Two lens kit travel combo

[SiggiGun]

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I use in general two kits depending on the target: city or country side

• 24ELMAR + 50APO
• 35LUX + 75CRON (or 90M)

[Archiver]

Have I posted in this thread before?  Who knows, it's about gear and I love talking about gear, hahaha.

 

From the OP's choices, I would use the 24mm f2.8 and the 50mm f1.4.  24 for everyday shooting, architecture and interiors, and the 50 for low light, portraits and the usual 50 usage. 

 

My travel kit is 21/2.8, 35/1.4 and 50/2, and I use the 21 during the day, the fast 35 at night, and 50 for portraits and details.

 

If I'm somewhere that needs portraits, I'll bring the Summarit 75.  One time, I traveled with the 21, 35, 50 and 75, and hardly used the 75 at all, but I used the Summarit 50% of the time when I was at a wedding.

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[miessli]

I will go to Vietnam with 21sem and 50lux, took the same combo to Hawaii in 2017 and was happy.

[james.liam]

I will go to Vietnam with 21sem and 50lux, took the same combo to Hawaii in 2017 and was happy.

 

 

I used the same combo in Jerusalem a few years back. Luckily, had a Ricoh GR in the pocket so when it came to street scenes, 28mm turned out to be 'just right' more often than I anticipated. You might consider tossing in a 28 Elmarit or better yet, get a GR for less.

[basse]

MM1: APO 50 / APO 135

M-D: Summaron 28 / Summarit 75

M 240: 24 SEM / Summarit 90

[Anika]

I will go to Vietnam with 21sem and 50lux, took the same combo to Hawaii in 2017 and was happy.

 

 

21 and 50? wow.... thats different

[james.liam]

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21 and 50? wow.... thats different

 

 

Not really. Spent a week in Hawaii this past summer with that combination and there aren't tight spaces to capture; striking broad scenery or manageable angles of view great for the 50. Vietnam will offer up different challenges.

Edited January 7, 2018 by james.liam

[M11 for me]

After almost 4 years of this thread it would be very useful to create a chart showing the distribution of all the recommendations. We could read about 16, 18, 21mm then 28, 35 and 50mm and 75 or 90 mm. As far as I remember nobody recommended the 135mm and no recommendation for a 500mm either. And no graduated ND filters and no tripod and no POL filter either. And very little talk about what to shoot. I believe that I am on the safe side to take all these lenses with me. I believe that Leica had strong reasons to built them all and why should one recommend to take just this or that one? Hm, I can not answer that question. But my reality makes it very easy for me: I have just 3 lenses and most time I take all 3 with me (and leave 2 in the hotel).

 

And in 3 months I plan a 3 week trip along the west-coast of Ireland and probably I take with me the Canon gear with all Lee filters and tripod. As I plan to use the tripod a lot the M10 might stay at home. But while writing this it pulls my throat. At the end I am brave and take just the M10 plus tripod with my 3 lenses (28, 50 and 75 lux and cron) plus the Leica ND filters of which I have 2 to be able to stack them on the 50 or 75mm.

Edited January 7, 2018 by Alex U.

[Peter Kilmister]

@Alex.U: What a constructive posting. I am sure you will love the west of Ireland. I have to warn you that the weather there is, as the Irish say, "soft".

In other words it rains a lot! 

 

Canon gear and rain don't mix well. You could spend your entire time with a camera hidden away in a plastic bag. Your Leica can cope with wet weather.

 

It rained here in Sussex on New Year's day and I was the only person with a camera at the local classic car meeting. No Canons, no Nikons ... just me and my M-P240 which just needed a gentle wipe down afterwards. No harm done and some good shots taken including a 1924 Bentley 3 litre (94 years old).

 

The wind on the west coast of anywhere this far north and west is always a problem, no more so than on the shores of the Emerald Isle. A monopod is a good idea for stability as the winds can exceed the speed limit.

 

Good luck and enjoy your trip. 

 

BTW, don't forget your waterproof jacket and enjoy the Guiness.

[4X5B&W]

Well my main travel kit is the now classic Monochrom MM1, and 2 lenses that just complement it perfectly:

 

28 mm 5.6 Summaron (2017)  &  50mm Rigid Summicron (1958)

 

Two classic lenses - just a wonderful B&W kit....So film like !!

Edited January 8, 2018 by 4X5B&W

[4X5B&W]

My 2 lens kit for colour work with my M240:

 

35 mm Summilux ASPH (pre FLE)  &  75 mm Summicron ASPH

 

Two modern lenses for superb colour and smoothness of the OOF image, without the hard edge of the super sharp/high contrast  LOOK  of today's lenses. 

[4X5B&W]

Ah....2  additional lenses that compliment both my kits listed above are:

 

21 mm 3.4 SEM  &  50 mm Summilux ASPH Black Chrome.

 

Two stunning  SPECIAL  lenses that complete my 6 lens, 3 body Leica system.

 

The third body is my first Leica M,.....a 1970 M4, and it's going nowhere !!

 

 

PS: interesting how 2 lens kits work so well with Leica's bodies. Pretty much defines Leica's shooting style !!

Edited January 8, 2018 by 4X5B&W

[Jeff S]

As far as I remember nobody recommended the 135mm and no recommendation for a 500mm either. .

135 (for MM1) three posts above yours.

 

Other responses have appeared on various similar threads over the years.... this thread was dormant for much of the 4 years since start, but no lack of others. Much like bag threads. And, as noted by some here, practices and tastes often evolve over time for the same user.

 

Jeff

[Mg427]

Just got from Paris & London.  I shot with my 21mm Lux FLE and 50 Lux, surprisingly I shot with the 21mm the most by a large margin.  

 

Milton

Edited January 10, 2018 by Mg427

[M11 for me]

Just got from Paris & London.  I shot with my 21mm Lux FLE and 50 Lux, surprisingly I shot with the 21mm the most by a large margin.  

 

Milton

I wonder if you did then crop in post?

[M11 for me]

135 (for MM1) three posts above yours.

Other responses have appeared on various similar threads over the years.... this thread was dormant for much of the 4 years since start, but no lack of others. Much like bag threads. And, as noted by some here, practices and tastes often evolve over time for the same user.

Jeff

Ups. I will add another field to my excel table. I actually wondered how such a lens could be missing. So I imagine that we can close this thread as all the lenses were menionned once at least. But before closing the thread better wait for the result of my statistcs: „Distribution of the number of the mentioning of each focal length“. The 2 lenses on the peak of the resulting Gauss normal distribution curve are the ones to go for. It is that easy. Believe me.

[albertknappmd]

35mm f1.4 FLE + 75mm f2.5 - will I miss the 50mm ? NO and if you do just step forward a few feet...

 

the best compromise between DOF play and a wide angle of view ? yes

 

Albert       

[vhfreund]

Take only one lens, get used to it and be happy because you have no choice. Thats how I do it.

 

Cheers Theodor

[ECohen]

Take only one lens, get used to it and be happy because you have no choice. Thats how I do it.

 

Cheers Theodor

 

That is great advice.....really it is.

But I do notice from the wonderful photos on your flicker page that you too shoot with many lenses

 

I am kidding. It is great advice and your photos are wonderful Theodor !

 

....to me this is a funny thread, I make myself crazy every time I go for a walk.

 

What a hobby!

Edited January 11, 2018 by ECohen

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[coupdefoudre]

 At the end I am brave and take just the M10 plus tripod with my 3 lenses (28, 50 and 75 lux and cron) plus the Leica ND filters of which I have 2 to be able to stack them on the 50 or 75mm.

 

Is this not 4 lenses with both a 75mm Lux AND Cron!

 

My choices have become a bit more complicated as, on a trip to a medieval-like place this spring/summer I found it would have been useful to have had a little more reach than my 75mm APO Cron. (I do own & love the Lux but it is heavy for travel.) So I bought the excellent 90 Macro-Elmar-M ASPH (current version) and 90 Elmarit-M (last version). I will keep only one.

 

Extreme wide angle was useful in the narrow passageways.  I have a Tri-Elmar WATE but have not mastered using the widest settings so have bought a 21SEM and am selling the Tri-Elmar.

 

Owning 21 to 90 with both a fast and 'slow' version of many of the apertures creates decision problems for travel kits. I have begun the creation of a chart for myself to determine which lenses to keep and which to sell using the Lens Use data from my Lightroom to look at ACTUAL usage statistics. Of course such data is skewed by factors like loving but not carrying the 75 Lux on long trips. It's use numbers will suffer from this.

 

The most useful idea for me, tho, is that I can generally use slower - smaller - lenses in the day 21SEM, 50 Lux, 90 Elmarit-M and add something like, say, a 28 Lux for evening and interior work.

 

So, that's down to 4 lenses and two bodies! Still a lot to carry but better than the past.

 

Like everyone else on this Forum I do complain about the size of DSLRs and their zooms (which I do not use) but I envy their users not having to switch out lenses as frequently. My Leicas suck in sensor dirt like steel shavings to a magnet. I now try and remember to run my finger around the body mount when I change lenses as I suspect a fair amount of dirt comes from the intersection of lens and body. The natural oil from my finger that is left on the mount also seems to trap dust and I have (it seems to me) reduced my sensor contamination. Just not eliminated it.

Edited January 11, 2018 by coupdefoudre