Camino Santiago open intention lens…

[KFo]

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Hello all!  We are leaving for the Camino Santiago next week, planning to spend a month or so walking. 

Of course the M10P is coming.  Since we just decided to do this, I’ve not thought through my photographic intent for this trip (something more than tourist shots). I tend towards social documentarian work (otherwise known as street).

I generally shot 28, but also enjoy working with other focal lengths for extended periods.  There are lots of trad-offs in the Leica lens world.  Here are my likely to go along options:

28 Summaron f5.6 (use a lot - small light etc)

28 Summicron f2.0 (hard to beat for general photos versatile, nice DOF control)

28 Elmarit f2.8 (small, not fast not slow)  my least used 28

and as a flyer in the mix:

35 summilux f1.4.  ( “heavy” but love the DOF control, can easily use for portraits)

Bearing in mind that this is a long distance walk, I probably won’t take more than one lens.

Is my choice really between the two extremes, the Summaron and the Summilux?

Regards,

Kevin

Edited July 8, 2021 by KFo

[pedaes]

John Brockliss did this as a walk for the whole trail  with one M camera and one lens, and produced a very good book covering the trip

https://www.johnbrockliss.com/store/products/3821

 

[Stein K S]

The Summaron only... a nice pocketable set. Can only be envious about your trip 😀

[KFo]

24 minutes ago, pedaes said:

John Brockliss did this as a walk for the whole trail  with one M camera and one lens, and produced a very good book covering the trip

https://www.johnbrockliss.com/store/products/3821

 

Thanks for the book tip: I’d not been aware of this one.

[dgc]

My first thought was get a Q2 given your 28mm preferences!

I have the 28mm elmarit on my M10M as my all-rounder ! I haven't tried the other lenses you mention, but for size and quality, the elmarit would be my choice. Your arguments suggest you will take the summicron and as this will be your only lens the few extra grams should not be an issue, though it may prevent you taking extra plasters! 

My thoughts are that the ISO capabilities in today's cameras are such that the extra f stop makes little difference, unless, as you said, DOF is necessary for some of your shots. 

The idea of walking the Camino Santiago sounds wonderful and I hope you have a great time.

Edited July 8, 2021 by dgc

[spydrxx]

Having taken a umber of walking tours in remote areas I'd offer another suggestion for you, especially if you're carrying a daypack/rucksack and want light weight as well as capturing the shots you envision along the way. Choose whatever 28 you want....Summicron seems like a good choice. But I'd also consider taking a 21for those wide open scenes. It always seemed to me in my walks, that it was sometimes difficult to capture the scope of some dramatic scenes (I usually had a 35 on my camera). A small CV 21 takes up little space, is almost weightless and would give you that extra flexibility should you desire it. Enjoy your tour and take at least twice the number of shots as you ordinarily might...years down the road they'll provide endless hours of recollected enjoyment.

[KFo]

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4 hours ago, dgc said:

My first thought was get a Q2 given your 28mm preferences!

….

The Q has crossed my mind many times. I still resist even after seeing several satisfied friends exchanging willy nilly between the Q and M.  For this trip it’s definitely a no.  I prefer the quick and familiar over a learning curve.

[KFo]

2 hours ago, spydrxx said:

Having taken a umber of walking tours in remote areas I'd offer another suggestion for you, especially if you're carrying a daypack/rucksack and want light weight as well as capturing the shots you envision along the way. Choose whatever 28 you want....Summicron seems like a good choice. But I'd also consider taking a 21for those wide open scenes. It always seemed to me in my walks, that it was sometimes difficult to capture the scope of some dramatic scenes (I usually had a 35 on my camera). A small CV 21 takes up little space, is almost weightless and would give you that extra flexibility should you desire it. Enjoy your tour and take at least twice the number of shots as you ordinarily might...years down the road they'll provide endless hours of recollected enjoyment.

I do have a 21 Color Skopar; it’s so tiny that I could loose it in a backpack for weeks and trade it’s weight for nothing more than a cup of water.  

I have mixed results with it though, I’ve not made piece with that prospective yet.  Someday: maybe this trip is the time?  Worthy of consideration over the next few days.

[Capuccino-Muffin]

I’d go with summaron. Its charming rendition surely beats wide open blur pseudo artistic rendition any day. 

[m410]

On a hike, especially a long hike:

Optically, my eye sees the world as a 21mm; the important details are immediately in front of me and the landscape in the distance.  I would take my 21mm SEM with my lightweight viewfinder (no use of LV).

Ergonomically, I would be constantly carrying and living with everything which requires minimal size and weight of everything.  I would take your lightest lens on your M10P.  Or if financially possible substitute a used Leica Q or even better, a new Leica Q2 (if you can find one).

Btw, are battery charging possibilities conveniently accessible along the trail?  

Be safe.  Have fun.  

Post photos?

Edited July 8, 2021 by m410

[KFo]

14 hours ago, m410 said:

On a hike, especially a long hike:

Optically, my eye sees the world as a 21mm; the important details are immediately in front of me and the landscape in the distance.  I would take my 21mm SEM with my lightweight viewfinder (no use of LV).

…(snip)…

Btw, are battery charging possibilities conveniently accessible along the trail?  

Be safe.  Have fun.  

Post photos?

I’ve heard that 21 approximates human FOV.  It seems to be sort of true…except that distortion at the edges of the frame. It has always pushed me to uninteresting compositions trying to keep important stuff away from the edges.  Requires more work on my part for sure.

We won’t be on a wild walk, it’s more along pathways that connect villages and cities.  We will be staying at hostels so I should be able to charge batteries.  I suppose that if my batteries die I’ll sketch what I imagine seeing, or just use the iPhone until it dies as well. 

[wizard]

For a trip like this I would not hesitate one second, but just grab my MATE. It seems to be the ideal lens for that kind of venture.

Andy

[oldwino]

Summicron. You will want to take a low-light photo at one point (at least). 

[Ouroboros]

On 7/8/2021 at 9:57 AM, KFo said:

Hello all!  We are leaving for the Camino Santiago next week, planning to spend a month or so walking. 

Of course the M10P is coming.  Since we just decided to do this, I’ve not thought through my photographic intent for this trip (something more than tourist shots). I tend towards social documentarian work (otherwise known as street).

I generally shot 28, but also enjoy working with other focal lengths for extended periods.  There are lots of trad-offs in the Leica lens world.  Here are my likely to go along options:

28 Summaron f5.6 (use a lot - small light etc)

28 Summicron f2.0 (hard to beat for general photos versatile, nice DOF control)

28 Elmarit f2.8 (small, not fast not slow)  my least used 28

and as a flyer in the mix:

35 summilux f1.4.  ( “heavy” but love the DOF control, can easily use for portraits)

Bearing in mind that this is a long distance walk, I probably won’t take more than one lens.

Is my choice really between the two extremes, the Summaron and the Summilux?

Regards,

Kevin

Personally I wouldn't bother with a summilux on the Camino (my wife and I are planning to cycle the route in 2022) because I'm a scenic film photographer by nature and I don't need f1.4 for my purposes.  

Whilst I have both the 28mm summaron-m and the 28mm summicron asph v1 and I prefer the 28mm summaron-m for most of what I do, I'll probably take the 28mm summicron for the extra versatility for interiors, sunrises and sunsets.  I'll also take my 50mm elmar-m f2.8.

[ibramr]

On 7/8/2021 at 11:41 AM, KFo said:

The Q has crossed my mind many times. ….edited……. I prefer the quick and familiar over a learning curve.

The learning curve argument is a serious constraint for this trip.  The 28mm Summicron, with its relative depth of field control, would be my recommendation.   Good luck. 

[Stein K S]

On 7/10/2021 at 1:41 PM, Ouroboros said:

  I'll also take my 50mm elmar-m f2.8.

I guess I was very polite to OP in my first post… sticking only to commenting about which 28 or 35 to choose for your trip. But I must admit that I would have sneaked in my Elmar-M 50 just as Ouroboros would have… the perfect mini tele travel lens 😉

[KFo]

9 hours ago, Stein K S said:

I guess I was very polite to OP in my first post… sticking only to commenting about which 28 or 35 to choose for your trip. But I must admit that I would have sneaked in my Elmar-M 50 just as Ouroboros would have… the perfect mini tele travel lens 😉

Funny you mention this lens.  The Elmar-M 50 hadn’t actually made it onto my radar.  I do have the Macro-Elmar M 90 for all the same reasons that the Elmar 50 makes sense.  I’ll put the 50 on my list of lenses to acquire in the future.

[Ouroboros]

1 hour ago, KFo said:

Funny you mention this lens.  The Elmar-M 50 hadn’t actually made it onto my radar.  I do have the Macro-Elmar M 90 for all the same reasons that the Elmar 50 makes sense.  I’ll put the 50 on my list of lenses to acquire in the future.

The 50mm elmar-m is one Leica's best lenses and still a relative bargain.  The 28mm summaron-m (or elmarit-m asph if you want to maintain the 39mm filter thread), 50mm elmar-m and 90mm macro-elmar make a nice compact set of lenses for traveling with and will cover most things.

[KFo]

On 7/8/2021 at 5:50 PM, KFo said:

I do have a 21 Color Skopar; it’s so tiny that I could loose it in a backpack for weeks and trade it’s weight for nothing more than a cup of water.  

I have mixed results with it though, I’ve not made piece with that prospective yet.  Someday: maybe this trip is the time?  Worthy of consideration over the next few days.

I decided to give the Color Skopar a little more work over the last few days, using it on some family outings.  I think after a couple of years since it was last mounted, I’m finding my way into the 21mm.

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Edited July 13, 2021 by KFo

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[KFo]

I came down with a decision …

My Ricoh GR came on the Camino.  It’s a 28 (equiv), I really love working with it: light quick, has optical VF when I want it and the rendering pleases me.

If you want see what’s happening out there my Instagram feed is at: camino_2021_kfo

Thanks!