Cruising outfit confusion

[David Hughes]

Hmmm, well, I like to travel light and that affects my choice of camera.

I started with the Olympus 35-SP because it was small and light (at the time) and had a decent lens on it and spot metering. So it covered a lot of shots I wanted to get.

Later on I swapped it for the Leica CL and Minolta CLE because it gave me 90mm for details etc. The CLE lasted for one roll because I kept forgetting it had to be switched on. Luckily I was able to undo the trade in and got my CL and still have it.

For a while the Pentax ME and a couple of lenses worked nicely but I started to feel I wasn't travelling light and so that led to the Olympus XA but it was somewhat fragile and after a repair and a complaint about the repair I fixed on the XA2.

When the XA was repaired I noticed a traded in one that was cheaper than the repair and that started me looking at trade-ins and collecting slowly at first.

Nowadays I'm still favour the XA2 and sometimes the Olympus µ-I and II and there's the µ-V with its neat zoom and so on. Konica A4 and Pentax ESPIO 928 spring to mind as excellent travel cameras.

And for digital I like the Panasonic LX5 and leave the M9 at home. What worries me about the M9 is that there's this nice neat black leather case with "Leica" on it and inside a collection of Leica and CZ lenses, flash and a body that have set me back thousands and could be stolen in seconds. Friends have had cameras stolen from hotel rooms and so on...

And there you have it; my experience since the 60's... Make of it what you will.

Regards, David


PS And if you want to get the best out of your camera you need a heavy, awkward to carry tripod. No tripod means you will find handheld is a great way of levelling the differences in lens quality...

 

[jsrockit]

I think it comes down to if you are the type that photographs more when you travel or when you are at home. Also, are you into trying to make art or are you into memories. I`m not a huge travel photographer because I only go to that place for a short amount of time and I am with my wife usually. To me, that is not the best way to get anything but tourist shots. I feel a lot better photographing my city that I am in all of the time. That I get to know better by being there always. If you are into travel photography, and this is your style of photography, then bring serious gear. If not, bring something small and light and enjoy the trip.

 

[iphoenix]

Leather chaps and vest would be my cruising outfit of choice.

Sounds nice; unfortunately though, it may stand out a little on a cruise in the tropics 🙂

 

[iphoenix]

What are you going to do for a light meter with the IIIf? Seems like the answer to that question might add some weight to the rig.

Just realised my earlier response didn't totally cover your suggestion. I use a very accurate (and small - 1 ounce) Gossen Sixtino 2). It covers the amount of light I'm likely to be taking pictures in, and is faster and easier to use than some of the supposedly better ones in my collection.

 

[charjohncarter]

You have many good answers here. But for me on vacations I like simplicity: for me a 28mm lens set at 10 feet and f8.0 you can shoot from 5 feet to infinity. And having focusing problems with older eyes and need good viewfinder RF. I have a IIIF but really prefer my Bessa R (meter) with any lens I choose.

I used to take two Pentax P3n cameras with a 28 and a 50. But focusing really was a killer. So now I may take one P3n with a 28 set as above but it has auto shutter. And the Bessa R with a 50mm

 

[iphoenix]

I think it comes down to if you are the type that photographs more when you travel or when you are at home. Also, are you into trying to make art or are you into memories.

I take photographs far more when I travel and, whilst creating memories as my priority, would hopefully not exclude art.

 

[iphoenix]

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions. Something of everyone's post/s helped me to come up with this decision, based on picture quality, confidence in camera, weight, ease of use, and (the slight chance of) art.

Aboard ship: Leica M6 plus 35 and 50 Summicrons and 90 Elmar.
Ashore: Leica IIIF plus 25 and 35 Canons and 50/3.5 uncoated Elmar (maybe also a wartime 90 coated Elmar as well). Only one lens would be used ashore at each port.

David