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Visit to Israel - gear choice


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I want to go minimal so thinking of just 2 cameras with lenses glued on.

First place in my bag goes to M-A + Zeiss 50mm Sonnar and rolls of Fuji C200.

What to add with it feels like an unsolvable problem.

Heart says Fujifilm X100F

Head says Sony A7riii + 25mm Batis

Or just add lux 35mm / 75mm summarit

If these threads irritate you don't waste time telling me just "walk on by (dahhh-da-da-da-dahhh-da)"

Opinions appreciated.

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My choice M-A + lux 35mm  (if you  want extra gear --> 75mm summarit).

Skip digital, i always prefer one M film camera,  one lens, one type of film , yellowfilter for B&W.

Travel light!

 

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I am planning a 4-6 month trip around the world this autumn and am also trying to figure out the gear question.  Since I plan on doing it with just one carry on and one small camera bag (Billington Hadley Small) I will not mix digital and film.  Presently, I am planning on an MP240 with 25/50/90 lenses.  I picked up a FujiX100F last week as a backup and am stunned at how good it is.  Honestly, it makes the digital M system seem obsolete.  

I owned the original X100 back in 2010 and did several trips with it.  Since the 35 FOV is a favorite on an M camera, I really did not feel limited.  I have done other trips just carrying one body and one lens (either a 35 or 50) and honestly have never regretted traveling light.  I have even given thought to leaving the Leica stuff at home and just carrying the Fuji.  Using one camera worth $1300 vs a system worth $8000 removes a lot of worry.  And I got to say I am loving the jpegs (especially Arcos and Classic Chrome) out of the Fuji.

And the auxiliary lens for the X100F at $350 new or around $200 on eBay converts it into a 50f2 and all the reviews show no loss of sharpness and the other lens would give you the 28FOV.  Purchased new both can be had for $700. And with the digital converter in the X100F, you would have FOV from 28 to 100.  My advice:  Fuji X100F set on auto, shooting jpegs and leave everything else at home.

Edited by ktmrider2
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As much as I love the Fuji x100--and it is a fantastic traveling camera--I don't think 35mm equivalent may be wide enough for a lot of things you'll want to "grab." The Batis may be big and heavy, but there will be times you wish you had it. Anytime one goes to a place which has significant architecture, I think a wide angle is essential--unless you're willing to settle for your cell phone camera. My Q (which is actually around 26.5mm) has been barely wide enough, and now I have the CL for which, before I go to somewhere like where you're going, I'm going to make sure to get a lens even wider than 28. 

Edited after I read KTMrider2, who posted simultaneously. Yes, I can see just taking the Fuji. But I'd also take the wide as well as the "telephoto" extender.

Edited by bags27
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I'd take more rolls of Fujifilm C200 (or some b&w films to have choice) ...

and only M-A + 35 + 75 (now 2 x Summarit-M for me)

No worry with charger, batteries, even no meter or minuscule one like VCMeter II with some "pil size" batteries.

 

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I think most of us know the advantage of film to digital according to the number of photo's one shoot. 

That only would motivate me to use film and strictly film, no digital.
And because this is the  Leica M-A / M7 / MP and Film M part of the forum (about the only subforum i visit besides the film subforum) i would strongly suggest 😎 to go film all the way.

May Sunny 16 guide you every step of the way!

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I actually like film more then digital (primarily since I have been using film since 1966).   However, I plan on writing a blog for family and friends as I travel and posting digital photos is so much easier then the film process.  Buy my favorite film camera before you go, an M5.

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5 hours ago, LarsAC said:

Or X100F (color / 35mm) + M-A with 75mm and BW film?

My heart would say M-A + 35mm lux (or 28 Cron + 50mm Sonnar)!

Lars

Now there's a thought. I've already discounted my M246 due to the colours of middle east flea markets etc but I do like the sound of this option. I always feel that film suits simpler images with single subjects better than digital. Digital handles complex images better so I agree about having digital at the wide end. Film for tele (and B&W) makes sense to me and I get to take the two cameras that inspire me to shoot the most. 

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On 4/6/2019 at 9:41 AM, ktmrider2 said:

I actually like film more then digital (primarily since I have been using film since 1966).   However, I plan on writing a blog for family and friends as I travel and posting digital photos is so much easier then the film process.  Buy my favorite film camera before you go, an M5.

Take a phone. Use it instead for this purpose. Don’t compromise a trip of a lifetime for ‘a blog’. 

@OP -  ‘want to go minimal’ + ‘what else to bring’ = you have your answer already. 

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My trip to Israel was a study tour in historical geography with lots of walking and hiking, lectures and note-taking. So I reluctantly left my Leica gear at home and got a super-zoom small sensor digital, and it proved perfect: never needing to change lenses and quickly ready for any shot. I’ve used the pictures for projection in lectures and such for 10 years and the quality was more than adequate for that.

Others in the group juggled their dSLRs, dropping lenses, missing shots, fighting dust on sensors, etc.

Unless I were make such a trip exclusively for photography I’d still take the same type of camera.

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I am not sure how carrying a digital camera vs a film camera would compromise my trip experience around the world.  Digital can be shot as film (limit yourself to 36ex/day, ISO 400 and below etc) if that is your thing.  Many people in these forums get caught up on all the technical stuff where I feel the photograph itself is the important thing.  I would guess most of our heroes in photography would be using state of the art digital if they were around today.  Would HCB photographs be of lesser value if they were recorded on an SD card?  From what I have read, he was terrible as for as technique was concerned and only very talented printers made some of his images usable.  A FujiX100F is smaller then a digital M and I would argue sports more advanced technology.

And you can take traveling simply too far which I believe going on a trip around the world or to Israel with an MA and no meter would be doing.  You will encounter extremes in lighting and the human eye-brain combo sucks at measuring it.  MA yes, but along with a meter.

Edited by ktmrider2
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lenses, take a 35, 50 and 90 and it will cover everything you need and will shoot ... as for the camera, well I would go with the MA (or M4), weather won't bother it at all ... you should write to Adam since he goes there a lot and can give you some pointers plus perhaps a place or two to get film developed. I tend now to take at least a digital camera (my CL), using it at night and then keep Ektachrome in the MA for daytime, seems to work fine. On safari, Jaap gave me some great advice and was very pleased -- he was right on the mark (no surprise).

 

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11 hours ago, ktmrider2 said:

I am not sure how carrying a digital camera vs a film camera would compromise my trip experience around the world.  Digital can be shot as film (limit yourself to 36ex/day, ISO 400 and below etc) if that is your thing.  Many people in these forums get caught up on all the technical stuff where I feel the photograph itself is the important thing.  I would guess most of our heroes in photography would be using state of the art digital if they were around today.  Would HCB photographs be of lesser value if they were recorded on an SD card?  From what I have read, he was terrible as for as technique was concerned and only very talented printers made some of his images usable.  A FujiX100F is smaller then a digital M and I would argue sports more advanced technology.

And you can take traveling simply too far which I believe going on a trip around the world or to Israel with an MA and no meter would be doing.  You will encounter extremes in lighting and the human eye-brain combo sucks at measuring it.  MA yes, but along with a meter.

I think it's exactly what a compromise is isn't it. Not quite something. A little less to accommodate more than one outcome.

I don't mean one is better than the other, just that two is less than one :D

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"Two cameras, lenses glued on ..."

I can't comment on the gear you have.  My last trips (US and Israel), I took my SL, with the 24-90 pretty much glued on.  If I were going today, I'd want a mix of zoom, compact, fast and primes.  I think I would take the TL2 with 11-23 zoom (can charge in camera), perhaps the 28mm Summaron (compact),  Monochrom with APO-Summicron-M 50 (giving 75mm on the TL2) or 75 Summilux (giving a short telephoto on the TL2).  So, in 35mm terms, everything covered from 16mm to 112mm.

Alternatively, go M all the way - Monochrom and M10-D, with 21-28-50-75 Summiluxes.  If I had to choose 2, perhaps the 28 & 75 Summiluxes?

Or, a wide zoom and a fast 50 - SL with the 16-35mm zoom and 50 Summilux? and TL2 for spare ...

I'd still be juggling alternatives right up to the time I got on the plane, then I'd be wondering if I'd made a mistake!  Actually, I rarely go back on decisions, as I don't see the point.  The SL with the wide zoom and 50 Summilux would probably win as they're weather proof, almost indestructible and give amazing results.

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