Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2016/09/16
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]According to my list, I have a Halina 35X somewhere in the attic with a 45mm, a couple of Kodak Retinette 1s with 45mms, and a Yashica Minister also with a 45mm. Douglas ----- Original Message ----- From: "Adam Bridge" <abridge683 at fastmail.com> To: "Leica Users Group" <lug at leica-users.org> Sent: Friday, September 16, 2016 10:45 PM Subject: [Leica] How did 50mm become the "normal" lens for 35mm cameras? > Let me back up a moment. > > I was taught that a ?normal? lens is one whose focal length matches the > diagonal of the film/sensor frame. > > For 35mm film as shot by, say, a Leica M6, that turns out to be 43mm - > midway between a wide 35mm lens and a 50mm lens which I have sometimes > seen called a ?short telephoto? perhaps even by B&H. > > Now as I remember from my cinema days 35mm movies are shot at the same > aspect ratio as still but have different dimensions since they are shot > with the long edge running across the film instead of the short edge as is > the case for full frame 35mm film photography (except, I?m guessing, > half-frame 35mm but now I?m totally out of school having never seen one of > these cameras. > > That?s where I?m coming from. And wondering why we don?t see more > 40-something focal length lenses. I know that there 48?s out there? Nikon > maybe from the old days? Mark Rabiner, you talked about this at some > point, I think. > > Thanks > > Adam > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information