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Two lens kit travel combo


colonel

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I've traveled with 4 lenses (21,35,50,90) and often found I overpacked. Pairing down to 3 lenses (35,50,90), I found I hardly ever used the 90. I'm going to try 75/2 & 35/2 for the next year or so to see how this travel combo works... but I reserve the right to pack the 21/3.4 on trips to places where I may never get the chance to return. 

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35 + 50. I learned it the hard way. When I was on Sony and Nikon I purchased every possible focal length / lens I could . When I sold it all for Leica I found the 35+50, I can pull off most of what I do. That is landscape, city and family stuff. I really couldn't do much of interiors so I ended up buying a cheap 21. But anyway for two lenses it be 35 and 50. Assuming you are not going to Greenland or Antarctica or Hawaii..

 

 

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So, in essence, your favorite two lens travel kit is a three lens kit...?  ;)

 

My two lens M kit is a Summilux 35 v2 and Summitar-M 75mm f/2.4, but I usually find a place to stuff the WATE or the Summicron-M 50 in as well. 

 

My two-lens SL kit (with R lenses) tends to be the Summilux-R 50 + Summicron-R 90 to which I often add the Elmar-R 180 or Super-Elmar-R 15. 

 

So we have similar issues! :D

 

This is my asinine question for the weekend, but a real one for me as I build up a lens kit for my M240 (previous Leica kit was sold - silly me, anyhow move on ....)

35mm f1.4 FLE + 75mm f2.5 - will I miss the 50mm ? the best compromise between DOF play and a wide angle of view ?

24mm f2.8 + 50mm f1.4 ASPH - sometimes 35mm can be a partial substitute for both and can be carried around on its own ?

35mm Summicron + 50mm f1.4 ASPH. Two different walkabouts for different days and moods.

With all of these I would get an R adaptor and an R 180mm f3.4 APO for long telephoto work, but would not walk around with this lens - special events only.

thanks in advance

Edited by ramarren
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So, in essence, your favorite two lens travel kit is a three lens kit...?  ;)

 

My two lens M kit is a Summilux 35 v2 and Summitar-M 75mm f/2.4, but I usually find a place to stuff the WATE or the Summicron-M 50 in as well. 

 

My two-lens SL kit (with R lenses) tends to be the Summilux-R 50 + Summicron-R 90 to which I often add the Elmar-R 180 or Super-Elmar-R 15. 

 

So we have similar issues! :D

lol

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35 + 50. I learned it the hard way. When I was on Sony and Nikon I purchased every possible focal length / lens I could . When I sold it all for Leica I found the 35+50, I can pull off most of what I do. That is landscape, city and family stuff. I really couldn't do much of interiors so I ended up buying a cheap 21. But anyway for two lenses it be 35 and 50. Assuming you are not going to Greenland or Antarctica or Hawaii..

 

 

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or any number of other destinations...

 

My two lens travel kit is a 35mm.

The other lens (if I take one at all) will be dictated by the specifics of the destination (Greenland, Antarctica (I wish), Hawaii, etc) and would either be a wide (21mm) or a tele (90mm). 

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35 + 50. I learned it the hard way. When I was on Sony and Nikon I purchased every possible focal length / lens I could . When I sold it all for Leica I found the 35+50, I can pull off most of what I do. That is landscape, city and family stuff. I really couldn't do much of interiors so I ended up buying a cheap 21. But anyway for two lenses it be 35 and 50. Assuming you are not going to Greenland or Antarctica or Hawaii..

 

 

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From just FOV perspective, in digital world, there is no point of having lenses less that 2X focal length apart. Therefore 28+50 makes sense as well as 35+75. The intermediate ones are covered by slight cropping (and losing only one size print advantage... A2 vs A3).

 

Of course the above statement is discounting your preference for a certain look from your selected lens. In that case you carry the lens that you like, irrespective of focal length.

Edited by jmahto
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So, in essence, your favorite two lens travel kit is a three lens kit...?  ;)

.....

My two lens kit is actually four lens kit (one for WA and another for short tele). I have stopped fighting the sense of incompleteness. :)

 

Seriously, I do tend to step out of house most of the times with only one lens and sometimes with 2nd one in a lens pouch. Only when you travel, a light CV 15 and 90 macro elmar M in the travel bag doesn't add much to the bulk and weight.

Edited by jmahto
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My two lens kit travel combo would be the 50mm Rigid Cron and the 50mm V5 Cron.

 

The Rigid attached to my M6 and the V5 to the M9.

 

 

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So your 2 lens kit is ......2 - 50mm's?

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So your 2 lens kit is ......2 - 50mm's?

 

I've done that a few times. Mostly when photographing people. 50 mm Summicron type 5 on my Monochrom and a wonderful old type 3 (1969) on my M9. I like the crisper rendition the modern Summicron gives in black and white and the beautiful glow the older Summicron lends to color images.

 

I've used both 50 crons on the M10 and am undecided as to which style I prefer. The M10 has a slightly softer color palatte when compared to the M9.

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I've done that a few times. Mostly when photographing people. 50 mm Summicron type 5 on my Monochrom and a wonderful old type 3 (1969) on my M9. I like the crisper rendition the modern Summicron gives in black and white and the beautiful glow the older Summicron lends to color images.

 

I've used both 50 crons on the M10 and am undecided as to which style I prefer. The M10 has a slightly softer color palatte when compared to the M9.

I agree. In my case, I see a lot of people talking about the Rigid Summicron for B&W. But I mostly use it with Color Film (or Color Digital), and that's where it shines for me. It's a resolution monster and the soft color palette is just lovely, specially when shooting people.

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Just returned from a week away; I took SL, 24-90 & 90-280 zooms, tripod, iPad, MacBookPro and associated clobber in the small Peak Design backpack. I'll be reluctant to do that again!

 

For me next trip, I'm thinking of going M based. Logic suggests 28 & 50 Summiluxes, and SL with M adapter (Monochrom is in Wetzlar - alternative might be the M-A). I've been thinking that taking four Summiluxes for a longer trip - 21-28-50-75 - is not an unreasonable cobination. Each is very different in character. When my Monochrom comes back, I will consider taking that, with the M-A as an alternative. The M-A with 50 Summitar takes up next to no room as a backup.

 

Choice can be a difficult thing to come to grips with. I doubt I'll be travelling with the Sl and both zooms again - too bulky and too heavy. SL with just the 24-90 zoom is feasible.

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If I want to travel light, 50mm Elmar and Nikon 35mm f3.5, you can put this set-up in your pocket and leave the bag at home. :)

 

I do also use these lenses on my M when I want portability.

 

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Edited by mikemgb
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I sold off quite a bit this year as I had some more important expenses to raise funds for (engagement ring + upcoming wedding) so I settled on a two lens kit that would be cost effective (for me), compact, 6bit coded and "good enough" performance. I say "good enough" because honestly, all lenses in M mount have at least some merit! 

 

I landed on the 28 Elmarit ASPH and the 50 Summarit f/2.4. They tick all the right boxes and  I am plenty pleased with them both.  I'd like something fast for when I need it, but honestly they do just fine for 90%+ of what I need.

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I am currently in Paris, and heading for a trip to the UK after this (London, York, Edinburgh, Chester, Bath). This is a road trip with the kids, not a dedicated photography trip. For the first time is as long as I can remember, I am not carrying a tripod. 

 

It's a long way here from Australia and I brought: M10, WATE, 24 Lux, 35 Lux, 50 APO Cron, 75 APO Cron, Macro adapter. I also brought the EVF. But I never carry all of that around... almost always just two lenses.

 

Just walking around, it's usually the 35 Lux without the hood. If I could only have one lens, that would be it. Flexible, fast, quite small and renders delightfully. Sometimes I'll also just walk around with the 50 APO (l love the built in slide out hood). 

 

But if I have a bag with me, I'll usually mix it up:

 

Indoor venues: 24 Lux for the speed paired with the 50 Cron. 

 

Outdoor venues (eg Eifel tower): WATE and EVF paired with the 35 or 50. 

 

Gardens, parks, wandering: 35 with the 75 and the macro adapter... maybe throw in the WATE and use live view just in case. 

 

The 75 is a bit of a luxury for travel and would be the first one I dropped. 

 

If I was forced to only take three I'd probably take the 24, 35 and 50 and leave the EVF at home. If I could absolutely only take two it would be the 35 Lux and the 50 APO and I'd live without an UWA. 

 

The beauty of the M system is how small and light the lenses are though. Yesterday I did Versailles with a small backpack and a Tenba BYOB Insert 9. I carried the WATE, 24 Lux, 35 Lux, 75 Cron and the EVF... and the camera still fit in it when it wasn't over my shoulder! None of that was tiring or obtrusive... so different to carrying my SL setup or any SLR. Of course, carrying all that gear was a waste, as the 24 Lux barely came off the camera, but my point is really that the M system does provide enormous flexibility if you don't have super long telephoto requirements. 

 

Today it's the Musee D'Orsay where they don't let you take bags in, so I think it'll be the 24 Lux with the 35 Lux in a pocket. 

 

Great thread and I love thinking about which lenses to use in which situations, but never forget that you'll find shots with whatever you're carrying, and usually carrying less lenses (or even one) will force you to think in a focal length and you end up with better shots. That's what happened to me when I stopped using zooms... I'm just not a good enough photographer to process all those possibilities, so work better when locked into one and pre-visualising images at that focal length.  

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