Three Bells

Pay Phones -- NEX-5N & Leica-R 35mm f2 Summicron

I like shooting in cloudy, rainy weather. Sunny days are good too, but often you will get harsh shadows unless they stuff you shoot is under the shade.  I took a walk around Chinatown the other day in a cloudy rainy day with the Leica-R 35mm f2 Summicron, which I haven't used for a while.  If you read my blog, you would know that this is my favourite manual focus 35mm lens.  The other favourite is the Canon EF 35mm f1.4.

I think for most Leica lenses, the drawback is that they are more expensive than equivalent lenses from other companies, and they are very heavy, due to the all metal construction of the lenses.  If you want a well built lens, you will have to bear the weight. It's like very thing else in life: there is no such thing as a free lunch.  For this 35mm f2 Summicron, I really have no complains.  It's sharp at f2, and its colour and contrast is wonderful.  The only minor gripe is that it's very heavy, and the built-in hood is kind of loose and not long enough.  Also, flare resistance is not as good as the Takumar SMC 35mm f2.