Visit to Rome - what two lenses to carry?

[svenning]

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I'm going to Rome for a week - and would like to seek the Leica Forum members advise about which two lenses I should bring along for the photography?

I have the following Leica lenses to choose from: 19mm, 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 60mm macro, 90mm, 135mm,180mm & 400mm.

I only want to bring two lenses inorder to bring the weight down to carry.

All the best - Svenning, Denmark

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[stunsworth]

Impossible to say.

[andybarton]

24mm 50mm

 

Do you REALLY want to lug around a 400mm?

[scsambrook]

Which camera do you intend to take ? The choice for M8 would perhaps be different to that for M9 or film Leica . . .

[andybarton]

It must be an R camera.

[bocaburger]

From the lenses listed I suspect these are R-series. To me the only question is: what kind of shots do you want to do?

 

I could tell you what lenses I would bring, but it may or may not be of any use to you at all. With a heavy system like the R, I would probably have to limit myself to just one lens, and that would have to be the 35. Not as wide as I would like, but wide enough to get me most of what I would want. When I had an R system I used it only once for traveling, 2 bodies with a 21 S/A, 35-70 and 70-210. It was so horrendously heavy for me that after the first day I left one body and the 21 and 70-210 in the hotel safe. With my 5D, on the rare occasions I travel with it, I use a 28-135. I mostly travel with the M, and for me, in Rome, I would want (M9) at minimum 15, 21, 35 and 90.

[scsambrook]

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It must be an R camera.

 

Now, now . . . it doesn't have to be an R . . . he might just have one of those old Visoflex thingummies

[doubice]

I am certain that Svenning is referring to an R outfit. There was no 60 macro available for "one of those old Visoflex thingummies"...

 

Nigh impossible to make a suggestion, without knowing what type of photography you do. With your lens roster, I would prefer to take three lenses - 24, 60 Macro and 135. Travel is where zoom lenses come in handy.....

 

Best,

 

Jan

[sfage]

If you're interested in getting images of the city and the surroundings, then a 400 would be a complete waste of time... unless you're expecting a heard of wildabeast to come running through the Serengeti... next to the coffee shop.

 

In fact, zooms (in my opinion) are useless for actually trying to capture the greater beauty of a city.

[pop]

If you're interested in getting images of the city and the surroundings, then a 400 would be a complete waste of time... unless you're expecting a heard of wildabeast to come running through the Serengeti... next to the coffee shop.

 

In fact, zooms (in my opinion) are useless for actually trying to capture the greater beauty of a city.

 

On the other hand, taking shots of all the gargoyles on the spires might require long focal lengths.

[earleygallery]

28-90 zoom

 

or 19 & 35

 

or just the 400, to be different

[zoomstop]

24mm and a 50mm.

 

24mm = Architecture

50mm = Closest thing to a human Eye - Great perspective.

 

I personally have the 24,35,50 lux, 35 and 70 sumi and the 50 nocti.

 

For travel I take the 24 lux, 35 sumi and the 50 nocti

[svenning]

Thank you Gentlemen for your suggestions.

I have decided to go for the 24mm Elmarit-R and the 135mm Elmarit-R.

An old fashioned combination maybe - but I am also old fashioned by nature...so.....

All the best - Svenning, Denmark.

[earleygallery]

What do you imagine using the 135 for?

[WeiterWinkel]

Hi,

 

I visited Rome just a few weeks ago with a Leica M9, an Elmarit 21/2.8, a Summicron 35/2 Asph. and a Zeiss Planar 50/1.5. I didn't miss a tele lens.

 

Here are some of the results:

Rom - a set on Flickr

 

Cheers and have a good time

Thomas

[farnz]

Svenning,

 

You've told us what focal length lenses you have but you haven't mentioned how fast any of them are. You might like to consider including your fastest lens for the fantastic Roman building interiors to avoid potential noise at high ISO values.

 

Pete.

[ndjambrose]

I can't answer your question because I don't know how you see.

 

The style of your photos, the focal lengths you work at, your preferences for subject matter, and even the time of day you prefer to experience a city are all important factors that govern which lenses you might choose to work with.

 

Maybe share some representative photos and give people an idea. Otherwise the only thing anyone can do is make suggestions based on their own preferences.... which isn't going to help you at all.

[earleygallery]

These threads are usually pointless, everyone offers a different suggestion and the OP usually decides upon something different yet again!

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[daveleo]

i have to say the 24 + the fastest lens that you own (but nothing beyond 90mm, and even that is questionable in a city)

[NZDavid]

When in Rome, what lenses do the Romans use? Up to the individual of course but when I was there a few years ago I took the 24, 35, 50, and 90. To restrict yourself to two, I'd agree 24 and 50 are a good combination -- but the 35 is also very useful. 90 for details.