Just one camera, No 2

[Bertram2]

Hi folks,

Chris asked :
>>If you were taking a trip around the world and could only bring ONE of your RFs >>with you, which would it be and why?

And I would like to ask you: Would it be a RF at all ? Or are there members who would prefer another type of camera for such a trip ?

We all know RF is not the one-fits-all machine, for me personally it is not a religion and as I learned there are many members like me who shoot SLR, TLR or VF or digital cameras depending from what the task is.

So let me ask you still a bit more precisely: If you could take ONE camera plus TWO primes or one zoom lenses (about the same weight) with you for that trip around the world, what would be your choice ?

I am really curious, can't wait for the answers, have no clue how the majority will decide tho this is a RF forum.

I'll tell you my choice too of course, later.

Best regards,
Bertram

 

[back alley]

after years of shooting all kinds of cameras and formats, i have realized that for my kind of shooting/pictures/feel/pleasure and satisfaction, that rangefinders are what do it for me.

i'm not anti any brand or format or type of lens (i.e. zooms) but i do not need them.

when i have shot for others and needed a specific type of shot then my needs were very different.

out of what i now own, if i could use only 1 camera and 2 lenses?

canon p (no surprise there) with 35 and 85 lenses.

joe

 

[Nikon Bob]

If you had asked me a week ago I would have said a Nikon FM2n and 24/28mm F2.8 ais and 85mm F1.8 ai manual lenses. I am still leaning that way but after a brief trip with an M body and 35mm and 90mm lenses the Leica gear is not too far behind and may even overtake it. If I had a Bessa and similar lens combos I am sure it would be right up there too as a choice.

Bob

 

[pendevour]

I use all kinds of cameras film and digital, SLR, TLR and rangefinders depending on what's required. For most of my "work" shots these days I use an EOS10D but for my "pleasure" shots I revert to my Bessa R or one of my many vintage rangefinder pals, they're just "fun" to use. But if I had to choose just one camera for my round the world trip I would probably choose my EOS 50E with Canon 28-105mm lens.

Arfon

 

[vha]

Well, good question, but how to keep the level ? 😉

On a world trip i would probably brought the same as i have brought with me here to Argentina, that would say my Contax G2 (black) , 28mm Biogon (black) and 90mm Sonnar , who sadly is in crome finish 🙁 .
For me the 28mm is used for at least 95 % of the photos,
90mm mostly for portraits or details.

3 years ago i was living in La Paz, Bolivia and walked around whit my Nikon FM and a Tokina 28-70 zoom, nice lens but ca 900g with filter is not for travelling, but what you have you have, and to got a 20 year old slr stolen is cheaper than a 5 year old Contax.

After some moths there i realised that i used the wide angle most and that the 70mm was just a bit too short. And i missed my G2.

Anyway, Next trip i will take a M6 with 28mm Elmarit M and CV 50mm Nokton (will buy). And hopefully my travel insurance will allow me as well.
They should since I´v bought the camera specially for that trip i am planing to have in ca 2 years. Just have to get home first and start saving. .. .
Mañana mañana . . . .

vha.

 

[wlewisiii]

Anymore, I find I only shoot with my RF's (or near RF's like my scale focus Ikonta). While I'd be tempted to take the Kiev 5 and 35/50/85, for the kind of trip you describe, I'd probably be happier in a real way with what I could do with the 6x6 format and a 75mm Tessar - so I'll stick to the Iskra.

William

 

[iDude]

I'd take my M3, no doubt.

 

[Honu-Hugger]

After trying to come up with some trick combinations of "Contax this" or "Alpa that" I think I'll just settle for my good old dependable no-fuss Rollei 35SE, stick it in the pocket of whatever I'm wearing and enjoy the trip.

 

[dmr]

And I would like to ask you: Would it be a RF at all ? Or are there members who would prefer another type of camera for such a trip ?

I was re-introduced to rangefinders a couple months ago, and I must admit that I like the GIII more and more the more I use it, or rather each time I get some dynamite results with it. It's my number 1 choice for low-light work. The more and more I use it I kick myself for selling my original rangefinder many years ago.

However, I'm (still) not convinced that the rangefinder is the universal hammer for all that appears to be a nail. I know that might not be the popular viewpoint here, but it is what I think and feel.

As an aside, the reason I'm not submitting an entry to the essay contest is that I would approach it from a critical-thinking viewpoint and question if the rangefinder is the best camera for somebody to buy, etc. (To question is the answer.) 🙂

Anyway, getting back to the subject, in anticipation of another trip to Hawaii (my second fave place to vacation) I'm thinking which camera I should take. Being practical, I want to take 1 and only 1 camera, mainly for convenience in packing and travel.

For the sake of discussion, let's say I'm equally familiar and comfortable with all of them for general shooting. I now have 3 choices:

1. Pentax K1000 with 28-135 zoom lens.

2. Olympus Stylus point-shoot with a moderate zoom.

3. Canon QL17 GIII.

I don't want to be limited to 1 focal length. Unfortunately that leaves #3 out.

I want to carry the camera *everywhere* and that leaves #1 and #3 out.

Now not to sound like a heretic, but the Olympus will work for maybe 95% of the shots I want to take, plus it's small enough so I can carry it everywhere. That's most likely the one I will take.

Hey, you asked. 🙂

 

[Richard Black]

I gave this a great amount of thought and I return to the following combo because I have had it the longest and the greatest amount of trust when travel gets rough. Minolta X370 with the Rokkor 28mm and 45mm lenses. Both take 49mm filters and it is quite light. I love rangefinders but worry about the knocks that could knock the rf out. I use a Bessa R for most travel in the US with the Color-Skopar 28 and a Jupiter 8 or 3. The old Minolta travels well in a small pack and it is quite light, not in RF catergory but much less than a Nikon F...
Please do not drum me out!

 

[DaveSee]

Hi folks,

Chris asked :
>>If you were taking a trip around the world and could only bring ONE of your RFs >>with you, which would it be and why?

And I would like to ask you: Would it be a RF at all ? Or are there members who would prefer another type of camera for such a trip ?

[ ... ]

I'll tell you my choice too of course, later.

The first time this question came around, I couldn't decide... but it got me thinking
about what I have and what I use.

Lately spent a little money, but mostly time getting back into making pictures with
cameras ... we are going around the world, right? So I'd hate to miss a
good image... and it's the lenses(plural) now too... I'm going to limit my self
to one lens and consider more that I'm travelling: M6 with a Nokton 40 SC. This
combo best represents how I take pictures now, and what I now have. The Bessa-T
is lighter, but I'd be afraid the VF might fall off... wait a minute! For about USD 600
I could glue the VF in place and *dedicate* the Bessa-T/Nokton 40SC to this trip!
Seems a small cost for such a "fabulous adventure"...

I know first-hand that the M6 can withstand desert and frigid snowy climates:
anyone know how rugged the CV Bessas are?

on the body-choice-fence + rgds,
Dave

 

[Jon Perry]

In the original thread I said the Bronica RF645 with 65mm (Standard) lens.

After giving it further thought, perhaps the Voigtlander Bessa L with 15mm/f4.5 lens would be the ultimate answer. Nice and compact, very light, not the end of the world if the batteries fail. Sure, no telephoto capabilities. But if you need a telephoto lens, you're just not close enough!

Still that mugger problem though . . . ahh to hell with it, Bronica RF645 (+ spare batteries)!

Jon.

 

[Jon Perry]

I know first-hand that the M6 can withstand desert and frigid snowy climates:
anyone know how rugged the CV Bessas are?

Dave

In regards to the Bessa R and the Bessa L:

I sure wouldn't want to drive nails into wood with them. There is a reason Leica's are SO expensive in comparison to the Voigtlanders. Mind you, you can buy quite a few Bessa L's for the price of an M6!

Jon.

 

[rover]

I am going to stick with my M6 with 35 and 50 Summicrons. Maybe for the trip I would go out and get a 28 and take the 28 and 50 instead, but I really like my Summicrons.

 

[Socke]

I DID travel a lot with a Rollei 35TE only but that WAS the reason to get a Yashica FX-D with 35-70 and 75-150 zoom 🙂.

So I thought real hard and looked up a lot of pictures and I think I'll decide on a Contax G2 with 35 and 90mm but I'd try hard to smuggle the 28 and 45 in as well as a Contax TVS 🙂

Attached you'll find my travel bag on my bed in Cuba. This bag holds a G2 with lens, a TVS, a TLA30 flash and two additional lenses with enough space for spare batteries and film.

 

[Krasnaya_Zvezda]

I would take my Leica Digilux 2 without a doubt. I'm ready with the camera, I just need the time and money for the trip 😀

 

[Kin Lau]

DReb + Sigma 18-125 - which I don't have yet but that would be my choice of a single zoom to travel with, or it'll be the standard 18-55kit lense.

If I had a Leica M_? or a RD1, my choice might be different.

ps. If I were to go on a trip like that, I would _not_ bring just one camera.

 

[GeneW]

I'll be the blasphemous one ...

Y'all know I like RF's -- but to me they're specialty cameras. I love shooting them for certain kinds of work, especially available light B&W.

For general shooting, and if I were to use only one camera, it's my Panasonic Lumix FZ20 digital with image stabilization and Leica 12x optical zoom (38-430mm equiv).

This weekend I was hired for a photoshoot on Sat and Sun of two tree-planting events and I used the Lumix exclusively. I've already edited the shots, created photo indexes using HTML, and have the CD-R's ready to deliver to my client on Monday. I used the zoom range extensively on both days.

For my personal work I use RF's quite a bit and love 'em, but when if tight timing is involved, and the client wants colour, I shoot digital.

Gene

 

[Jarvis]

My Hassleblad 503 and CF 80 2.8 ..... all I need, many, many years ago I did the world, well half of it and shot the most amazing series og pictures and slides, roughly 3000, with an Olympus OM-1 and Zuiko 50 lens. This camera was stolen in Turkey after which I replaced it with Nikons (FM). I have tried rangefinders, I find them very interesting, compact and beautifully looking, but allas I feel more comfortable with SLR's, Recently I have aquired a Hassleblad which does everything I want from a camera, in it's use it's like a second nature and the 6x6's are magnificent in slide or B&W. About 80% of all pictures I take with either my FM3a or Hassleblad are shot with standard lenses, this represents "the almost perfect image" for me anyway. I own the Hasselblad 40mm as well as a wide range of Nikkor Wide angles I find the images usefull but somehow unnatural, I personally enjoy the limitations of the standard lens... so hence my choice for the Hassleblad with the 80mm.

Why you might ask do I frequent this forum .... ? .... Upon the purchase of my FM3 I seriously considered buying a rangefinder and got a treasure of information here, I tried the Bessa 2r and the M6, but finally went for the FM3a, but stuck with visiting this forum, I like the friendly-, and diverse character of the threads, and sometimes even learn something.....

 

[akitadog]

Depending on what I want to accomplish, I will take either a Mamiya 6 with 50 and 150 lenses, or Leica M6 with 35 and 90 lenses.