Travel to Vietnam: Which lenses to take along my with M8?

[ashwinrao1]

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Hi everyone, I am looking for a bit of advice on what collection of lenses to take with me to Vietnam. I will be travelling extensively through the country, including cities (Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi), several World Heritage Sites (Hue, My Son), The Mekong Delta, and Halong Bay. My travel will take place in late February and early March, which is a relatively dry season there.

 

I am trying to keep to a small, yet versatile kit that doesn't attract much attention. I will be using my Leica M8 as my principal body, with attached 1.4x magnifier.

 

My options of lenses are:

CV 15

Elmarit 21 pre-asph

Elmarit 28 pre-asph

CV Nokton 35 f/1.2

summicron 35 asph and summaron 35 f/2.8

Summicron and Summiliux 50 (pre-asph)

Summar 50

Canon 50 f/0.95

Summarit 75 and Summilux 75

Elmarit 90 f/2.8 (most recent version)

 

I will be taking either a Billingham Hadley Digital or Billingham-for-Leica bag to house the gear.

 

My current thought for a versatile 4 lens set up:

CV 15, Summaron 35 f/2.8, Summilux 50 pre-asph, and Elmarit 90 f/2.8

 

This would allow me to shoot wide when needed (City streets, alleyways), have a compact near normal lens (Summaron on the M8) with a classic signature, have a low light option with versatility (50 lux pre-asph), and a critically sharp telephoto (elmarit).

 

I am debating whether the 35 'cron asph would be a better choice than the summaron, though the summaron is more compact. I have a major temptation to bring a 75 'lux as well, but it's huge and expensive...

 

Your thoughts are greatly appreciated as I continue to plan this exciting trip!!!

[dseelig]

CV 15

Elmarit 21 pre-asph

Elmarit 28 pre-asph

CV Nokton 35 f/1.2

Summiliux 50 (pre-asph)

Summilux 75

I would go with these. Though I would probably get rid of some of the other lenses and get a mate and or get rid of the 28 elmarit and get a 28 cron. or get rid of the 21 and 28 and if not wanting a wider fast lens get a 24 2.8 David

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[thpeters]

Hi everyone, I am looking for a bit of advice on what collection of lenses to take with me to Vietnam. I will be travelling extensively through the country, including cities (Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi), several World Heritage Sites (Hue, My Son), The Mekong Delta, and Halong Bay. My travel will take place in late February and early March, which is a relatively dry season there.

 

I am trying to keep to a small, yet versatile kit that doesn't attract much attention. I will be using my Leica M8 as my principal body, with attached 1.4x magnifier.

 

My options of lenses are:

CV 15

Elmarit 21 pre-asph

Elmarit 28 pre-asph

CV Nokton 35 f/1.2

summicron 35 asph and summaron 35 f/2.8

Summicron and Summiliux 50 (pre-asph)

Summar 50

Canon 50 f/0.95

Summarit 75 and Summilux 75

Elmarit 90 f/2.8 (most recent version)

 

I will be taking either a Billingham Hadley Digital or Billingham-for-Leica bag to house the gear.

 

My current thought for a versatile 4 lens set up:

CV 15, Summaron 35 f/2.8, Summilux 50 pre-asph, and Elmarit 90 f/2.8

 

This would allow me to shoot wide when needed (City streets, alleyways), have a compact near normal lens (Summaron on the M8) with a classic signature, have a low light option with versatility (50 lux pre-asph), and a critically sharp telephoto (elmarit).

 

I am debating whether the 35 'cron asph would be a better choice than the summaron, though the summaron is more compact. I have a major temptation to bring a 75 'lux as well, but it's huge and expensive...

 

Your thoughts are greatly appreciated as I continue to plan this exciting trip!!!

 

hi,

 

bring the 21-50/1.4 and summilux 75 then you have enough

 

theo

[therightagent]

Hi Ashwin,

 

I was in Vietnam and Camboida in Nov 07. I brought the followings:

 

Tri-Elmar

90mm f/2

75mm f/2

35mm f/2

28mm f/2

50mm f/1

 

The mostly used are in the following order :

Tri-Elmar

50mm f/1

28mm f/2

75mm f/2

 

I hope this will help. For my next trip I will eliminate 90mm and 75mm.

[Concorde-SST]

What about a second M8 body? Most people have too many

lenses but only one camera...or "just" one film backup body?

 

best,

 

Concorde-SST

[Fotomiguel]

Nice lenses and nice travel. I envy you. I would take:

15 CV

28 elmarit

50 sumilux

90 elmarit

I change just the 35mm for the 28. Almost the same.

Have fun and good luck!

[imported_reinierv]

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I agree with miguel

 

probably I myself wouldn't bring a 90mm (beside the fact I don't have one )

[akiralx]

CV15

28 Elmarit

50 Lux

75 Summarit

 

I'm a bit surprised at the 75 Lux recs - despite it being optically a better lens, do you really need the speed and size?

[danyves]

15/21/28/35

 

CV 15

Elmarit 21 pre-asph

Elmarit 28 pre-asph

 

summicron 35 asph

[rafael_macia]

I would go with the

15

28

50 Summicron

 

lean and mean

 

A really light and compact tripod would also expand your possibilities.

 

I think you gave me an idea where to go next.

 

Good Luck!

Rafael

[Guest stnami]

Give yourself an uppercut for being so dumb as not to know how to take photos with the appropriate lenses you own. By the way dust the lenses off as you take them off the shelf and don't forget the 75mm f/2 that you are using as a door stop....... decisions beyond you?

[Guest stnami]

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/barnack-s-bar/74940-travelling-insert-applicable-lenses-should-i.html#post777518

[jaapv]

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/barnack-s-bar/74940-travelling-insert-applicable-lenses-should-i.html#post777518

 

Well, yes to my amazement I somehow agree. And why would Vietnam be different from South Africa, New Jersey or Finland to take photos of:confused:

[fursan]

Someone asks for advice...help or don't help is your choice. But what is wrong is the attitude some forum members exhibit in such a situation..bordering on arrogance or deneaning and discouraging to the op.

 

If one does not have anything to contribute to a thread asking for advice..please ignore it. it is as simple as that.

[stunsworth]

The problem is that the 'advice' is impossible to give as it depends on the questioner's shooting style, something that we know nothing about. All we can say is what _we'd_ take, which could be different from what the original poster would want to use.

 

It's similar to a question asked the other day about which of the new Summiluxes to buy. Another impossible question to answer - and would someone _really_ spend £4000 based on the responses of strangers on an internet forum?

 

In the pre-M8 days people would ask whether they should buy a 35mm or a 50mm lens. This is a pretty fundamental split, some prefer 35mm, others 50mm. Again a question that can't be answered.

 

The most honest answer you can give is to advise the poster to work it out for themselves. It's not what they may want to hear, but there really isn't any other answer.

[jaapv]

And in addition, this OP has a trunkful of lenses and cannot be assumed to be a blue-eyed novice. There is no advice we can give him that is better than his own decision.

[Bo_Lorentzen]

Maybe the "trunk full" of lenses kind of delivers its own answer. I have multiple lenses for most of my cameras, and find that there are some lenses which get more use than others. Call them favorite lenses if you like.

 

Strangely I have found that my favorite way of seeing the world (or you could say field of view) is pretty much the same in Africa, Thailand and India as it is in California and Copenhagen... I know this might strike some as rather strange, but that is how it works for me.

 

The result is that I tend to travel with favored lenses which means that I spend more time looking than picking lenses as I already have a lens I like on the camera.

 

Now if you don't use your lenses that much.... then this trip and question may indeed rather be a question about re-discovering some wonderful lenses.. in that case grab the 3 lenses which turns you on the most and go discover how you see Vietnam through them. Trust me, there is no right answer, but if you are excited about what is in your hand chances are you will also see something with that lens.

 

Just my two cents

[Guest noah_addis]

Others are right, no one here can tell you which lenses to take, and frankly you have quite a few so you ought to know them. If not maybe you need to reassess if you need that much glass.

 

Your favorite lenses at home should be your favorite lenses when you travel, barring any very specific needs you might have on a trip.

 

For instance my working kit right now is an M8 with a 24 Elmarit and 50 'lux Pre-asph. If I were going on an assignment in Vietnam, or anywhere else, that kit would not change, though I might throw in another wide lens as a backup.

[manolo]

take the 28 from the 60's, old raybans and a fim M.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Photon42]

Of course, the perfect setup is:

 

CV 15 / 28 Elmarit / 50 Summilux / 90 Elmarit