Focal length recommendations for Denmark

[tedd]

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10 hours ago, bcorton said:

Yeah, I gave it a whirl last night. It was amazingly easy. Don’t know why I’d never tried it before. Thanks for the suggestion. 

I am a fan of the 50mm stitch, but there are a couple of things to keep in mind when you're in the heat of the moment. 

• Use manual, meter for the brightest frame and leave it there. You don't want each part to be exposed differently if a natural look is what you're chasing.
• Same with focus. Don't go moving it between frames.
• Stick to middle apertures if your lens is prone to vignetting.
• Try not to take too many images if you can - it eats up processing power and can take forever only to fail.
• Don't expect the auto-stitch to work properly 100% of the time, I've had it fail plenty (dark scenes in particular).

Here is one of mine from the start of the year (50mm Cron v5 on M-E 240, right before I "upgraded" to the Lux ASPH which I'm still not 100% sure was the right decision):

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Edited July 6, 2022 by tedd

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[bcorton]

Thanks for the tips, Tedd. That's a lovely image. I had figured out that I'd best use manual exposure for consistency, but I hadn't thought of going with the metering of the brightest frame.  Makes good sense.

I too have been tempted by the 50mm lux ASPH, but have stuck by the trusty old 'Cron v5 so far. Care to share why you're not sure your "upgrade" was the right move?

[Huss]

Meanwhile in autofocus camera land, the same discussion is being had.  But for which two zoom lenses should be taken.  An 18-35 and 24-120? Or a 15-30 and  28-70 2.8?  Or maybe a 28-200 and a nice prime?  But just a two lens kit to keep things simple and light…

[Guest]

7 hours ago, bcorton said:

I couldn’t possibly spend that much on a night out. A month out, maybe. 🥳

I'm just glad I bought the v1 years ago—back in my old film days. 

Have you been to Denmark before 😉 it’s a little expensive for nights out. 😉

[bcorton]

10 hours ago, OThomas said:

Have you been to Denmark before 😉 it’s a little expensive for nights out. 😉

😱

[Stuart Richardson]

I think you will be good with a 28mm and 50mm. Denmark's landscape is quite bucolic in the countryside. Lots of fields and farms interspersed by woods, and of course the sea. Nothing particularly tall or dramatic...gentle and fertile. At least that is how it appears from Iceland. Copenhagen, meanwhile, is not a particularly vertical city, nor that cramped, so I think 28mm will be just fine. I do think countries tend to lend themselves to different focal lengths, though it is subtle. For Iceland, for example, I would recommend a 35mm and 75mm kit (ideally with a 135mm as well for a 3 lens kit), over a wider kit, as the landscapes are so open that super wides tend to make everything feel extremely far away. On the other hand, if I was in Tokyo, I would want a 21/25mm lens for the very tall buildings and dense city, and maybe a 50mm for longer use. But clearly everyone has their own vision on how they like to do things.

Edited July 6, 2022 by Stuart Richardson

[bcorton]

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33 minutes ago, Stuart Richardson said:

I think you will be good with a 28mm and 50mm. Denmark's landscape is quite bucolic in the countryside. Lots of fields and farms interspersed by woods, and of course the sea. Nothing particularly tall or dramatic...gentle and fertile. At least that is how it appears from Iceland. Copenhagen, meanwhile, is not a particularly vertical city, nor that cramped, so I think 28mm will be just fine. I do think countries tend to lend themselves to different focal lengths, though it is subtle. For Iceland, for example, I would recommend a 35mm and 75mm kit (ideally with a 135mm as well for a 3 lens kit), over a wider kit, as the landscapes are so open that super wides tend to make everything feel extremely far away. On the other hand, if I was in Tokyo, I would want a 21/25mm lens for the very tall buildings and dense city, and maybe a 50mm for longer use. But clearly everyone has their own vision on how they like to do things.

Exactly!  It was precisely this kind of thinking that was behind my original question. Different terrains and landscapes have different scales. A wide angle lens is not always the best for vast landscapes.  Sometimes a telephoto is better.  Thank you. Someday I’ll get to see Iceland, I hope. 

[Jeff S]

Would Alan Schaller leave his 24mm at home if traveling to Denmark?  Would Ralph Gibson buy a wide angle just for the trip? Likewise HCB in his time?  Even great landscape photographers tend to use gear that suits their style, not using the same focal lengths as others in same locations. 

I find this lens/country concept strange.  But if I wanted to know what a given location looked like, I rather watch a bunch of YouTube walking/hiking tours than conduct a survey of random forum shooters. 
 

Jeff

[tedd]

On 7/6/2022 at 11:36 AM, bcorton said:

Thanks for the tips, Tedd. That's a lovely image. I had figured out that I'd best use manual exposure for consistency, but I hadn't thought of going with the metering of the brightest frame.  Makes good sense.

I too have been tempted by the 50mm lux ASPH, but have stuck by the trusty old 'Cron v5 so far. Care to share why you're not sure your "upgrade" was the right move?

Mostly because I haven't made a good photo with it yet I imagine! Which is fine, I usually only get a few a year that I really like and I've not had much time lately, but until that happens I will be wondering. I did sell the Cron to get it though and I must admit that it is bigger than I was expecting and the rendering is quite different. It is certainly not an f1.4 Summicron. 

[mikelevitt]

Denmark requires 32mm.  Forces an uncomfortable choice between 35 and 28, neither of which work, really.  Choose a different country for your trip is the solution!

[LarsHP]

I am Danish, so my first thought was: Where in Denmark are you going? 

Are your subjects mostly people or the environment? 

Apart from shooting style, there is a notable difference between going to Copenhagen and the countryside.

Personally, I would find carrying only the 50mm limiting, so partnering it with a wide angle lens for pictures of the environment or larger groups of people a good idea. 

In the end, it's shooting style that decides which lens you will use and prefer - unless you have specific subjects that you shoot. 

[M11 for me]

vor 4 Stunden schrieb LarsHP:

I am Danish, so my first thought was: Where in Denmark are you going? 

Are your subjects mostly people or the environment? 

Apart from shooting style, there is a notable difference between going to Copenhagen and the countryside.

Personally, I would find carrying only the 50mm limiting, so partnering it with a wide angle lens for pictures of the environment or larger groups of people a good idea. 

In the end, it's shooting style that decides which lens you will use and prefer - unless you have specific subjects that you shoot. 

You spoil the whole thread 🤪

[derleicaman]

I always have a WATE in my bag when I travel. I wrote an article for Viewfinder describing it as the ideal travel lens. Take your 50. I would also add a 28, and all of your bases are easily covered!