Backpacking kit

[smsmd]

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Hi Everyone,

 

I just re-read (and re-enjoyed) the Yosemite thread. I have an M8 and will be ultralight backpacking for a few days there. I'll bring the M8 and one or 2 lenses.

 

I need advice as to what to carry. I own a 24/2.8, 35/1.4, 50/1.0, and 75/1.4.

 

If you can only carry one or 2 lenses, what would be good choices? Is there another lens I don't have that would clearly be better?

 

Guy, have you given further thought to a workshop in that area?

 

Thanks to all,

 

steve

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[Guest guy_mancuso]

Funny you should ask . Jack Flesher e-mailed me this morning on this very subject , so we will talk this week and setup a fall date there. leaves turning time would be great. keep you posted on that

 

 

Well a CV 15mm would be nice and a 90 macro would be also a good idea. Leave the Nocti and 75 Lux at home because of the weight.

 

But you could easily handle a 15,24,50 and 90 macro. yes that is four but the 15 and 90 are very small and light weight. Plus it gives you a great range

[dfarkas]

Steve,

 

The 24 is a shoe-in. The Noct and the 75 Lux would probably be a bit on the heavy side and you really don't need low light ability for backpacking (I'm assuming). The 35 Lux is always a nice choice.

 

I might recommend something longer for landscapes, like a 90 Elmarit, 90 Macro, or 50 Cron. These are the three least expensive M lenses (aside from the new 28 Elmarit-ASPH and 50 collapsible), but also really excellent quality-wise. They are all small and light (the 90 2.8 less so, but not bad).

 

So, from what you have now: 24 and 35.

 

With small addition: 24 and 50 or 90. Depends on personal taste.

 

Good luck. I'm sure others here will have good suggestions for you.

 

David

[waterlenz]

I would leave the 75/1.4 and 90/2 at home as others have suggested unless you specific shots to want to take with them that would justify their weight (e.g., early or late shots needing a narrow angle of view). I would decide on lenses based on what I wanted to achieve.

 

Going back to a place where one has been makes this a bit easier since one can pre-visualize shots and select lenses needed before leaving from home - I do this quite often around here and often just take the one lens, especially when hiking involves considerable going up and down on rough terrain (e.g., loose rock).

[jonoslack]

Hi there

Backpacking suggests good light - I take the two tri-elmars and the 90mm macro under such conditions. You get good range and not too much weight.

[johnbuckley]

Steven - I backpack a lot, and face the same dilemma you do. Given the lenses you have, I would take the 28 and the 75. A telefoto lens like the 75 -- even with the weight of the Summilux, is very helpful for wildlife, etc. Everything else will be well suited by the 28.

 

I recently spent a few weeks out West backpacking (you can see some shots at the link below.) I used the 35 all the time. But I also have the WATE and and the 90 f/2.

 

With your choices, I'd go 28 and 75. Have fun. JB

[andym911]

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24 and 35.........forget anything longer, you won't miss it

andy

[Fin]

My two penny's worth...

 

The 24 is a no brainer - take it.

 

Out of the lenses you own I'd be tempted to go with the 75 for when you want to pull the background in/ be more discreet etc. Although the Nocti would be great for night work - atmospheric shots around the campfire etc. Both of these lenses are going to compromise your ultralight total weight though.

 

Alternate lenses:

 

The 90 macro would be my first choice - small, versatile and light.

 

2nd would be the CV15 for when you have to capture those magnificent panoramas!

 

Good luck deciding and have a great trip!

[tom0511]

My personal choice would be 15, TE 28-35-50 and 90Macro.

In your case I would take the 24 for sure, and maybe try to get the 15CV and 50cron or 75 cron.

Cheers, Tom

[Jack_Flesher]

I just got back from shooting in the high country; it is what prompted the email to Guy... We will definitely be planning a fall shoot! (I was shooting film this time, so nothing to show for a few days )

 

Steve, since you already own the lenses you mentioned, I assume you want to choose from those. If you were going to spend most of your time in the Valley proper, I would agree to stick with the wider choices. However, since you are going to be backpacking, that implies you will spend much of your time in the high country. Up there isolations can be the rule of the day, especially when the sun is high, so longer glass is welcome. If I could only have two, I would choose the 24 and 75 and then just focus on making images that work within those choices; no way you will get everything you see with just two lenses to choose from, but glass does get heavy in the pack...

 

A few things to keep in mind: First is there isn't much snow left except above 8000 feet. At that elevation it is still well below freezing at night, but will hit 80 (F) or more during the day, so dress accordingly. There is not a lot of water this year, low snow pack, so the falls are not particularly stunning. Wild flowers are just starting to bloom up high. Lots of wildlife -- in addition to the normal plethora of squirrels, chipmunks and picas, I saw a fox, a few coyotes, lots of deer and a bear -- and I was only there for one day. Also, I saw more birds than I've ever seen in the park... The valley is also quite green and lush right now, but it will brown out pretty fast I think.

 

Cheers and enjoy!

[lars_bergquist]

My backpacking days are over – for some time now I have been busy changing my hip joints. So I have no backpacking experience with the M8. I have with M6 cameras, however, and with lightweight SLR cameras (Olympus).

 

Now when you are going to hike a hundred kilometers or more, in roadless country, above both the tree line and the Arctic Circle, weight is the prime consideration. So it was one body and two lenses. I found that a light standard lens and one 135 mm lens would serve. 85 or 90 mm was too short; when you needed a tele, the subject was pretty far away. A wide was superfluous. In the very few cases when I wanted a wide view, I did a panoram and stitched it together in the computer.

 

If we translate that into M8 terms it means 35 and 90 mm. A 90 mm Macro-Elmar would be just fine (with the SLR, I always carried a macro standard lens). The 35 Summilux, though a very fine lens, is of course overkill. Still, I do not think that the weight differential as against a Summicron – even that lovely 4th version – will break the back of a healthy and trim American male, no?

 

The old man from the Age of Glass Plate Cameras (carried by hired Lapps, of course ...)

[DaveB]

I'm putting a M8 kit together for an extended wilderness canoe trip this summer in Canada. It's for the most part the same system I use when hiking and the main constraint is that I have to be able to fit everything I need for a month into a Pelican 1200 waterproof case.

 

In addition to the M8 body I have a 15mm CV, a 35mm/2.0 and expect to receive a 50mm/1.4 shortly. I do like having low light capability in the wilderness as it allows me the sort of personality candids that only occur around the time before sunrise or after sunset.

 

Would like to carry my 90mm ASPH too in case I see a bird. Cannot justify the 135mm/4.0 as much as I might want it sometime.

 

What I haven't figured out yet is a tripod solution that is lightweight, functional and compact. I'm interested in what others do in wilderness environments in that regard.

 

Did I mention my seven batteries for the M8? Six of them are of the Hong Kong after market variety. If there's going to be a problem with these, I suppose I'll find out about it.

 

OK, maybe a Pelican 1400 box...

[larry]

Steven,

 

I backpacked in Yosemite a few times when I was younger. Now it's day hiking with a hot shower at the end of the day -- I guess I've gone soft.

 

I'd take the 24 and the 75. The 75 might weigh a little more than some of the other lenses, but I think you'll find that its reach and selective focus will enable you to take shots that will contrast with, and complement the 24.

 

Have a fun trip and watch out for the brown bears (no kidding!).

 

Larry

[robsteve]

When I shot in Yosemite with Guy I used my DMR the most with a 21-34mm and a 35-70mm. I don't think I needed anything longer than the 70mm end of the 35-70mm. On the wide side, I shot the M8 with both the 24mm and the 15mm.

 

If you were to use just the lenses you have, I would suggest bringing the 24mm, 35mm, and 75mm. If you have a chance pick up a 15mm, but the 24mm and 35mm will probably be used the most.

 

Robert

[smsmd]

Hi Guy,

 

Thanks for your advice. If something does get planned, I'll do everything I can to participate.

 

I'll look into the CV 15 and 90 macro, as that seems to be somewhat of a consensus.

 

Thanks, steve

[smsmd]

Steven - I backpack a lot, and face the same dilemma you do. Given the lenses you have, I would take the 28 and the 75. A telefoto lens like the 75 -- even with the weight of the Summilux, is very helpful for wildlife, etc. Everything else will be well suited by the 28.

 

I recently spent a few weeks out West backpacking (you can see some shots at the link below.) I used the 35 all the time. But I also have the WATE and and the 90 f/2.

 

With your choices, I'd go 28 and 75. Have fun. JB

Hi John,

 

The Canyon series appeals to me. These were all taken with the 35? Did you carry a tripod with you?

 

Thanks, steve

[smsmd]

I just got back from shooting in the high country; it is what prompted the email to Guy... We will definitely be planning a fall shoot! (I was shooting film this time, so nothing to show for a few days )

 

Steve, since you already own the lenses you mentioned, I assume you want to choose from those. If you were going to spend most of your time in the Valley proper, I would agree to stick with the wider choices. However, since you are going to be backpacking, that implies you will spend much of your time in the high country. Up there isolations can be the rule of the day, especially when the sun is high, so longer glass is welcome. If I could only have two, I would choose the 24 and 75 and then just focus on making images that work within those choices; no way you will get everything you see with just two lenses to choose from, but glass does get heavy in the pack...

 

A few things to keep in mind: First is there isn't much snow left except above 8000 feet. At that elevation it is still well below freezing at night, but will hit 80 (F) or more during the day, so dress accordingly. There is not a lot of water this year, low snow pack, so the falls are not particularly stunning. Wild flowers are just starting to bloom up high. Lots of wildlife -- in addition to the normal plethora of squirrels, chipmunks and picas, I saw a fox, a few coyotes, lots of deer and a bear -- and I was only there for one day. Also, I saw more birds than I've ever seen in the park... The valley is also quite green and lush right now, but it will brown out pretty fast I think.

 

Cheers and enjoy!

Hi Jack,

 

What route were you taking? Typically, we head out of Tuolumne Meadows and spend less time in the Valley. When out like this, are you with a tripod? I keep asking, as the pictures many post seem very sharp and some look like long exposures. I have a very small tripod I bought from Backpackinglight.com, but it is only about a foot high and has to be placed on another support.

 

Thanks and hope to meet you at a workshop this fall,

 

steve

[smsmd]

My backpacking days are over – for some time now I have been busy changing my hip joints. So I have no backpacking experience with the M8. I have with M6 cameras, however, and with lightweight SLR cameras (Olympus).

 

Now when you are going to hike a hundred kilometers or more, in roadless country, above both the tree line and the Arctic Circle, weight is the prime consideration. So it was one body and two lenses. I found that a light standard lens and one 135 mm lens would serve. 85 or 90 mm was too short; when you needed a tele, the subject was pretty far away. A wide was superfluous. In the very few cases when I wanted a wide view, I did a panoram and stitched it together in the computer.

 

If we translate that into M8 terms it means 35 and 90 mm. A 90 mm Macro-Elmar would be just fine (with the SLR, I always carried a macro standard lens). The 35 Summilux, though a very fine lens, is of course overkill. Still, I do not think that the weight differential as against a Summicron – even that lovely 4th version – will break the back of a healthy and trim American male, no?

 

The old man from the Age of Glass Plate Cameras (carried by hired Lapps, of course ...)

Hi Lars,

 

Typically we'll walk about 20-30 km day in the high country. For a 3 day trip in conditions as Jack describes, my pack without food or water will be about 3.5 kg-I don't carry much, even with cold nights. With food and water, another 2 kg at the most. The M8 kit will almost double that, but, as you say, it's still much better than when I carried the old heavy packs and tents at 20kg or more and if the consensus is I need to carry more, the light pack will give me the space to do so. I'll add though that I have some scoliosis in my back, so the weight actually does matter to some degree!

 

One of the principle reasons I bought the M8 was for this type of work, so I'll trust everyone here and listen to your advice. If I need to pick up a lens, I'll definitely consider doing so. I can't wait to get back out. I'm still in school and the semester ends next week!

 

Thanks to everyone,

 

steve

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[gdewitt]

I spent most of the seventies and eighties traipsing around the High Sierra. Sometimes I backpacked, such as the summer I hiked the Tahoe-Yosemite trail from Lake Tahoe to Tuolumne Meadows, immediately followed by the John Muir trail from Tuolumne Meadows to Mt. Whitney. Most of the time, though, the backpacking was a means of getting to the high peaks for climbing or skiing. Because of all the extra gear I was pretty scrupulous about keeping my camera kit light. Usually I carried a Nikon FM with 24 and 85. It was a rare occasion when I wished I had had other lenses along.

 

I no longer climb or backpack but I still do day hikes most every weekend except in winter. Most of the time I'm very happy with my M8 with a 28/2.8 and 75/2. Sometimes I carry my 15/4.5 CV instead of the 28, but not usually. I really wish for an in-between lens. But I can't see the framelines (I wear trifocals) for a 24 and hate carrying an external finder - one more thing to carry, one more thing to break, one more thing to make the camera bigger. Still, I suppose I'll get a ZM 18/4 if it ever actually becomes available as it is the equivalent of my old favorite 24.

[carstenw]

Steve, could you carry your camera kit in a waist pack swung around to the front? That would reduce the weight on your spine.