My perfect Leica M Travel Kit - YMMV

[MarkP]

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8 hours ago, FlashGordonPhotography said:

Just got back from Venice. For me, the wides were far more useful. Especially the 24-28mm mark. So I’d be taking the 21 and 35, *if* you have to be that minimal. Personally I’d also have the 75mm. My favourite shot from Venice was taken with a 105 equivalent and most of the rest that I like with a 24 or 30mm equiv.

Gordon

Exactly my experience from Venice - 21mm & 35mm got the most use. Less so 75mm.

Edited May 19, 2023 by MarkP

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[JoshuaR]

14 hours ago, FlashGordonPhotography said:

Just got back from Venice. For me, the wides were far more useful. Especially the 24-28mm mark. So I’d be taking the 21 and 35, *if* you have to be that minimal. Personally I’d also have the 75mm. My favourite shot from Venice was taken with a 105 equivalent and most of the rest that I like with a 24 or 30mm equiv.

Gordon

This is really helpful, thank you!

I’m really loving my CV 21 f/3.5 way more than I imagined I would. I think I’ll be taking it along with the 35 FLE and CV 75 f/2.5 Color-Heliar. I’ll leave my 28 and 50 at home. 

[don daniel]

This is my complete travel kit for photography: camera, lens, laptop, flash, a single charging plug for laptop and camera, a single charging/transfer cable. If I don't come home with at least a few good photos, it's not because of the equipment.

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[chris_tribble]

Well - setting aside a laptop (Windows in my case) and the usual charging gubbins, I've just discovered my perfect travel kit.  

• M10-R
• 35-M Summicron Asph
• Zeiss 90/f4 (coded as Leica Summarit F4 Macro)

I'd only recently obtained the Zeiss before a week's walking in France and the results have been much better than I'd hoped for.  The combination is lightweight and compact (my other trekking combination is SL2 + 24-90!) and a joy to use.  The Zeiss is easy and accurate to focus, and gives me the range I'd miss with a single lens setup.  Given the cost of the Zeiss (mine was £590 + the Heliopan protect filter and lens hood - much better value than the Zeiss) I look forward to many more years of use.

The set up looks like this:

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Example images from recent walks in the Jordanne Valley

Summicron M-35 Asph

 

 

Zeiss 90/f4

 

 

 

Edited September 22, 2023 by chris_tribble

[chris_tribble]

CORRECTION - the Zeiss was £490. Even better value!

[Cmurman]

I have enjoyed reading the replies and advice on this thread.  I am relatively new to Leice and am still learning the rangefinder and zone-focusing techniques. 

I am heading to Italy next week.  My Leica kit is simple (because it is all I own now)...M11 w/ Leica 35 mm f/1.4 Summilux ASPH FLE v2 along with a Q3. Extra batteries & charger, etc.  

I have no filters (advice welcome).  

Also- considering purchasing my second M-lens....seems like a "50" is most recommended as the next lens...(advice welcome).  

I have Thumb grips on M11 and Q3. Arte di Mano Half case on M11, and a new (but unused) Visoflex. 

Until I recently invested in the Leica system, I planned on taking Fujifilm X100V and XPro3 (or X-T5) with 2 or 3 lenses. This would be a safer kit as I am still learning the M-system (menus, focusing, etc).

Thanks-   

Chris

[jakontil]

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when i travel i usually bring 2 M digital, M11 and M10r, besides for backup, my daughter aged 15 would use either one but i trust myself to carry it and a couple of M Films, LM and without, fair share between color and BW films

if i decide to carry my hasselblad 503cw, then one of the film body would stay behind 

for lenses, i will bring multiply like 2 of 50mm either a noctilux 1.2 and an apo summicron, a couple of 35mm too and a 28 summaron

but bear in mind, when i go out shooting i'd usually take only one body and one lens, or a couple at most

and lastly, my macbook air for backing up and processing when i need to 

[SiggiGun]

Depending what type of "travel" is considered: city, short week-end trip, landscape etc. , my selection is very different:

1. M11 
   1. 35Lux
   2. Tri-Elmar 28-35-50
   3. 28Cron + Apo50
   4. 21SEM + Apo35 + Apo75
2. SL2
   1. 50LuxM
   2. Vario 24-90
   3. Vario Super Elmar 16-30 + Apo50

and some cables, batteries, Mac, ...

[kivis]

I'm cheating but the hell. On a trip to Utah National Parks

M-A

35mm

50mm

Forgot the 90mm

Was a great trip. Shoot 7 rolls of Tri-X

[IkarusJohn]

As my M10-D is still in Wetzlar, I’ve decided to take my X2D (one body), XCD 38/2.5 V (30/1.98 full frame equivalent) and 50 Noctilux 0.95 (39.50mm full frame equivalent), and filters.

[FrozenInTime]

This summer I mixed things up, so in my city day bag, a small 9l sling, was a Leica MP with 50/1.5 Heliar and a Nikon F2 with 35mm Perspective control lens.

It’s been fun fully squaring up and filling the frame. All handheld on Tri-X. I have a nice bunch of negatives to print over the winter nights.

 

 

[jaapv]

Just packed for my upcoming trip to South Africa. Winelands/ Whale watching and a fortnight wildlife. 
General camera and backup: 

CL, Voigtländer 12 mm Summilux 24 M, 18-56 and 55-135

Wildlife: 

SL, Sigma 150-600 and Vario Elmar 35-70 4.0 R. Olympus EE1 dot sight Trinovid 10x42 Jagd, SF 40  

Cheap walkabout in Cape Town: 

TL and 18 mm TL

MacBook Air 13”

12 kg in the backpack and the CL set 2,5 kg in a bum bag. 
 

The Ms will stay at home, everything is on L mount. 

[FlashGordonPhotography]

On 9/26/2023 at 7:47 PM, Cmurman said:

I have enjoyed reading the replies and advice on this thread.  I am relatively new to Leice and am still learning the rangefinder and zone-focusing techniques. 

I am heading to Italy next week.  My Leica kit is simple (because it is all I own now)...M11 w/ Leica 35 mm f/1.4 Summilux ASPH FLE v2 along with a Q3. Extra batteries & charger, etc.  

I have no filters (advice welcome).  

Also- considering purchasing my second M-lens....seems like a "50" is most recommended as the next lens...(advice welcome).  

I have Thumb grips on M11 and Q3. Arte di Mano Half case on M11, and a new (but unused) Visoflex. 

Until I recently invested in the Leica system, I planned on taking Fujifilm X100V and XPro3 (or X-T5) with 2 or 3 lenses. This would be a safer kit as I am still learning the M-system (menus, focusing, etc).

Thanks-   

Chris

Personally, I'd be matching either a 75mm or 21mm/24mm to a 35mm lens system. I think 50 is too close to 35 for a travel system.

Gordon

[chriscove]

I’m traveling to Rome in November. Bringing M11 with 35 FLE2, M11M with Voigtlander 28/2. Trying to decide on the 2 other lenses. Trying to keep everything in small bag. My first thought is 21 SEM and  90/2.4. Other possibilities are Voigtlander 50APO or 50/1 or Loawa 15/2. I’ve been to Rome many times and love wide angle interior images. Thoughts?

[JRWhite]

Just back from a week long trip to Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. In my Ona Bowery was an M10R, ZM 25mm f/2.8 Biogon, CV 50mm f/1.5 Nokton, CV 90mm f/2.8 APO Skopar, two spare batteries, two additional SD cards and a lens cloth. Between walks in various towns and hikes in Olympic National Park, lens use was about evenly split.

[Smudgerer]

In Ireland right now, M10-D, M6 Classic and a Q2M. Summilux 35 SR re-issue, Nokton 35 1.4 vII, Nokton 50 1.5 VII…….all good in Crumpler Proper Roadie.

[FilmSpiel]

My recent trip to italy was nice but maybe a bit to much gear for everyday carry...

 

Billingham Hadley Pro 2020

Leica M10-R with 50mm APO Summicron

Leica M4 BP with 35mm 1.4 FLE

21mm 1.4 Summilux

 

and a lot of film 🙂

 

[acalmplace]

Last trip (two weeks, flying, no car), I tried taking only a 35mm (FLE I) with my digital M. It was great and quite liberating. That might become my goto travel kit!

Edited October 6, 2023 by acalmplace

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[keeping_a_balance]

Ideal:  M11, 21 Voigt 3.5, 35 summilux, 75 or 90mm voigtlander.  

I love 50 but have been leaving it behind a bit more often on trips.

Obviously chargers, cleaners etc... Usually take in PD 6L if I can to keep size down and minimal.  

 

 

[thrid]

M11

1 x M11 Battery
1 x Powerbank

Voigtlander Ultron 2/28mm

Summilux-M ASPH 1.4 / 35
Summicron-M 2/35 v4 (compact daylight shooter)

Summilux-M 1.4 / 50

Sekonic 308 cine

Usually everything goes into a generic waist pack that I modified with DIY padded compartments.
It's the low-key 'don't mug me' option.

Thanks to Kodak Tri-X hitting $14 a roll I've pretty much gone digital.

Looking for a second digital body. I'd like another M, but that's a ton of cash. 
Instead I'll probably end up with a DSLR. EVF viewfinder's still have way too much lag for my kind of shooting.