It’s not too wide, not too tight, it sits right in between. Dare I say it’s the perfect focal length? Looking back at these last two days of shooting with a 40mm again, that really seems to be the case.

And why Leica(!)… whyyyyy.

When I first bought myself a film camera, I started with a 50mm. It always felt a bit tight. I liked the compression, the look, the magic, but something in my compositions felt off. It was as if the lens was doing all the work, while my actual photography skills hid in the background.

So I went back to digital for a while, and then went wider than I ever had before. A 35mm. Familiar, classic, safe.

A good human, Andre`, once told me how this focal length was difficult for him. Coming from someone who might be one of Norway’s most skilled street photographers, I took it seriously, but of course, I still had to try it myself. Cop his prints at: Streetianity.com https://streetianity.com/collections/andre

When I finally bought my first Leica, I had to choose a lens. The M4-P only offers 28/90, 35/135, and 50/75mm framelines, and at one point I even considered the 28. But the local marketplace decided for me: a Voigtländer 35mm showed up, and that became my first lens for the Leica.

With it, I made some of my all time best images and learned techniques that shaped the way I shoot today.

But yes, Andre`… you were right. It was too wide.

And here we are.

After just two days with the 40mm again, I knew I had found my lens for life. It had always been this length. I should have known earlier, but this was the way.

I never needed to crop in post.

I almost never repositioned while composing.

I just stood where I needed to stand, framed the shot, and it felt right.

Quick, fluent, natural.

Oh well, my favourite lens and my favourite camera don’t speak the same language.

There’s no way to get 40mm framelines on the Leica M4-P.

For someone who is very nerdy about lining things up in the viewfinder, shooting a rangefinder while knowing the final image won’t match exactly feels… scary.

Using 35 or 50mm framelines when I’m actually shooting 40mm? Freaking crazy. At least for me.

But here’s the thing.

When I shot digital, everything was too controlled. Too lined up. Too perfect. I could adjust every pixel in the frame, and my artistic expression suffocated under the pressure of precision.

This is why I love rangefinders, they give you a bit of chaos back. A bit of misalignment. A bit of soul.

Trying to anticipate what the final image will actually look like has become a fun game. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, and both outcomes feel right.

And the more I think about it, the more I believe I might actually enjoy shooting a 40mm using 35mm framelines.

Geeeeez…

To get the 40mm I’m currently eyeing, I need to sell my 35mm lens and a point and shoot.

I might buy it and absolutely hate it.

But great art comes in waves, sometimes easy, sometimes medium, sometimes very, very hard.

I think I’m convinced… just not fully.

I’ll shoot a couple more weeks with the 40mm on the Ricoh, side by side with the 35mm on the Leica, and make my conclusion later.

But honestly… I might just do it. For the love of art.

I might just have found my focal length for life.

Forty Millimeters From Home

24 digital frames