CF 60mm f35

[simonpg]

Is anyone using a 60mm lens as a "general" focal length for hand-held shooting.

It strikes me that it may produce a 135 format equivalent AOV as a 35mm. So it may be more versatile in the "street" and for travel.

When I'm looking for something wider than my CFE 80mm, I find my CF 50mm FLE a bit wide and sensitive to my camera angle. The FLE is also not a "light-weight" compact design. Does anyone share that view? Do many users have both and find there is not too much overlap / similarity in the AOV?

When I travel or go out in the street with a 135 format rangefinder I find 35mm a very versatile focal length, but when using my 6x6 kit I sometimes feel I'm missing that versatility.

 

[fotografz]

60 is a keeper IMO. I use the 35mm on a Leica M almost 80% of the time, so the 65 is a natural when street shooting or doing wider candids at weddings. 35mm is also my most used lens on the Canon full frame digital camera.

 

[simonpg]

Thanks Marc.

The correlation with the 35mm focal length AOV in 135 format was what struck me. However, I do find that when I shoot 6x6 I seem to "see what I see" in a somewhat different perspective. In fact in 6x6 I have discovered that I generally see images in a much more close context - close in respect of AOV. I have found that I use my 120mm a big % of the time in the street. I seem to narrow down to what I feel is a key element of the scene.

My Leica M kit is to me a different purpose capturing something of a "bigger story" (if that makes sense) which is enhanced by the rangefinder design. The beauty of my 35mm Summicron ASPH is that it enables me to capture that story and its fuller context in a nice flat field of view without too high a risk of converging elements (user created "distortion") issues.

Every now and then I am finding it would be nice to have a bit wider AOV with a very flat field of view so that I can be closer to the subject and using the extra DOF capture my subject as well as its contect. So, I wondered if Hasselblad 6x6 shooters have a similar experience with the 60mm. Your comments seem to say that you do.

For me very wide angle 6x6 images don't have a lot of appeal - they just don't reflect how I see things in this format. But, there are many occasions when my 50mm FLE is the perfect choice, but I suspect that for me not so in more general shooting (just a bit too wide) as it needs more "care" to avoid creating converging elements.

So, lately I have wondered if the 60mm's bit extra AOV over the 80mm may help my purpose as a 35mm lens does in 135 format. I hope what I am saying makes sense. Thanks again because I think your comments hit the nail on the head.