Just booked my flight to Istanbul! Camera advices please?

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santela

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I will be in Istanbul for 8 days, starting the end of January. I have the following gear, not quite sure which combination would be the best.

Leica M7, Konica Hexar RF, Voigtlander R4M, and a Contax T3

Voigtlander VM: 15mm f/4.5
Zeiss ZM: 21mm f/4.5, 25mm f/2.8, 35mm f/2, 50mm f/2
Leica: 50mm f/2

I also have a set of Nikon gear with 24mm 50mm and 85mm lenses.

Right now I'm thinking the M7 and R4 along with the whole ZM set, maybe the T3 as well, since it is so easy to carry around.

Here is the question: I'm thinking about acquiring the Voigtlander 35mm f/1.2 version II, because I wanna be able to shoot in the dim mosques, and currently my fastest lens is f/2. What do you think about this set-up? Is it gonna be fast enough? And will I miss a tele lens?

Any comment about Istanbul is also appreciated!
 
santela said:
I will be in Istanbul for 8 days, starting the end of January. I have the following gear, not quite sure which combination would be the best.

Leica M7, Konica Hexar RF, Voigtlander R4M, and a Contax T3

Voigtlander VM: 15mm f/4.5
Zeiss ZM: 21mm f/4.5, 25mm f/2.8, 35mm f/2, 50mm f/2
Leica: 50mm f/2

I also have a set of Nikon gear with 24mm 50mm and 85mm lenses.

Right now I'm thinking the M7 and R4 along with the whole ZM set, maybe the T3 as well, since it is so easy to carry around.

Here is the question: I'm thinking about acquiring the Voigtlander 35mm f/1.2 version II, because I wanna be able to shoot in the dim mosques, and currently my fastest lens is f/2. What do you think about this set-up? Is it gonna be fast enough? And will I miss a tele lens?

Any comment about Istanbul is also appreciated!
Click to expand...


I live in Istanbul and have been photographing it since the '60s...

If I were you I would be taking with the M7 and the R4M as backup. You do not need f1.2 to shoot in dim mosques or churches; actually you need some DOF to reveal the details in such buildings. So take with any lens of yours and do not forget that a lot of tourists are using probably f4.5 zooms for the same pictures. Lean yourself to a wall, column or something to go as low as 1/8 sec. as I did the same not only with Leicas but also with a Nikon F and 24/2.8 lens stopped to f5.6 recording on Velvia 50.

Keep your bag as light as possible as you will be walking around a lot. Sultanahmet will be your center of interest for a couple of days and Sirkeci where a number photo shops are located is only 15 minutes walk away if you ran out of film (you will run out of film! 🙂 )

I personally love to work with 24/25mm FL while picturing such sites as it tends to stretch the corners less than what 21mm does. (Biogon 25mm is my favorite as it's excellent @2.8 too). Keep the 35mm on one camera for it may be your most used lens. You have some excellent lenses so choose the FLs as you like.

For night photography (most of the sites are illuminated during nights offering great sceneries) a small tripod is recommended.

Have a pleasant trip!

Regards,
 
On my trip to Istanbul about a year ago I carried three lenses and two M-bodies with me. And I did not miss anything.
These were: M6TTL 0.58, M6TTL 0.72 and Summilux 35/1.4 pre-asph, Skopar 21/4, Tele-Elmarit 90/2.8.
I prefer to use two bodies because I don't like to change lenses so often.
 
I think any of your gear is fine, only tip I would give is to be up somewhere high at night, the lit-up mosques are very beautiful at night.
 
I carried two M-bodies on my last trip to Istanbul. The ZM 25/2.8 and Summaron 35mm were used the most, followed by a DR Cron while 90mm sat virtually unused. A 2.8 lens is perfectly fine for photographing the mosques. As others mentioned, pack light.
 
If I was packing for your trip it would be the M7 and R4M bodies with the R4M as backup. Lens selection would be 25/2.8 (if you like shooting that wide) 35/2, and 50/2.

If your hotel is centrally located and you like to move around a lot and not carry the weight leave one body in the hotel as backup and go back and get it if necessary.

For night shots and in mosques I often push HP5 to 1600 and develop in DD-X and get good results.

I've used a 90/2.8 exactly once in the six years of shooting in Istanbul and a 15mm only on special shots that I have in mind.
 
BobYIL said:
I live in Istanbul and have been photographing it since the '60s...

If I were you I would be taking with the M7 and the R4M as backup. You do not need f1.2 to shoot in dim mosques or churches; actually you need some DOF to reveal the details in such buildings. So take with any lens of yours and do not forget that a lot of tourists are using probably f4.5 zooms for the same pictures. Lean yourself to a wall, column or something to go as low as 1/8 sec. as I did the same not only with Leicas but also with a Nikon F and 24/2.8 lens stopped to f5.6 recording on Velvia 50.

Keep your bag as light as possible as you will be walking around a lot. Sultanahmet will be your center of interest for a couple of days and Sirkeci where a number photo shops are located is only 15 minutes walk away if you ran out of film (you will run out of film! 🙂 )

I personally love to work with 24/25mm FL while picturing such sites as it tends to stretch the corners less than what 21mm does. (Biogon 25mm is my favorite as it's excellent @2.8 too). Keep the 35mm on one camera for it may be your most used lens. You have some excellent lenses so choose the FLs as you like.

For night photography (most of the sites are illuminated during nights offering great sceneries) a small tripod is recommended.

Have a pleasant trip!

Regards,
Click to expand...


Thank you! That's more information than I was expecting!

Looks like the 25 Biogon will see more action than the 21. I'm a 35mm guy, so the 35 Biogon is definitely staying on the M7.

Now all I need is a gorillapod 😀
 
bastian a. said:
On my trip to Istanbul about a year ago I carried three lenses and two M-bodies with me. And I did not miss anything.
These were: M6TTL 0.58, M6TTL 0.72 and Summilux 35/1.4 pre-asph, Skopar 21/4, Tele-Elmarit 90/2.8.
I prefer to use two bodies because I don't like to change lenses so often.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input, I also don't like switching lenses. I don't have a 90mm, but I guess I can live without it.

thegman said:
I think any of your gear is fine, only tip I would give is to be up somewhere high at night, the lit-up mosques are very beautiful at night.
Click to expand...

Thanks, noted. Saw some night shots of the town on flickr, they are amazing!

marduk said:
I carried two M-bodies on my last trip to Istanbul. The ZM 25/2.8 and Summaron 35mm were used the most, followed by a DR Cron while 90mm sat virtually unused. A 2.8 lens is perfectly fine for photographing the mosques. As others mentioned, pack light.
Click to expand...

Thanks, it's good to know that the 90mm won't be missed 😀

semrich said:
If I was packing for your trip it would be the M7 and R4M bodies with the R4M as backup. Lens selection would be 25/2.8 (if you like shooting that wide) 35/2, and 50/2.

If your hotel is centrally located and you like to move around a lot and not carry the weight leave one body in the hotel as backup and go back and get it if necessary.

For night shots and in mosques I often push HP5 to 1600 and develop in DD-X and get good results.

I've used a 90/2.8 exactly once in the six years of shooting in Istanbul and a 15mm only on special shots that I have in mind.
Click to expand...

Thank you! I'm thinking bringing some 400 films just in case. I almost sold my 25mm Biogon after acquiring the 21mm, now I'm glad I didn't!
 
I wish I had a tripod when I was there a few years ago, else a digital camera with high iso for the interior and night shots. Istanbul is a beautiful city with visually striking interiors and night scenes.
 
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