Secondary lens(es) for euro tourist trip

[Joshua Lowe]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

This May I'll be taking a couple of weeks to visit the UK, France, and Italy. I'd like to keep my kit to 2 lenses only.

 

My primary lens will be my 50 lux. I'm sure I'll spend at least a day in the streets of Paris playing wannabe-Bresson.

 

As a secondary lens I'd been thinking of a 35 - lux, cron, zm... dunno which yet. If I rent probably a lux, if I buy probably a cron or a ZM.

 

But the more I've been reading the more I've been second guessing the choice, thinking that perhaps I should go wider. Now I'm thinking more along the lines of a ZM 25 2.8 or a 28 cron. I feel like maybe the difference between the 50 and 35 isn't significant enough to warrant carrying both, but that something in the 24-28 range would be more useful for bringing context to shots taken in plazas, etc.

 

The one dark horse is the CV Nokton 35 1.2 II. It's big and heavy, not ideal for traveling. It's "only" 35, but it has a ton of character and will remain useful well after dark.

[madNbad]

Are you using film or digital? Either way a 21 mm 3.4 Elmar, go wide and take a lot more in. A little f4 21 Voigtlander mounted on an M2 is one of my favorites for film. Do consider a fairly wide lens, you won't be dissapointed with the results.

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[james.liam]

Did essentially the same this past summer on a trip to Istanbul but my wide angle was a Ricoh GR. No lens swapping or dust on the sensor and it fit neatly into my pocket.

[A Almulla]

Your secondary lens would depend on what would you prefer to capture. More closeup street, architecture and cityscape, indoor or outdoor, etc

My Leica setup is only two lenses and its a 50 lux and 35 cron with no plan on additions any time soon.

 

Also consider insurance.

[skuromis]

I'd use a 35 mm lens most of the time, 28 mm when it is getting narrow and cramped. Less often I do use a 50 mm, but find 75 or 90 mm even more useful to focus on specific details or people. if I had to take only 2 lenses, I'd probably stick with 35/75.

[otto.f]

Playing Bresson would speak for a 35 and preferably a small one. The Summicron 35 IV: there you've got your Bresson feeling. For color however the 35 lux FLE is astounding. As a general purpose lens this a very good long term investment

[jaapv]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

If you only take two lenses I would suggest that it is not very efficient to take two focal lengths that are as close together as a 35 and 50. The real classic combination is of course 35 and 90, 35 and 75 would be nice too, or 50 and 28.

[otto.f]

In combination with the 50 the newest Summicron 28 would be super of course. I really doubt whether the Nokton 35 is as good at 2.0 as the S'cron 28, and if it is actually usable at 1.2.

However a 28 is not typically Bresson, you've got your 50 for that. The angle of your lenses is very personal, I prefer 35-75

[wda]

I agree with your choice of a 50mm lens. For a lightweight high-performing companion, I would definitely go for the 28mm Elmarit ASPH. It is a super travel lens and would widen the scope of your coverage in a surprising way. I bought it to accompany my new M8 and would never part with it. Some would say go for the 28 Summicron. The main downside it weight and bulk. I like to travel light. Two lenses is brilliant.

[lct]

HCB's favorite was 50 not 35 so i would take a 50 of course but i would add a 35 or a 28 for shooting monuments w/o too much deformation.

[bocaburger]

Been to UK, France and Italy many times. 21-35-90 if I'm expecting at least 30% shooting scenery in the countryside. If entirely in cities then 15-28-50. I can recall rarely carrying a 35 and 50 together, certainly never just those two lenses.

[thighslapper]

WATE and a 50.

 

Never got on with 24 or 28.

 

And I would add a 90/4 Macro ...... the WATE is not compact ..... but it is light .... and the 90/4 packs great performance and versatility in a small package ...

 

If you can't carry those 3 round without complaining then heaven help you ....

 

..... of course this would be better with an M240 than an M9 for a variety of practical reasons ....

Edited January 14, 2015 by thighslapper

[billo101]

I have 50 Lux and 21SEM, great combo, Street and Landscape no issue.

 

b

[bocaburger]

WATE and a 50.

 

Never got on with 24 or 28.

 

And I would add a 90/4 Macro ...... the WATE is not compact ..... but it is light .... and the 90/4 packs great performance and versatility in a small package ...

 

If you can't carry those 3 round without complaining then heaven help you ....

 

..... of course this would be better with an M240 than an M9 for a variety of practical reasons ....

 

I'm still kicking myself for selling my V.2 MATE. At the time I was shooting Velvia and Provia or EPN and f/4 was a significant limitation. Now with the M240 not so much. No way I would pay what they're getting for the MATE nowadays though. Live and learn

[IWC Doppel]

I'd go for a 35 if your used to a 50 sufficiently wider but not unmanageable in comparison

[lucerne]

India, Hong Kong and Italy last year. Took three lenses, but my most stunning results were from my Summarit 75mm in India (lightweight and a great performer), and my brilliant 21SEM in HK. In fact the 21SEM in HK was used 90% of the time and the 75mm was hardly used.. The 50mm Lux was too conventional but I'm not criticising its beautiful performance when appropriate. . Maybe three lenses 21-50-75 would be a better strategy for you, but depending on each days itinerary you could just carry two. I simply use a tiny case for the alternative lens and battery. No back packs for me.

Enjoy your trip.

[Joshua Lowe]

I apologize, I should have specified what camera I was using in the original post - M240.

 

 

I'm leaning toward the Biogon 25 2.8 as lens #2. Half focal length/aperture as my main lens, same filter size, etc.

 

If I were to take a third lens it would be a 75 or 90. But I really want to K.I.S.S.

[bocaburger]

C/V 28/1.9 Ultron in LTM also has 46mm filter, full stop faster, stunning performance, used prices much cheaper than ZI. 25mm is numerically half the focal of a 50 but its FOV is more than twice. 28mm is a better companion to a 50 IMO, a more utilitarian FOV, and you won't need a separate finder or to use LV/OVF. Hand-code or manually input it as a V.4 28 Elmarit. Better correction than using the Leica 28 Cron coding. You could pick up a CV 90/3.5 APO together with the 28/1.9 mintish used for about what the 25 ZI would run you new.

Edited January 15, 2015 by bocaburger

[mirekti]

I'd add a 28mm Cron to 50mm lux and wouldn't look back.

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Joshua Lowe]

C/V 28/1.9 Ultron in LTM also has 46mm filter, full stop faster, stunning performance, used prices much cheaper than ZI. 25mm is numerically half the focal of a 50 but its FOV is more than twice. 28mm is a better companion to a 50 IMO, a more utilitarian FOV, and you won't need a separate finder or to use LV/OVF. Hand-code or manually input it as a V.4 28 Elmarit. Better correction than using the Leica 28 Cron coding. You could pick up a CV 90/3.5 APO together with the 28/1.9 mintish used for about what the 25 ZI would run you new.

 

Thanks for the suggestions, boca. TBH I didn't even consider the 28 1.9 Ultron since it's discontinued, and I totally should have.