Wallyvision Posted April 9, 2012 Share #21 Â Posted April 9, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) No recommendation as to hotel but your inclination toward wide angle lenses is a good one. When I was there in October, 2010, the 28, 35 and 50 were my choices and did very well. Â Your more important decision, assuming you have some time flexibility, would be once you get there, opting to spend more than four days. Also, make sure you have enough flash card capacity, the photo opportunities are endless. Have a wonderful trip. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted April 9, 2012 Posted April 9, 2012 Hi Wallyvision, Take a look here Venice in June. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
IWC Doppel Posted April 23, 2012 Author Share #22  Posted April 23, 2012 Well I'm now booked in the Metropole I got a great deal so it was difficult to say no !  We have decided to go for 5 days, currently thinking of taking my 21 Elmarit Asph, 35 Summilux asph and 50 Summilux (pre asph). I will have an M9 by then  Can't wait ...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
parigby Posted April 24, 2012 Share #23  Posted April 24, 2012 When l was there about four years ago, l booked a morning session with a Venetian professional photographer called Mario Mazziol Mario Mazziol. The session lasted four hours and cost £25.00 !!!  His first question of me was " what do you want to shoot ", l answered, what you would shoot, not what the tourists are shooting. He took me to places, l could never find again again, and it was the most marvellous four hours l have ever spent.  If he still does these one on one tours, then for a Venetian photographic experience you will not be able to find for yourself, it's an absolute must. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roydonian Posted April 24, 2012 Share #24  Posted April 24, 2012 With a five-night trip booked, you are already way ahead of most visitors – a two to three night stay is more typical.  Get a good guide book (I use the Venice Blue Guide) and walk – and walk – and walk. There is nowhere you can walk and look that will not be pleasing to the eye. And be prepared to get lost (frequently) because you will. It’s part of the fun.  The streets will be crammed with tourists (they always are except in November and early December), but the handy map that the hotel will give you might help you find alternatives to the routes that the majority of tourists use. Most tourists are day trippers, so pre-breakfast and after dinner are good times for photography.  A four-day pass for the vaporettos will include the boat to Burano (very different to Venice). It also lets you get from one area to another without repetitive walking along the same routes.  I found that my 28-35-50mm TriElmar was rarely off the camera, and the 90mm was useful, but I’m more into scenery than you are.  Take all your lenses with you but carry only a selection and leave the rest in the safe in your room.. You will rarely be more than half an hour’s walk from the hotel, so can easily go back to get one that you have realised will be useful.  Best regards,  Doug Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bocaburger Posted April 24, 2012 Share #25 Â Posted April 24, 2012 Lens choices are so interrelated to personal artistic vision that it's really impossible to tell someone else what lenses to take where, unless you know that person's shooting preferences well. Â I spent 5 days in Venice last year (my first time there) with my usual travel kit of 21-35-50-90. I tend to gravitate more toward picking out details vs sweeping scapes. Typically in European cities I tend to use the 35 the most with 21 being next, then 50, and rarely 90. But in Venice I found myself using the 21 and 90 almost exclusively, and also almost equally. It had much to do with the canal situation (I was either close or far from my subject, and rather constricted possibility to move without falling in the water). I also found the 90 more useful than the 50 (my "European Tele") because the narrower FOV let me exclude more of the throngs of tourists (most of whom appeared to be from the far east) from my Venetian travelogue. I think it's great for the future of world peace that travel is allowing people from very different cultures to interact and see one another on a human level, but I kind of like to keep my photographs as indiginous as possible (I also try to screen out Starbucks and McDonalds and other symbols of multinational commerce). Â A few things I can suggest which made my stay nicer: Â I use Rick Steves' guidebooks all over Europe. When it comes to travel philosophy, Rick and I are on the same page (no pun intended). His are lighter on history and heavier on the logistics of travel. I've never found fault with any of his hotel or restaurant recommendations either. Of course YMMV. Â In Venice I was happy to have my belongings in a backpack. My wife cursed her rollaboard as it bumped and twisted on the craggy streets, and up and down steps. Â Having pre-purchased vouchers for a Vaporetti pass turned out to be a good idea, including airport transfers on the ferry. Â Wherever you go, be it Venice proper, or the islands of Murano and Burano, get off the main drag and try to get yourself lost. You can't really get lost, but you will get away from the tour groups and see a quieter (and in my estimation, more photogenic) side of these heavily-touristed destinations. Â Definitely see the outdoor market. Get there early. In fact (though I doubt this needs to be said to photographers) I suggest getting everywhere early (or late) when the tour groups aren't there. Perhaps the most photogenic time in Venice is early morning when shopkeepers and workers (most of whom don't live in Venice proper) are arriving and beginning to set up for the day. The light is good and except for the occasional non-morning-person, the people are energized and not weary from the day's work. Â We didn't take a gondola ride, mainly because boats and romance don't mix well with me. Cuttlefish (and it's black ink used as a pasta sauce) doesn't mix well with me, either, I discovered. But otherwise, one of the best things about Venice is the amazing fresh local seafood, prepared expertly by pretty much any restaurant. Again, though, we found the best restaurants (food-wise, not necessarily ambiance) off the beaten path. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter H Posted April 24, 2012 Share #26 Â Posted April 24, 2012 So much good advice here already. Â But here's a personal reflection: if you're not going alone, be careful that the overwhelming visual attraction of the place doesn't lead you to neglect your partner for hours on end while you lose yourself in your photography! Â I know its sacrilege, but when I last went I made sure there were a couple of days when I didn't have a camera with me, and we enjoyed those days enormously. Â Whatever you do, have fun! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
parigby Posted April 24, 2012 Share #27 Â Posted April 24, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) I struck a deal with the wife in relation to most of the days. I went out at about 6.00am and came back to the hotel at 9.00am to have breakfast with her. The rest of the day was down to her until about 5.00pm, when she returned to the hotel, and l went out for another two hours. Therafter it was dinner. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IWC Doppel Posted April 24, 2012 Author Share #28  Posted April 24, 2012 So much good advice here already. But here's a personal reflection: if you're not going alone, be careful that the overwhelming visual attraction of the place doesn't lead you to neglect your partner for hours on end while you lose yourself in your photography!  I know its sacrilege, but when I last went I made sure there were a couple of days when I didn't have a camera with me, and we enjoyed those days enormously.  Whatever you do, have fun!  Good advice, my partner is far too tolerant if I'm talking music,HiFi, film and AV its cameras cars n cigars  Fortunately she's happier with me snapping pictures than discussing things on forums ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IWC Doppel Posted June 5, 2012 Author Share #29 Â Posted June 5, 2012 well only three days to pack..... Â I have decided I will take my 35 Summilux asph, I now have a black M9-P so all lenses will be as they say on the tin, so to speak. Â I am toying with 35,50 and 21. But I love the images my 28 Summicron gives stopped down, so possibly 35,28,21 and 50 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IWC Doppel Posted June 5, 2012 Author Share #30 Â Posted June 5, 2012 Should I be worried about my Leica in Venice and consider 'taping' over the white Leica inscription ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkP Posted June 5, 2012 Share #31 Â Posted June 5, 2012 When in Venice 18 months ago I had the 21 Summilux, 28 Summmicron, 35 Summilux FLE and 50 Summilux ASPH . I had a 90 which never left my suitcase. I used the 21, 28 and 50 most, but if I went out with only one lens it was always the 35. Â Unless you need to travel light I would strongly recommend taking all four of these focal lengths. You can decide on the day which lens(es) you want to take out for the day, leaving the others in the hotel room safe. You are only talking about another 300gm or so in weight. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
myshkine Posted June 5, 2012 Share #32 Â Posted June 5, 2012 Should I be worried about my Leica in Venice and consider 'taping' over the white Leica inscription ? Â Venice is an extremely civilized city. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted June 5, 2012 Share #33 Â Posted June 5, 2012 Should I be worried about my Leica in Venice and consider 'taping' over the white Leica inscription ? Â No. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pangur Ban Posted June 6, 2012 Share #34 Â Posted June 6, 2012 I used a 90mm lens quite a bit in Venice. I found it useful for isolating details, getting photos across canals and getting shots without too many tourists in them. Â Another tip is to take long-exposure photographs - particularly if you're getting up early. I gather the M9 is superb at these so stop the lens right down, reduce the ISO and use a tripod. The trick is to capture sufficient solidity to recognise its a gondola but still just capturing its essence - works well if you can get Santa Maria della Salute in the background too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted June 6, 2012 Share #35  Posted June 6, 2012 Just make sure that this monstrosity doesn't get in your way...  A giant cruise ship endorsed by Sophia Loren swept into Venice sparking protests over spoilt views and air pollution | Mail Online  If you can get to Venice out of season, you get none of this nonsense. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 6, 2012 Share #36 Â Posted June 6, 2012 Coffee and cake in St Marks square is worth every euro you overpay for it. BrianP As is Harry's Bar:) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted June 6, 2012 Share #37 Â Posted June 6, 2012 You do need to bite the bullet and go into Florian in the Square. Â But make sure you walk away from there for 10 minutes if you want to eat in the evening... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted June 6, 2012 Share #38  Posted June 6, 2012 Getting back to Venice, if you are in Santa Croce, I can highly recommend this restaurant (in fact, I just did )  Trattoria Al Ponte del Megio Restaurant Reviews, Venice, Italy - TripAdvisor  We have been here on both occasions that we have visited Venice. Excellent food and very good value by Venecian standards.  When we did the One Challenge in Venice a couple of years ago, the restaurant where we ate in the evening is good value too - again, my wife and I have been here several times, both lunch and dinner, and have not been disappointed. A short walk from the Accademia Bridge  http://www.tavernasantrovaso.it/ristorante/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IWC Doppel Posted June 12, 2012 Author Share #39  Posted June 12, 2012 Andy, hi  Many thanks, I'm sat typing on my iPhone getting ready to go out for the evening, I have just checked you recommendations and they are a little far for tonight, shame.  The trip has been amazing so far, I took my 24, 28 and 35. I have not been disappointed, my 50 and 21 did not come back in time following 6 bit coding. But for me wide has been fantastic. I have been getting up early to shoot in the morning light and the 24 in st Marc's square is sublime (still wish I had my 21) this place is simply the photography capital.  Very interesting seeing just how many big Nikon and Canon cameras there are around I have seen hundreds of D3's and not one other M8 or 9 !  I did see what I thought was an S2 and bumped into the guy again at 8.00 in the square, yep an S2. He also has an M9-P he told me.  Time to swap my 28 Summicron for my 35 summilux for the evening ;-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IWC Doppel Posted June 13, 2012 Author Share #40  Posted June 13, 2012 Hi guys, just winding on my three stop ND filter and going out with my 35 before breakfast, I'll make a few recommendations for places to eat and not to eat when I'm back in Blighty. I do hope one or two pictures will come out well  I had never been to Venice before, it's like having a sweet tooth and going to a street of chocolate shops that are free...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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