Wide angled noob: suggestions for which 35mm to get

[dankwan]

After 2 days of lugging around heavy lenses and at the very painful expense of a thrown back during my travels, i am writing this post flat on my back asking for assistance. As most of you know, I'm hopeless at wides but I would like to start lightening my load and dropping down to one all round 35mm lens. Im naturally thinking about the Bokeh king however the more I read the more confused I am on what to buy.

So help me out guys, any recommendations and why?

Thanks in advance bros

 

[mikhail33]

A voigtlander 35mm f1.4 is good, super small lens and has a wide-aperture just incase of low light situations! Another is the 35mm f2.5 colour-skopar pii, even smaller than the one before and nice to use! And not to mention both of them are alot cheaper than the bokeh king!

 

[ZoomP]

After 2 days of lugging around heavy lenses and at the very painful expense of a thrown back during my travels, i am writing this post flat on my back asking for assistance. As most of you know, I'm hopeless at wides but I would like to start lightening my load and dropping down to one all round 35mm lens. Im naturally thinking about the Bokeh king however the more I read the more confused I am on what to buy.

So help me out guys, any recommendations and why?

Thanks in advance bros

Bro, the fujinon 35 f2.0 no good?

 

[sabrewolf]

The MS Triplet 35mm 3.5 for the ultimate non-back breaking lens
http://www.japanexposures.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=423

 

[alex36]

I think I am in the same dilemma, after going through a whole bunch of 35s ( Bokeh king, Lux V1, V2, CV 35 1.4, CV 35 1.2, Canon serenar, Zeiss Biogon) I am now currently using the 35 Cron asph.

The Cron so far is the best all rounder lens, sharp at all apertures, solid feel, compact, good contrast... oh, and has a red dot!!!

The other great 35 I really like is the CV 1.2, but that is too huge for me, .

 

[LowLights]

Dan
I had though you wanted the Bokeh King for artistic shots from time to time .. Did not know you wanted a one for all 35mm
The lens you are looking for would be the new Leica 35mm Summilux FLE or version 2

I am a 50mm shooter .. YoU dig out my dry cab you will see only one 35mm .. It use to be the 35 lux version 1 .. But i hunting down the BK.. But the king will not go traveling with me

On tour .. I prefer to have a lens that is obedient more tame if you like .. That way I can predict the out come .. Of course others might argue .. It just matter of getting to know the characterist of the lens that you are using .. True .. So then the choice of the 35 becomes a personal choice .. Which has alway been the thing about RF lenses .. Some like it sharp other not so sharp

One one tour .. I went with the 50 lux pre asp, 50 lux asph, 75 lux, 90 cron and the 35 lux v1, a MP and the M8. And not forget the Nikon DSLR .. Was using the D700 and a 70-200 vr1 .. The idea was to get artists shots with the Leica and "sniper" with the DSLR .. :dunno:

Only the 35 saw action .. The rest stayed in the hotel safe !!! WTF .. Seriously till today I cannot understand why I even bring the others .. Anyway the 75 and 90 was later sold

My last trip out .. Only the 35 went..

So Dan if sharpness is what you need then .. The new 35 V2 Else the BK is the next in line..

Hope this helps

Cheers

Edit
O the trip that I went are all Pure Photography trips and we are being herded like sheep.. so I did not dare to risk just bringing the M system alone for fear of missing shots.. as we all know that it not a all rounder .. hence the DSLR setup
for Family trips .. only the M will travel with me .. no bulky DSLR .. this trips are less intensive and more time to shoot

 

[schmuak]

I dropped all my 35s for a 28mm 2.8 asph.

35mm seems a bit too ordinary for me. The 28mm is incredibly small and light and very sharp too. 28mm also allows you to get closer, so its a good compliment to the 50mm that I bring with me all the time.

 

[K3N]

How about the Leica X1 in black?

 

[dankwan]

A voigtlander 35mm f1.4 is good, super small lens and has a wide-aperture just incase of low light situations! Another is the 35mm f2.5 colour-skopar pii, even smaller than the one before and nice to use! And not to mention both of them are alot cheaper than the bokeh king!

Hi mikhail thanks for your take on the vc's. I have the 35/1.2 and the 21/4, nice lenses.

 

[dankwan]

Bro, the fujinon 35 f2.0 no good?

Yeah it's so terrible it needs to be locked up away in my Swiss safety deposit box along with my bearer bonds...... This is the artistic lens and not an everyday all round one which Richard so correctly alluded to.

Plus it's a little rare for me to keep banging around especially when walking around cities. Feel horrible with it's roughish use

 

[dankwan]

The MS Triplet 35mm 3.5 for the ultimate non-back breaking lens
http://www.japanexposures.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=423

Oh yeah I'm lusting after that too...and probably will get it. I need speed though as we normally go from outdoor to indoor for example this holy city trip for Christmas, we are visiting every church by foot....thanks for the input though I appreciate it!

 

[dankwan]

I think I am in the same dilemma, after going through a whole bunch of 35s ( Bokeh king, Lux V1, V2, CV 35 1.4, CV 35 1.2, Canon serenar, Zeiss Biogon) I am now currently using the 35 Cron asph.

The Cron so far is the best all rounder lens, sharp at all apertures, solid feel, compact, good contrast... oh, and has a red dot!!!

The other great 35 I really like is the CV 1.2, but that is too huge for me, .

Hi Alex, thanks for the reply and I know how you feel brother...the more I read the more I get confused. I also though about cron asph but again with little or no hands on experience with these lenses I am not sure if it matches my character, not really a sharp sharp guy and Bokeh wise inbrtween wild swirly and controlled...but I hear good things about it.

 

[dankwan]

Dan
I had though you wanted the Bokeh King for artistic shots from time to time .. Did not know you wanted a one for all 35mm
The lens you are looking for would be the new Leica 35mm Summilux FLE or version 2

I am a 50mm shooter .. YoU dig out my dry cab you will see only one 35mm .. It use to be the 35 lux version 1 .. But i hunting down the BK.. But the king will not go traveling with me

On tour .. I prefer to have a lens that is obedient more tame if you like .. That way I can predict the out come .. Of course others might argue .. It just matter of getting to know the characterist of the lens that you are using .. True .. So then the choice of the 35 becomes a personal choice .. Which has alway been the thing about RF lenses .. Some like it sharp other not so sharp

One one tour .. I went with the 50 lux pre asp, 50 lux asph, 75 lux, 90 cron and the 35 lux v1, a MP and the M8. And not forget the Nikon DSLR .. Was using the D700 and a 70-200 vr1 .. The idea was to get artists shots with the Leica and "sniper" with the DSLR .. :dunno:

Only the 35 saw action .. The rest stayed in the hotel safe !!! WTF .. Seriously till today I cannot understand why I even bring the others .. Anyway the 75 and 90 was later sold

My last trip out .. Only the 35 went..

So Dan if sharpness is what you need then .. The new 35 V2 Else the BK is the next in line..

Hope this helps

Cheers

Edit
O the trip that I went are all Pure Photography trips and we are being herded like sheep.. so I did not dare to risk just bringing the M system alone for fear of missing shots.. as we all know that it not a all rounder .. hence the DSLR setup
for Family trips .. only the M will travel with me .. no bulky DSLR .. this trips are less intensive and more time to shoot

Richard, your reply cut to the heart of the matter, thanks! You're not far off, I would use the fujinon 35/2 as the artistic one and the other for the all rounder and looks like lux fle may be the leading contender

But as always bro, you're taste so high my wallet doesn't like you anymore!:sweatsm:

 

[chiif]

Dan,

Get a hexar AF, solves all your problem!

 

[dankwan]

I dropped all my 35s for a 28mm 2.8 asph.

35mm seems a bit too ordinary for me. The 28mm is incredibly small and light and very sharp too. 28mm also allows you to get closer, so its a good compliment to the 50mm that I bring with me all the time.

Hi schmuak, thanks bro, you know what that's a very interesting observation. It crossed my mind but I wasn't sure. That's how noob i am in wides. The 28 scares me a bit as in it just seems do wide and the frame seems so loose. Time to start looking at your work. The 28asph is also on my radar. Only thing again is interior shots and film.

 

[dankwan]

How about the Leica X1 in black?

Wifey has that...won't carry it....

 

[dankwan]

Dan,

Get a hexar AF, solves all your problem!

Fashion over function bro, fashion over function....:bsmilie:

 

[LKSC]

IMHO, the more fundamental question is whether one can live with 35mm as one's only focal length, esp if one is not used to using something this wide. For many "one-body-one-lens" users, the preferred sense of perspective comes first, all the characteristics of lenses having that view then follow according to individual taste. How something is shot is as important as how it is rendered. Users can describe and opine on the rendition and signature of different types of glass, but no one can really advise on the way you prefer to "see" the world through your viewfinder. I feel it is important to address this issue of chosen perspective before committing to one lens. Look back at all your keepers; since you do not have specific requirements about bokeh or sharpness, ask: could your non-35mm keepers have been had another, wider way? Then you will be on the right track.

 

[dankwan]

IMHO, the more fundamental question is whether one can live with 35mm as one's only focal length, esp if one is not used to using something this wide. For many "one-body-one-lens" users, the preferred sense of perspective comes first, all the characteristics of lenses having that view then follow according to individual taste. How something is shot is as important as how it is rendered. Users can describe and opine on the rendition and signature of different types of glass, but no one can really advise on the way you prefer to "see" the world through your viewfinder. I feel it is important to address this issue of chosen perspective before committing to one lens. Look back at all your keepers; since you do not have specific requirements about bokeh or sharpness, ask: could your non-35mm keepers have been had another, wider way? Then you will be on the right track.

Great point lksc...seems to me 35mm is just wide enough for me to be comfortable, hence to reduce variables I settled on this focal length to start practicing I suppose. My non 35mm keepers or rather favorites would be the noct, lux pre asph and the sonnars, what would that imply in a wider, more pictorial format, other than the obvious lux for lux exchange?

 

[newghost]

Dan,

Get a hexar AF, solves all your problem!

Second that!!! ....and with relatively fast auto-focus to beat!

Otherwise, how about consider the voigtlander ultron 35mm f1.7? Certainly not a rare lens but that said, it doesn't come by that often too...