M lenses for the Mono 246 and (West) Balkans?

[dante]

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Ok hivemind - I am going to the Balkans this summer (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, (North) Macedonia, and Serbia - in alpha order!) and was wondering what people counsel in terms of lenses. I was thinking of taking my M246 instead of a Fuji GA645 because as much film as I would need is probably too much bulk. And the airport X-ray situation has gotten out of hand (our local now has the Analogic CT machines... hate to think of what Balkan airports might be using).

My choices (among things that are actually designed for Leica) are 18, 21, 28, 21-35, 25, 35, 50, 73/75, and 90mm.

What is/are the focal lengths (and for wides, what f/ speed)?

In Venice earlier this year, I got away with my Monochrom 246 and the 21-35/3.4-4 and didn't really lack for reach. I think I might have taken a 90, but if I did, I did not use it. 

35mm-ish has always been a safe choice, but at least one wide makes things interesting. The 21 is usually my go-to for wides, and I have various iterations - Leica, Zeiss, Avenon, and TTArtisan, some heavy, some slow, some small, some really fast. The Dual Hexanon is both in one, but it's not as much fun indoors.

Thanks!

 

[jdlaing]

A 35 a 50 and f/8.

[Gregm61]

I'd have to add the 21 and 90mm lenses to JD's suggestion...

[dante]

4 hours ago, jdlaing said:

A 35 a 50 and f/8.

Ha! I have only one lens with a maximum aperture of f/8 - it's an 18mm pancake. 🙂

[Olaf_ZG]

It all depends what you would like to photograph…

[jankap]

For voyages, I take a 15mm f/2.8, a 50mm f/2.0 and a 135mm f/4.0 with me. All R-lenses, despite the weight. Of course, the iPhone camera is available too. My wide angle can be used at f/2.8.

But I use neither a mono camera nor a rangefinder one.

Edited June 27, 2024 by jankap

[jankap]

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Where in the world is it safe? Perhaps the safest at one´s home.🤣

[PhoToad]

21 (can be slow for outdoor use), 35 1.4 (for indoors), 50 (2.0), 90 (can be slow).

[Olaf_ZG]

On 6/27/2024 at 11:37 AM, jankap said:

Where in the world is it safe? Perhaps the safest at one´s home.🤣

Living in the western part of west Balkan, I agree with @Al Brown, it’s very safe uphere.

[jankap]

Is it thinkable, that one´s home is less safe than elsewhere? I remember a book title: Thinking the unthinkable.

[farnz]

On 6/27/2024 at 12:33 AM, dante said:

Ok hivemind - I am going to the Balkans this summer (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, (North) Macedonia, and Serbia - in alpha order!) and was wondering what people counsel in terms of lenses. I was thinking of taking my M246 instead of a Fuji GA645 because as much film as I would need is probably too much bulk. And the airport X-ray situation has gotten out of hand (our local now has the Analogic CT machines... hate to think of what Balkan airports might be using).

My choices (among things that are actually designed for Leica) are 18, 21, 28, 21-35, 25, 35, 50, 73/75, and 90mm.

What is/are the focal lengths (and for wides, what f/ speed)?

In Venice earlier this year, I got away with my Monochrom 246 and the 21-35/3.4-4 and didn't really lack for reach. I think I might have taken a 90, but if I did, I did not use it. 

35mm-ish has always been a safe choice, but at least one wide makes things interesting. The 21 is usually my go-to for wides, and I have various iterations - Leica, Zeiss, Avenon, and TTArtisan, some heavy, some slow, some small, some really fast. The Dual Hexanon is both in one, but it's not as much fun indoors.

Thanks!

 

18 months ago I did a drive around all of those countries plus Albania, Greece, Slovenia and back to the UK and I never felt worried about safety.  Met some wonderful people and was treated very well everywhere.  There are some of the dingier areas in Serbia's capital, Belgrade, where it's wise to be aware of who's around you but no more than most large cities and it might have been the poor street lighting that made it feel that way.

Since you're going to Serbia my advice is to stay out of Kosovo because you don't want Kosovan stamps in your passport when trying to re-enter Serbia.  It has been fairly 'quiet' between the two countries since the end of the Balkans War but I've noticed that it has started to hot up again in recent months.  Serbia does not recognise Kosovo as a bona fide state because Kosovo took over territory that had been Serbian.  The Kosovans see it the other way of course.

When you're in Bosnia & Herzogovina you should be safe but if you stop by the side of the motorway don't stray off the tarmac because there are land mines in their hundreds of thousands left over from the Balkans War and no one knows where they are.  Nothing upsets a satisfying whizz more than getting your legs blown off.  You don't need to worry about land mines in the towns and cities of course.

I'm a 50 mm shooter so I only took my M10 and a couple of 50 mm lenses and 'zoomed with my feet'.  I also had a tiny Leica C (Typ 112) with 24 to 200 mm lens for difficult to reach places and I never felt sad that I hadn't brought any of my wide-angle or telephoto lenses for my M10.  YMMV.

Pete.