understanding of the aesthetic possibilities of the lens summicron 28

At f/5.6 the 28mm has a hyperfocal from 8 feet to infinity; the 50mm lens would be cramped between 25 feet and infinity. Zone focus on the 50mm would be between 8 to 12 feet, rendering the background out-of-focus for the image above (assuming the photographer stood in the same spot). The advantage certainly goes to the 28mm Summicron.

The 28mm depth-of-field advantage is even more pronounced for close-in street photography, especially if one is comfortable working with smaller apertures. At f/11 the lens focus can be held from 3 feet to 12. Zero time taken to fiddle with focusing while working close allows the photographer to spend more time composing, while still retaining image sharpness.

There are plenty of reasons the 28mm Summicron lens is, to my mind, the best for street photography. Focal length is just one of them.

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