Making the S+lens combo smaller...?!?

[setuporg]

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Never take hoods along but Iceland tip is super appreciated.:)

To make S kit small take 70 and 100.  Perhaps 35.  Or one lens, 70 or 45.

Hire a sherpa.

There's no other ways.  S stands for NOT Small.:)

[Pieter12]

Size-wise, the S is about the same size as a Pro DSLR. The lenses are on the large and heavy side.

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[setuporg]

Or, as @Artin said in in the M11 forum, we’re walking with Coke bottles sticking out 🤣

[davidmknoble]

I’ve been thinking about this topic = making the S kit smaller.  Several asked about lens hoods.  I store them backwards on my lenses, but for the 30, 35 and 45 lenses, I rarely use the hoods.  Mostly I am using a filter system on those lenses for landscape work.  However, the 70 is so small I use the hood on that one, and I also use the hood on the 24 because it is so wide.

I think ultimately it is choosing only a few lenses.  The 35-50-90 approach would suggest using the 45, 70 and 120 for the S.  Clearly 28-50-90 is the 35, 70 and 120.  If you have the 100 (which I do not), you could substitue the 120 with 100.  I think the key is to limit to only a few lenses when in the field.  Personally, I really like the Leica hard case of the S and fill it, but then only take the lenses I want when going out.

When I shoot on the coast for a sunrise or sunset, I frequently take one lens and one only.  Of course that is mostly because I don’t want to change lenses.

I also recently lost an old billingham from heavy use and replaced it with a 407.  That bag seems to hold an S and a few lenses and is fairly comfortable to put on my shoulder.  Just a thought for a walking bag to cary 2-3 lenses.  

Just musing.  Helps me think.

[Stuart Richardson]

I honestly think that this is just a case of choosing the right camera. The S is not the right camera for something where compactness and low weight are called for. It is not really a great travel camera, unless the main purpose of the trip is photography. You can certainly do some tricks to make it less of a burdensome system, but the fact remains that the lenses and body combination is closer to a dumbbell than a feather. I think the best compact version of the S is the SL2...particularly with M or Sigma Contemporary lenses. Yes, I know it is a different camera, but the S does not give you a lot of choice...the only ones being those that were stated here. Select from one of a series of a couple compact adapted medium format lenses, or just go for the 70mm without the hood (which is still not "compact" or light by any contemporary definition).

Perhaps I am more resigned to it since I shoot 8x10 and 4x5? Because no amount of wishing and hoping will get you an 8x10 kit under 5 or 6kg (with lenses, tripod and holders).

Edited February 24, 2022 by Stuart Richardson

[John McMaster]

Only time I use anything other than my S(007) and native lenses is if the results do not matter/flying light (hand luggage only and a few days away).  Then it is M(240), original Monochrom, 35mm FLE and 50mm APO, but the results do not match up....

john

[mgrayson3]

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I carried an S(007) and S24 on a week of day hikes. It was a mistake. Got a few good shots, but it wasn't worth the pain of carrying it. An APS-C with a good range of primes or a stellar zoom would have been a better choice. If only the Leica CL had stabilization in body or just in the long zoom, it would have been the perfect travel camera. As it stands, I carry a Fuji X-H1 when size and weight matter.

[setuporg]

On 2/23/2022 at 6:02 PM, davidmknoble said:

I’ve been thinking about this topic = making the S kit smaller.  Several asked about lens hoods.  I store them backwards on my lenses, but for the 30, 35 and 45 lenses, I rarely use the hoods.  Mostly I am using a filter system on those lenses for landscape work.  However, the 70 is so small I use the hood on that one, and I also use the hood on the 24 because it is so wide.

I think ultimately it is choosing only a few lenses.  The 35-50-90 approach would suggest using the 45, 70 and 120 for the S.  Clearly 28-50-90 is the 35, 70 and 120.  If you have the 100 (which I do not), you could substitue the 120 with 100.  I think the key is to limit to only a few lenses when in the field.  Personally, I really like the Leica hard case of the S and fill it, but then only take the lenses I want when going out.

When I shoot on the coast for a sunrise or sunset, I frequently take one lens and one only.  Of course that is mostly because I don’t want to change lenses.

I also recently lost an old billingham from heavy use and replaced it with a 407.  That bag seems to hold an S and a few lenses and is fairly comfortable to put on my shoulder.  Just a thought for a walking bag to cary 2-3 lenses.  

Just musing.  Helps me think.

Very much my findings, David.  I use a Billingham Hadley Pro for a 007 with two lenses, e.g. 25/70/100 (or 120).  Sometimes I take the 30-90 with a 100 or 24.  Overall the 70 or 100 or 35 is a good single walk-around lens, depending what you want to do -- nature or street or kids.

[LeicaS2]

I no longer use lens hoods except sometimes on the 24mm. Certainly not needed on the 120 except for protection. Since I usually use filter systems the hoods have to be removed anyway.

When I first got an S2 I didn’t feel the system was any larger than a DSLR. Now with so many mirrorless systems it is large.