What color is sunlight, and what color does it appear in the mind? The Leica Summicron 35 f/2 Ver IV 7 Elements lens is something that must be experienced slowly. I particularly love the color of sunlight captured by the Ver IV 7 Elements. It is sharp like a tiger within its focus, yet shy like a rose outside of it. This lens is like a tiger smelling a rose.
F2.0 is the aperture I use most frequently. Focusing at 2 meters, street photography is effortless. Everyone says you must use F8 for street photography, but I prefer F2.0. Moreover, the gradual blur produced by this lens at F2 is very three-dimensional.
I rarely use F2.8. It is better for grabbing shots than F2, with more lubrication and greater contrast outside of the focus, as well as better control over depth of field. However, I just don’t like to use it. I prefer the personality of F2.
The Leica Summicron 35 f2 Ver IV 7 Elements is not particularly good at shooting landscapes, or rather, rangefinder cameras are not particularly good at shooting landscapes. Leica lenses have their own characteristics, with excellent optical qualities, and they can certainly shoot landscapes, but they are best suited for distances between 1-10 meters. So I rarely use it to shoot landscapes.
For me, street photography is a way of seeing, not a form of photography. Sometimes we take for granted things that we are used to, but as time passes and we look back after a few years, those seemingly insignificant things become so vivid and wonderful. A passing moment cannot be replicated, it belongs to that moment in the past. Countless passing moments combine to form a small river of that era.
I believe that each era’s passing moments are unique. Yesterday’s street photography is certainly different from today’s, with different clothes, hairstyles, and expressions, because candid photography is real, with the stamp of the times, even if it seems ordinary today.
What is street photography capturing? I always feel that using a composition method for shooting landscapes is inappropriate for street photography. The streets should have their own unique way of expression, recording not beauty, but a real atmosphere. This lens is excellent for street photography. Put it on a Leica body, and you can shoot without disturbing anyone.
This lens is great for black and white photography. In fact, it is difficult to capture the colors of the city, not because the composition is difficult, but because the colors often require luck. Compared to color, black and white better expresses the city’s emotions, with people as the city’s blood. Black and white eliminates the interference of color, capturing the pulse of the city.
Why is Leica Ver IV 7 Elements called the king of bokeh?
The photos taken with this lens are indeed very special, and many people say they have a certain artistic conception after viewing them. This artistic conception is not as straightforward as that given by typical telephoto lenses for SLR cameras, but rather is imbued with a kind of hesitancy and subtlety. This artistic conception is what people commonly refer to as the “king of bokeh.”
The images produced by this lens have a great sense of depth, with a gradually approaching blur that remains sharp within the focus area even at F2 aperture. The bokeh is rich and layered. Although there is some slight disorder in the lower corners at F2, the ASPH version has perfect bokeh. However, after seeing many images, I still prefer the imperfect bokeh of the Ver IV 7 Elements, because it seems more authentic. When I viewed the photos taken with the Ver IV 7 Elements on a 32-inch monitor, the three-dimensional effect was immediately apparent, as if the subject was right in front of me.
The most beautiful Leica lens
This small lens looks especially beautiful on a Leica M body. It is neither too big nor too small, and in my opinion, is a perfect match. The E39 aperture size is very well-proportioned with the golden ratio of the camera body, so the lens does not detract from the beauty of the body, nor does the body overpower the charm of the lens. It truly is a perfect match.
Production period: 1979-1996 Code: 11310(black), 11311(chrome) Serial#:2,974,251-n/a Total production: n/a Maximum aperture: 1: 2.0 Focal length(nominal): 35mm Angle:64 Minimum distance: 70cm Weight: 190 grams, later 160 gram chrome version 250 grams Filter: E39 Recorded sales figures: n/a
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