New M11 - Best Lightweight, Small Travel Combo?

[pgk]

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7 hours ago, chriscove said:

My 3 lens kit which I take everywhere with an M11 amd M10M is

21 SEM- A must have lens if you do any landscape or architectural work. It far better than the Voigtlander 

35 FLE- You can buy the version 1 for 3K right now and it is the one lens I would keep above all others

90 Summarit- You could also do the 75 as well. These are super sharp and relatively low cost.

And all take E46 filters too which can be a useful feature if you want a polariser or to shoot B&W on a monochrome in future. These are my 'go to' lenses now.

[ianforber]

8 hours ago, TheEyesHaveIt said:

Thanks - decided to go this route, starting with the 35 and will add the others as I get more comfortable.

I followed the same path (Q2 then M11). I went for a 50mm Summicron as a starting point but I’m thinking of changing to a Voigtlander 35mm Ultron plus 90mm f4 Elmar instead. 

[budjames]

I have the M11. It replaced my M10-R. I love the new features of the camera especially the ability to charge the battery in the camera which allows me to leave the charger home when I travel.

As for lenses, my Leica APO Summicron 35mm stays mounted 95% of the time. On the last two trips that I have taken overseas this year, I only took the APO Summicron 35mm mounted on my M11 and my iPhone. That's all I need these days.

We are going to Germany in December to check out the Christmas Markets in several cities. The APO Summicron 35mm and the M11 is all that I'm taking. Of course, I always have my iPhone, now the iPhone 14 Pro, with me. The iPhone image quality is so good, that it fits the bill if I need a moderate tele or ultrawide lens. 

I own a number of M lenses: APO Summicron 50mm, Summilux 35mm FLE, APO Summicron 75mm and 90mm, Super Elmar 18mm and Noctilux 50mm f/0.95. These are all great lenses, but for my travel and street photography, a 35mm is all that I need.

Traveling light is a blessing and greatly enhances the enjoyment of my travels.

Regards,
Bud James

Please check out my fine art and travel photography at www.budjames.photography.

Edited October 26, 2022 by budjames

[TomB_tx]

I agree with the other comments about working with one lens to get comfortable with the camera and process. I find 35 to be the sweet spot for a digital M. Certainly the latest Summilux is an excellent choice if the price isn't a factor. However, I find that a fast lens isn't needed with my M10, and I prefer the 35mm f2.5 Summarit for it's small size and fast handling. I also use the 50mm f2.5 Summarit as a matched pair - same size and feel.

For ultra-wide I keep a tiny Voigtlander 21 f4 tucked in a corner of my kit, and a 90 Summitar f2.5 for reach.

But then I never cared for ultra-fast lenses: for 50 years on film I was happy with Summicrons (50 & 35) - even for "available light" in dim interiors. 

 

[Knipsknecht]

Well, the initial post asked for recommendations regarding the "best, lightweight travel combo" - and now the thread opener is about to buy the heaviest and bulkiest 35mm lens in the Leica lineup (not Voigtlander!). Sorry, but either the title of this thread is misleading or the GAS is very strong in this Padawan😁.

I own the 35 Lux FLE myself, and I hardly ever use it because it is so big and heavy. Depending on what I want to shoot I choose the Voigtlander Nokton f1.4 II (wonderful tiny lens similar to the pre-aspherical Summilux) or the aspherical Summicron V1. Both small lightweight and more than good enozgh for my photography.

But I second the choice of a 35mm lens. Probably the most versatile lenses one can use.

[TheEyesHaveIt]

1 hour ago, Knipsknecht said:

Well, the initial post asked for recommendations regarding the "best, lightweight travel combo" - and now the thread opener is about to buy the heaviest and bulkiest 35mm lens in the Leica lineup (not Voigtlander!). Sorry, but either the title of this thread is misleading or the GAS is very strong in this Padawan😁.

I own the 35 Lux FLE myself, and I hardly ever use it because it is so big and heavy. Depending on what I want to shoot I choose the Voigtlander Nokton f1.4 II (wonderful tiny lens similar to the pre-aspherical Summilux) or the aspherical Summicron V1. Both small lightweight and more than good enozgh for my photography.

But I second the choice of a 35mm lens. Probably the most versatile lenses one can use.

The 35 Summilux FLE is 320g and 2.2" x 1.8" big. If that is "big and heavy", I can't wait to collect more M lenses! My Sony 35 1.4 GM is almost twice the size and weight!

Edited October 26, 2022 by TheEyesHaveIt

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3 hours ago, TomB_tx said:

I agree with the other comments about working with one lens to get comfortable with the camera and process. I find 35 to be the sweet spot for a digital M. Certainly the latest Summilux is an excellent choice if the price isn't a factor. However, I find that a fast lens isn't needed with my M10, and I prefer the 35mm f2.5 Summarit for it's small size and fast handling. I also use the 50mm f2.5 Summarit as a matched pair - same size and feel.

For ultra-wide I keep a tiny Voigtlander 21 f4 tucked in a corner of my kit, and a 90 Summitar f2.5 for reach.

But then I never cared for ultra-fast lenses: for 50 years on film I was happy with Summicrons (50 & 35) - even for "available light" in dim interiors. 

 

In film days, what iso could you “get away with” for available light with the Summicrons?

My new 28mm Summaron is arriving tomorrow, going to be interesting to explore how much light I need to still be able use f/5.6 on digital M. Hopefully I can still get away with it in (semi-)dim light. 😊

Edited October 26, 2022 by mcpallesen

[Jeff S]

52 minutes ago, TheEyesHaveIt said:

The 35 Summilux FLE is 320g and 2.2" x 1.8" big. If that is "big and heavy", I can't wait to collect more M lenses! My Sony 35 1.4 GM is almost twice the size and weight!

Welcome to the M world.  As I noted, it’s a different system…and with a unique user base that has every possible point of view. Eventually you’ll create yours if you stick with it long enough and experience some of the available options.
 

That’s why I suggest starting slowly rather than think you’ve got the perfect lens roadmap figured out… not even Leica can accomplish that.

When I first bought an M back in the 80’s, the wise old salesman emphatically encouraged me to start with a 35 Summicron. I still own one as part of only 4 M lenses, including the 35 FLE v.1. (But I now make prints quite differently.)

Jeff

Edited October 26, 2022 by Jeff S

[TomB_tx]

1 minute ago, mcpallesen said:

In film days, what iso could you “get away with” for avaiable light with the Summicrons?

My new 28mm Summaron is arriving tomorrow, going to be interesting to explore how much light I need to use f/5.6 on digital M. Hopefully I can still get away with it in (semi-)dim light. 😊

I generally used 400 "ASA" film for general purpose available light, sometimes using 1/30 to 1/15 shutter, occasionally 1/8 and got interesting results. When I knew there would be motion I pushed Tri-X to 1200 processed in Acufine. A few times for Hockey I used Kodak 2475 recording film, native ASA 1000, pushed a stop. Interesting latitude and grain. For outdoor use I preferred Panatomic X (ASA 32) and at times when a roll was in the camera I'd use it indoors - where the prints would look like the light was dim. (Today's digital usually looks like bright light conditions regardless of the way it actually looked in person.)

In early 1950s 125 was the fast film class, used frequently for indoor events, even when most Leica used the f3.5 Elmar. You learned to have a very steady hold.

[bourne]

Jeff S.... Which of your 35's do you use more often now... the cron or the FLE?  Would love to hear your thoughts.

[Guest]

20 minutes ago, TomB_tx said:

I generally used 400 "ASA" film for general purpose available light, sometimes using 1/30 to 1/15 shutter, occasionally 1/8 and got interesting results. When I knew there would be motion I pushed Tri-X to 1200 processed in Acufine. A few times for Hockey I used Kodak 2475 recording film, native ASA 1000, pushed a stop. Interesting latitude and grain. For outdoor use I preferred Panatomic X (ASA 32) and at times when a roll was in the camera I'd use it indoors - where the prints would look like the light was dim. (Today's digital usually looks like bright light conditions regardless of the way it actually looked in person.)

In early 1950s 125 was the fast film class, used frequently for indoor events, even when most Leica used the f3.5 Elmar. You learned to have a very steady hold.

Yeah, exactly I’m becoming more and more fascinated by the older lens design and the historical ethos of M shooting.

I also aim for my (digital) images to have the mood of how the light actually was and not all look like bright daylight - i.e all manual and no auto iso.

My current fave on M10Mono is my 1958 35mm f/3.5 Summaron. Just a lovely combo, and can be used in any light.

Now I want to learn at which light levels the 28mm f/5.6 Summaron can be used on my M10R BP (i.e. max iso around 1600-3200 for colour at least). So pretty much equivalent to f/2 at iso 400… Let’s see how it goes ☺️

[Jeff S]

41 minutes ago, bourne said:

Jeff S.... Which of your 35's do you use more often now... the cron or the FLE?  Would love to hear your thoughts.

The FLE is relatively new, so I use it more just to gain experience. This takes time, in part because I have 3 M bodies (M9/M10 Monochroms and M10-R, which is also relatively new). Both are fully capable of fine (or mediocre) pics/prints, mostly depending on me. I may end up selling one of them eventually, and maybe selling the MM.  I prefer getting back to a smaller M kit. The SL2/zoom satisfies other needs.

Jeff
 

 

Edited October 26, 2022 by Jeff S

[Ouroboros]

I spent all of February cycle touring and backpacking in Sri Lanka and took my M10-R with 28mm summicron asph & 75mm apo-summicron in a Hadley Digital bag.  Looking through the 3000+  files I returned with, they break down to around 80% with the 28mm and 20% with the 75mm.

I also spent a couple of weeks in August cycle touring in Namibia and took my M10-R with 28mm summicron asph, 50mm summicron asph and 90mm apo summicron in a Hadley Small bag.    Again, the 28mm summicron asph was the most used, roughly around 60%, the 50mm summicron 15% and the remaining 25% with the 90mm apo-summicron.

I prefer traveling light with a set of three lenses rather than limiting my options to two lenses, but if it had to be just two I'd take the 28mm and 75mm.  I don't need or want anything faster than f2, wider than 28mm or longer than 90mm.   

We're trekking in Nepal in March '23 followed by a six weeks backpacking in India.  For the high altitude trek, the weight of 3 summicrons and the M10-R will make their presence felt so I'll probably substitute the 50mm and 90mm summicrons with 50mm and 90mm elmars to save a few grammes.  

[cboy]

An alternative would be to wait to try out the upcoming voigtlander 35mm f1.5 AA...that's if one likes a modern look.

Edited October 27, 2022 by cboy

[mediumformula]

I have an M10M and the Summarit 50mm 2.4.   The 2.4 is very compact and lightweight and produces great images.  Paired with the M10M it's a great compact discrete combo. Due to high ISO capabilities of M10/11 the f2.4 is totally adequate even for evening shooting.  I've shot a couple weddings as a guest/pro-bono photographer and I didn't find it burdensome to cary around all day on a strap. 

[romaing]

It's a very personnal question.
My M11 kit is composed of a CV 28 ultron type 2 & CV Nokton 50 1.2

I can barely do anything with this kit... Sometime I miss a more wide angle, but, not so often.

[Knipsknecht]

vor 8 Stunden schrieb Ouroboros:

I spent all of February cycle touring and backpacking in Sri Lanka and took my M10-R with 28mm summicron asph & 75mm apo-summicron in a Hadley Digital bag.  Looking through the 3000+  files I returned with, they break down to around 80% with the 28mm and 20% with the 75mm.

I also spent a couple of weeks in August cycle touring in Namibia and took my M10-R with 28mm summicron asph, 50mm summicron asph and 90mm apo summicron in a Hadley Small bag.    Again, the 28mm summicron asph was the most used, roughly around 60%, the 50mm summicron 15% and the remaining 25% with the 90mm apo-summicron. [...]

I made very similar experiences while traveling. I spend the last week in Porto (Portugal) and took the 28 Cron and the 50 Summarit (f2.4) with me. The vast majority of the shots I took were taken with the 28 Cron. And a few years ago I travelled Japan just with a Fuji X100F with a fixed 35mm (-ish) lens. I learned that if I want to reduce to the max, a 35mm lens would do the trick for me (!).

And with digital cameras like the M10 (whichever version) or the M11, personally I don't think I would need anything faster than f2.0. Even the f2.4(5) Summarits would probably be good enough at night, given that with a M-Leica one needs always some light because otherwise it's impossible to focus with the rangefinder.

Edited October 27, 2022 by Knipsknecht

[Ouroboros]

21 minutes ago, Knipsknecht said:

....And a few years ago I travelled Japan just with a Fuji X100F with a fixed 35mm (-ish) lens. I learned that if I want to reduce to the max, a 35mm lens would do the trick for me (!)....

 

X100F is a great lightweight all-round digital camera, punches above it's weight.

[tomasis7]

25mm elmar and 50mm summarit

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[M11 for me]

vor 3 Stunden schrieb Knipsknecht:

given that with a M-Leica one needs always some light because otherwise it's impossible to focus with the rangefinder

well, is it really true that with Fuji you need no light at all? I have my doubts 🤪

vor 3 Stunden schrieb Ouroboros:

X100F is a great lightweight all-round digital camera, punches above it's weight

But much too cheap and plastic.