Two lens choice for trek? Apology in advance for asking such a question :-)

[MarkP]

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So in the 8 years I’ve been involved with the forum I’ve never before asked about lens choice for one of my adventures. That changes today.

 

Please bear with me, and none of those ‘you know what FLs you use most’ or ‘you’ve to many lenses to choose from’ comments with which I would agree.

 

My wife and I are dong a 4 day guided light-pack (7-9kg packs) walk at the Bay of Fires in Tasmania next month. It’s a coastal/beach/forest walk. After the first night in tents, the next two nights are in nice lodges (with access to power).

 

I plan on taking one camera for myself and my wife the Sony RX100 which will probably just be used if we need a backup camera). I’ll take the M10, 3 batteries and charger. My walking poles also work as monopods.

 

So now we come to lens choice. I only want to take two lenses because of weight, and to deliberately limit my choice so I don’t waste time on the move.

 

If just travelling with two lenses, I usually just take a 28 Summicron ASPH and 50 Summilux ASPH which covers most eventualities. (Edit: I should add that I’m a big fan of 21& 24 mm for landscape work). I considered the 2.8/28 Elmarit and 2.8/50 Elmar-M which is a very light and compact set but I think then I don’t have even one fast lens for lower light.

 

I also think 28 may be a bit narrow for these landscapes. So I could take the 50 Summilux ASPH and 3.8/24 Elmar-M (accepting it is slower and it frames to the very edge of the camera’s internal viewfinder). However, the 24 would sort of cover the 21-28 range and the 50 cover the 35-75 range – sort of.

 

Or do I just go wider to 21 SEM (and keep a 21 OVF on the camera) and 35 or 50 Summilux ASPH.

 

Or 28-50 MATE. Light, convenient but too slow and back to 28 not wide enough?

 

Or do I just take the 35 Summilux and enjoy the walk?

Edited February 7, 2018 by MarkP

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[mikemgb]

Carry what you always carry, you're most comfortable with them. If the 28 isn't wide enough you can always stitch photographs together in Lightroom.

[MarkP]

Carry what you always carry, you're most comfortable with them. If the 28 isn't wide enough you can always stitch photographs together in Lightroom.

Thanks. Didn’t think of stitching but it is an excellent and obvious idea :-)

[a.noctilux]

MATE is the one I'd take.

Light and no worring with changing lens.

 

And maybe second one is for "spare" as low light (Summilux) or "wider" (21mm) or why not "longer" (Macro-Elmar-M 90mm the one I paired with MATE quite often).

With M10 f/4 for me is fast enough.

 

Have fun .

[MarkP]

MATE is the one I'd take.

Light and no worring with changing lens.

 

And maybe second one is for "spare" as low light (Summilux) or "wider" (21mm) or why not "longer" (Macro-Elmar-M 90mm the one I paired with MATE quite often).

With M10 f/4 for me is fast enough.

 

Have fun .

Thanks. Your comments about the MATE are valid, especially weight and convenience of 3-in-1 in a dirty,b dusty environment. The distortion at 28 mm is not relevant for such subject matter but the flare at 50mm bugs me. My hesitation with the MATE is that it’s slow. f4 is fine till the light drops. So as you said I go for a wider lens such as a 21, my preference over long, or fast which duplicates the focal length.

[helged]

With two lenses, I would bring with me 21SEM and 50-Lux. My experience from Tasmania is that a wide angle lens (21-24 mm, possibly 28 mm) is very useful. But this, of curse, depends on your shooting preferences.

 

Although you explicitly state two lenses, the third one would be 90mm Macro-Elmar. It's hard to beat the 21SEM, 50Lux (or 50 APO) and 90 Macro-Elmar triple...

[dugby]

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Take only the 35FLE and enjoy the walk.

 

I did this in western China with no regrets.

[helged]

Thanks. Your comments about the MATE are valid, especially weight and convenience of 3-in-1 in a dirty,b dusty environment. The distortion at 28 mm is not relevant for such subject matter but the flare at 50mm bugs me. My hesitation with the MATE is that it’s slow. f4 is fine till the light drops. So as you said I go for a wider lens such as a 21, my preference over long, or fast which duplicates the focal length.

 

Agree on the flare of MATE @ 50mm. By using the EVF you can always check the flare; but it is much more convenient with a less flare-prone lens.

[ramarren]

I like the advice "just take what you're already comfortable with". You don't really want to be learning new equipment on a "once and forever" event. 

 

Personally, I usually carry either 35/50 or 35/75 lens pairs when I go traveling and doing landscape. I'm not a huge fan of the 'all landscape must be ultrawide' aesthetic. I do have a WATE for when I want ultrawide ... it's a superb performer. But ultrawide for me is a different mindset and when I'm carrying that lens, I generally carry it and nothing else—I don't swap between UW and normal/short tele very easily. 

 

My usual kit (Summilux 35 v2 and Summicron-M 50) is compact, light, more than fast enough for anything. If I need wide for a landscape, I use the 50 and stitch multiple vertically oriented frames together. Works for me...

[jaapv]

Actually, flare on the MATE may be a bit more pronounced than we are used to on other Leica lenses, but it is quite manageable and will not hinder you at all in 95% of normal photography. It will just call for a bit of care in flare-prone situations.

It is a brilliant lens.

Lens speed is not a concern, given the excellent ISO performance of the M10. Travel photography is not shallow-DOF photography.

[M11 for me]

My choice would be your 28mm Cron and the 50mm Cron. And don‘t forget an ND filter 46mm (same for both lenses). Part. No. 13055 for 16x (= 4 LV)

[onasj]

You can't go wrong with the lenses you own, really, and I think there are many combinations that would work well for such a trip.  

 

That said, I would do the 21 SEM and the 50 lux if I were in your shoes

[a.noctilux]

Flare can be under control, now.

 

Concerning MATE's flare at 50mm, before M10 I tried not to use it at 50mm when flare could be there.

 

With LV or Visoflex 020, the flare can be controlled and it now can be used as "composed flarey" pictures.

[wizard]

Mark,

 

I note you do own the MATE, so here is another vote for that lens. In my view, it is THE perfect travel lens. Admittedly somewhat slow, but come on, your M10 has enough ISO power to deal with that problem. For some reason, my own MATE is not prone to flare, not even at 50mm.

 

And I would take a compact 90mm lens with me, an Elmarit or Macro-Elmar, depending on what is available. With a compact two-lens setup, you then span 28 to 90, which should be good for almost any situation you are likely to encounter.

 

Enjoy your trip!

 

Andy

[Stein K S]

Hi

I would bring the 24, my 35 cron IV and my 50 elmar-m. I know it is a three lens kit but still a handy & small set.

[Ko.Fe.]

I'd rather take one small 28 and nothing else. Changing lenses in rainy forest or on the beach... 50mm and or wide aperture for what? M10 doesn't need it for exposure. Portraits with bokeh to make surroundings unrecognizable? 28mm is great for environmental portraits, indoors, landscapes. And it is not stressful as with reportage or street where you might have tension to get close.

But... 50 2.8 doesn't take a lot of space or weight. If stops during hikes are allowed, I would get vND filter and tripod.  Just 35 will do as well, but do you need it this heavy and fast?

[Herr Barnack]

If it were me, here's what I would take:

21/3.4 Super Elmar

28/2.8 Elmarit

50/1.4 Summilux

 

Yes, I know - that's three.  But the Elmarit is so light that adding it will hardly be a burden.  The 50 Summilux is heavier than the 50 Elmar M, but it gives you capabilities that the Elmar doesn't.  

 

If you can live without the maximum aperture of f/1.4 at 50mm, take the 50 Elmar M instead.  If you plan on making large display prints, go with the 50 Summilux.  JMHO.

[glacierparkmagazine]

I hike 500 to 700 miles a year in the mountains of Montana. I use a 21 elmarit asph 2.8, a 35 summarit and a 75 summarit. Don't know if that helps, but it all fits in a Lowepro Nova bag, which also has a rain shield built in.

 

 I probably use the 21 the most, but the 75 is coming in very handy since I added it a few months ago.

 

You can see pics at www.glacierbackcountry.com

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[albertknappmd]

21 and 50 represent my vote...

Stitching is a great idea but...

with WA can get serious distortion so technique and LUCK are important...

i always do two or sometimes three panorama shoots of the same subject and am amazed at home LR or PS can give you significantly different results...

This phenomenon is most pronounced with WA....

 

Albert     

Edited February 7, 2018 by albertknappmd

[Csacwp]

I just switched to 35 and 90 for my two lens kit.