New York Travel Kit

[pgk]

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14 hours ago, jdlaing said:

Yes. But you must keep them in your shoe. 😃😃😃

After a full day walking around New York I'm not sure they'd be usable .......

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[trickness]

These kinds of questions can always be answered internally if you have a clear idea of what you’re trying to achieve photographically. And your pictures will be better if you do.

[dem331]

Of course you’re right, but for many of us, or at least some of us, or in any case for me, my mandate for New York would be something very simple/ general like:

-Architectural environment

-Some street shots

-Interiors

New York is extremely rich and interesting in interiors, something I think some people sometimes overlook. There is some wonderful and quite accessible art deco and art nouveau interiors.

Looking through my images of several outings in New York, I am surprised by how disproportionaly often I used the 21 mm and the 50 mm, in the images I have kept. The 28 mm was used much less than usual. 

Having said that, maybe I would’ve done okay with just a 28 mm as well. 

 

[JoshuaR]

I work in the city (right above the Oculus) and my most-used lenses when I'm by myself are 21 and 50. I find the 21mm incredibly valuable in part because it's so fun to shoot from the hip—on the subway, for example, or just sitting on a park bench. I like to be able to see the scene without raising the camera, just judging what a 90° field of view will give me. I'll use the 50 much more rarely, when I see something across the street, for example, and want to camp out at a distance. My "commuting kit," for when I'm just going into the city for work and don't have any particular plan in mind, is often an M10 or M6 with a 21 SEM or 28 Summaron on the camera and a 50 Elmar-M in my bag or coat pocket. I'm happiest with the 21 SEM photos; as someone who's frequently in New York, I like looking at big sweeping panoramas and seeing little details later.

I keep it simpler when I'm in the city with my family, I just use a 28mm or 21mm and don't bother changing lenses. I'm not a fan of changing lenses on the busy NYC streets, especially while shepherding kids around.

M10 + 21 SEM from the 64th floor of 1WTC:

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[robsonj]

7 minutes ago, JoshuaRothman said:

I work in the city (right above the Oculus) and my most-used lenses when I'm by myself are 21 and 50. I find the 21mm incredibly valuable in part because it's so fun to shoot from the hip—on the subway, for example, or just sitting on a park bench. I like to be able to see the scene without raising the camera, just judging what a 90° field of view will give me. I'll use the 50 much more rarely, when I see something across the street, for example, and want to camp out at a distance. My "commuting kit," for when I'm just going into the city for work and don't have any particular plan in mind, is often an M10 or M6 with a 21 SEM or 28 Summaron on the camera and a 50 Elmar-M in my bag or coat pocket. I'm happiest with the 21 SEM photos; as someone who's frequently in New York, I like looking at big sweeping panoramas and seeing little details later.

I keep it simpler when I'm in the city with my family, I just use a 28mm or 21mm and don't bother changing lenses. I'm not a fan of changing lenses on the busy NYC streets, especially while shepherding kids around.

M10 + 21 SEM from the 64th floor of 1WTC:

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Thanks for this, the Oculus is exactly why I wanted to bring a wide over the more middling 28/35 focal range, never thought about using the 21 for street though

[dscdsc]

On 1/9/2024 at 10:24 PM, MT0227 said:

I work in NYC, I carry my 35 and 50 with my 11-P every day.   I use my iPhone for anything wider.

35/50 is a good combo as well

[JoshuaR]

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18 minutes ago, robsonj said:

Thanks for this, the Oculus is exactly why I wanted to bring a wide over the more middling 28/35 focal range, never thought about using the 21 for street though

The 21 is great not just for interiors like the Oculus (or Grand Central Station!) but also for things like subway car interiors, pictures taken while you cross the street, or the insides of taxi cabs or elevators.

On a cool street you can just raise the camera above your head and get a picture of the crowd.

For a while, I used 24mm as my main NYC lens. But my attempt to be Alan Schiller fizzled because I find it easier to estimate a 21mm FOV than a 24mm.

[jaapv]

22 hours ago, Indeepthought said:

Or your underwear.🤪

But only if you have not washed recently.

[M10R]

wrong reply, deleted.

Edited January 11, 2024 by M10R

[ianforber]

The only time I went to NY I could only take a small compact camera - a D-Lux 2, which has a 28-112mm equiv lens. I took a lot of shots at the 28mm end and some at the 112mm end and, even so, needed to massively crop some of those to get to picture I was after when looking up at the Chrysler building etc. On that basis I’d go for a 28mm with a 90mm or, for a one lens set up, a 35mm. The D-Lux had only 8 megapixels and we didn’t have the likes of Topaz Gigapixel back then so you’ll be fine with a 35mm. 
 

The pics below show the Chrysler building at 28mm without cropping (all 8 MP) and then a crop of one of the gargoyles taken at the 112mm and then cropped down (to just 3MP).
 

 

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[newtoleica]

Most of my NYC street photography was shot with a 24mm Summilux. The rest with a 35. 
 

I made a book of it. Gallery here: https://www.brendandelaneyphotography.com/121eb6f785-gallery

 

[Knipsknecht]

vor 9 Stunden schrieb trickness:

These kinds of questions can always be answered internally if you have a clear idea of what you’re trying to achieve photographically. And your pictures will be better if you do.

… this😃👍

[robsonj]

Just now, Knipsknecht said:

… this😃👍

I know what sort of photos I would like, but at the same time would be bummed to turn up somewhere like the Oculus with a 28mm to find its not wide enough

[Knipsknecht]

Gerade eben schrieb robsonj:

I know what sort of photos I would like, but at the same time would be bummed to turn up somewhere like the Oculus with a 28mm to find its not wide enough

Than I suggest to leave the Leica at home and take a AF-camera with a zoom lens with you. This is what I do in such a situation. Last year I traveled Japan and I had not my Leica M camera but my Panasonic S5 (L mount) camera with the 20 - 60mm zoom lens with me. Perfect combination if one wants to be prepared for everything😉.

[M11 for me]

vor 1 Minute schrieb robsonj:

I know what sort of photos I would like, but at the same time would be bummed to turn up somewhere like the Oculus with a 28mm to find its not wide enough

This you cannot avoid anyway. Now you have either a second lens with you or you have not. And if you have not just continue taking photographs with what is on your camera. In my experience it does not matter much; less anyway to what you think. I hope you will make the same experience.

[IkarusJohn]

NY is one of my favourite cities.  We’ve been half a dozen times, and will keep going back; especially since Air NZ has introduced a direct Auckland to NY flight.

I hate fussing about lenses and cameras, but NY does require some flexibility.  For architecture and things like the Oculus, I like to have a wide - 21 is my preferred lens; but then for other things like the Highline and Bryant Park, I prefer a mid wide like a 28 or 35 and then a short tele like a 50 or 75 is always useful.

So, for my next trip, I’ll take my M10-D, 21-28-75, and will try to take just one lens out with me (perhaps one in the pocket).

Enjoy NY.  I heard lots of alarming stories before my first trip there in 1992 - I found the people friendly and helpful, and loved exploring the city, visiting galleries and the various parks.  

[robsonj]

32 minutes ago, IkarusJohn said:

NY is one of my favourite cities.  We’ve been half a dozen times, and will keep going back; especially since Air NZ has introduced a direct Auckland to NY flight.

I hate fussing about lenses and cameras, but NY does require some flexibility.  For architecture and things like the Oculus, I like to have a wide - 21 is my preferred lens; but then for other things like the Highline and Bryant Park, I prefer a mid wide like a 28 or 35 and then a short tele like a 50 or 75 is always useful.

So, for my next trip, I’ll take my M10-D, 21-28-75, and will try to take just one lens out with me (perhaps one in the pocket).

Enjoy NY.  I heard lots of alarming stories before my first trip there in 1992 - I found the people friendly and helpful, and loved exploring the city, visiting galleries and the various parks.  

This is ultimately my plan, one lens on (28/35) and the 21 in the pocket

[trickness]

58 minutes ago, robsonj said:

I know what sort of photos I would like, but at the same time would be bummed to turn up somewhere like the Oculus with a 28mm to find its not wide enough

That gets back to intent. Do you HAVE to document the Oculus in its entirety? Are you doing that with other buildings? Taking photographs of smaller details of the structure could be just as interesting as the entire building (perhaps moreso - have you seen the gazillions of pictures of that building that already exist?)

Photographic intent would be "I'm going to NYC and want to shoot buildings/architecture & show their epic scale so I need a lens to do that job." That's an entirely different kind of intent than doing street photography. 

If you're coming to take snaps of a bunch of varied things, then take a zoom lens - knowing that it's a compromise (because of size, weight, slower aperture...) - but having unclear photographic intent is also a compromise.

Think about photographic intent, and take the tool that can best support that intent. Otherwise you'll bring too much stuff and get home only to realize you could have brought one camera. I've done that PLENTY 😅

 

 

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[robsonj]

25 minutes ago, trickness said:

That gets back to intent. Do you HAVE to document the Oculus in its entirety? Are you doing that with other buildings? Taking photographs of smaller details of the structure could be just as interesting as the entire building (perhaps moreso - have you seen the gazillions of pictures of that building that already exist?)

Photographic intent would be "I'm going to NYC and want to shoot buildings/architecture & show their epic scale so I need a lens to do that job." That's an entirely different kind of intent than doing street photography. 

If you're coming to take snaps of a bunch of varied things, then take a zoom lens - knowing that it's a compromise (because of size, weight, slower aperture...) - but having unclear photographic intent is also a compromise.

Think about photographic intent, and take the tool that can best support that intent. Otherwise you'll bring too much stuff and get home only to realize you could have brought one camera. I've done that PLENTY 😅

 

 

I would like an establishing shot, to answer your first question. But I am not going to spend a week in the Oculus either. So I'll have several intents, depending on where I will be for that given day. I may well find I don't use all 4 lenses, the 50 is the most likely to get little use. But I'd rather have it and leave it in the hotel room as I get a feel for NYC, than not bring it and then wish I had... especially with the size that Leica lenses are.

Edited January 11, 2024 by robsonj

[trickness]

4 hours ago, robsonj said:

I would like an establishing shot, to answer your first question. But I am not going to spend a week in the Oculus either. So I'll have several intents, depending on where I will be for that given day. I may well find I don't use all 4 lenses, the 50 is the most likely to get little use. But I'd rather have it and leave it in the hotel room as I get a feel for NYC, than not bring it and then wish I had... especially with the size that Leica lenses are.

I guarantee you if you bring only one body and one lens, you will get better photographs - because you will pre-visualize the shot before you even take it after a day or two of shooting with just one lens. And what you actually feel might be limiting is in fact liberating - you get into a creative space where you move backwards or forwards to get the shot, or maybe you just rethink the composition and come up with something more interesting.

Pretty much all the great photographers that we admire stuck to one or maybe two focal lengths for all the work they did. They didn’t carry around bags of gear, trying to have something for every scenario. They used limitations as an advantage.
 

I know that this reply is not the typical take this and this and this that is the normal response for these types of questions. But over the past couple of years I’ve really gone out with clear intent & one tool I know really well, and I can see that my pictures have gotten better. It might work for you too.
 

If you really need that wide shot, you can always use your iPhone. As a native New Yorker I have that with me at all times and it does get quite a bit of use when I just want a snapshot of something.