Re: [Leica] Need Lens advice, please help!

[Peterson_Art@hq.navsea.navy.mil]

     Get a 50mm Summicron.  It's not called "normal" for nothing.  If you 
     are "doing mostly street shooting," know that Henri Cartier-Bresson 
     made a career mostly using a 50mm lens.  Later you can branch out to 
     35mm and wider, and to 90mm and longer, and open up to f/1 (Noctilux). 
     But the 50mm Summicron is fast, plentiful, (relatively) inexpensive, 
     and overall the best compromise for a single lens, IMHO.  Good luck!
     
     Art Peterson
     

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: [Leica] Need Lens advice, please help!
Author:  leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us at Internet
Date:    3/9/99 8:34 AM


Hello LUG members,
     
Okay, so I've bit the bullet and finally bought an M.  My next step is 
to buy a lens.  Before doing that, I thought it may be a good idea to 
consult the list, considering recent posts about old(er) lenses not 
mounting correctly to a new M6.  I realize I'll get many questions, so 
I'll try to answer as many as I can from the get-go:
     
1. Which M6 in particular?
     
A non-TTL, ser. #2168XXX, if it makes a difference, it's chrome.
     
2. What focal length?
     
Either 50 or 35.  I will be doing mostly street shooting, and entirely 
in B&W.  I would like to take advantage of the increased DOF of a wide 
angle lens, but then again, this will be my first lens(and only lens, 
until my next bonus) so I suspect a 50 would be more practical.
     
3.  What is important?
     
Available light.  I don't like to use flash, and like to stick to the 
slower films, so it's got to be somewhat fast.
     
Cost.  Okay, I just shelled out over 1400 bucks for the body, and I'm a 
software engineer.  Do I need to put the blocks in the squares?  I can't 
afford a noctilux here.  I'd like to keep the cost relatively low(don't 
laugh too hard).
     
Mainly I'm interested in the qualities that set apart leica lenses from 
others.
     
Okay, there you go...I know some people(myself included) love to spend 
other people's money for them.  So please, take the ball and run with 
it.  I'd really appreciate your insight and wisdom.
     
BTW,  to answer some of the "Thread" Post questions:
     
I weigh about 175, my favorite B&W paper is Ilford MG FB, I don't have a 
favorite Leica lens(because this will be my first) and I never have used 
a computer printer or scanner for photographic purposes.
     
thanks again,
Paul Klingaman
     
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