More Obsessing About Gear Choices

When in doubt, I carry 25-50 zoom lens (you know, several lenses in one barrel). If I'm still in doubt, I replace that lens with 28-100 - even more lenses in a package but that's heavy package. If I still feel etch, I leave with small 40mm lens. This works for me nearly always.
 
Spent eight weeks in Europe/UK last year with R3A and R4A. One colour, one B&W. Swapped lenses between them.
15mm and 75 mm hardly got used. 25mm (I didn't have 21 or 35 then) and 40mm got the most use. There were a few times when a 21 would have been nice - inside some museums and palaces etc but the 25 was quite OK for most wide. At the other end I'd go for 50.
For a three lens kit if I had a 21 I'd pick 28 as the middle lens and if I had a 25 I'd pick 35 as the better 'fit'. I think 25 and 28 are too close together to take both.
If I had room I'd take 21/28/35/50 now that I have the M6.
It was summer and mostly I used APX 100 plus some 400 ISO (Tri-X or HP5+). Wasn't out doing night shooting so had no need for 1600. Could have pushed Tri-X at least one stop anyway. For colour I used Fuji 200 ISO.
 
I always take 2 bodies (MP&M7) with 4 lenses. If I have to just take one lens, it would be would be 35mm, 2 lenses would be 35 & 21.
 
When I went on a Romania-Bulgaria-Turkey trip I had 3 cameras - Hexar RF. Leica M5 and Welta Weltur 6x6 folder. I had ZM 21/2.8, M-Hexanon 28/2.8 and 50/1.2 for lenses, (plus 75/2.8 on a folder). I did miss a longer lens. Having a super fast lens was a huge plus. I'm not usually a 28mm shooter, but I made myself use it. If I would do it again, I'd probably go with a 15mm, 21mm, 35mm 50mm and either 75mm or 90mm lens. Why? I like to have options. If I HAD to limit myself, I's take 21mm, 35mm and 75 or 90mm lenses - that way I'm covered for every possibility. And 35mm would be CV 35/1.2 - as I feel that you have to have at least one superfast lens - I had brought mostly ISO 100 and 200 film with me and couldn't find any other locally, so having a 1.2 lens really saved me. And always have 2 bodies that fit same lenses - just in case something happens to one of them - it gets broken or stolen or whatever else.
 
I'm not inclined to take two bodies, due to the extra weight. Remember, too, that I'm also taking the little Sigma.

That said, I think the only two-body approach that make sense for is me with the OM-2N and the 85/2 as the second body. With the exception of the 21, the Bessa and the Leica take the same lenses.

Another way to look at this is to ask myself how much I would use that 21. With that out of the mix, it's a much simpler choice. Opting for the 21 confines me to the Bessa.
 
The Sigma has an equivalent FL of 40mm. Fine for general shooting but I think you'll eventually be sorry not to have something wider. If you have the VF that comes with the CV21 you can use that on the M2. Plus the 35 and the 50. Personally I'd leave the 85 at home.
 
Leigh, I have the M-mount version of the Color-Skopar that comes without the VF. I will admit I'm thinking about getting one. The downside of the M2, especially with the Nokton 35, is simply the weight, which is a real factor when I'm wearing a camera bag 12 hours a day. The upside, compared to the Bessa, is that the framelines are bigger.
 
I will not leave for Europe without a wide. You will need them for shots of market squares, the cobblestoned laneways, people ans surroundings.
40mm feels a bit tight to me.

35mm is a good compromise
 
wgerrard said:
Leigh, I have the M-mount version of the Color-Skopar that comes without the VF. I will admit I'm thinking about getting one. The downside of the M2, especially with the Nokton 35, is simply the weight, which is a real factor when I'm wearing a camera bag 12 hours a day. The upside, compared to the Bessa, is that the framelines are bigger.
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Bill,

I'm double-dipping here.

You've mentioned weight a number of times. Heed what you say. If you're worried about it now, you will feel it more when you're on the trip.

35 and 50 are different, yes, but I would not take 35 AND 50 if I were worried about weight.

Giorgio
 
It always amuses me that Americans have this idea of Europe as really narrow streets. Then again, I have some wappy ideas about America too. 😀

Europe has some tight alleyways, but also a hell of a lot of open space. If you take a 21 and a 28, you'll be bound to come across something where you can't step forward or back that really needs a 25. You take a 21, and you'll find someplace where you couldn't shoot a whole building (in a tiny courtyard say) even if you had a 15.

So don't sweat the choice. You can still capture a lot with a 35 even in alleyways.

Whatever lenses you have, there's always some photo you can't take. So you take another instead.

For six months I shot with just a 50mm - I did a weekend in Rome with it. That's all I had, so that's all I looked for when composing. It didn't bother me. Now with more lenses I either futz about changing them or curse myself for leaving one of them behind.

I also metered by hand back then, so my slides were consistent from frame to frame, which impressed the pro lab where I had them developed.

Compositionally, they were as bad then as they are now. :bang:
 
wgerrard said:
Leigh, I have the M-mount version of the Color-Skopar that comes without the VF. I will admit I'm thinking about getting one. The downside of the M2, especially with the Nokton 35, is simply the weight, which is a real factor when I'm wearing a camera bag 12 hours a day. The upside, compared to the Bessa, is that the framelines are bigger.
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I must admit I have noticed the weight difference between the M6 I bought recently and the Bessas. I keep telling myself that because I've got the lightweight and small CV 25/28/35/50 lenses as opposed to the heavy fast ones that it all balances out. Even the 35/1.4 is relatively compact and light. The 1.2 lens is a monster.
I'm off to Broome in WA next week with two cameras - I may sing a different tune when I return! 🙂

p.s. If you do get a VF for the 21, I'd suggest checking the view first . I recently bought the new CV combined metal finder for 21/25 and it's not as good as I thought it would be - compared to the other CV finders I've got. (15/75/90). I would buy the single FL VF next time. Camera Quest still has them apparently, even though manufacture has ceased.
 
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principe azul said:
It always amuses me that Americans have this idea of Europe as really narrow streets. Then again, I have some wappy ideas about America too. 😀
Europe has some tight alleyways, but also a hell of a lot of open space.
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It's probably more a matter of people seeing what is different about the place they're visiting that attracts their attention. USA and Australia have ample open spaces - not so much of the old and quaint.
A wide is very useful for open spaces as well as narrow streets.
 
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make it EASY on Yourself...21 & 50 Yeah !!!!!
thats what I would DO...😱

have Fun.....😀
Cheers-H

edit / addition Take One Body ...Two lenses
and your DP1 for digi fun
 
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wgerrard said:
Now, there's a thought. Actually, the 21 and the Zeiss 50 weigh so little that I'd throw in the 28/1.9 with the Bessa.

Hmmm...
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Bad Bill! Here we are trying to lighten your load, keep your choices simple, and you pull this one on us! 😉

If it's any consolation, I angst about my wideangle choice (one lens) every other month. 🙄
 
I mean, I shot with just a 35mm for maybe three or four years. And then I wanted to go wider (as well), and I never settled. 21mm, 28mm, 15mm, 25mm, in that order - all of them seemed to be too wide at times and too long at others: even the 15mm seemed too long a lot of the time.

I don't know why. Maybe too many choices? Maybe I never really got enough experience? Maybe I didn't really know what I was trying to achieve? Or maybe I was trying to achieve too many things at different times and confused myself?

I never really feel this with the 35mm - maybe I just know intuitively what the 35mm does and what I can do with it, and that's that? In other words, I know how to look for 35mm pictures but wider I just think "I'd like that!" then find whichever lens I have doesn't fit.

Grrr.... Need to shoot more. Only have the 25mm now. Need to learn it as well as the 35mm.

And sorry this doesn't solve your dilemma, Bill!
 
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