Rethinking Leica's 28mm Lenses — STREET SILHOUETTES

I apologize for taking this long to update this dog and pony show with a new blog entry. I have been cleansing myself from the malaise of government ordered quarantine. It really was a punitive experience enacted by the Hong Kong government to deter its population from going to places where they may bringing back unwanted foreign pathogens. All I can say is that I will think twice before setting foot outside of Hong Kong again, since I do not want to subject myself to such a horrible ordeal. It is like I shot myself on purpose for no good reason.

Mind you, my government ordered quarantine could have been bearable, if the accommodations were not so ghastly. Unfortunately, the hotel I booked for my many days of isolation was a self-inflicted-wound of a choice, brought upon by a misguided belief that the hotel would be the same as it was ten years ago when I stayed at one of their suites for three months. I mean, they had Hermès toiletry. But given that all their reservations were Covid related quarantine bookings, the hotel saw no reason to maintain their former standard of hospitality.

I mean, the hotel did not even prepare the three times a day complementary meal for its guests. Instead, they outsourced that chore to the lowest bidder. The food was not fit for human consumption. It was an assortment of overcooked refined simple-carbohydrate-slop slathered in sugary sauces, accompanied by fizzy soft drink. But in fairness, I could have ordered from Food Panda or Deliveroo (being Hong Kong’s version of Grubhub or Door Dash). That said, I refrained from succumbing to such indulgences, owing to my chosen ascetic lifestyle.

Leica 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M ASPH version I + Kodak Ektachrome E100. Image is cropped.

Leica 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M ASPH Version I + Kodak Ektachrome E100.

Leica 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M ASPH Version I + Kodak Ektachrome E100. La bocca della verità bancaria? Image is cropped.

Yes, I choose to live in this way. No, I don’t need to live like this. And obviously, there are compromises. One of the trademarks of an ascetic lifestyle is less time spent indoors and more time spent outdoors. In other words, I do not frequent restaurants as much anymore. For that reason, my need for wider coverage in tighter spaces is no longer as pressing. Not surprisingly, my view on the Leica 28mm f/1.4 Summilux-M ASPH is no longer the same. It was once my default lens for just about every photo opportunity. But now, it sits idle in my dry box.

And of course, there is the issue of its bulk - which no longer seems reasonable to shlep around - owing to my shift away from nocturnal activities and dark places. Plus, there is also that small flash unit I carry around - just in case a lack of available light needs to be addressed. Still, it is not merely the extra speed I no longer need. It is also the angle of coverage which I no longer require. Fact is, the 28mm focal length is much too wide for my present compositional needs. I know, who would have thought that I could make such an about face? Ironic!

So, I do not need the extra speed. And, I really do not need the wider angle of coverage. Plus, I do not need to take photos in tighter spaces. Given that, what is the point of the 28 Lux or any of the 28mm offerings from the folks at Wetzlar? If given enough space to back up, I can cram-in as much background coverage with a 35mm or a 50mm lens as a 28mm lens. As such, why commit yourself to such inclusiveness when you can go tighter and isolate more in framing - especially since you can increase inclusiveness by just going back a few steps!

Leica 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M ASPH Version I + Kodak Ektachrome E100. Photobomber removed in the background.

Leica 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M ASPH Version I + Kodak Ektachrome E100. At minimum focusing distance.

Of course, increasing inclusiveness in coverage is not always as simple as backing up. Sometimes, one might want inclusiveness while still preserving the subject’s presence in the frame. In other words, one might have a real need to cram in more background while still fill up the frame with the subject. Admittedly, my need to do that is rather infrequent as of late. But just for fun, I decided to give that objective the college try. As such, I did something I have not done in a while. I went to Hong Kong’s Central District to photograph the tall buildings.

Thus with a 28mm lens, I was surely able to increase background coverage while still able to preserve subject presence in-frame. But over the course of a photowalk, how many photos can one possibly take of the subject with tall buildings filling up the background? A couple at best. So then, what is one to do with the remainder of the photowalk? Take run-of-the-mill candids of the subject without the tall buildings filling up the frame? In my opinion, that is where the trouble begins with the 28mm focal length - especially with Leica M-mount lenses.

The problem with inclusiveness in coverage characteristic of any 28mm M-mount lens is that subject isolation will be lost in the mix. However, that does not mean we cannot isolate the subject with a 28mm M-mount lens. Of course we can. It just means we must get up close and personal, by shooting at its 2.3ft (or 0.7m) minimum focusing distance. Only then can we get a bust shot - albeit in landscape orientation. This of course means we can forget about headshots or detail shots. A 28mm M-mount lens can’t get closer than 2.3ft to isolate further.

Leica 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M ASPH Version I + Kodak Ektachrome E100 + Fill Flash

Because of that, subject isolation becomes rather unintuitive when shooting a 28mm Leica M-mount lens. For the most part, that is understandable. As creatures of habit, we customarily take photos from a fixed shooting distance - generally around 6ft to 9ft (or 2m to 3m). At that distance with a 28mm lens, that means most of our photos tend to range from torso to full body shots - which it does marvelously (if framed correctly to elongate limbs and torso relative to the head). However, all that comes at the expense of reduced subject isolation.

Thing is with a 28mm lens, I felt I could never get close enough to the subject to capture the subject closer up in-frame. In practice, I find that somewhat ironic. Fundamentally, we are told that wide angle lenses (including the 28mm focal length) are intended to be shot closer up (for greater inclusiveness in coverage). But, what we are not told is that wide angle lenses, when shot closer up, are not intended to document the subject up close for subject and detail isolation. At least, that is the case with Leica M-mount lenses - limited to 2.3ft (or 0.7m).

And, thus is my gripe with M-mount lenses. With through-the-lens systems, the minimum focusing distance is much closer. In other words, you can actually get close enough to isolate the subject. For me, this is a big deal because subject isolation at that level of minute details - like eyelashes and fingernails - are equally important to me as body shots and landscapes. To be denied the full range of framing at the very close is a big handicap for me. This is what I dislike about Leica’s 28mm lenses. I just wished they could go a little closer in focusing.

Leica 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M ASPH Version I + Kodak Ektachrome E100 + Fill Flash. Unfortunately, flash sync is at 1/50s. Hence, the motion blur.

Still, that does not mean I will opt for my Nikon or Canon with a closer minimum focusing 28mm lens. After all, it is not as if there won’t be a trade-off. At least my Leica M-mount rangefinder is relatively more portable than a bulky SLR. Of course, I could go digital. But, you know how that argument is going to turn out. In the end, my best bet is to wait for the next generation closer focusing 28mm M-mount lens, and learn to eyeball focusing distance less that 2.3ft. Alternatively, I could just crop my photos to isolate. However, that seems like a copout.

At present, I believe my best choice is to opt for a tighter focal length - which is what I have been doing for the last couple of months. Personally, I prefer the 50mm focal length. Plus, I have been using the Leica 50mm f/1.2 Noctilux-M ASPH Version II as of late. That said, I can’t say that my bias against the 28mm focal length will last. After all, fashion is fickle. And, I suppose that focal length preference is also a kind of fashion. In any event, the 28mm focal length is currently not my favorite. What I want is a lens that can offer me a fuller range of framing.

But to be fair, there is nothing intrinsically bad with less subject isolation. For the sake of more inclusiveness, a trade-off has to be made. And, it is not as if greater isolation does not come with its own unpleasant trade-offs too. I mean, good luck getting enough environmental background coverage in tight spaces with a 50mm lens. At least with a 28mm lens, one can always crop and fake subject isolation. That said, I have never been one to crop for subject isolation. In film, I do not have the same wiggle room innate to high resolution digital capture.

I mean, it is not as if I have the benefit of shooting a Leica Q2 - a 28mm high resolution digital camera that was made specifically for digital zooming (being code for cropping). But in defense of the Leica Q2, it can focus as close as 1ft (0.3m). That means it can isolate the subject without cropping. Maybe that’s the lesson of this blog entry. If you want a 28mm lens that can isolate the subject, get the Leica Q2. But, if you are like me - an analog photographer - then perhaps your best bet is to shoot at a tighter focal length.

Last, this was not my original blog post for this week. I wanted to discuss something more profound. But, what I wrote did not match the feel of the photos on this set. So, I made a last minute change. That said, this is why I have not been shooting at the 28mm focal length for quite some time. Subject isolation is important to me.

Thank you Kamila for accompanying me on yet another photowalk. I feel terrible that I forgot to ask you to take off your mask for so many of the photos.

Disclaimer

Sep 17 Rethinking Leica's 28mm Lenses

Disclaimer

Sep 17 Rethinking Leica's 28mm Lenses

Oct 2 Lessons from the Leica 28-35-50mm f/4 Tri-Elmar-M

Aug 16 Spirit of Photography