If you could travel with just one focal length or lens, what would it be?

If I could have only one it would be a 50mm without any doubt. My favorites are the Zeiss-Opton Sonnar 50/1.5 or the SMC Pentax-M 50/2. They are both terrific lenses but there are certainly others that have been used over the years.
 
Update: I've spent most of the past two months shooting either with M10-M or M10-R fitted with a 50mm lens, or swapping to the Makina 6x7 which has an effective 43mm FoV on FF. Or again, the Leica X2 with a 35mm effective FoV. And it's a toss up ... all three FoVs work nicely for a general purpose intent for me, almost interchangeably.

I suppose this is because my eye adapts almost without thinking to whatever FoV I happen to have in my hands. 😉

G
 
One of the themes of this thread is that we are all pretty good at adapting to what is on the camera. If Yogi Berra was still amongst us, and a member of this forum, he'd answer that if you have the choice of an interchangeable lens camera or fixed lens, pick one. And if you have a range of lenses for your interchangeable lens camera, then pick one of those.
 
Tough choice between 35 and 50 but here and today it’d be the Summilux 50 ASPH with my M Monochrom and the 1.25x magnifier. For the Z7 I’d use the AFS 58/1.4 which is an awesome performer. No, sorry, both lenses are awesome performers wide open.
 
My wife and I got back a week ago from a 13 day "Trip a Deal" tour in Vietnam, beginning in Hanoi and finishing in Saigon. I took my Leica ME 220 with 28, 35 and 50mm lenses. Used the 28 on day one, the 50 on day 2 and the 35 for the rest of the time. This might suggest the 35 would be my first choice, however I probably just stuck with it rather than be bothered about making a decision each day about what to use. Also my 35, the CV Ultron v11 is by far the smallest of the three. I did think about buying the tiny CV 50 2.2 before leaving but having five 50's already felt I couldn't justify the cost.....So to answer the original question, a 50 would be my choice for a one lens option.
 
This is certainly a "Sophie's Choice" situation. The most similar to what we see is a 43mm, so the 40mm CV f/1.2 would be good. I could live with it. But there are nice 50's in my collection, too. The old 35mm CV Ultron is very nice despite being disliked. Actually whatever lens I am using would work. It's not the camera, it's not the lens, it's me.
 
boojum said:
This is certainly a "Sophie's Choice" situation. The most similar to what we see is a 43mm, so the 40mm CV f/1.2 would be good. I could live with it. But there are nice 50's in my collection, too. The old 35mm CV Ultron is very nice despite being disliked. Actually whatever lens I am using would work. It's not the camera, it's not the lens, it's me.
Click to expand...
Which old CV Ultron? Do you mean the LTM or later M mount version? I have the LTM and it's a wonderful lens, very sharp but with lots of character. The M mount version seems to be fine optically, but a number of people disliked the focus ring design.
 
Archiver said:
Which old CV Ultron? Do you mean the LTM or later M mount version? I have the LTM and it's a wonderful lens, very sharp but with lots of character. The M mount version seems to be fine optically, but a number of people disliked the focus ring design.
Click to expand...

I have the LTM and like it a lot. A sleeper I would never have thought to get. It was "suggested" by a friend. He got that one right. Just great image and color.
 
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