ktmrider2 Posted January 25 Share #1 Posted January 25 Advertisement (gone after registration) I am on a round the world trip. I just spent four months scuba diving in the Philippines and am now in Kuala Lumpur. I have posted here about buying an MP in February, 2024 and a Q3 in December, 2024. So now I have to drag both cameras along on my trip. “Have to” may not be quite the right choice of words. Yesterday I walked around for three or four hours in Chinatown carrying just the Q3. I set it to auto everything and had a great time. It does what I have come to expect from any good digital technology. Today, I walked around downtown KL with my MP with 35f2.8 C-Biogon, Ekatar 100 loaded and the 90f2.8 Elmar M in my pocket along with an extra roll of film. The MP does what I knew it would. I had an M6 for over 20 years and the MP is basically the same camera. I had a great time with it. Can’t fault either camera and I really don’t know which I like better. Am still getting used to the Q3 and there is no way I would be without a film Leica. Guess I will continue to drag them around the world. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 25 Posted January 25 Hi ktmrider2, Take a look here MP and Q3/Film and Digital. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
LocalHero1953 Posted January 25 Share #2 Posted January 25 I have a camera bag with a single partition: Q3 43 in one and a film camera in the other (MP+Summilux-M 35 pre-asph two weeks ago, iif+Summaron 3.5cm f/2.8 now). A spare battery for the Q in the front pocket. No second lens. You're in a good place. Like them both equally. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrozenInTime Posted January 25 Share #3 Posted January 25 A film plus digital combination works well for travel. I ran the economy version of the Q3 alongside my MP this year. Lumix G100D + 'Leica' 15/1.7 , 25/1.4 Summilux , MP + 35/1.4 Nokton, 50/1.4 E46 Summilux. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexffm Posted January 26 Share #4 Posted January 26 @ktmrider2, I also have a combination of film and digital in my bag more and more often. Even if you have to be a bit careful when taking photos. Every now and then I take the film and after taking the photo I look at the back to see if the picture turned out OK... Have fun on your trip and we look forward to seeing your pictures Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktmrider2 Posted February 11 Author Share #5 Posted February 11 I never would have believed that the Q3 or even the MP would be useful on a safari. Normally I would be using a 300mm tele or longer not a 28mm or even a 90mm. I was wrong. I am traveling around the world and am presently in Sri Lanka. My original plan was to use an MP with 35/90 lenses. I purchased a Q3 in December so now dragging two Leicas along with me. I have been using both cameras a lot but the Q3 more just because it is so easy to use. I really like the crop function (the frame lines remind me of the lines in an M viewfinder). I was shooting elephants today using the 75 and 90 crop on the Q3 and a 90f2.8 on the MP. Had to switch to full frame on the Q3 because we got so close and elephants are so big. Who knew! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BradS Posted February 12 Share #6 Posted February 12 Isn't it is illegal to shoot elephants? Better to photograph them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktmrider2 Posted February 13 Author Share #7 Posted February 13 (edited) Advertisement (gone after registration) Unfortunately it is not! One of my friends is a “big game hunter”. He will be on safari in Africa this year and has told me he has plans on shooting an elephant, croc and leopard. He told me this last fall and I told him all it proves is he has too much money and ethics from the 19th century. He started going into how the hunting fees help the local villages and the elephants destroy crops. I called bs and said if he wanted to help the local village to just give them the money. I have challanged him to do it with a camera or if he really wanted to prove how macho he is, a spear! And he has not taken me up on either. I taught him the basics of marksmanship while I was a Marine back in 1980. I sometimes regret doing so. Edited February 13 by ktmrider2 4 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
archive_all Posted February 13 Share #8 Posted February 13 On 2/11/2025 at 11:37 AM, ktmrider2 said: I never would have believed that the Q3 or even the MP would be useful on a safari. Normally I would be using a 300mm tele or longer not a 28mm or even a 90mm. I was wrong. I am traveling around the world and am presently in Sri Lanka. My original plan was to use an MP with 35/90 lenses. I purchased a Q3 in December so now dragging two Leicas along with me. I have been using both cameras a lot but the Q3 more just because it is so easy to use. I really like the crop function (the frame lines remind me of the lines in an M viewfinder). I was shooting elephants today using the 75 and 90 crop on the Q3 and a 90f2.8 on the MP. Had to switch to full frame on the Q3 because we got so close and elephants are so big. Who knew! I'll have a brief safari this year and have considered to bring what I have, 35+90 M lenses or buy a whole new setup possibly a super zoom. It's not a photography trip per se so I'm leaning to just using what I have and making the most of it, cropping etc. This sounds possible as I should get fairly close to some wildlife like what you're describing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktmrider2 Posted February 13 Author Share #9 Posted February 13 (edited) On safari, a 300 is a really useful focal length. And if it does not say Leica or Leitz, you could pick up one with an older used digital or even film body fairly cheaply. We forget how outside the average Leica products are (in price not necessarily in quality) purchased a Nikon Zf last year for a paltry $2000 and got one of the sharpest Nikon zooms for mirrorless (24-120) for $1000. And you could pick up a used Nikon film body and long telephoto for under $1000. The elephants which we photographed here in Sri Lanka are wild but really wanted to get in the jeep with us. I think he wanted to learn to drive. I wish I had a longer lens but you use what you have. I am saying the Q3 or even the MP with 35/90 are not worthless on safari but probably not the best tools available. If you are going to take a Leica M, consider picking up a 135f2.8 Elmarit with the goggles. It is big and heavy, slow focusing due to long focus throw but can often be had for less than $400. It gives significantly better image magnification than the 90. Edited February 13 by ktmrider2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BradS Posted March 9 Share #10 Posted March 9 Would be interesting to hear about your film usage - as in how much film you are exposing and how you you are managing the exposed film...are you having it D&P as you go along or saving it all up to the end or? Stay warm and dry. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktmrider2 Posted March 9 Author Share #11 Posted March 9 In Egypt and somewhat in Jordan, it is not just the airports which use X-ray machines. On tour we stayed in a different hotel almost every night and each hotel wanted to scan your luggage as you arrived. Really is the Arab world that much more violent than the rest of the world. I will be back in the USA by the end of the week (cutting short my trip as I got homesick for family) and will let you know how my photos look. I have been using the Q3 a lot primarily as film has gotten a bit expensive. Of course, I could buy a hell of a lot of film for what I spent on the Q3. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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