the perfect travel kit

[viramati]

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M9 with 50 lux asph

2nd M9 with 28 cron asph

WATE

90 elmarit-M 2.8

2 extra batteries and blower

Battered Billingham Hadley pro

[tobey bilek]

I buy battery grips for my Nikon DSLR cameras. They are furnished with trays for 6 or 8 AA battery depending on camera. Or I can use the normal furnished battery in the grip or camera.

 

M digital, I am screwed. Only salvation is extra cells from Leica, or the car charger, or being near commercial power for recharging.

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[menos I M6]

for 1 week and casual shooting or 3 days and heavy shooting:

 

- M8.2 + 5cm ƒ3.5 Elmar

- M9 + 3.5cm ƒ3.5 Elmar

- 6 batteries, no charger

- 35 Summilux v2 infinity lock as a low light backup

 

I might add additionally, depending on destination and mood:;

- 21 ƒ2.8 Avenon Superwide Millennium + Leitz 21mm finder, if I feel like wide (possibly the lightest, fast 21mm around - also very, very compact + that classic, low contrast, slightly soft rendering, while still showing great edge performance - perfect fit to pair with classic glass)

 

- 100 ƒ2 black, late Canon LTM, if I feel like reach and low light (very light and compact for such a fast, long lens - similar to 135 APO, but much faster and very sharp - nice on M8.2 and M9)

 

- battery charger, if return date unknown

 

non photography stuff, as usual - when on business:

- MacBook Pro 15" + charger (that thing has to go, as soon, as Apple issues a MacBook Air 13" with matte high res screen, as it's H E A V Y)

- writing stuff

- clothes

- hygiene bag

 

I found Yesterday an extremely lightweight bag, I will test out for the upcoming weeks:

 

"Kata KT DL-ORBT-120 Orbit-120 DL Messenger Bag"

It's the largest sized bag of this kind.

I found it interesting, as it swallows the 15" MBP in it's designated notebook compartment and still has enough space, to take very, very comfortably three Leica M bodies with lens attached (this is, what I very often take with me, as I am not a big lens changer anymore).

It can also take a Hasselblad V body with 80mm and enough film for a days shooting + two Leica M cameras + an extra lens, light meter, writing stuff, etc.

 

It only has to have a few modifications so far (I end up always, modifying my bags, as they are never perfect).

I will add a good shoulder pad, as it comes without one (!), cutting severely in your neck, when lugging a computer and a few cameras.

I might also change the padding and add some stabilization, once I find out, how it behaves with more than three cameras inside (it's a soft bag and might behave like the usual shopping tote, when loaded, making access difficult - therefore needing stabilization).

A few points on the bag look weak, like the two zippers, to hide the shoulder strap attachments - I'll watch out for possible damage and reinforce these areas - the front key/ coin zippered compartment is not safe, as the zipper easily opens, leaving valuables inside exposed - needs change.

I might also add some attachment points for lens pouches, when using it as a shooting bag.

[LeicaPassion]

M9

21 SEM

35 cron

50 lux

90 AA

Billingham

Extra batteries/cards

[akiralx]

M9

M8

WATE

35 Summilux FLE

75 Summarit

21mm CV viewfinder

3 batteries in total

Small charger

Big (M8) charger kept in car

MacBook Air

[Shade]

You have an M8 + 35 cron readily prepared? Wow, that is being prepared to the literally.

 

Me? I have my M9 + 35 Lux and now the Fuji Xpro 1 with 35/1.4, spare batteries and charger and a couple of SD cards. That's it.

[skinnfell]

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My perfect travel kit is a M9 and a 50 cron, and as many batteries and memory cards as I can afford. Possibly a 35 cron instead If its a trip where I expect to shoot lots of landscapes. Wider and longer lenses stay at home.

 

Weight and simplicity is everything.

 

I would easily sacrifice those very few shots i cant make because I dont have a wideangle or tele, if the tradeoff is that I dont have to change lenses and worry about dust and other logistics.

[ayewing]

For short trips my M9, Summicon 35 and Summilux 50 Ash plus spare battery and 2 8GB SDHC cards.

 

For longer holidays if going by car, M9, Ricoh GXR with A12 Leica mount, Voigtlander 25mm, Summicron 35, Summilux 50 Asp, Tele-Elmarit M 90mm + spare batteries, SDHC cards and charger. Most of the stuff remains in the car or hotel room and I take the M9 and a couple of lenses chosen to suit the days activities.

[algrove]

For city/street shooting day and night -- 21/1.4 and 35/1.4. If special inside or other needs then I'll add the 50/1.0 and or 75/1.4.

 

For landscapes 18/3.8 SEM and 21/1.4 and 35/1.4 and most often 90/2.0 and sometimes 50/1.5-don't have the 50/1.4 yet and maybe a 24mm or WATE. If weight is an issue then I'll take a 18/3.8 or 21/3.4 plus 35/2.0 or 50/2.0 and a 90/2.8 Elmarit-M or even a Tele-Elmarit 90/2.8, I.e., keeping it versatile while being small and light.

 

For out and about let's see what is happening shooting, but not landscapes--35/1.4 and or 21/1.4, but mostly prefer 35/1.4 in the daytime and the 21/1.4 at nighttime.

Edited April 2, 2012 by algrove

[philipus]

For a recent three-week trip I brought:

 

M6TTL BP

2,8cm/6.3 Hektor

35mm Voigtländer

50 Summilux Asph

50 Summitar

90 Elmarit-M

13,5cm/4.5 Hektor

 

which fitted nicely - with plenty of space for 30 rolls of film, a bath towel and a spare battery (which I didn't need) - in my trusty Crumpler Wonder Weenie. The reason I brought so many lenses was to try them out in various situations.

 

My perfect travel kit would be the camera, the 50 Summilux and the 90, possibly with the addition (at some point in the future) of a 35 Summicron and a 135 Tele-Elmar. At least I want to try those two latter lenses, even if I suspect they will respectively largely overlap with the 50 and the 90 (the 135 moreso than the 35).

 

Then again (and recalling the discussion a few pages ago about the purpose of threads like these vis-a-vis our individual traits as photographers) the ultimate kit for me, as someone who prefers 50, is the camera and the Summilux. It is that simple.

 

p

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Edited April 2, 2012 by philipus

[IkarusJohn]

The reason I brought so many lenses was to try them out in various situations.

 

This is a really good point I hadn't considered before, Phillip.

 

I have a handful of Leica lenses, but limited time to try them as well as I would like. The only time I get to take lots of photos is when we're away somewhere. In the past, I had thought of taking less lenses so as not to be burdened with weight and things I wouldn't use. But to take lenses I want to really try out and come to grips with is not something I had thought of.

 

I need a bigger bag ...

 

Cheers

John

[mnsato]

I spent two weeks in Bhutan and feel you need the D700. Please take a look at my gallery Arif Iqball Photography | Bhutan to see the pictures I took with the M8/35 lux and the D3/80-200 combo. That covered almost every situation I wanted to cover. Many monasteries don't allow flash so you need fast glass and the D3 helped a lot.

 

Superb photos

[Guest jarski]

Superb photos

 

agreed. Bhutan is unique, also wallet wise. IIRC it was 200$/day tourist fee last time I heard (?). coincidentally, based on my current travel experiences with pro Canon + 100-300 lens (and also 24-70), and earlier experiences with M8, been contemplating similar setup as Arif used.

 

M8 + 35 (and perhaps 15), and tele-zoom on prosumer body like D700, quite nice and still luggable combo for more serious travel photography. of course M9 & D800 are there, but I'd rather spend the difference on tickets and trips

Edited April 3, 2012 by jarski

[MarkP]

Superb photos

+1

[Delcredere]

Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21mm f/4 asph*

Leica Elmarit-M 1:2.8/28*

Leica Summilux-M 1:1.4/50 ASPH*

Macro-Elmar M 1:4/90mm*

 

Back up and landscape

XPan II*

Hasselblad 5.6/30 asph E58mm

 

And thank you everyone for a really interesting thread

[Lax Jought]

I would be quite happy with a M9 + 50mm Noctilux f/0.95 as one-camera-one-lens travel kit.

 

If I could have another lens, it would be a 90mm.

 

If I could have two cameras, it would be the 90mm attached to an M8.2.

[flyalf]

I could live with the M9 + 50/2 + WATE + small table tripod and spare battery. Actually I spent one week fishing trips off the grid with this combo. If space really is a concern a Zeiss 18mm finder instead of the Frankefinder.

[lars_bergquist]

This thread is now approaching the point where every possible combination of the ten focal lengths and the (current) twenty-one lenses in the M system have been declared 'perfect' by at least one contributor.

 

It is my contention that the information content of this thread has consequently been dropping all the time and is now approaching zero: if all alternatives are declared equally good, then we have not become any wiser in the process.

 

Somebody, in desperation, will soon apply Bayesian logic to the thread.

 

The old man from the Kodachrome Age

[wda]

For a recent three-week trip I brought:

 

M6TTL BP

2,8cm/6.3 Hektor

35mm Voigtländer

50 Summilux Asph

50 Summitar

90 Elmarit-M

13,5cm/4.5 Hektor....

 

p

That is interesting Philip. Destination?

 

It would be even more interesting to me if you gave approx. use of each lens. (Easier with metadata, but recourse to memory for film. Unless you kept notes of your trials) I guess the two Hektor lenses gave a rendering uniquely different to the more modern lenses.

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Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[MarkoM8]

My kit:

 

M9

21/3.4 Super Elmar Asph

35/2.5 Summarit

50/1.4 Summilux Asph

 

And sometimes Berlebach Mini-Sized Tripod.