Focal length recommendations for Denmark

[bcorton]

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Silly question, perhaps, but I'll soon be going to Denmark for the first time. I intend to have my M10-R with me and a 50mm (my most used focal length).  I want to keep my kit to a minimum, but is there one other must-have focal length for the usual type of travel photography (sights, landscape, architectural). I'm thinking, maybe the 21mm or the 35mm. Any suggestions?

Thanks for indulging me,

Brent

[LeicaR10]

Bcorton,   I have been to Denmark several times on business as a photographer.  Based on what you described for your intended genres of photography, I would suggest a M 28 Summicron Asph v2.  You already have a 50 and I would suggest a 35 would be too narrow, (too close to your 50) and a 21 too wide.  The 28 Summicron renders beautifully and it does most excellent on any M camera.  I am sure others will chime in with their well intentioned suggestions.  This is just my two cents.  Have a great trip.  r/ Mark

Edited July 4, 2022 by LeicaR10

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[wda]

I agree. 28mm would be very useful for architecture and city scenes.

[Al Brown]

For Denmark especially I would recommend 28mm. In fact, I'd recommend 28mm for everywhere.
Here is my cheerful shot of Copenhagen Harbor's very own Royal Danish Opera building done with M10-R and 28mm.

 

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Edited July 4, 2022 by Al Brown

[jankap]

The 35mm is very (too for me) close to your 50mm. With a 21mm you need an optical viewfinder, a Viso or a Hoodman loupe (LCD).

[tiwafluet]

Difficult - for landscape I tended to 21mm, for architecture to 35mm in Denmark.

Maybe a 35mm and stitch if needed for landscape?

[Guest]

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Alternatively, you could do pano shots with the 50mm. Two shots stitched together in post would give a similar result  

just a suggestion 

Edited July 4, 2022 by OThomas

[M11 for me]

For me the standard M-lenses are 28mm Summicron and 50mm Summilux. This is for me perfect for landscape and towns whereas I probably would have the 28mm on the camera in 80% of the time. I agree that 28 is more versatile than 35mm even though they are probably quite near. If I had to choose a third lens it would be the 21mm Super Elmar for towns. 

[rpsawin]

As many others have recommended a 28mm lens would be a great selection as part of your travel kit. There are many M mount lenses available from Leica, Zeiss, Voigtlander as well as older screw mount lenses that would need an adaptor to work on your camera. In sort there is something for just about every taste/budget.

 

Good luck.

 

[Jeff S]

It’s an entire country with every imaginable opportunity, from macro to tele; use what you normally use successfully. A camera phone can suffice for pics requiring a wider field of view, especially if your output is for screen viewing.  

Jeff

[evikne]

14 hours ago, bcorton said:

I intend to have my M10-R with me and a 50mm (my most used focal length).  I want to keep my kit to a minimum […]

If you want to keep your kit to an absolute minimum, you can do almost everything with a 50mm. As others have suggested, with stationary subjects it's super easy to stitch together several images in LR Classic. And I think some 50mm portrait mode images stitched together often looks more natural than an image taken with a wide-angle lens.

[Dennis]

15 hours ago, bcorton said:

50mm (my most used focal length).  I

want to keep my kit to a minimum

I would say bring 35mm only. Maybe, it could be tight for some photo ideas, but a better all-in-one solution for one lens kit. You can take portraits and details w/ less distortion and shallower DoF with a 35mm than a 28mm. If you need more angle of view because the 35mm isn't wide enough, well, two steps back and voila 🙂 
If you want to keep your kit to a minimum but still be more versatile for everything you want to shoot, I recommend bringing a 35mm only. Especially if 50 is your most used lens, they are pretty close.
Read all the suggestions and make a decision that will make sense for you. Here, all users will give you a different solution 🤷‍♂️ 

 

[M11 for me]

vor 4 Minuten schrieb Dennis:

If you need more angle of view because the 35mm isn't wide enough, well, two steps back and voila 🙂

This is not always possible ☹️. That is why you're better off with 28mm which is not too far from 35mm at all but more versatile. 

I have a 35mm Summilux that I never ever use. A bit of crop out of 28mm does the job. 

[M11 for me]

We have now advocats for 28, for 35 and for 50mm. The OT has to decide . . .

[Dennis]

22 minutes ago, M11 for me said:

This is not always possible ☹️. That is why you're better off with 28mm which is not too far from 35mm at all but more versatile. 

I have a 35mm Summilux that I never ever use. A bit of crop out of 28mm does the job. 

I disagree. But it's ok... 28mm is fantastic to add more context. One lens for all I choose 35mm hundred times. But it's me.

23 minutes ago, M11 for me said:

We have now advocats for 28, for 35 and for 50mm

Absolutely. It's where all the magic happens, in these 23mm range. And it's really beautiful 

 

[M11 for me]

vor 30 Minuten schrieb Dennis:

One lens for all I choose 35mm hundred times. But it's me

A friend of mine made a long trip through Japan: He had ONE lens: A 35mm. The fact is that when you have only one lens you have to work with it. And the result is certainly by no means worse than with 5 lenses. 

[Al Brown]

What @M11 for me said is absolutely true and there is NOTHING more liberating than travelling with just one lens.
But one must decide what that lens is.
The 3 magical focal lengths spring to mind - the nifty 50, the classic 35 or the all-rounder 28.
Of course you can go absolutely berserk and shoot on 12mm (that's the iphone's 0.5x setting focal length equivalent - actually, it is 13mm but hey, no dramatic change there), or haul a 75 with you for them nice & tight shots.
Nobody can offer a correct answer for you.
I have always said that if I could ONLY take ONE lens it would most definitely be the 28/2 ASPH. Period.
 

Edited July 4, 2022 by Al Brown

[bcorton]

18 hours ago, LeicaR10 said:

Bcorton,   I have been to Denmark several times on business as a photographer.  Based on what you described for your intended genres of photography, I would suggest a M 28 Summicron Asph v2.  

Thanks. I have a 28 Summicron-M Asph v.1.  I"m sure that would do almost as well. In any case, this is the kind of advice I was hoping for: recommendations from those who had experienced the country before.

[bcorton]

9 hours ago, tiwafluet said:

Maybe a 35mm and stitch if needed for landscape?

Now that's a solution I hadn't thought of.  Earlier this year I took only a 35 (equivalent: the 23 on the X2) to Costa Rica. It worked a dream.  I just don't have much of an idea of the scale of things in Denmark. (And I wanted to use my new/used M10-R).

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[bcorton]

9 hours ago, OThomas said:

Alternatively, you could do pano shots with the 50mm. Two shots stitched together in post would give a similar result  

just a suggestion 

And yet, something else I hadn't thought of.  I'm really glad I asked. I'd better try this out before I decide.  Never tried stitching a pano before. Thanks.