Lenses for French Quarter, New Orleans

[Chazphoto]

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Dear Leicaphiles.

I hope to be heading to New Orleans, where I intend to hang around the French Quarter for a few days and hear some good music.  A question I've posted here before about other cities, usually leads to some interesting suggestions, so which three M lenses would you take?  Intended photographic subjects would include buildings, street scenes, musicians, details.  (Camera is my beloved M10-P and lens choices are 21 SEM, 28 Summicron, 35 Summilux FLE, 50 Summilux BC, 90 Elmarit.)

Thanks

 

Chazphoto

[Lelmer]

The M is great for his compactness and light weight, so, I would bring all of them. If you want to limit to one, I would take the Lux 50 Asph, which is my favorite one

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[Al Brown]

Just one lens: bring 28mm.
Several lenses but not cluttered: Bring 21, 35 and 90.
Or even better, bring them all.

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[GFW2-SCUSA]

I would take the 35 Summilux for its speed and brilliant clarity and the 90mm Elmarit because of its range. I also would carry them in an unobtrusive, humble bag that you can carry cross body. No need to tempt people who might want to relieve you of your expensive gear. 

[earleygallery]

35 and 90 for travel. However expect many responses telling you to buy X new lens/es or even a different camera!

Yes, buy a Leica Q and a Q Monochrom for this trip. And a Noctilux for your M for night scenes.

[OR120]

Hello Chazphoto - New Orleans is a photo rich environment. I've been there several times - most recently this past Spring. My most used lens -35 Summilux v2 on my SL2-S. Here's a photo from last Spring with that camera/lens combination: We were rolling down the road, I held up my camera and took several shots as our driver made his way through the streets. Have a safe and wonderful trip!!

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Edited January 29, 2023 by OR120
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[dem331]

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I would definitely take the 50mm Summilux for low light shooting in clubs, and would pair it with the 28mm Summicron. 

[RexGig0]

3 hours ago, Chazphoto said:

Dear Leicaphiles.

I hope to be heading to New Orleans, where I intend to hang around the French Quarter for a few days and hear some good music.  A question I've posted here before about other cities, usually leads to some interesting suggestions, so which three M lenses would you take?  Intended photographic subjects would include buildings, street scenes, musicians, details.  (Camera is my beloved M10-P and lens choices are 21 SEM, 28 Summicron, 35 Summilux FLE, 50 Summilux BC, 90 Elmarit.)

Thanks

 

Chazphoto

I have visited New Orleans, several times, so, know what to expect, but my last visit was before I became a serious photographer. I believe that I know which lenses I would take with me. Seeing your list, I would prioritize the two Summilux lenses, 35mm and 50mm. My Summilux-M 50mm ASPH is my favorite M-mount lens, the lens that drove me to add the Leica M system, almost five years ago, so, yes, I am biased, but it is a benign bias. 🙂

My 35mm f/1.4 M-mount lens is Zeiss Distagon ZM, not Leica, but it is my favored travel, general purpose, and ”’Scape” lens; Landscape, Cityscape, Seascape.

21mm is an acquired taste. I have certainly acquired the taste for 21mm, though my “fast” 21mm is not a Leica, but my recently-added Voigtlander Nokton 21mm f/1.4 VM. (I have much more shooting time with my Zeiss 21mm f/4.5 C Biogon ZM.) My 90mm M lens is Leica, though a Thambar-M 90mm f/2.2. Choosing between 21mm or 90mm would, largely, depend upon whether I planned to shoot more in low light, or daylight. 

28mm? I do have the Elmarit-M Version III. I love this lens, for zone/scale/distance focusing, moving among my young grandsons as they play, shooting from the “hip,” or even lower, without using any viewfinder. For visiting a city, however, the faster 35/1.4 would be more useful in low light than a slower 28mm, and when photographing people I no not know, I want a bit more distance between us, so, 35mm f/1.4 and 50mm f/1.4 seem better. So, when choosing which three of the five focal lengths to brings, I would eliminate the 28mm, first.

Of course, the easy answer is to bring all five. 🙂 Or, at least, stretch it to four: 21mm, 35mm. 50mm, and 90mm. 😉

[jdlaing]

35mm

[Danner]

35mm and something wide, 21/24.

[rramesh]

Great place for honing one's street photography skills. I've used the 15mm (cemeteries and narrow alleys), 21mm (landscape), 28mm (street and environmental portraits) and 50mm (portraits) in NOLA on past trips.

Just don't get drunk and lose your camera!

Edited January 30, 2023 by rramesh

[dbeids]

21 35 and 90…at least one of those a Lux for when you need the extra stop(s)

[Decimusmaximus7]

I love using my 90 when outdoors during the day in New Orleans. When there are so many interesting shots all around you, it may save you from having to cross a street just to get a shot.

[cobbu2]

The last time I was there (5 years ago), I had a 35mm film SLR loaded with 3200TMZ and one lens, a 35mm. It covered everything nicely, especially for night scenes. So, I'd say the 35mm Lux or Cron. If I could do it all over again I'd have my M6, same film, and a fast 35.

Edited February 6, 2023 by cobbu2

[RayD28]

I don't offer an opinion on lenses.  If I was on bourbon street at night I would not carry a bag.  Camera and lens strapped across my chest and a second lens in loose fitting cargo shorts front pocket. 

[OR120]

16 hours ago, RayD28 said:

I don't offer an opinion on lenses.  If I was on bourbon street at night I would not carry a bag.  Camera and lens strapped across my chest and a second lens in loose fitting cargo shorts front pocket. 

"If I was on bourbon street at night I would not carry a bag.  Camera and lens strapped across my chest and a second lens in loose fitting cargo shorts front pocket."

Exactly!

Edited February 7, 2023 by OR120

[Marc B-C]

17 hours ago, RayD28 said:

I don't offer an opinion on lenses.  If I was on bourbon street at night I would not carry a bag.  Camera and lens strapped across my chest and a second lens in loose fitting cargo shorts front pocket. 

My wife was in New Orleans last week and the group she was with were told to avoid Bourbon St completely.

[RexGig0]

I certainly would not want to carry my whole life in one bag, when in the “party district” of any city. Lenses, other than the one on the camera, would best be carried in belt pouches, which are concealed by a substantial outer garment. Memory cards, which had already been used to capture images, would require special care, to conceal deeply, in something like a money belt, worn totally underneath the clothing. Insurance can “replace” lost gear, but images cannot be replaced.

For that matter, I would sling the camera cross-body, and wear an outer garment over the strap. I already wear straps cross-body, anyway, for long-term comfort; due to a problematic upper spine, as anything larger than a pocket camera, that is worn directly in front, with the strap passing behind my neck, will soon become painful. My camera will hang near my hip, with the height depending upon the camera/lens being toted. In the event of a theft attempt, the camera can be protected, in the way an American footballer protects the ball, as he runs with it.

[S Maclean]

21, 35 and 50

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Tom R]

I was born in New Orleans and spent a good part of my youth several blocks from that neighborhood. During these last decades, I have spent some time visiting friends and family, some also still residing the that part of town. For what it's worth, I've always had good images with very simple equipment: a 35mm Summicron lens, and an M2 camera. 

That said, my images are not your images; you could prefer something tighter, if you're interested in focusing on architecture, etc., or something wider if you intend working with intimate settings. 

In any event, I urge some commonsense precautions. A few blocks off of the well-trodden path may bring you to places you don't really want to document (at least not on your vacation time). New Orleans suffers from many ills--not the least being too many guns and too much ingrained poverty. Situation awareness should be every photographer's sixth sense. Use it.