28mm as standard lens: What do you think?

[Ken N]

My personal "normal" lens of choice is a 35/2.8. For one primary reason is that the bokeh of this focal length appears superior to that of the 50mm lenses. 28mm was always one of those neither fish nor fowl focal lengths as I find 24mm more useful as a wide-angle.

The zoom lens on my E-1 stops at 28mm equivelent, and I'm really not spending too much time there as I either bump it forward a touch (to about 35mm) or end up fighting the fact it isn't wide enough.

But the difference between 35mm and 28mm isn't that much, however, the 35mm seems to give me slightly more working distance so I'm not intruding on the comfort circle of my subject.

Ken

 

[Chan Tran]

I wouldn't buy the SB-600. It's expensive.

 

[NormanV]

Whatever lens you use will seem "normal" to you.

 

[nickandre]

Maybe I'm just a cheepskate but I just bought a manual focus 50mm nikon for $25 on the bay. I use a holga flash ($15 new i think).

 

[eddym]

28 is, for me, too wide for a normal and too long for a wide angle. I like a 24 for a wide and a 35 for normal.
But so what? Everybody takes different pictures. Thank goodness!

 

[AutumnJazz]

Don't bother with flash unless you can throw around a lot of money for a bunch of speedlights or studio lights, stands, modifiers, wireless triggers, etc. It just isn't worth it.

Also, the SB-600 is doubly a bad choice due to it being expensive and its lack of a PC-sync.

I have an SB-28, and I barely ever use it. Sometimes I'll hook it up with an off-camera TTL cord for some harsh light, but I've done that like 10 times. I would use flash a lot more if I had a flash meter, stands, modifiers, and a bunch of (3+) speedlights or studio lights. Alas, I don't, and it doesn't really impact my photography that much because I do next to no studio work, and absolutely no commercial work.

Also, I would never get a 50mm lens...It is too long to be used for general purpose, and it is too short to get any tele shots. Personally, I treat my 35mm lens as a normal and I want to get a 28mm lens for wide. (My perfect outfit would be a 28/1.4, 85/1.4, and 110/2...but I'm not made of money.)

Just save your money. The lens is a waste, and so is the flash.

 

[keithwms]

No one can answer these questions for you, of course.

I do pretty much everything with available light and for that, f/2.8 is just plain slow. So of course I like the fast 50s. I use a 50/1.2 routinely. I also use a 105/1.8 and some other fast lenses. I dislike flashes, of which I have many, with all manner of diffusers. I use them as an extreme last resort. To any newcomer I would strongly advise eschewing flashes until you have really learned how to make the very best of the available light. Then and only then are you ready to start working flashes into your routine. So you have to make the determination of whether you are ready. I agree with AutumnJazz that it isn't something to half ass.

Frankly, I don't understand the various comments about what focal length is better for this or that. Different focal lengths have different purposes. What else is worth saying? :s

 

[Colin Corneau]

It seems that you will have to shoot with discipline either way.

You get a flash and no 50, you work within that constrainment -- you force yourself to work without that focal length.

You get a 50 and no flash, you force yourself to work with available light ONLY.

Either way requires a tradeoff, and only you can decide which tradeoff you can live with.

 

[Sirius Glass]

[Please remember I am talking about 35mm cameras.]

When I traveled in Europe, the 28mm lenses was my standard. The 35mm did not do it for me => too many compromises.

The 28mm lenses is good for removing most trolley/tram lines from the compositions.

Steve

 

[MattKing]

Markok:

Those Metz flashes are quite good. I'd investigate having it fixed.

TTl flash is quite useful - for macro, or long telephotos, or other specialized work. Otherwise, it probably isn't significantly better than a good automatic flash, like your Metz.

On camera TTl flash certainly isn't likely to be significantly better than your Metz if you are using a 28mm lens.

I'm repeating myself, but my favourite lens combo is 24mm f/2.8, 35mm f/2.0 and 85mm f/2.0 (all Olympus Zuiko, so therefore small and of excellent quality). If I had to limit myself to just 1, it would be the 35mm.

The perspective that results from using a 28mm to fill the frame with a single subject just doesn't work for me.

That being said, I have in the past spent significant hours carrying around a (small, inexpensive and surprisingly sharp) combination of Zuiko 28mm f/3.5, 50mm f/1.8 and 135mm f/3.5 lenses.

Matt

 

[Mick Fagan]

I have the Metz 32CT4 flash system, which is basically the same unit, except it has a hammerhead arm upon which the flash sits.

You can use the same hammerhead arm for your CT3, which will give you about 450 full strength flash cycles and recycling time with the arm underneath is quite fast, very fast in fact. The hammerhead unit, which I think is called the G15 arm, takes 4 "C" sized batteries.

It can be used on either side of the camera. There is a 2mm jack take off at the rear which I connect to the F3 drive. With this hooked up I use the flash on the right side and press the orange button on the front of the hammerhead arm and the camera fires a shot.

This is great as I take the weight of the camera with my right hand, control the firing with my right hand and focus the camera with my left hand which is steadying the camera, taking a bit of weight and feels perfect. For verticals I swing the camera CCW and the flash is on top, it is the way I always hold a camera in portrait mode.

Using the correct SCA 300 Adaptors I can if I wish, have TTL on my FE2 and F3 bodies, I also used to use it on an Olympus body with TTL and a friend borrowed it for use on one of his Canon bodies.

Extremely versatile system and you can hold it about 900mm away from the body and still get TTL if you wish.

With a 28mm lens attached you should be using the supplied clip on diffuser.

I have a set of Lumiquest diffusers and reflectors which all fit into a bum bag, they are better than the original plastic diffuser.

Mick.

 

[Mick Fagan]

Forgot to add that the CT4 unit can sit atop any camera with the correct foot attached, including the F2 and F3 cameras with their flash take off sitting around the re-wind crank handle.

Well at least mine can

Mick.