Which focal length to buy for environmental and normal portrait for S system?

[holyhikaru]

I am now planning to preorder S 007 but now struggling to decide which lenses to buy.

I want to shoot environmental portrait and regular portrait.

For environmental portrait, there are 3 focal lengths available: 30mm/2.8, 35mm/2.5, 45mm/2.8. I am more toward 45mm as I always love to shoot at 35mm in Fullframe DSLR, but I read somewhere that 35mm might be good choice as there is a lot less distortion compared to FF DSLR 28mm.

For regular portrait, there are 100mm/2 and 120mm/2.5. I mainly use 85mm in FF DSLR so I think 100mm/2 might be a good idea. Would love to hear your opinion between these 2 lens.

Any inputs would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

[landscapephoto]

I can't directly answer your question, I don't use a Leica S. But I found this list of equivalent focal length in 35mm format:

Leica Super-Elmar-S 24mm f/3.5 (19mm)
Leica Elmarit-S 30mm f/2.8 (24mm)
Leica Summarit-S 35mm f/2.5 (28mm)
Leica Elmarit-S 45mm f/2.8 (36mm)
Leica Summarit-S 70mm f/2.5 (56mm)
Leica Summicron-S 100mm f/2.0 (82mm)
Leica APO-Macro-Summarit-S 120mm f/2.5 (95mm)
Leica TS-APO-Elmar-S 120mm f/5.6 (95mm)
Leica APO-Tele-Elmar-S 180mm f/3.5 (145mm)
 
Leica Vario-Elmar-S 30-90mm f/3.5-5.6 (24-72mm)

[Joe Towner]

With the S to H adapter, you also have all the Hasselblad lenses available.  I love working with the HC/150mm and there are lots out there.

It also open up a rental option in a lot of markets.

[Go Go]

Hello,

I can let you know a little about my experiences with my Leica 006, S100, SC120, S180 and S70.

I use my HC50 II for a wide lens.

The S100 can make a people shooter very, very happy. Just stop it down a little and it will give you sharp focus and enough DoF to cover your subjects face. Focus rolls off in a very soft way, but the lens (depending on lighting) has very good contrast and renders OOF backgrounds very well.

The CS120 is slower to focus but is razor sharp, it too can be used wide open. Having a CS lens is important but I have a full set of Hasselblad lenses and an adapter (full function on Leica S).

I can go on and on but Im running out of time. Look here for my cover and story http://issuu.com/dailyfrontrow/docs/dailysummer_07142015 to see images. The shoot was a full day and it was all shot with the Leica S.

Cover and pages 55 to 72. I hope this helps you. Personally I want all of the lenses.

[JV]

I own the 35mm and the 70mm.

I love the 35mm for environmental portraits but I tend to get close and shoot relatively wide with other cameras as well which might not be to everybody's taste.

I am guessing you probably picked up the praise for the 35mm from the link below:
http://blog.leica-camera.com/photographers/interviews/max-montgomery-storytelling-with-the-leica-s/

To get started, a cheaper option might be to buy used Contax 645 or Hasselblad H glass and the corresponding adapter.

[landscapephoto]

I can go on and on but Im running out of time. Look here for my cover and story http://issuu.com/dailyfrontrow/docs/dailysummer_07142015 to see images. The shoot was a full day and it was all shot with the Leica S.

Cover and pages 55 to 72. I hope this helps you. Personally I want all of the lenses.

What lens did you use for pages 60 and 61 please (attached below)? How did you light the models?

[Petrus]

but I read somewhere that 35mm might be good choice as there is a lot less distortion compared to FF DSLR 28mm.

If we are talking about the planar projection distortion (mostly) in the corners when using wide-angle lenses, this is an impossibility. Projection distortion depends only on the field of view, the lens or the sensor size does no matter at all. It is pure descriptive geometry.

For environmental portraits I would not get anything too wide, maybe 45mm at most. But then it is of course possible to use a slightly wider lens also and just crop if necessary, placing the subject far enough for pleasing perspective. With enough resolution it is often a viable option, especially for the Internet, not so much for prints.

[Go Go]

Pages 60 and 61 were the domain of the S180 my most used lens.

What's not to like it's longer than my HC150n and it mounts without an adapter.

The color that comes out of the camera is the real benefit that outshines my other camera systems.

[holyhikaru]

Thank you very much for all your comments. They are very helpful.

I am now thinking about buying zoom lens 30-90mm and either 100 or 120mm