Good things come in pairs . What's your favourite duo ?

[105012]

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Favourite focal length combo is 50mm and 90mm (sometimes latter swapped for 135mm…). Lenses would be the Summicron Rigid (first version, IIa) and the APO-Skopar (or APO-Telyt…).

[jmahto]

Depends on the usage I use different pairs. 
(And it varies over the years but this is what I mostly carry today. Ask me the same question after 2 years  )

LTM body:

Leica 50mm Elmar 3.5 Redscale, Voigtlander 21mm f4 MC

M expecting wide and normal shots:

Voigtlander 21mm f4 MC, Leica 40mm Summicron-C

M Expecting normal and tight shots:

Leica 40mm Summicron-C, Leica 90mm Macro-Elmar M

M My better half willing to be in the picture:

Leica 50mm Summilux ASPH, Konica Hexanon AR 135mm F3.2 (with M adapter to digital M)

The last lens may be a surprise but I have so many beautiful pics of her through that lens (on Konica film) and it is beautiful for flowers etc that it is hard for me to not use it. It also has beautiful bokeh and focuses quiet close. IMHO it is hugely underrated lens (don’t expect clinical sharpness etc, although it is not bad in sharpness either). This is the lens in my avatar mounted on M240. I have few pic from this lens on M240 and Konica film body in my Flickr album of Konica lenses. Judge yourself what is this good for. 😊

Edited October 22, 2022 by jmahto

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[Chimichurri]

I only have 2 lenses. The 28 and the 50. Because that for me is the best lens combo, you can pretty much shoot anything with those. 

Edited October 22, 2022 by Chimichurri

[edstock]

My Summilux 75 f1.4, and my Summicron 28 f2 asph. The 28 is wide enough for most wide applications, and the Summilux 75 for both low light and a short telephoto lens.

Edited October 30, 2022 by edstock
summicron spelling

[yanidel]

Been using the 35mm Lux Asph pre-FLE and 60mm Konica Hexanon combo for over a decade. 

Colors, contrast and sharpness are very similar which gives consistency of look in a serie. That is very important to me.

The F1.2 of the Konica Hexanon gives an extra tool for portraits due to slightly less sharpness and lower contrast. But at F1.4 and further, it matches the the Lux. 

[ktmrider2]

Zeiss 35f2.8 C Biogon and latest 90 f2.8 Elmarit.  The perfect pair of lenses for traveling with a Leica M.

And I see I already posted way back when.  Well, I have not changed my mind.  A 28/75 might be a great combo but I use an M4 and don't have frame lines for 28/75.  And for me, the 75 is just to close to the 50 so I will stick with the 90.

Edited October 31, 2022 by ktmrider2

[grahamc]

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1 hour ago, ktmrider2 said:

Zeiss 35f2.8 C Biogon and latest 90 f2.8 Elmarit.  The perfect pair of lenses for traveling with a Leica M.

And I see I already posted way back when.  Well, I have not changed my mind.  A 28/75 might be a great combo but I use an M4 and don't have frame lines for 28/75.  And for me, the 75 is just to close to the 50 so I will stick with the 90.

Thanks for contributing (twice 😁).  I'll give 35/90 a go sometime I think.

I love 35mm and 50mm lenses and generally take 35 + 50.  

In terms of the look of the end result / frame line preference I would be happier perhaps with 35+75 but it's the 90mm focal length where I own 2 lenses that are nice weight (90:2.8 Tele-Elmarit and 90:2.8 Elmarit-M)

Edited October 31, 2022 by grahamc

[ktmrider2]

The more I travel the more appeal small and light lenses have.  I have large fast lenses (35f1.2, 50f.95, 135f2.8) and I just don't use them for travel.  They stay at home gathering dust.  I have done trips with just one body and one lens (usually a 50) but why own an interchangeable lens camera and not change lenses.  The 90 offers just the right amount of magnification for portraits or just a bit of compression for scenics.  I also shoot with a FujiX-T4 and leave the zoom at home while carrying the equivalent of a 35 and 85 for the APSC format.

My favorite digital camera for travel is the Fuji X100f (cause the X100V is out of stock everywhere).  Am leaving for 30 days in Vietnam in two weeks and I cannot haul everything I want to take so a little self discipline and it will be a  Leica M4 with the 35/90 (if push came to shove I could leave the 90 at home) and thirty rolls of film.  Lots of younger people get excited about photographing with just film.  Well for those on here of an age, that is all we had until about 2005 so don't see anything to get excited about (except the price of film these days).

Honestly, there is no universal 100% correct answer.  Take everyone's advice with a grain of salt and use what makes you happy.  And if you buy lots of post cards while traveling the pressure is off to return with GREAT photos so you can relax and perhaps return with a GREAT photo.

 

[TheGodParticle/Hari]

Depending on the overall travel/hiking plan, I pick the kit based on weight 

If there is an S/SL kit also going into the bag, I’d probably pick the (15mm voigtlander v1), 28/2.8 ASPH and the Heliar 75/2.5 

If there is no hike up mountains and lesser weight from the S/SL gear, is probably going with (16-18-21), 35/1.4 ASPH or FLE and APO75 

If I’m in an all-out mood, probably the (21Lux), 35/1.4AA and 75/1.4 

Some lenses in brackets as I think in pairs of 3, not 2 

After a lot of experimentation I did fall back on the classical (21-)35-75 or (28-)50-90 combos

If it’s just a walk around the city, I might pick more artistic brushes like the (21/3.4SA), 50/f1 v4 and the 85 Summarex 

Not to leave it for between the lines, but the choice of bodies also plays a big role in the lens selection for me … more vintage lenses for the Monochrom, APO for the M11 or Vice versa

And finally, depending on the mood and the weather … 

[newnew]

Depending on the theme : 24 Lux and 90 Macro Elmar for general travel or 24 Lux , 50 Lux pre asph V2 (or 50 cron V4)  for more urban or people.

 

 

[Lelmer]

M-50mm (Lux Asph, Cron v1 or v5, Elmar depending on mood)...and iphone 😊 

[Stein K S]

When travelling the 35 cron v4 and the 50mm Elmar-M has clearly been my most preferred pair for years. So small, convenient and nice. Both in silver by the way 😉

Elsewhere it is highly depending on what is to be photographed. Often carried though, is the 28 Elmarit V4, the 35mm Lux pre-FLE and the 50 Lux asph BC. 

[chuhsi1]

I typically have the 35mm FLE and 75mm Summilux as my pair. But I still have a Voigtlander 50mm APO and a 50mm Elmar-M that I enjoy a lot, but rarely use. 

[Chimichurri]

I don’t have any decisions to make when I travel Because I don’t collect gear. I have 1 camera and to lenses. So the choice is either take the 50 or the 28. If I travel abroad then I take both. They’re very small. I wouldn’t change lenses when I’m walking around. I make a decision based on where I’m going. 

If I need mostly photos of architecture, I bring the 28, and if I need a few of people just get close. 

If I have a lot of space and I want to make subject centric photos then I take the 50 (my main lens). 

I basically shoot 50mm unless I don’t have the space. so if the trip is mainly just dinner and hanging out with friends or family then the 28 it is. Much more useful than a 35. 

The less gear you have the less this is an issue. 

[Guest]

Am 31.10.2022 um 01:53 schrieb yanidel:

The F1.2 of the Konica Hexanon gives an extra tool for portraits due to slightly less sharpness and lower contrast. But at F1.4 and further, it matches the the Lux. 

At 1.4 it matches the Lux... in my experience the Summilux Asph 1.4/50mm at 1.4

[NigelG]

On 10/30/2022 at 8:53 PM, yanidel said:

Been using the 35mm Lux Asph pre-FLE and 60mm Konica Hexanon combo for over a decade. 

Colors, contrast and sharpness are very similar which gives consistency of look in a serie. That is very important to me.

The F1.2 of the Konica Hexanon gives an extra tool for portraits due to slightly less sharpness and lower contrast. But at F1.4 and further, it matches the the Lux. 

Tbh it wasn’t really a surprise you picked the Hexanon 60…🤣

I’m a 28/50 guy so 35/60 makes sense also, I just need a little wider. Wondering (when I win the lottery) what a 60 hexanon / 28 Lux combo might be like…

[grahamc]

I have tried a few new focal lengths / lenses since posting this thread and my #1 combo is still the 35:1.4 v2 and 50:1.4 v3 .  It would be hard to be without those for an OS trip.

For a lightweight 'in the pocket' 2 lens 35/50 kit, the very nice 35:2 v4 and 50:2 v4 has been edged out by the 35:2 v1 & 50:2 v3 which I find have more character and are slightly warmer .  Hard to go wrong with either set of course.  

All these lens pairs I have mentioned match each other really well for overall colour/contrast rendition if any future readers are ever wondering .

 

Edited November 3, 2022 by grahamc

[yanidel]

5 hours ago, NigelG said:

Tbh it wasn’t really a surprise you picked the Hexanon 60…🤣

I’m a 28/50 guy so 35/60 makes sense also, I just need a little wider. Wondering (when I win the lottery) what a 60 hexanon / 28 Lux combo might be like…

I am almost 2 meters tall and a bad knee.;) Wider than 35mm, I get a lot of distortion from tilting the camera. Also I like to see around the framelines to fine tune the framing. 28mm does not really allow it. So 35mm for ever. And 60mm of course. Been shooting a lot with it lately, but stopped down, love it too. Hope you win the lottery!!

 

[NigelG]

Well I don't actually need to win the lottery - just to sell off of all the least used lenses/bodies sitting in the dry cabinet and go back to only a couple of focal lengths.

Do I really need a Hologon? Why have I got four 90s when I rarely use that focal length, or two different 50 Lux ASPHs? Do I need a 21 SEM and a 24 Elmar and multiple 28s? etc etc. Time to rationalise - and reduce the "what lenses do I need to take" anxiety...

(I'm guessing this could equally apply to quite a few on this forum 🙄)

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[yanidel]

9 hours ago, NigelG said:

Well I don't actually need to win the lottery - just to sell off of all the least used lenses/bodies sitting in the dry cabinet and go back to only a couple of focal lengths.

Do I really need a Hologon? Why have I got four 90s when I rarely use that focal length, or two different 50 Lux ASPHs? Do I need a 21 SEM and a 24 Elmar and multiple 28s? etc etc. Time to rationalise - and reduce the "what lenses do I need to take" anxiety...

(I'm guessing this could equally apply to quite a few on this forum 🙄)

No you don't need them 😉 Owned 12 lenses at the beginning of the year and I am down to only 4 ;

M10 with 35mm Lux Asph and 60mm Hexanon.

M8 with 24mm Elmarit and 50mm Cron as backup kit (same focals as M10 considering crop factor) 

I believe the advantages of mastering a combo of lenses outweighs the creativity boost one might get by fiddling with many lenses. That has been been my experience at least.