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the perfect travel kit


geesbert

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Just returned from 9 cities and 9 countries in Europe over 3 weeks. Hard to not bring what you have but did select the following:

 

M9 with seven 8 gb cards, 2 batteries and one charger

 

As for lenses--

 

18 3.4

24 2.8 (same finder as 18)

35 cron ( for lo light)

MATE (28-50) Tri elmar

90 2.8 Elmarit

 

Most pics with 18, 24 then MATE

 

Do believe we find/ take pics with the lenses we have. So any number will do. Like the concept of only 3 but it's like leaving some of your children home.

 

Wide area focus would be 18, MATE or 35 and 90 optional.

 

For longer distances 35, 75 and 135

 

Cheers and enjoy taking pics!

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Just returned from 9 cities and 9 countries in Europe over 3 weeks. Hard to not bring what you have but did select the following:

 

M9 with seven 8 gb cards, 2 batteries and one charger

 

As for lenses--

 

18 3.4

24 2.8 (same finder as 18)

35 cron ( for lo light)

MATE (28-50) Tri elmar

90 2.8 Elmarit

 

Most pics with 18, 24 then MATE

 

Do believe we find/ take pics with the lenses we have. So any number will do. Like the concept of only 3 but it's like leaving some of your children home.

 

Wide area focus would be 18, MATE or 35 and 90 optional.

 

For longer distances 35, 75 and 135

 

Cheers and enjoy taking pics!

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Trips to Thailand and Bali recently:

M9's 2, 28 Cron, 35 Lux Asph II, 50 Lux, 75 Lux and 90 Cron AA. Two battery chargers, 3 batteries, and couple 4 16gb cards, and a MacBook Pro 17".

 

90% of the time I keep, 50 Lux on one M9, and the 28 Cron or 35 Lux on the other. For street portrait shots, usually use the 50/75 Lux. Environmental portraits and scenes, 28 Cron and 35 Lux.

 

I take one Domke 803 bag, keeping relatively low key:)

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Trips to Thailand and Bali recently:

M9's 2, 28 Cron, 35 Lux Asph II, 50 Lux, 75 Lux and 90 Cron AA. Two battery chargers, 3 batteries, and couple 4 16gb cards, and a MacBook Pro 17".

 

90% of the time I keep, 50 Lux on one M9, and the 28 Cron or 35 Lux on the other. For street portrait shots, usually use the 50/75 Lux. Environmental portraits and scenes, 28 Cron and 35 Lux.

 

I take one Domke 803 bag, keeping relatively low key:)

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I understand some of the choices above, but rather than covering every base, I'd rather take a few lenses, and then work around what I have - I find I take better pictures that way.

 

For most trips, we either drive for miles and we're away for weeks (South Island from Auckland), or it's a plane ride - both tend to limit what I can take (while fitting in 2 kids, wife and toys).

 

So I take one of two combinations:

 

MP

35 Summicron ASPH

75 APO Summicron ASPH

and a ton of film, lens brush, leather wraps in a Billingham Combination bag

 

or

 

M9 (two batteries & charger, 16 & 8 GB SanDisk Extreme cards)

50 Summilux ASPH

28 Summicron ASPH

21 Summilux ASPH

leather wraps, micro fibre cloth, cables, iPad, white balance card, ND & UV filters

 

To be honest, it's the M9 combination almost all the time, though sometimes I leave the 21 Lux behind. I see no point in taking the 50 Lux and the 75 Cron if space and weight are limited. Similarly the 28 & 35 Crons. When I get a 35 Lux, then I suspect the trilogy of 50, 35 & 28 will stay together, with the addition of the 21 then the 75 as needed. I don't see myself traveling with the lot ...

 

Cheers

John

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I understand some of the choices above, but rather than covering every base, I'd rather take a few lenses, and then work around what I have - I find I take better pictures that way.

 

For most trips, we either drive for miles and we're away for weeks (South Island from Auckland), or it's a plane ride - both tend to limit what I can take (while fitting in 2 kids, wife and toys).

 

So I take one of two combinations:

 

MP

35 Summicron ASPH

75 APO Summicron ASPH

and a ton of film, lens brush, leather wraps in a Billingham Combination bag

 

or

 

M9 (two batteries & charger, 16 & 8 GB SanDisk Extreme cards)

50 Summilux ASPH

28 Summicron ASPH

21 Summilux ASPH

leather wraps, micro fibre cloth, cables, iPad, white balance card, ND & UV filters

 

To be honest, it's the M9 combination almost all the time, though sometimes I leave the 21 Lux behind. I see no point in taking the 50 Lux and the 75 Cron if space and weight are limited. Similarly the 28 & 35 Crons. When I get a 35 Lux, then I suspect the trilogy of 50, 35 & 28 will stay together, with the addition of the 21 then the 75 as needed. I don't see myself traveling with the lot ...

 

Cheers

John

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planning this for the next trip:

 

M9

M8.2

 

35 Lux ASPH

50 Noctilux

135 APO

 

total of 5 batteries + one charger + SD cards

 

 

… will pick up a 35 Lux v2 and 75 Lux, once I arrive in the destination country and will mix and leave behind, as I feel.

 

Still thinking of getting one of those new MB Airs (preferably a 13" with biggest drive), to exchange for my 15" MBP from early 2008 - that thing is heavy as 5x Noctilux in the bag and doesn't last 2 1/2 h from it's battery.

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planning this for the next trip:

 

M9

M8.2

 

35 Lux ASPH

50 Noctilux

135 APO

 

total of 5 batteries + one charger + SD cards

 

 

… will pick up a 35 Lux v2 and 75 Lux, once I arrive in the destination country and will mix and leave behind, as I feel.

 

Still thinking of getting one of those new MB Airs (preferably a 13" with biggest drive), to exchange for my 15" MBP from early 2008 - that thing is heavy as 5x Noctilux in the bag and doesn't last 2 1/2 h from it's battery.

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On the shoulder an M9 with 35mm pre-asph. In the bag an M7 with 75mm Summilux and Leica CL with 15mm CV. The M7 and CL will be replaced with M9s as I can afford them.

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On the shoulder an M9 with 35mm pre-asph. In the bag an M7 with 75mm Summilux and Leica CL with 15mm CV. The M7 and CL will be replaced with M9s as I can afford them.

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Just returned from 9 cities and 9 countries in Europe over 3 weeks. Hard to not bring what you have but did select the following:

 

M9 with seven 8 gb cards, 2 batteries and one charger

 

As for lenses--

 

18 3.4

24 2.8 (same finder as 18)

35 cron ( for lo light)

MATE (28-50) Tri elmar

90 2.8 Elmarit

 

Most pics with 18, 24 then MATE

 

Do believe we find/ take pics with the lenses we have. So any number will do. Like the concept of only 3 but it's like leaving some of your children home.

 

Wide area focus would be 18, MATE or 35 and 90 optional.

 

For longer distances 35, 75 and 135

 

Cheers and enjoy taking pics!

 

Wow, what a trip, changing cities and countries faster than one can swap lenses.

Considering travel time on airports and planes, a few hours sleep and meal times each day there were probably 23.58 "on camera minutes" per city per focal length left.;)

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Just returned from 9 cities and 9 countries in Europe over 3 weeks. Hard to not bring what you have but did select the following:

 

M9 with seven 8 gb cards, 2 batteries and one charger

 

As for lenses--

 

18 3.4

24 2.8 (same finder as 18)

35 cron ( for lo light)

MATE (28-50) Tri elmar

90 2.8 Elmarit

 

Most pics with 18, 24 then MATE

 

Do believe we find/ take pics with the lenses we have. So any number will do. Like the concept of only 3 but it's like leaving some of your children home.

 

Wide area focus would be 18, MATE or 35 and 90 optional.

 

For longer distances 35, 75 and 135

 

Cheers and enjoy taking pics!

 

Wow, what a trip, changing cities and countries faster than one can swap lenses.

Considering travel time on airports and planes, a few hours sleep and meal times each day there were probably 23.58 "on camera minutes" per city per focal length left.;)

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I can add that I just returned from four weeks in Singapore, Java, Bali and Borneo. I brought my M9 with 24, 35, 50 and 90mm lenses. Everything worked flawlessly.

 

Around 65% of my photos were split evenly between the 35 and 50mm, another 25 were with the 90mm, and less than 10% with the 24mm.

 

I was surprised that I ended up taking that many photos with the 90mm, whereas it is quite normal that I use the 35/50 duo the most.

 

For those who are interested I maintained a diary with one photo per day here: Asia Diaries - a set on Flickr

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I can add that I just returned from four weeks in Singapore, Java, Bali and Borneo. I brought my M9 with 24, 35, 50 and 90mm lenses. Everything worked flawlessly.

 

Around 65% of my photos were split evenly between the 35 and 50mm, another 25 were with the 90mm, and less than 10% with the 24mm.

 

I was surprised that I ended up taking that many photos with the 90mm, whereas it is quite normal that I use the 35/50 duo the most.

 

For those who are interested I maintained a diary with one photo per day here: Asia Diaries - a set on Flickr

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This is just another one of those gear-centric threads that really isn't about photography as much as it is about gear... which is ok, I guess.

 

First off, asking what is perfect for a travel kit begs the question of what kind of photographer you are. Most people posting treat the lenses they list as if they are trying to just span the perfect magnification-spread vs the amount of lenses to carry. Does anybody consider what they are trying to create? Or, what personal style they are trying to develop? I believe (just me) photography is so much more than having the perfect span of focal lengths in your Domke bag.

 

For example, someone posts the percentage of usage of lenses on a trip, as if that is going to help anyone else gain insight into their own minds eye. He then states that he mostly uses his 35mm and 50mm 65% of the time, 90mm was used 25% of the time, and the 24mm was used less than 10%. So, how does this help anyone else? How does it even help the person that posted this flat retrospective of their history. It seems to me that it would just tend to reinforce their own dogmas.

 

I shoot mostly 35mm and below most of the time and therefore bring way more wides because I like to shoot this way. I'm picking the lenses to take with me that give me the most of my own creative vision. My kit has my favorite lenses based on how I like to see. I could care less if I have all the focal lengths in my kit covered.

 

I like to shoot wide and below 35mm a lot because of the perspective I can take advantage of with those lenses. Makes for what I think are better creative and fresh views (for me). I like to carry more lenses in the wide angle group from 16-35 and rarely use 50-90. This is based on my personal creative interest and eye. Again, this is right for me. I pick the glass that I want to shoot like the 28mm Cron. I love that lens because of the kind of look I can get with it, not because it fits in between my 35mm and my 21mm on a spread sheet of percentage of usage and optimum focal lengths.

 

What I'm trying to say is that photographers should pick the kit that turns them on. The kit that resonates with their own imagination of what they want to paint when they are traveling. The OP asked about the perfect kit for a one year trip. Maybe the perfect kit would be your M9 and your favorite lens. Imagine the photo's you would be creating with your mind seeing through that one lens for a whole year.

 

This thread has reinforced my decision of taking just a couple of lenses on my trip coming up to Paris and Italy. I am going to try and simplify my mind and baggage.

 

Ok, back to the posting of spread sheets...

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This is just another one of those gear-centric threads that really isn't about photography as much as it is about gear... which is ok, I guess.

 

First off, asking what is perfect for a travel kit begs the question of what kind of photographer you are. Most people posting treat the lenses they list as if they are trying to just span the perfect magnification-spread vs the amount of lenses to carry. Does anybody consider what they are trying to create? Or, what personal style they are trying to develop? I believe (just me) photography is so much more than having the perfect span of focal lengths in your Domke bag.

 

For example, someone posts the percentage of usage of lenses on a trip, as if that is going to help anyone else gain insight into their own minds eye. He then states that he mostly uses his 35mm and 50mm 65% of the time, 90mm was used 25% of the time, and the 24mm was used less than 10%. So, how does this help anyone else? How does it even help the person that posted this flat retrospective of their history. It seems to me that it would just tend to reinforce their own dogmas.

 

I shoot mostly 35mm and below most of the time and therefore bring way more wides because I like to shoot this way. I'm picking the lenses to take with me that give me the most of my own creative vision. My kit has my favorite lenses based on how I like to see. I could care less if I have all the focal lengths in my kit covered.

 

I like to shoot wide and below 35mm a lot because of the perspective I can take advantage of with those lenses. Makes for what I think are better creative and fresh views (for me). I like to carry more lenses in the wide angle group from 16-35 and rarely use 50-90. This is based on my personal creative interest and eye. Again, this is right for me. I pick the glass that I want to shoot like the 28mm Cron. I love that lens because of the kind of look I can get with it, not because it fits in between my 35mm and my 21mm on a spread sheet of percentage of usage and optimum focal lengths.

 

What I'm trying to say is that photographers should pick the kit that turns them on. The kit that resonates with their own imagination of what they want to paint when they are traveling. The OP asked about the perfect kit for a one year trip. Maybe the perfect kit would be your M9 and your favorite lens. Imagine the photo's you would be creating with your mind seeing through that one lens for a whole year.

 

This thread has reinforced my decision of taking just a couple of lenses on my trip coming up to Paris and Italy. I am going to try and simplify my mind and baggage.

 

Ok, back to the posting of spread sheets...

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Rick, having seen some of your work. particularly from Venice, I'd say you have mastered the art of taking the lenses that work for you ;) I agree wholeheartedly with the rest of your post, btw.

 

Regards,

 

Bill

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