Travel Lens - Suggestions

[mca]

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If you're new into photography, I think taking only the 35/2 and really getting to know it is probably the best decision. Yes it will be limited at times when you wish you could get closer or capture a big building right in front of you but it will force your photography skills to be creative and get around the limitations.

 

Also I think you should enjoy your travel in a way that photography doesn't get in the way and also I think it's best to master the lens you have before moving on to the next lens. If not you might end up spending your attention on which lens to use at each time and your trip will be all about camera equipment rather than enjoying the place and getting some nice shots to take back home in a way that doesn't interfere with the pleasure of travelling.

 

Yes this is a very personal decision but my point is that if you're new to photography just keep it simple and work your way up gradually from there. Also, instead of buying lenses based on what others think will be more useful to you, let it be the contrary, let it be the situations themselves presenting the necessity to you, and after 2 or 3 trips, if you really feel you need another field of view, you'll know more or less which one it is.

 

Just my 2 cents.

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[Enbee]

Thats some great suggestions. I am doing something similar now.I am on a trip right now and enjoying shooting with the one lens I have. Its amazing how things are when I don't have to think what another labs could our could not do. I will keep this on my mind for future as well.

[Archiver]

Enjoy your trip and one lens! It certainly does help keep things simple.

 

I often find myself loaded almost to busting with lens and camera options, but this is what I've found works for me:

 

- Leica rangefinder with 21, 35 and 50.

- small m43 camera with slightly longer lenses

- pocket camera for backup

 

When I put the 21 on my M9, I use a 50 equivalent on the m43 camera. This acts as a second body so I don't have to change lenses in a hurry. The pocket camera is something like a Ricoh GR with fixed wide angle lens, so that also subs for a wide when I've got a 50 mounted on the M9.

 

I'm reluctant to pare it right down to a prime or two on the M9 because it doesn't shoot video, and video is almost as important to me as stills on a trip. The m43 camera, either the Oly EM-5 or Pana GM1, takes care of that. If I had a M 240, that might be a different scenario, but I'd still want the pocket backup.

[uhoh7]

L1020024 by unoh7, M9 21SEM

 

I would not go into big mountains without a 21 SEM or ZM18:

L1022243 by unoh7, on Flickr

 

Either would pair great with a 35.

 

I might add a 90:

L1022235 by unoh7, on Flickr

 

I usually take the 28 cron as my base and add to that. 28 50 or 28 90 is pretty nice. For travel I use the tiny 50 cron v4 tabbed or CV 90, also small and light, though CV 75 also excellent.

Edited December 22, 2014 by uhoh7

[Michael White]

I don’t have a 35mm lens for my pair of black M4-P bodies, I use the 40mm f2 C I got with the 90mm f4 C when putting the outfit together some 15-16 years ago. 
As it brings up the 50mm frame in the viewfinder, I use that knowing the resulting pix will have a little more around the edges. As I don’t go abroad anymore, I use this outfit for street. 
I meter with a small Sixtomat Digital meter that’s roughly the size of a credit card and takes one AA battery. A Black Hadley Pro carries my gear and can be pushed behind my back for discretion. 
A personal size Filofax for notes etc and a few rolls of Tri-X and I’m good to go. 
when a roll runs out I swap lens with the body cap of second body and carry on. Reloading in a cafe later and jot a few notes down too. I really like the comment earlier about having one lens and it being the right one. My 40-C f2 is a brilliant lens that delivers the goods. The VC 25mm f4 Snapshot Skopar is also brilliant too. I use that on a Leica M-D (1965) body with the 25mm finder plugged atop. Used that a lot this summer in the south of England. 

[Sailronin]

For 10 years, up until last year my travel camera was my M9. On business trips or family visits I carried 35mm, 50mm and 90mm Summicrons which gave me great coverage for casual "walk around" photography.  Of those the 35mm usually was on the camera at least 50% of the time, 50mm on about 35% and the 90mm was not used too often but was good to have when needed. Good luck and enjoy.

Edited November 30, 2021 by Sailronin

[grahamc]

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18 hours ago, Sailronin said:

For 10 years, up until last year my travel camera was my M9. On business trips or family visits I carried 35mm, 50mm and 90mm Summicrons which gave me great coverage for casual "walk around" photography.  Of those the 35mm usually was on the camera at least 50% of the time, 50mm on about 35% and the 90mm was not used too often but was good to have when needed. Good luck and enjoy.

Very nice. It sounds like my little travel kit I’ve been taking some time thinking about and building this year, all very light :

35:2 v4

50:2 v4

90:2.8 T-E thin  

The only complication is that I have the 28:2.8 minolta rokkor also small and light and very handy but I feel I’m cheating a bit to make the kit 4 .   It would still weigh in at something like 185g per lens as an average though so for a big trip could be ok . 
 

 

[grahamc]

On 11/29/2021 at 5:30 AM, Michael White said:

I don’t have a 35mm lens for my pair of black M4-P bodies, I use the 40mm f2 C I got with the 90mm f4 C when putting the outfit together some 15-16 years ago. 
As it brings up the 50mm frame in the viewfinder, I use that knowing the resulting pix will have a little more around the edges. As I don’t go abroad anymore, I use this outfit for street. 
I meter with a small Sixtomat Digital meter that’s roughly the size of a credit card and takes one AA battery. A Black Hadley Pro carries my gear and can be pushed behind my back for discretion. 
A personal size Filofax for notes etc and a few rolls of Tri-X and I’m good to go. 
when a roll runs out I swap lens with the body cap of second body and carry on. Reloading in a cafe later and jot a few notes down too. I really like the comment earlier about having one lens and it being the right one. My 40-C f2 is a brilliant lens that delivers the goods. The VC 25mm f4 Snapshot Skopar is also brilliant too. I use that on a Leica M-D (1965) body with the 25mm finder plugged atop. Used that a lot this summer in the south of England. 

That sounds great. The 40mm is amazing IMO and that must work very well with 90.  

With regards to my last post maybe minolta were onto something with their 28-40-90 focal length kit for the CLE.  It would help me make my 4 into 3.  

[a.noctilux]

The clever CL (our Wiki 1973 !) that I never have was offered with C 40mm and 90mm C meaning compact ?

It even has 50 frame lines in it's VF ( as that time 50 lenses dominate the market ! ).

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then came the Minolta CLE which I still use and fan from start in the 1980's

adding the Rokkor-M 28mm to the kit.

I used the CLE kit for many years with Leitz lenses (...that I had then) 28mm, 40mm, and the T-E 90mm 'thin'.

I had tried 135mm Tele-Elmar 135mm with far less success ( the CLE's RF focus was not for this use ) closer than ∞.

 

When using 40mm with Leica M, the learning curve wasn't neither a success.

My last 40mm M-Rokkor had already the 'filing-bringing-35-frame', so the framing is easier with Leica M but not so with CLE.