the perfect travel kit

[sharookh]

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Or should I say X-1 / 24 mm f/2.8

[rcoles]

Being fairly new to Leica my perfect travel kit is what I currently own:

M-9

35 f/2 ASPH

50 f/2 Current

90 f/2.8

The 35 gets the most use.

 

The ideal kit based on my experience to date would be

to add the 24 f/3.8 and possibly replace the 50 with the 1.4.

 

 

But I am very happy for now with my current kit.

Bob

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[MaxFoto]

Hi,

Just returned from a 3 weeks trip to french Polynesia. This time M9 together with 21 mm Summilux, 50 mm Noctilux and 75 mm Summicron. By far most pics have been done with the 21 mm lens.

All equipment was transported in a A&A bag ACAM 7100 which fitted good. I am still looking for an smaller bag which could also be used as backbag or waistbag.

 

Cheers, Wolfgang

 

photomomente

[schnapshot]

For me the main priority in a travel kit is weight.

I want to be able to carry my stuff and 2 liters of water for a couple of hours if needed (hilking, daytours to another place, etc.). On my last trip to india my luggage was only 8 kilogramms for 4 weeks.

 

So I really wonder about one thing:

Not many decided for the current Macro Elmar 90. I want to get one for my travel kit, because it is very tiny for a 90. Even leica promotes this lens as a lightweight travel lens.

Does anybody has any travel experience with this lens (not for macro....)?

 

Depending on my journey:

- M9 + 35 cron (especially if there is a social event)

 

OR

 

- M9 + 28 cron for cities and landscapes. Good for places with many people also .

- and 90 Macro Elmar (most likely; maybe 75 Summarit)

 

Usually I shoot 90% with the wide angle.

 

BTW:

For my last trip to india I bougth a Nikon D60 for the weigth and size. Most of the time with Voigtländer 20mm prime attached. And the 35 1.8. Got also a 55-200 as sidekick (the 70-200 is to heavy for travel...)

[Printmaker]

I just got back from two months at sea. I took:

 

M8

21/2.8 ZB

35/2.5 CV

135/2.8 Elmarit

(6) 4 gb SD cards

(3) batteries

Pelican 1200 case

Mac 13 inch MacBook Pro

LL Bean Waxed Cotton Russack

 

Turns out I only needed 2 cards because I spent most of my time at the wheel or repairing a troublesome water pump and fresh water system. I took the M8 because I was unable to get a replacement MR4 meter for my M4 in time and because, if anything happened to it, I had the perfect excuse to get a M9. The 21 was necessary for cramped quarters on a 40 foot boat but the 35 saw the most use. I took the 35 CV because I couldn't stand the thought of loosing another 35 Summicron at sea. I took the 135 along because I needed the reach - and most of the time it still was not long enough. For the most part, all of my Leica gear functioned perfectly. Well, I did have to pull the battery out to restart the M8 once or twice but that was because I was shooting too fast.

 

However, my IDEAL travel kit for a long trip would be:

21 Elmarit ASPH (to replace my Biogon)

35 Summicron IV (my trusted old friend)

50 Lux ASPH (to replace my 50 DR Summicron)

90 Elmarit M (another trusted old friend)

135 Tele Elmar (to replace the 135 Elmarit)

M9 (to replace my M8)

(12) SD cards

(6) batteries

and a slightly bigger case - something in a size between my 1200 and 1450 Pelican cases.

 

For fast light travel, like island hopping in Greece, I'd just take a M9 with 35 and 90 plus plenty of cards and batteries. They fit nicely into the side pockets of my rucksack, leaving plenty of space for spare shirts, jeans, sweaters and socks. I'd probably want to get a Luigi half case to give the camera a little protection and put my 90 into an old leather lens case. Right now, it tends to ride in a rolled up t-shirt or hat for backpack padding.

 

Tom

[3rdtrick]

I usually travel in my SUV and have a large Knaack locking tool box bolted inside for my gear. I usually carry everything, Leica stuff, DSLRs & long lenses, rarely used flashes and film bodies, tripods, monopods, two laptops, printer and anything that fits...

 

Anyway when I go out for the day, I like to carry my Domke F5Xb bag with my M9 and 4 lenses:

 

18 Zeiss Distagon thinking about swapping for Biogon 21

35 Summalux pre-ASPH or 28 Elmarit ASPH

50 Summalux ASPH

75 Summacron ASPH or 90 Summacron pre-APO

 

The F5Xb also holds extra Battery (charger if needed), cards, cable release and Micro-Fiber cloths. I sometimes carry a bean bag that clips to the side or a small Gitzo Basalt tripod for night shots.

Pete

[menos I M6]

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18 Zeiss Distagon thinking about swapping for Biogon 21

35 Summalux pre-ASPH or 28 Elmarit ASPH

50 Summalux ASPH

75 Summacron ASPH or 90 Summacron pre-APO

…

Pete

 

Pete, I like that "Summalux" (no offense)

 

I saw a video once from a photographer on youtube and every time, he pulled a lens out of the bag he said something like "Summulux" - that was hilarious!

[3rdtrick]

Now I know why everyone just shortens it to 'lux...

[dseelig]

Two M9s wa tri elmar 24 , 35 50 75 luxes and a 90 cron. What I take outside is another question . During the day the 75 lux stays where I am sleeping at night the 90 cron and tri wa elmar stay at my residence.

[Fotofanatiker]

Dubai / Germany (sweet home Bavaria to be precise) / Vienna / Singapore / Dubai - all from end July till mid September, with my M9 and a 24mm SX. That's all.

 

 

Ok, main reason is it's my only lens...

[Archiver]

Now I know why everyone just shortens it to 'lux...

 

Well, we certainly wouldn't shorten it to 'sux'.

 

As I own a fair few wides, but nothing over a 75, I find that I am quite happy to shoot at 21, 24/5, and 28. 28mm has long been a good focal length for me, but after getting the M9, I have found that the Zeiss 25/2.8 is a very useful travel lens. It shoots small rooms as handily as skyscrapers, and it is nice for environmental portraits as well. I can go even wider for normal use, with a 21mm, although the lenses themselves start to get longer and larger at that point.

[andym911]

Normally if I am 'really' travelling it's..

 

M8.2 with 35 Cron/LTM Elmar and 50 LTM Elmar and 28mm 5.6

 

Plus Either CL with 40mm Cron or M6 with 35mm Con (mostly the CL though) and some Neopan400 or TriX.

 

Intend tho' to take the old Rolleicord more often as its just gorgeous.

 

best

andy

[tom0511]

M9,

24lux

35 Summarit

50lux asph

75 Summarit

eventually 135/3.4 (I could skip 35 and 135 if I had to travel light)

 

x1

 

Panasonic Lumix FT2 (because its waterproof and tough - great for canooing, ob the beach, for pragliding,...)

[Ecar]

Despite a few quirks, I now find the MATE's flexibilty hard to beat on the M9 when travelling to sunny places where I can live with f/4. I also throw in a faster lens for low-light situations (focal length depending on expected setting, type of pictures, etc.).

[henning]

M9

MATE

WATE

35 ASPH Summilux

Minox 8 x 11 flash

All of the above in Billingham M plus various filters,batteries, spare cards and Frankenfinder.

 

In my luggage, I will have either my 75 Summarit or 90 Elmarit and often my SF58-D flash plus my Ricoh GX200 as a back up or for situations where I want a very small camera.

 

Wilson

 

That's pretty darn close to what I sometimes take.

 

WATE

MATE

35 ASPH Lux

75 Cron

 

Light but more expansive:

 

WATE

MATE

35/2 v4

90 macro-Elmar

 

and then, if I anticipate more low light work, the 21 Lux as well.

 

In years past, with film I would take a couple of Nikon's, a couple of M's and lenses from 15 to 400. I don't want to carry that any more, and you can't get the same 'film' for all cameras anyways.

 

If I'm travelling for specific (mostly architectural) purposes, I'll take a FF Canon and things like the 17 and 24 TSE lenses, or long lenses for animal or other specific nature pictures. You don't want to take that stuff on a whim, though.

 

Henning

[gpleica]

More and more I now travel with M9 and just one lens. Depending on circumstances, it will usually be either MATE or 35 asph Lux v1, plus an iPad. Just walked from parking to MP2 terminal in Marseille, and it was nearly a pleasure to carry my bag.

Wilson

For those of you have said they carry an iPad in their kit, have you found a good way to upload your photos onto it? Mine seemed to freeze up when trying to read a 16gb card in the card reader I bought from Apple.

 

Geoffrey

[wlaidlaw]

For those of you have said they carry an iPad in their kit, have you found a good way to upload your photos onto it? Mine seemed to freeze up when trying to read a 16gb card in the card reader I bought from Apple.

 

Geoffrey

 

Geoffrey,

 

I am afraid I just plug my SanDisk Ultra II's (16 GB) into the camera kit SD card adapter and away it goes. I wonder if like the M9 itself, it is sensitive to makes of card.

 

Wilson

[gpleica]

Then how do you download the pictures off the iPad onto your desktop?

 

Geoffrey

[mustafasoleiman]

12/5.6

M9+35/2

M8+75/2

135/3.4

iPad

 

All in a small Barbour bag when travelling.

Once got there, the bag stays in the room with the iPad and accessories.

The rest on shoulders and pockets.

If I have to be light, the 12 and 135 stay with the iPad.

 

I'm looking into a 24/3.8 to fill the wide angle hole.

Then something to attach the 135 to, like an EP-1, or possibly replace the telephoto side of it with a nikon d90 with a long lens.

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Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[newtoleica]

Then how do you download the pictures off the iPad onto your desktop?

 

Geoffrey

 

Open iPhoto or Aperture, ipad appears as a linked device, import pictures.

windows... no idea as I don't use it.