Simplifying my travel setup

[Mogen]

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Hey there,

I'm planning to go to Iceland in May and would like to bring an ultra wide, normal and a tele.

The current plan is to bring the M11 and 35mm Lux II, as well as my Sony kit, the A7-4, 14-24mm f2.8, 28-70 f2.8 and also purchasing a 70-200 f4 II for the trip.

I never travelled with two camera systems before and found that carrying the Sony can be quite bulky and cumbersome.

I'm wondering if it would make sense to go all in on the Leica system, sell the Sony and get something like a WATE paired and a 90mm? I am thinking the only downside to using the WATE is it might not be fast enough for astrophotography. Or would it make sense to keep the Sony for its versatility (primarily autofocus), carry the weight / be a bit clumsy using two systems, and pick up the 70-200? And at some point I'd also like to do an African Safari and imagine shooting animals with the M system would be quite difficult. What's it like to carry two camera systems while travelling or do you prefer to only bring one?

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[jaapv]

I never travel without backup as I go to Africa yearly. A couple of weeks  wildlife, one or two on the beach and a week general; a bit of street people landscape. The lack of any support in case of technical problems makes backup and redundancy imperative. 
I used to travel with  couple of M cameras, Visoflex and appropriate lenses, including a Noflexar 400 ( nicknamed Bazooka)  Then changed to the R system, three bodies; these cameras were fragile. Now I take an SL, Panasonic S5, 150-600 and 1.4 converter, CL. 28-70 L, Summilux M 24 on adapter, Super ElmarM,  and TL 18-56, 55-135. Three batteries for each camera, chargers, a universal charger  as backup, sensor clean kit,SD cards, binoculars, MacBook Air 13”. Together about 11 kg in a not too large backpack. This year I am switching to a roller case that doubles as backpack. My M cameras stay at home. 

[Robert Blanko]

Hi Von Mogen,

 I once stumbled across the following video

 and was surprised that this worked. I also own a WATE, but I never tried this before, because I usually used my Nikon - System with a Tampon 15-30/2.8. Now I have the Leica mount Laowa 15/2 which I however could not test so far for Milky Way photography.

Having two camera systems is IMHO a great advantage and practically unavoidable if you would like to combine wildlife photography beside Leica M photography.

My approach in said respect is to use my M10R for WATE, 24 Elmar, 50, 75, 135 APO and to have a Nikon Z7 with a 300mm + lens (plan to replace my 300/PF with the Z-mount 400/4.5). I also bring the 24-120/4 with me, so that my wife can use the Nikon system while I use the Leica - or vice versa... Sometimes also supplemented with my Q2.

Edited February 4, 2024 by Robert Blanko
Forgot the marvelous 24 Elmar

[Knipsknecht]

I am shooting with two systems, Leica M and Panasonic L-Mount. And although the Leica M-System is smaller, I like to travel with my Pana S5 and the exceptional 20-60mm “Kit-Lens”. It’s a very versatile setup, more or less weatherproof and if something breaks it doesn’t cost a kidney to replace it. Yes, shooting with my M10-R is a little bit more fun, and for city trips here in Europe I prefer the Leica. But last year I traveled two times with the S5 to Japan, did a lot of streetphotography but hiked a lot, too. The S5 setup with just one lens was great and enough for any given situation. Additionally, traveling with a backpack and sleeping mostly in hostels made me feel better with the S5.

Thinking about Iceland and Africa - I would recommend to concentrate on your most favored focal lengths. Personally I would take the Sony A7IV with a FE 20-70 f4 and a longer Tele-Zoom. The 70-200 is a great lens but maybe a little too short for Africa. Preferably I would look for a lens with 400 to 600 mm on the long end. Tamron and Sigma both have E-Mount lenses in this range that don’t break the bank.

[spydrxx]

While I've always preferred to bring only one camera system on journeys, there have been definite situations when I would have benefitted from two, despite the additional weight and space needed. I also adhered to enjoying the vacations rather than concentrating on the photography aspect. As you may have gathered, at heart I'm a minimalist. But looking at your situation, I'd suggest keeping the Sony and if you can afford it getting the WATE also. You'll probably want a longer telephoto for the African trip, and that's where your Sony will come in handy, as the long Leica lenses, to me at least, are beasts and cost an arm and leg. Whatever you decide, have a great trip.

[KFo]

Another minimalist here.  I shot my M10P or the GRII depending on my photo goals.  Typically 2 lenses are the most I carry, generally wildly divergent e.g. 135 Hektor and 35 Summilux ASPH.  But  it's always a 28, or sometimes a 35 😎.

I also travel (at least in industrialized places) with the thought in mind in the event of a catastrophic equipment failure I'll just buy something else or use the dreaded iPhone.

 

[W124]

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My travel setup in the past was combination of Leica M and R and I Made good experiance with it:

M Wate 16-21mm

M SLX 35mm FLE 

R Apo-Makro 100mm

R Apo extender 2x

I used this combination with M Typ240, M10 and Sony A7sII

For Iceland and Africa I would  add my

R Apo 280mm plus 

R Apo extender 1.4x

 

 

[jaapv]

45 minutes ago, spydrxx said:

While I've always preferred to bring only one camera system on journeys, there have been definite situations when I would have benefitted from two, despite the additional weight and space needed. I also adhered to enjoying the vacations rather than concentrating on the photography aspect. As you may have gathered, at heart I'm a minimalist. But looking at your situation, I'd suggest keeping the Sony and if you can afford it getting the WATE also. You'll probably want a longer telephoto for the African trip, and that's where your Sony will come in handy, as the long Leica lenses, to me at least, are beasts and cost an arm and leg. Whatever you decide, have a great trip.

There is no problem using old-fashioned teles and EVF. Wildlife on safari is quite possible with manual focus. However I would say go Olympus or Panasonic 4/3rd The Olympus 100-400 gives fantastic 200-800 results and is quite lightweight

[tom0511]

I suggest to think which kind of images you want to shoot, in which occasions and which equipment you would like to use for that.

The M for anything longer than 90 mm is no fun.

For the WATE you need to use EVF on the M, it works fine though.

For such a great trip I personally would bring the combo of M and Sony. I believe for such trips the versatile zooms are a big advantage.

If you want to save weight leave the M11 at home and add a Ricoh GRIII for the evenings or days when you want to walk "light".

If you decide to go just M, (I have done that), it works quite well, but you have to know that you can't shoot everything with it.

[ianforber]

I’d second @jaapv  - get an Olympus m4/3 as your backup. A second hand EM5 mk2 plus a 17mm f1.8 and a 70-300mm will cover everything from 35mm to 600mm. 

[SiggiGun]

My opinion is différent. Less is more !

 For such a travel I use one of the following options -

1/ SL2 + 16-35mm or 24-90mm if Tele is needed

2/ M11p + 21SEM + Apo50

 

 

[sebben]

I simplified my setup to the 35mm summilux and just stitch if I want a wider FOV. 
 

[caf]

I used to carry a Canon R5 plus plethora of lenses for landscape and travel, then got an M10-R a couple years back (and subsequently M11) and been shooting with the M system ever since to the point that I sold my whole Canon kit. I did miss the telephoto reach so in one of the various sales got myself a SL2 with 24-90 and 90-280 with a combo of vouchers and second hand glass, and that has served me well for my landscape needs. I like the consistency of having all Leica. I like having flexibility in what to bring, and the fact that the SL2 can adapt M glass without degradation in native performance.

Example recent trip setups:

• Italy/France (mostly city): M11, MP, 35 FLE, 50 APO, 21 SEM, 75 APO
• Japan (mostly city and some hiking): M11, MP, 35 APO, 35 FLE (dedicated to the MP now that I got the APO), 50 APO, 75 Noctilux
• Central America: M11, 28 Lux, 35 APO, 50 APO, SL2 (mostly for a specific video project with adapted 28 Lux, amazing combo)
• Eastern Sierra Nevada: SL2, 24-90, 90-280, M11, 28 Lux, 35 APO, 50 APO

All in all I use the M system probably 80%+ of the time, with the balance the SL2. Been using the SL2 for video with the 28 Lux and it's a great combo, easy to focus manually and get a very pleasing rendering (I'm not a video person but have a specific use case for it).

I don't carry all the gear all the time, and select a couple of lenses for the types of activities for the day (i.e. lighter kit when hiking, more stuff when on short walks or mostly in cars). Did an all-day hike with my M11 and 50 APO and nothing else and it was liberating after carrying a backpack full of glass before.

Hope this helps!

 

[Kiwimac]

My advice would be pick the system you like best and invest your money in it. 
 

If you then need an alternative for a short term use - for example long lens stuff - rent it for the holiday. 
 

Also, don’t discount Olympus M43 for wildlife. The newer cameras are good, very robust and due to the crop the long lenses are smaller and lighter.  Quality is excellent and price a bit less eye watering than Leica. 

Edited February 5, 2024 by Kiwimac

[M11 for me]

I never traveled with just one lens since the eighties when I bought my first Canon A1. But more and more I like to have the least weight possible. Recently I had a holiday in Ireland and decided to take only the Beta Q3 and my wife had our Q2 . We were extremely happy with that setup.

Of course in Ireland we need no 600mm. That is clear. But still it is worth to think what we really need during holidays. I am sure that there is not one sceene that I could not have photographed because I only had the 28mm. With that statement I refer to usual holidays not safari and maybe other trips.

THINK OF WEIGHT; YOU HAVE TO CARRY ALL OF THAT.

 

[hansvons]

Personally, my wildlife photography experiences are limited. But from people who do it professionally and from a couple of shooting days trying to photograph waterfowl and birds in flight, I can say this: the latest and greatest Canon, Nikon, and Sony do an unbelievable job with amazing success rates. My Leica SL2-S not so much. But the latest Olympus beats them all because it’s half the size with amazing image quality and it’s water-sealed. The 300mm prime connected to the system’s native x1.4 extender allows for the reach of 800mm in FF in a lightweight, handy package. Compared to a Canon 600mm setup it's nuts. Shooting hunting ospreys, taking off flamingos or the little robin in your garden is a breeze—point shoot, bam. Scaringly easy.

 

On 2/4/2024 at 2:27 AM, Mogen said:

I'm wondering if it would make sense to go all in on the Leica system, sell the Sony and get something like a WATE paired and a 90mm?

The M system is unbeatable from 28mm to 50mm for a manual focusing camera system. Beyond 50mm critical focus gets a bit guessy if that is a word, at least when shooting at full aperture. 
I find the M system brilliant for classic travel journalism, photo essays etc, as it goes very well with people, causing sympathy rather than rejection. It’s doing well in regular, handheld landscape photography because its footprint is small, and doesn’t slow you down. For me that’s essential.

However, for anything longer than 50mm, zooms, telephoto, macro photography, I’d chose a different system. In my case that’s the SL2-S. But I wouldn’t buy an SL for wildlife in 2024. That would be the above-mentioned Olympus OM1/300mm combo. 

My travel kit for nature photography in Iceland would be an M with a 35mm lens, perhaps 28mm in the pocket, plus the OM1 with a small zoom as a backup, perhaps adding an astro lens for these northern lights (personally, I'd happily leave that to others). Then later when traveling to Africa, I’d add the 300mm prime with the 1.4 extender. Can’t get lighter and more specialised. 

[Smudgerer]

1 hour ago, M11 for me said:

I never traveled with just one lens since the eighties when I bought my first Canon A1. But more and more I like to have the least weight possible. Recently I had a holiday in Ireland and decided to take only the Beta Q3 and my wife had our Q2 . We were extremely happy with that setup.

Of course in Ireland we need no 600mm. That is clear. But still it is worth to think what we really need during holidays. I am sure that there is not one sceene that I could not have photographed because I only had the 28mm. With that statement I refer to usual holidays not safari and maybe other trips.

THINK OF WEIGHT; YOU HAVE TO CARRY ALL OF THAT.

 

Agreed. This past Autumn I did more or less the same for Ireland, ( for your Iceland needs and what would/did work for Ireland would be roughly the same ), taking a Q2M and an M6 with 35/50 lenses, I am primarily a B&W photographer by choice. I didn't need anything over 50mm and anyway for me anything over 50mm on an M just doesn't work well.

For Africa the same setup would be fine but as per' Kiwimac's excellent suggestion I'd add a MFT with a couple of zooms for the long shots, if you don't have one yourself then renting a MFT kit is a good idea too..............Carrying too much or just plain too heavy "stuff" can get really really old on a trip.

Incidentally of all the shots I took in Ireland most of the "keepers" were taken with the Q2M, in retrospect I could have traveled with just that camera alone. I do think that a Q could cover +80% of your needs.

Edited February 5, 2024 by Smudgerer
grammar

[JTLeica]

On 2/4/2024 at 1:27 AM, Mogen said:

Hey there,

I'm planning to go to Iceland in May and would like to bring an ultra wide, normal and a tele.

The current plan is to bring the M11 and 35mm Lux II, as well as my Sony kit, the A7-4, 14-24mm f2.8, 28-70 f2.8 and also purchasing a 70-200 f4 II for the trip.

I never travelled with two camera systems before and found that carrying the Sony can be quite bulky and cumbersome.

I'm wondering if it would make sense to go all in on the Leica system, sell the Sony and get something like a WATE paired and a 90mm? I am thinking the only downside to using the WATE is it might not be fast enough for astrophotography. Or would it make sense to keep the Sony for its versatility (primarily autofocus), carry the weight / be a bit clumsy using two systems, and pick up the 70-200? And at some point I'd also like to do an African Safari and imagine shooting animals with the M system would be quite difficult. What's it like to carry two camera systems while travelling or do you prefer to only bring one?

Where are you going in Iceland? Having been there 3 times and twice lately I can certainly chime in on this. Some parts of Iceland are extremely rugged, like the black sand beaches further to the south east, starting at Reynisfjara and beyond. Here, you will get sand blown / smashed into your camera, its extremely exposed and windy along that part of the coast... I chose to take my Z7 system as I 'care' a little less about it.

If you are wanting to do UW landscape / astro definitely take the Sony man, unless you want to buy the 21mm Summilux but even that isnt as sharp as some of the best E Mount options.

You could leave the 28-70mm behind and have the 35mm lux to cover the gap. 

Also, never travel to a place like that without a backup camera. My Last trip I smashed my Z7II, broke the IBIS and 24-120mm lens, fortunately I had another that saved me.

Personally dont spend money on the old WATE, better off taking what you have, minus the 28-70 maybe and taking a longer lens. Also, I would not but the 70-200, Instead but 70-300, or something longer than 200 at least. Lots of lovely wildlife there and also distant landscapes that need more than 200mm.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[pgk]

Firstly, you need to decide what you want to do. Is the trip primarily for photography, what sort of photography do you want to do, how hard will the terrain you are covering be (car, malking, trekking)? How fit, versatile are you for using two systems?

Personally I have found that the key to better photography is simplicity. Decide on a minimalist set up and shoot within its boundaries. Yes, this may well limit what you can take but generally what you do take may well be taken better. As for equipment, well, that is really a personal choice. For the last decade plus I have carried two M bodies and 3 M lenses and I've never regretted having too little equipment. Actually I find this to be a 'sweet spot' in terms of usability, carriability, effectiveness. I used to shoot underwater whilst travelling (for scuba magazines) and had to carry a lot of gear for this and above water gear too. Above water was a body and a couple of zooms. I don't own a zoom lens now and shoot underwater much more locally with two lenses only.

[jaapv]

How do you change lenses under water? 🤪