Help Me Choose My Camera Gear: You Decide!

[raid]

I am ready to let you decide which camera gear to take along on my upcoming trip to China for one week. It will be to two cities (Tianjin and Beijing), but I hope that there will be possibilities for side trips. Basically, my wife and I will most likely not be able to visit mountains and natural wonders, but we will see what is available around Beijing.

I was going to take along two rangefinder cameras plus the tiny Fuji Natura P&S with the 24mm/1.9, but I will let you decide what I will take along!

Which acceptable rangefinder cameras do I have available?

1. Leica M3
2. Bessa T
3. Leica CL
4. Canon P

I don't want to experiment with newly acquired old cameras which require me to cut the end of the film and so on, which leaves the Leica IIIc and the Canon IVsb out.

Which focal lengths do I prefer?

24mm ~ 135mm

Lens Options:

1. CV 25mm/4 (if chosen, then the Fuji Natura stays home)

2. Rokkor 28mm/2.8 Canon 28mm/3.5

3.Canon 35mm/1.8 or Summicron 35mm/2 with goggles

4. 40mm/50mm lenses:
Summicron C 40mm/2
Summicron rigid and collapsible
Canon 50/1.2 50/1.8 502.8
Nikkor 50/2
Zeiss 50/LTM (pre-war)
FSU J-3 50/1.4 J-8 50/2.0 I-61L 50/2.8

5. 85mm~90mm

Summicron 90/2
Elmarit 90/2.8
Elmar 90/4

Canon 85/1.9


6. 135mm

Hektor 135mm/4.5
Canon 135mm/3.5
Nikkor 135mm/3.5


A small set of lenses would be sufficient.

 

[Michael I.]

Leica CL Canon 35mm/1.8 everyday;Canon 50/1.2 lowlight;Canon 85/1.9;Fuji Natura as backup and wide

 

[back alley]

m3 and cl

rokkor 28
50 summicron collapsible
elmar 90/4
no 135

small, lightweight easy to carry.
small bag keep the 28 on the cl, the 50 on the m3 and the 90 on either.

 

[raid]

Wow! That was quick. I will abide by whatever this Forum advises me to do.

 

[aad]

I don't cut no stinkin' leaders! IIIc, baby.

Otherwise, M3/Bessa T

 

[leafy]

You need no viewfinder, get the T!

 

[dostacos]

I am ready to let you decide which camera gear to take along on my upcoming trip to China for one week. It will be to two cities (Tianjin and Beijing), but I hope that there will be possibilities for side trips. Basically, my wife and I will most likely not be able to visit mountains and natural wonders, but we will see what is available around Beijing.

I was going to take along two rangefinder cameras plus the tiny Fuji Natura P&S with the 24mm/1.9, but I will let you decide what I will take along!

Which acceptable rangefinder cameras do I have available?

1. Leica M3
2. Bessa T
3. Leica CL
4. Canon P

I don't want to experiment with newly acquired old cameras which require me to cut the end of the film and so on, which leaves the Leica IIIc and the Canon IVsb out.

Which focal lengths do I prefer?

24mm ~ 135mm

Lens Options:

1. CV 24mm/3.5 (if chosen, then the Fuji Natura stays home)

2. Rokkor 28mm/2.8

3.Canon 35mm/1.8 or Summicron 35mm/2 with goggles

4. 50mm lenses:
Summicron rigid and collapsible
Canon 50/1.2 50/1.8 502.8
Nikkor 50/2
Zeiss 50/LTM (pre-war)
FSU J-3 50/1.4 J-8 50/2.0 I-61L 50/2.8

5. 85mm~90mm

Summicron 90/2
Elmarit 90/2.8
Elmar 90/4

Canon 85/1.9


6. 135mm

Hektor 135mm/4.5
Canon 135mm/3.5
Nikkor 135mm/3.5


A small set of lenses would be sufficient.

Leica and Bessa T but include the 24mm wide

 

[back alley]

Wow! That was quick. I will abide by whatever this Forum advises me to do.

this forum will never arrive at a consensus...😉

 

[raid]

Leica and Bessa T but include the 24mm wide

Do you mean the CV 25mm/4 or the Fuji Natura P&S with the 24mm/1.9 lens?

 

[raid]

this forum will never arrive at a consensus...😉

Joe:I will go with majority votes.

 

[rbiemer]

Raid,
I voted for "other". I think you should take all of your choices and a camera porter. I might know some one who would work for airfare and food... 😀
Really, though, I would suggest the Natura and which ever other camera you feel most confident using. Along with the 50 and 85/90 you like the best.
Rob

 

[FrankS]

I'd take the M3 and CL bodies.

J3 on the M3 (sounds right, doesn't it?)

Canon 35 f1.8 on the CL. (just use the whole viewfinder outside the 40mm framelines)

CV25 at the ready.

Elmar or Elmarit 90 optional. (You really can take portraits with a 50.)

small flash

Just my suggestion.

 

[sf]

Really, I'd just take the CL. Smaller is better for so many reasons - and so is FEWER. 25mm is very wide.

Maybe, you could take the M3 + 50mm and the Natura for the wide shots.

 

[FrankS]

B+W film in the M3, colour neg or slide fikm in the CL. Keep the 25 finder on the CL to check when the wide lens would work. You also need a small light meter. (Handier than using the CL meter to set the M3 esp. if you have diff ISO films.)

You can switch the lenses around: 50 on the CL or 25 on the M3 when you want. (The only weakness is using the 35 on the M3, which would require another external finder, or you just "wing it".)

This is a bit of gear, but you are going someplace far away and exciting.

 

[raid]

Raid,
I voted for "other". I think you should take all of your choices and a camera porter. I might know some one who would work for airfare and food... 😀
Really, though, I would suggest the Natura and which ever other camera you feel most confident using. Along with the 50 and 85/90 you like the best.
Rob

Rob: So you favor one full-sized camera plus the P&S. Makes me thinking about such a lighter plan.

 

[raid]

"I'd take the M3 and CL bodies.

J3 on the M3 (sounds right, doesn't it?)

Canon 35 f1.8 on the CL. (just use the whole viewfinder outside the 40mm framelines)

CV25 at the ready.

Elmar or Elmarit 90 optional. (You really can take portraits with a 50.)

small flash

Just my suggestion."
__________________

B+W film in the M3, colour neg or slide fikm in the CL. Keep the 25 finder on the CL to check when the wide lens would work. You also need a small light meter. (Handier than using the CL meter to set the M3 esp. if you have diff ISO films.)

You can switch the lenses around: 50 on the CL or 25 on the M3 when you want. (The only weakness is using the 35 on the M3, which would require another external finder, or you just "wing it".)

This is a bit of gear, but you are going someplace far away and exciting.

Frank: I only know how to use the Pentax Spotmeter even though I was given a couple of smaller meters with dials. As for using a flash, I wouldn't know where to start with theM3 since it needs one of those little adapters. The CL would be more suitable for a small flash. If I used the 35mm/2 with goggles, then I have to use the M3, but with the 35mm/1.8, I could use either camera suggested by you. I conclude that you do not favor the Natura P&S and prefer the 25mm/4 lens.

Greetings,
Raid

 

[raid]

Really, I'd just take the CL. Smaller is better for so many reasons - and so is FEWER. 25mm is very wide.

Maybe, you could take the M3 + 50mm and the Natura for the wide shots.

This would be a minimal outfit indeed. It may be sufficient.

 

[FrankS]

I would not take the googled 35 lens - too bulky, and only works on the M3. You could get away with just the 50 on the M3 and the 25 on the CL.

(I like the CV25 lens (and viewfinder) on the CL.)

Let your wife carry a P+S camera with a 35mm lens.

You're a lucky dog, going on such a trip! 🙂

 

[Will]

m3 and cl

rokkor 28
50 summicron collapsible
elmar 90/4
no 135

small, lightweight easy to carry.
small bag keep the 28 on the cl, the 50 on the m3 and the 90 on either.

Add the 24, 28, 35, as you go to Benjing, you for sure will go to the old palace, you need something wide, very wide...

As you go to the old districts, you need something fast, so with a fast 50/1.2 or 50/2

Take the 90/2.8

 

[JohnM]

My pick - the M3 with 50 rigid and a 90, either the Elmarit or the Elmar. Speed won't be that important for the 90, so take whichever one works better for you.

The Natura is almost a no-brainer as well - small, tidy, f1.9, etc. The CL makes sense as a backup.