What's Your Ultimate Travel Kit? (M/Q/SL/S/film/...)

[Jeff S]

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Your priorities, your preferences, your rationale for adding another system, etc. Forum answers will always cover practically any option, if enough people participate. Sometimes less is more, but if more is preferred, then choices must be made….both in advance and in real time.

Jeff

Edited August 3, 2021 by Jeff S

[IkarusJohn]

Ultimate travel kit these days - travel such a rarity, thinking through so many permutations, miss my flight …

[Eclectic Man]

8 hours ago, pmendelson said:

Help!  Heading to the Maine coast on a family trip in a few days and trying to decide what to bring - no hiking, just around the towns and beaches of York and Ogunquit in the early mornings. I have a car so can bring anything I want. I recently picked up a used S007 and the S 24mm, 35mm and 70mm lenses. Also have the SL2 and SL2-S, 16-35, 24-90, 90-280, 28 SL, 50 SL, and CV 15 III and 21mm SEM.  
 

The SL2-S will come for any nighttime shooting (probably with the 28 SL). 
 

Otherwise I’m thinking of sticking with the S007 and S lenses, and perhaps the SL2 with the 70-280mm for reach and telephoto compression.

Wow!  With that lot you need a tripod, a trolley and sherpa!

Seriously though, take as much as you can and see what you use, if that won't adversely affect your and your family's enjoyment.

[Anakronox]

I’m planning a week long trip to Venice in November (fingers crossed).  I’m going to have to keep the kit relatively light, but still pack the M10 for my friend to shoot with.  So, I’m currently thinking of the following:

Bodies:

• M10 for my friend
• M10 Monochrome for me
• SL2 with M-L adapter
• Mamiya 7

M Lenses:

• Voigtlander 21mm Ultron f/1.8 (maybe)
• Summicron 28mm ASPH v1 OR Elmarit-M ASPH E39
• Summilux 35mm FLE
• Summilux 50mm ASPH
• Elmarit-M 90mm

Mamiya Lenses:

• 42mm f/4.5
• 80mm f/4
• 150mm f/4.5

That’s a lot of gear and I wouldn’t be carrying it all day, just a couple of lenses and a body.  Is it heresy to list the Mamiya 7 on this forum? 

[ravinj]

On 8/3/2021 at 7:59 AM, pmendelson said:

Help!  Heading to the Maine coast on a family trip in a few days and trying to decide what to bring - no hiking, just around the towns and beaches of York and Ogunquit in the early mornings. I have a car so can bring anything I want. I recently picked up a used S007 and the S 24mm, 35mm and 70mm lenses. Also have the SL2 and SL2-S, 16-35, 24-90, 90-280, 28 SL, 50 SL, and CV 15 III and 21mm SEM.  
 

The SL2-S will come for any nighttime shooting (probably with the 28 SL). 
 

Otherwise I’m thinking of sticking with the S007 and S lenses, and perhaps the SL2 with the 70-280mm for reach and telephoto compression.

Stick to the S007 and S lenses. You may come back with fewer pictures, but most likely a lot more keepers. I find too much gear can lead to mental fatigue.

Did a trip to Glacier National Park, Montana a few years ago with the Leica S2, S 35mm and S 180mm (S 180MM being by far my favorite lens of all S lenses and I have used all of them) and came back with memorable pictures.  Sold the S lenses which was a big mistake. Even with higher MP sensors today, S2 / S lenses have something in the rendering that is very pleasing to my eyes.

[didier]

Exactly 15 years ago today it took me 4 hours to climb the Matterhorn from the hut, and a little less to go down. I always climbed with the same combo, be it Matterhorn or other summits : M6TTL, Elmar-M 50 and Summicron 28. And a few Velvia.

For Kilimandjaro I took a 90 and a second body as well to have a complete kit, and as little as possible need to change lenses in possibly dusty environments. 

Back in film days I never took more.

With digital and years passing, I have more stuff. But generally I take my digital M body and either SL or CL. I find I shoot 80% of my pics with the 50 I took along with me. I am currently to try to learn to shoot the 24 to have a very different perspective.

I always have on longer lens with me, at least a 75.

 

[IkarusJohn]

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35 years ago, backpacking around SE Asia, I had an FE2, a midrange zoom (f/4 35-85?) and 180mm f/2.8, and loads of Kodachrome, in a Lowe bag attached to the waist strap of my pack.  Worked well.

Now, with a choice of a Hasselblad SWC; three systems, SL with zoom; TL2 with wide zoom and one prime; 3 M cameras and 9 or so lenses, I’m finding that choice  isn’t helpful.  Most recently, with travel restricted to within NZ, I’m taking my M10D, 28 Summilux and APO 50 Summilux.  I have other choices, and the obvious alternative is the SL with 24-90 zoom, but this combination is the one I keep coming back to …

[drkgrrts]

As my trips concentrate on cityscapes and architecture, I find a combo of SL + SVE 16-35 + Summilux-SL very useful: not exactly lightweight, but sufficiently compact.

[jannes]

SL2 - S + Vario-Elmarit-SL 2.8/24-70mm + Sigma 2.8/14-24 mm DG DN

[Shawn30]

It depends if I have porters or not. When I do, I take the SL2, Sigma APO 200-500 f2.8, Nikon 800mm f/5.6, and all my prime Leica lenses. I prefer Pelican cases when traveling like this. If it's just me... the the Leica CL, 23 mm summicron,  APO-VARIO-ELMAR-TL 55–135, in a Peak Design Everyday Sling.

[cirke]

it depends how I travel :

1) iPhone 12 pro max

2) Leica CL  and TL lenses : 23 , 35 , 55-135 depending on the place in the bag