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Minimalist setup


Zsolt Arkossy

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In 2009 I bought my first Leica (M8.2 and an Elmarit 28mm lens) - today I placed my second order after 8 years, (M10 + Summilux 35) and I will have to trade in my trusted M8.2 and Elmarit 28 lens.

 

I was very hesitant to keep the Elmarit 28 and maybe add to it a 50 Summilux, or sell and get a 28 Summilux + 90 Summicron, blah, blah, blah. Then I realised, if I was able to publish a book, have multiple exhibitions and take tens of thousands of pictures with my 1 body + 1 lens, actually I don't need anything else, just the continuation of my current trusted minimalistic setup: M10 and Summilux 35mm. That's all. No fuss, no pain. Don't need to carry and change lenses, no bag, no nothing. For backup, I have my iPhone.

 

I feel great, didn't get the GAS syndrome! Well, actually the opposite: GSS! (Gear Selling Syndrome). As I wanted to to finance my new gear I had to sell all my Canon gear - which I rarely used in the last few years (7DMkII, 6D, Sigma ART 35mm f/1.4, Canon EF 85mm f/1.8, Canon EF-S 17-55 IS USM) plus I will trade in my Leica 8.2 + Elmarit Lens + I need to pay some cash as well... Looking at the list of gear to be exchanged "only" for an M10 + Summilux 35, feels scary and risky.

 

But I know that I made the right choice, I will continue to stay creative as I was with my previous gear.

 

(By the way, I placed my order in Vienna, Austria at Leicashop, with their trusted owner, Hannes Wahry - a brilliant person!)

 

I just wanted to share my story. Happy shooting!

Edited by CDColt
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Slight note is that as I see you have been shooting with the 28mm Elmarit for the past 8 years, the 35mm Summilux may be a large for comfortable street work.

 

Let me instead suggest the previous model of the 35mm Summicron Asph (not the latest revamped model) which should work great as a more compact shooter. That will allow you to save some bucks too as they should be readily accessible second hand.

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Slight note is that as I see you have been shooting with the 28mm Elmarit for the past 8 years, the 35mm Summilux may be a large for comfortable street work.

 

Let me instead suggest the previous model of the 35mm Summicron Asph (not the latest revamped model) which should work great as a more compact shooter. That will allow you to save some bucks too as they should be readily accessible second hand.

Excellent point

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Congrats

I really miss my M8, it was a special camera...but you are going to just love the M10. Its a major upgrade in every way.

 

Since your 28mm lens on the M8 will be like a 35mm lens on the M10, upgrading to the Summilux is a great move...you will love this lens. Is it the latest FLE version? 

 

I shoot with a 35mm Summilux 75% of the time...so I could totally be happy with a one lens package. I think :)

 

 

 

 the 35mm Summilux may be a large for comfortable street work.

 

I find the 35mm Summilux to be very small, and perfectly sized for the M10. 

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Slight note is that as I see you have been shooting with the 28mm Elmarit for the past 8 years, the 35mm Summilux may be a large for comfortable street work.

 

Let me instead suggest the previous model of the 35mm Summicron Asph (not the latest revamped model) which should work great as a more compact shooter. That will allow you to save some bucks too as they should be readily accessible second hand.

I'm curious, why wouldn't you suggest the latest 35/2?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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It is unnecessarily large with the new hood. I much prefer the older model which is compatible with the vented hood 12504. Besides, it's optically the same so there is no benefit to the upgrade. So might as well get it cheaper with that abundant second hand supply.

 

I'm curious, why wouldn't you suggest the latest 35/2?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Slight note is that as I see you have been shooting with the 28 mm Elmarit for the past eight years, the 35 mm Summilux may be a large for comfortable street work.

 

Depends on whether his 28 mm Elmarit was an Asph or an older non-Asph. Only the Asph is tiny; the non-Asphs are basically the same size as the 28 mm Summicron Asph or the 35 mm Summilux Asph.

 

Among way too many other lenses (sigh!), I am using the Summilux-M 35 mm Asph on the M10—and formerly on M (Typ 240) and M9 as well—, and I absolutely don't feel it's too big for street shooting. Sure, it does not belong to the smallest M lenses ... but then, it ain't the biggest either. On the camera, it feels just right.

 

If you really feel like cutting down your 35 mm's size and weight then I'd suggest to stay away from the Summicron-M 35 mm Asph and grab the Summarit-M 35 mm instead (Asph or non-Asph doesn't matter, it's the same lens anyway). Much unlike the 35 mm Summicron Asph, the 35 mm Summarit is the most flare-resistant lens I ever encountered ... and most likely also one of the most underrated.

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I'm not sure I agree that the size of one 35mm lens vs another is going to make it 'comfortable' or 'uncomfortable' for street work. A larger, heavier lens, within the range of things like a 35mm lens for a Leica M, makes it a tiny bit more tiring to carry the gear but simply cannot affect what you can do in your photography to any significant degree.

 

The other differences between lenses—how they see, how they draw, etc—are far more significant in effect upon what you can do.

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Thank you so much for the reassurance and positive feedback! It means a lot to me...

 

I believe that I will miss indeed some shots, some opportunities because I will not have the right tools (wide angle or tele), but that's life... I can't have it all. I will look, absorb the moment and capture in my memory - after all, that's the purpose of all we do - to remember.

 

Regarding minimalism, I climb and trek a lot in the Alps, and I learned - the hard way... - what I need to carry in the mountains - only a few - but realiable gear. You don't need everything in your backpack. Yes, sometimes I will get wet, I will get dirty and I will suffer. But those are the unfortunate but possible extremes I need to cope with - in all other situations I enjoy being flexible, not having to carry unnecessary tools and equipments. Not having an option means not having to think about it.

 

With today's 24 megapixel cameras I can crop 80% of the pictures and still have something to show at least on screen. In my exhibition I even had 2-3 megapixel shots enlarged, and noone questioned or asked about the visible grain. I got much more questions about the context of the shot.

 

I think despite the "great feeling", I still run some significant risks - carrying a very expensive camera (at least to me), and having only one lens. But I also have an iPhone, and if David Alan Harvey is proud of his iPhone shots, why shouldn't I be as well?

 

So this is my approach: one tool - and million ways to capture and interpret the opportunities. (Or miss them :-)

Edited by CDColt
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I'm not sure I agree that the size of one 35mm lens vs another is going to make it 'comfortable' or 'uncomfortable' for street work.

 

I'm surprised you are not familiar with the physics. Cameras and everything else become heavier over time. At ~71 years-old, I know.

 

.

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I like the "one lens" philosophy. But I like to have 3 lenses to choose from :-).

 

I'm in Berlin on a work trip for a couple of days and decided on a whim to stick my 90 Summicron on my M10, and just use that. I have a 24 and 50 as well, but left them at home. There's no question that having just one lens focuses the mind quite effectively. A 90 is a bit unusual to have as a single lens, but I'm really enjoying finding compositions that make the most of it.

 

So maybe you could have 2 or 3 lenses, but just pick one to go out with?

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