Does Your Travel Kit Consist of Monochrom and Color Cameras?

[BWColor]

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I’m new to the Monochrom and struggling a bit as to what camera(s) to take on a three week vacation.  What photo equipment do you travel with and how do your cameras get assigned to particular settings/subjects?  Even when I shot mostly B&W film, I usually traveled with a camera loaded with color film.

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[a.noctilux]

7 hours ago, BWColor said:

I’m new to the Monochrom and struggling a bit as to what camera(s) to take on a three week vacation.  What photo equipment do you travel with and how do your cameras get assigned to particular settings/subjects?  Even when I shot mostly B&W film, I usually traveled with a camera loaded with color film.

Not as simple as in film days, mostly with color slides.

My last three abroad travels with digital M the answer is yes.

As my wife also uses M, my choice took in account her "M using".

We travel with three different M bodies sharing same batteries (and same lenses), M262 for her and for me M240+ M246.

 

I'm glad having done this, but at place I rarely carry same day the two Ms, for color or B&W mindset.

 

 

[pippy]

8 hours ago, BWColor said:

What photo equipment do you travel with and how do your cameras get assigned to particular settings/subjects?

Yes; I always have both a 'Colour-Body' (M-D Typ-262) and my M Monochrom when travelling.

Like Al Brown mentions above (post #2) I, too, have no qualms whatsoever about using the 'colour' camera to capture images which I know will be printed as monochrome photographs. In fact almost all my colour pics (over 90%) will end up being rendered in B'n'W.

What I'll take out with me on any given day will depend, to some extent, on where I'm heading and what I expect to find when I get there. In practice this usually means I'll have a 35mm v2 Summilux with 12504 hood fitted with drop-in Series VII Circ. Pola (if it's sunny) on the M-D and a 28mm Elmarit with Orange filter on the Monochrom.

In the shoulder bag there will usually be my 50mm v4 Summicron with POOTR (Circ. Pola) and 12585 hood so regardless of whether the 50 is used on the colour or on the B'n'W body I will still get the benefits the Circ. Pola can bring to the party. If I think there will be much call for shooting colour images with a 28 then I will put my (tiny) TTArtisan 28mm f5.6 with Circ. Pola in the bag as well.

Philip.

[DadDadDaddyo]

Yes, usually. I bring both an M11M and an M11.

The M11 can do monochrome in a pinch, as can any color digital camera. 

But anyone who's worked with files from the Monochrom line can testify as to their virtues. The entire Monochrom line can produce simply beautiful files, but the M11M? When everything comes together, the M11M produces, by far, the most drop-dead gorgeous monochrome images I've ever seen come out of a digital camera. 

I simply don't see the same when shooting with color vs. monochrome. It's as if a different set of eyes is called upon.

It's possible to do the mental gymnastics of switching your approach back and forth while shooting with just a color body, but for me, it gets in the way of visualization and planning. 

So, yeah, I tend to bring both. 

If I can only bring one, it's the M11M for anything I plan to do in monochrome. If I'm caught with just the M11 and see a monochrome shot, I'll take it, but by a long wide margin, for those shots I'd rather be using the Monochrom. 

[BWColor]

I would not have purchased the M11M if I wanted to convert color images.  I agree that it can be done and many captivating images have been created this way, but the Monochrom sensor offers something slightly different.  That said, my present intention is to keep the Monochrom strap around my neck and the color camera in the sling bag.  I’ll pull out the color camera when the colors make the 30mm lens image.  I hope to visit many historical sites in Korea where B&W might bring out architectural tone and contrast.  My daughters want to experience Seoul night life..without me..so I’m thinking of roaming the streets at night and the M11M is perfect for that.  Bright colors that provide contrast, or very subtle colors that provide a different type of contrast might be sufficient reason to pull the secondary camera from the bag, then put it right back.  I think that if I don’t commit to one camera with occasional exception, I run the risk of ending up with the photographic equivalent of porridge.

I should mention that I found the perfect sling bag for travel.  It qualifies as a purse carry-on for the flight and fits two camera bodies, five lenses..and my 12.9” iPad, which I prefer not to leave at the hotel. The bag is the Mindshift Photocross 13 sling bag.

Edited June 5, 2024 by BWColor
Last bit on sling bag…

[RexGig0]

6 hours ago, BWColor said:

I would not have purchased the M11M if I wanted to convert color images.  I agree that it can be done and many captivating images have been created this way, but the Monochrom sensor offers something slightly different.  That said, my present intention is to keep the Monochrom strap around my neck and the color camera in the sling bag.  I’ll pull out the color camera when the colors make the 30mm lens image.  I hope to visit many historical sites in Korea where B&W might bring out architectural tone and contrast.  My daughters want to experience Seoul night life..without me..so I’m thinking of roaming the streets at night and the M11M is perfect for that.  Bright colors that provide contrast, or very subtle colors that provide a different type of contrast might be sufficient reason to pull the secondary camera from the bag, then put it right back.  I think that if I don’t commit to one camera with occasional exception, I run the risk of ending up with the photographic equivalent of porridge.

I should mention that I found the perfect sling bag for travel.  It qualifies as a purse carry-on for the flight and fits two camera bodies, five lenses..and my 12.9” iPad, which I prefer not to leave at the hotel. The bag is the Mindshift Photocross 13 sling bag.

Thanks for the information on the Photocross bag. It has been difficult to find reasonably-small photography-oriented bags that can accommodate a 12.9” iPad.

Your plan, to keep the Monochrom on a strap, and the color M mostly inside the bag, unless/until a specific situation calls for color, seems quite reasonable. (I have only traveled once, on a multi-day trip, with both color and Monochrom M cameras, and did not go into a large city.)

[BWColor]

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1 hour ago, RexGig0 said:

Your plan, to keep the Monochrom on a strap, and the color M mostly inside the bag, unless/until a specific situation calls for color, seems quite reasonable. (I have only traveled once, on a multi-day trip, with both color and Monochrom M cameras, and did not go into a large city.)

No color “M”, except for film “M’s loaded with color film.  I just shot my first roll of color film in 20 years and was floored at how much everything cost.  Even back in the day I developed and scanned my own film, but no longer motivated to do so.  I did toy with the idea of shooting color film as my color travel option, but will stay digital.

[Jeff S]

3 hours ago, RexGig0 said:

Thanks for the information on the Photocross bag. It has been difficult to find reasonably-small photography-oriented bags that can accommodate a 12.9” iPad.

 

Other fans…

 

Also various online videos showing it in use.

Jeff

Edited June 6, 2024 by Jeff S

[ramarren]

I almost never carry more than one camera when traveling. If I carry the M10-M, that's it. I've done three trips with the M10-M so far. Biggest difference is that if I carry the Monochrom, I also carry green and orange filters. If I carry any of the other cameras, I don't carry filters.

G

Note: The major exception to the above is that I will often also carry a Polaroid SX-70 type camera and a few packs film for it.

[Shu_downunder]

I carried a M246 as main body and a Sony A7cii as back up in a trip recently. In some days I leave one body at the hotel, in some other days I brought both.

For those days I brought BOTH, it was awkward, painful and not helpful.

For those days I only bring one of the bodies, it was joyful, but only when I brought the RIGHT body for the place I was visiting.

My personal experience: If you are a serious monochrome shooter, the ultimate way is walk away from the colour shooting. There are, of course, lots of work-around available. But non of them are 'perfect'.

 

[otto.f]

On 6/5/2024 at 5:23 AM, BWColor said:

I’m new to the Monochrom and struggling a bit as to what camera(s) to take on a three week vacation.  What photo equipment do you travel with and how do your cameras get assigned to particular settings/subjects?  Even when I shot mostly B&W film, I usually traveled with a camera loaded with color film.

You answered your question already and I agree. I couldn’t do without color either. Why do you ask, is there a problem? Your forum name is BWColor isn’t it? Are you going on a hike? A good backpack that you carry mostly on the hips is a relief. 
Color is good for a day with dull light btw. It also depends where you go. I just returned from Scotland, it would have been a disaster without color.

Edited June 10, 2024 by otto.f

[JoshuaR]

Yes, my travel kit lately has been M10-R + M10M, with a 28 Cron and 50 Lux ASPH.

The last trip I took—a big family vacation with friends, maybe a week and a half on the ocean—I put the 28mm on the M10-R and the 50mm on the M10M, and I came away with documentary photography in color, done at 28mm, and portraits in black and white, done at 50mm. It was a really nice outcome, with a lot of consistency. That's my favorite way to combine black and white and color cameras.

 

[nemendes]

On 6/5/2024 at 6:23 AM, BWColor said:

I’m new to the Monochrom and struggling a bit as to what camera(s) to take on a three week vacation.  What photo equipment do you travel with and how do your cameras get assigned to particular settings/subjects?  Even when I shot mostly B&W film, I usually traveled with a camera loaded with color film.

Monochrom camera plus analog camera for color shots is great choice for travelling in my opinion. When I travel, I bring m10m, m7 and mp. I have Leica q3 and sl2s for professional work. I am not taking them with me when I travel. Because when you go to somewhere, you want to take many pictures without thinking about framing or creativity. you just say yourself 'maybe I am here only once in my life, so I have to shoot everything' and then you won't look these photos in your life, they will stay in your hard disk  

As digital camera, Monochrom makes me think more like 'how can I frame this street, building or person of city that could contain soul of it. not just shoot them like a postcard that everybody has. if you want to shoot something unique, you have to think and that's why people buy Monochrom cameras, I bought for that purpose. Analog cameras do the same, thanks to price of films  

Before I took my all digital color cameras with me when I was travelling and after vacation, I didn't look at them. With mono and analog, I am making albums of them. That's the difference for me. 

[BWColor]

5 hours ago, nemendes said:

Monochrom camera plus analog camera for color shots is great choice for travelling in my opinion. When I travel, I bring m10m, m7 and mp. I have Leica q3 and sl2s for professional work. I am not taking them with me when I travel. Because when you go to somewhere, you want to take many pictures without thinking about framing or creativity. you just say yourself 'maybe I am here only once in my life, so I have to shoot everything' and then you won't look these photos in your life, they will stay in your hard disk  

As digital camera, Monochrom makes me think more like 'how can I frame this street, building or person of city that could contain soul of it. not just shoot them like a postcard that everybody has. if you want to shoot something unique, you have to think and that's why people buy Monochrom cameras, I bought for that purpose. Analog cameras do the same, thanks to price of films  

Before I took my all digital color cameras with me when I was travelling and after vacation, I didn't look at them. With mono and analog, I am making albums of them. That's the difference for me. 

I can identify with your selection of cameras and purpose.  I’m also concerned that I will become distracted with too many cameras and lenses, but in past years..the long past years.. my favorite combination was Velvia 50/100 and my Mamiya 7ii, or Bronica RF645.  I shot color when I felt that the colors made the image and I shot with a film that said ‘color’ when I viewed the results.  So, my color images were not usually of subjects that I would shoot using the M11M.  I was going to go with film after a long absence, but started to think of the TSA and the convoluted processing.  In the old days I did everything at home.  Currently, my scanners are in storage..etc.  So, I asked myself what my options were when I was shooting color and how could I replace film?  My A7Rv is a wonderful camera, with every menu option that anyone could hope for, or my case dread.  My best case for taking the Sony was with the beyond excellent Loxia lenses.  That said, the Sony has always appealed to my head and not my passion.  Most of the system uses pretty robust and capable lenses.. read robust as heavy.  My solution was one camera, one lens, one processing workflow.  I just picked up a Hasselblad H2D/38mm ‘v’ lens.  This rivals the size of the A7Rv/Loxia 35mm and when passed through Phocus on the way to Lightroom, I get what to my eye is a Velvia like color scheme and Mamiya 7ii textures.  So, I don’t anticipate pulling the H2D out of my sling bag on many occasions, but I think that I have a good idea as to when to pull it out and why.  I have no idea if this head construct will actually pan out.  Going away for three weeks with two new camera systems is a bit of a challenge, but I’ll have plenty of time shooting while my daughters shop and hit the night life.  I sold many cameras and lenses to fund these two systems, so I’m all in.  BTW.. the color decision/purchase was made after responses here.  I was originally considering taking my A7Rv, M3, or M6ttl. 

Edited June 11, 2024 by BWColor
Typo

[patrickcolpron]

On 6/5/2024 at 5:23 AM, BWColor said:

I’m new to the Monochrom and struggling a bit as to what camera(s) to take on a three week vacation.  What photo equipment do you travel with and how do your cameras get assigned to particular settings/subjects?  Even when I shot mostly B&W film, I usually traveled with a camera loaded with color film.

I usually travel with 3 to 4 cameras, one of those is always an M Monochrom and M colour and an MP analog camera, M10R and M10M, with a Cine camera, Canon C70, or a mirrorless, Canon R5, I use to make videos with. 

And usually just use one camera and one lens per outting to simplify my life. 

I prefer the Monochrom for family pictures and close second is an MP loaded with Tri-X 

Edited June 11, 2024 by patrickcolpron
Schbecause

[Viv]

My travel kit is M11, Zeiss Planar 2/50 and a toothbrush.

[BWColor]

50 minutes ago, patrickcolpron said:

 

And usually just use one camera and one lens per outting to simplify my life. 

 

How do you secure the cameras left at hotel/rental?

[patrickcolpron]

35 minutes ago, BWColor said:

How do you secure the cameras left at hotel/rental?

That's never an issue, we have a place in Spain and a place in the South of France. With the kids it is the only places we travel to since covid. 
 

Before that it was left at the hotel, usually in the safe or in a locked suitcase same with the laptops. Never had an issue but in case, always had insurance. 

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[T25UFO]

I'm increasing moving towards one camera, on lens because photography is only one part of visiting places.  M10R plus 35mm APO.

[KenRothman]

I'm going thru this same mental exercise.

I've been using a Q2 for about 3 years, and love it.

So much so that I just got an M10M

and i still have my previous fuji XT3 kit

I really don't like traveling with multiple bodies. Lenses, fine, although i usually just use one.

I'm really struggling with whether or not I should sell the M10M *and* the Q2 for an M11 (realizing the potential lockup issues, etc)

And rely on the Fuji when I need "automation" which isn't terribly often.  I rely on it as is for "long lens" work, which I do very little of.

But the M10M is pretty special.

But I am also pretty damn happy with the B&W conversions I get from CaptureOne and the Q2

first world problems, i know.  isn't that why we're all here, tho?