One trip = one lens

[Deliberate1]

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Many in this community have kindly contributed to my recent posts relating to my upcoming trip to India and I am most grateful for the advice and well-wishes. There have been very helpful suggestions regarding the handling, carrying, use and storage of gear in an unfamiliar environment that presents certain "risks." Like many here, I must admit that I am of the mindset that you should :smoke 'em if your got 'em. I have the 50mm Summilux, 35mm Zeiss ZM and the 90mm Elmarit M, and planned to take them all. I got a new shoulder bag that would carry all of them, along with support gear. Many have commented on the merits of carrying lenses in jacket or coat pockets, and how to change lenses in a dusty environment, and how to do a quick and dirty sensor cleaning. I confess no small amount of paranoia carrying these optical gems in my pocket or in a bag or in any other fashion, just as I would if I were carrying thousands of dollars in my pocket or in a bag.

More than the logistics and "fear factor." I am increasingly concerned that the options of having all these lenses may become more distracting than liberating. This is not a static shooting environment. If I see something, it may be lost by the time I ponder the lens choice question. I can see the "shot of the day" pass into oblivion as I am trying to change lenses and reconfigure the camera. It would not surprise me at all to find a few days into the trip that the 35mm or 90mm never see the light of day - or worse, that I find myself switching them out to justify their passage. I am concerned that too much of my focus will be on my gear and not what is in front of my nose. That would be the greatest disappointment of all.

My last travel kit was a Rollei 6008i MF rig. The wonderful 90mm Schneider (50mm equivalent) stayed on the body 90% of the time. But I religiously schlepped the wide and tele lenses - not so much because I used them but because I brought them.

So I am moving to a one lens mindset. There is creativity in making do with what you have, rather than changing the dynamic with a different lens. The difference between the 50mm and 35mm could literally be two steps back. I might miss the magnification of the 90mm view (particularly if there are tigers prowling at Ranthambore Park). But the quality of the Summilux would permit significant enlargement by cropping.

So my thoughts are leading me to the merits of taking just one lens - the 50mm Summilux. Taking one lens would free me from the logistics of carrying, manipulating and worrying about the others. I could concentrate on making an image with the tool in hand and not the "better" one in my pocket. I rather like that idea.

I would appreciate hearing from those who have made the "bold" choice to just take one lens and make all the magic you can with it, and not regret it.

David

[Sp12]

I like having one lens, in fact, I would say it's quite liberating. Other options to consider as a "one lens" solution are the Tri-elmar and 35 Nokton.

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[NZDavid]

Why not the 35 and 50? Of course, not just HCB but others, for example Brian Brake, got most of the their best pics with just the 50.

[Deliberate1]

Gentlemen, I sense your struggle getting to ONE lens.

[poptart]

I think you have the right idea to go with only one lens. I use my 50 all the time and it is very liberating. It allows me to concentrate on composition and not be distracted by "what lens should I choose this time".

I have not however been able to SELL any of my other lenses as I always think I might just use them one of these days.

[Michael Hiles]

I have 6 lenses from 35mm to135mm - and 90%+ of my pictures are made with the 50mm. When traveling I carry the 35mm, 50mm, and 90mm just in case and rarely use anything but the 50mm. Don't forget - you are making the picture, not the camera. The less complex the camera is to use, the more your mind's eye will shine.

[MarkP]

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The ...50mm equivalent...stayed on the body 90% of the time.

 

David,

 

I'm sure you've read all the advice in other posts about single kit lenses : 50 vs 35 vs 28 etc.

 

It really doesn't matter what anyone else would use for their single lens travel kit because you answered your own question in your post above.

 

As you see the world primarily in 50mm FOV enjoy the Summilux on your travels and post the photos when you're back.

 

Regards,

Mark.

Edited January 30, 2012 by MarkP

[sm23221]

Been there and done that. I used to take 28/50/90 on vacations and now only take a 50. Never looked back and never missed the 28 and 90. Of course there will be a few shots that could have only been taken with the lenses that were left at home, but it wouldn't be worth the extra weight and, maybe, worry. Extremely liberating...you can really concentrate on your subjects.

[asmith]

Have you considered carrying two bodies each with a different lens? For example, a 50 and a 28. This solves the problem of lens changing in dusty environments. The financial investment of such an outfit could be much the same as for one body and four or five lenses. My basic outfit is two bodies and 50 and 35, but there are many other useful pairings.

Alwyn

[FrozenInTime]

I am very happy with just a 80mm on a Hasselblad 6x6 but not so comfortable with just a 35 or 50mm on the Leica.

There is something in framing of images in 1:1 vs the 3:2 aspect ratio that makes the 50mm seem a bit narrow as a 135 standard and the 35mm a bit wide.

 

Converesly 50mm on 6x6 does not for me sit as comfortably as a 28mm on 135

[Ralf]

You laid out your thinking in an excellent way, all I can say: do it! Don't think about what might have been, rather focus on what you got and make the best out of it. Your mind will be free from other considerations and you will enjoy this freedom for spontaneous action and easy-going creativity. The 50 Lux is the perfect lens for that, have fun......

[pedaes]

Having recently been, I think you need to have all lens's with you and think about your day if you only want to take one out with you.There is a lot to be said for this approach as you will just get on with what you have, and probably take more pictures. In Mumbia, which is the most amazing place, I was struggling with a 24mm as the buildings of interest (Central Rail Station etc.) are so vast. At other times you will appreciate the 90 to be able to isolate people or a street workshop for example from a reasonable distance. The general pace of the place makes photography challenging, and I was also very conscious of the fact that there is extreme poverty that I was intruding to take a "photographers" snap.You can get great pictures with whatever you chose, but just accept the "if only..." as the reality in a place like India.

[Manolo Laguillo]

"The difference between the 50mm and 35mm could literally be two steps back."

 

Sometimes yes, but quite often not. If that would be really the difference, the wide angle would not have been invented...

 

There will be situations in which you will work exclusively with the 90, and others in which you would use a 24 if available.

 

Therefore I would take the 3 lenses (35, 50, 90) with me.

 

On the very first day, and depending of what will happen, I would go out with the lens that most likely will fit. If you are going to the crowded small streets, take the 35. If you are going to see wild life, put the 90. [in this particular day I would take the three with me: being in a car they won't bother too much.]

 

... ... ...

 

The dilemma you are thinking about is actually THE DILEMMA.

 

Let's face it: changing lenses is always a problem. The initial question is: who is the boss? The scene, or the photographer? A negotiation must happen, and finally there is a winner, or better yet, both win.

 

And this is funny, because we are always talking about this and that lens, and thinking endlessly about possibilities, but when the actual photographing arrives, we can get paralysed by the many options.

 

I go out with the mind's frame adjusted for the lens I have with me, usually the 35. The other lenses (24 and 50) are in the bag.

If I realize that I have the wrong lens on the camera, I change it, but that won't happen in front of the actual scene, that occurs before I encounter it. And I would say: I encounter the scene precisely because I have the right lens on the camera! That's the philosophy behind the rule of having-only-one-lens: you use what you have because you can´t use what you don´t have.

 

Actually, that's what happens: it's impossible to shoot with more than one lens simultaneously.

 

Who said: "Why should I have more than one car if I can only drive one at a given time?" But Leica lenses are smaller than cars

 

... ... ...

 

Perhaps you should find a very small bag with space for only the camera, another lens, the batteries and the cards. I would not walk on the streets without a small bag, where I can hide the camera if necessary. I mean not from the eyes of others, but mainly from rain, smoke and dust.

 

Don't leave the other 2 lens at home, take them with you, after having them insured. Why did you buy them if when opportunities arise you don't use them?

 

Enjoy!

 

Manolo

Edited January 30, 2012 by Manolo Laguillo

[Peter H]

Obviously a personal choice, and I would probably take three, such as 28, 50 and 90.

 

But the appeal of just the one, a 50 Summilux, is enormous and the more I think about it, the more I believe it could well be the right answer.

 

Yes, I've changed my mind. Go for the one!

[philipus]

I just now read your other thread and realise I'm in a somewhat similar situation since I'll be going three weeks to Australia soon. I will also leave lots of gear at home (in my case EOS (d)slr stuff) which my shoulders will thank me for.

 

But I never thought of not bringing my 90 Elmarit-M with my 50 Summilux. I like the 90 so much. I'm even considering buying a 35mm because I feel I might need one (which I read that you're also considering, funny).

 

Your question in this thread made me think, though, and realise that whenever I bring the M3 with me here at home (which is almost daily) there's virtually always a 50 on it.

 

I also realised that I often change to another 50, an old Summitar, rather than the 90.

 

So were I to bring one lens it would be a 50.

[andybarton]

Whenever we go on city breaks I always bring both my lenses with me, but only ever use the 35 Summicron.

[bill]

I'm pretty well the opposite. I carry a 35, but use a 50 95% of the time. It all comes down to how you see the world.

 

Regards,

 

Bill

[earleygallery]

For 'economy' I would suggest taking the 35 and 90.

 

The choice for a particular situation will be obvious, less to carry and whilst I'm not in the "a 35 is too close to a 50" camp I think you can easily get by with just the 35 in most cases.

 

When I last travelled with a 35/50/90 set I used the 35 about 80% of the time, the 90 about 15% and the 50 about 5%.

 

My opinion, yours may differ!

[bocaburger]

Remember, the M9 has the same pixel pitch as an M8, so you can crop about 40% and still get as much data in the file as an uncropped M8 shot. If you only occasionally need the FOV of a 90, then consider cropping a 50mm shot. Of course you can't crop wider (well, you could stitch 2 images, but then you'd need a tripod to shoot), so you might consider taking the 35 if you only want one lens. Even that cropped to a 90mm FOV will still leave you a surprising amount of detail from an M9 file, unless you intend printing very big @ high res.

 

That said, if you're like me and spent your "formative years" in photography with only a 50mm lens, maybe you "see in 50mm" moreso than the young'uns who grew up with wide-range zooms.

 

But for me, the only reason I sank this much money into a Leica was to have access to more than one lens, all fairly small and packable. Otherwise, I don't need a camera with interchangeable lenses. If I were trying to go minimalist, I would probably take a 21 along with the 50.

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[wda]

Almost as many suggestions as postings. I sense your mind is made up and I would support that decision. The Summilux will handle such a wide variety of lighting situations. However, speaking personally, I would never go on such a trip without a backup camera. So the X1 would go along with me for two additional reasons: first, it gives me a very useful 35mm lens alternative; second, the X1 can help at close quarters, rather better than can an M-lens. Oh, and it can also be used very discretely without lifting the camera to the eye.