Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/01/03

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Subject: RE: [Leica] Lens Questions: thank you! Now, about wide angle....
From: "Steve Unsworth" <steve.unsworth@Bigfoot.com>
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2001 20:14:57 -0000

If you want something cheaper and it doesn't _have_ to be Leica glass, have
you considered a new Voigtlander 25mm? They go for around 180-200 UKP here
in the UK. I use one on an M6 and work outside the 28mm frame to give an
approximation of the coverage (even with the viewfinder that comes with the
lens there's a certain amount of guesswork involved).


Regards

Steve

- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
[mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Adam Bridge
Sent: 03 January 2001 19:31
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Leica] Lens Questions: thank you! Now, about wide
angle....


Thanks to everyone for their replies to my questions. I always wondered what
the flat "ledge" on the top of the 50mm lens was for! Now I know.

Unfortunately I am unable to comply with the request to surrender the 90mm
lens. It seems to work just fine for me! <grin>

Now a question to really reveal my ignorance:

I've never shot with a lens wider than 50mm. (okay, you know the awful
truth)

I'd like to buy a lens in the 25-35mm range for shooting in confined spaces.
Last summer I was on deck at the US Olympic Swimming Trials in Indianapolis.
While I'm please with the photos, the best of them were actually shot at a
distance with the 90mm because I was always too close or surrounded by
crowds for the 50. I CRAVED something wider.

But these lenses are, ahem, pricey. Because I don't need the latest and
greatest I'm wondering if you have thoughts about what to look for in a good
used lens. I'm sure a dealer would say "buy a new one" but I could almost
buy a Cannon D30 for the cost of one of those puppies. Well almost.

Which is an interesting aside, I note that with many cameras the body is the
most expensive purchase. A D30 is $3k but an optically stabilized zoom lens
is well under $1k. An M6 is going to run about $2k or so (roughly) but a
lens will be at least that if I look for something wide. I find that
interesting.

Anyway, I'm learning a LOT from my M6. I still can't estimate focus fast
enough without looking. I try but I can't learn how to gage focus so when I
bring the camera up it's nearly set the right focal distance. Is there a way
to be good at this?

I ramble. My apologies.

Adam Bridge