. Thus far, I'm happy with what it has to offer and am doing my best to live up to the challenge. Good luck! Guy