Lens Choice for a few days in Paris

Roger Hicks said:
From http://www.rogerandfrances.com/short/z short schrift archive.html

Few topics generate more responses on the photographic forums than "I am going to Delhi [or Paris, or Istanbul, or wherever]. What cameras should I take?"

The curious assumption is that you are going to take different pictures from any you have ever taken before. If this is your first trip abroad, it seems a reasonable assumption that you will take the same sort of pictures you take at home . . . "

How are things going to change, compared with what you normally shoot? I normally shoot full frame Leica with 35 Summilux, so guess what I take to Paris, 3 hours from where I live.

Cheers,

R.
Click to expand...

Roger: While it makes a certain amount of sense that if one usually shoots with a 35mm lens, they will continue that preference when faced with a new situation, I think it's important to remember that France is much smaller than the USA. I heeded the advice to take wide-angle lenses to deal with the narrow streets, and I'm glad I did. I think that even the fellow who usually shoots with a 50 will be well advised to take a wider lens or two. I could have done alright with my 28 as the widest lens, but I was glad I took the 25 along as well. I shot an awful lot with 28 and 35. I did need the 25 at times, like getting in the top of the Moulin Rouge's windmill. So I think the advice to take wide lenses, no matter what one usually uses, is relevant for Paris, Arles, and no doubt other French cities and towns.

I guess what I'm saying is that it doesn't hurt to get advice from photographers who have already been to a given location. I'd advise a French photographer contemplating a visit to the USA to include a long lens, for some detail shots in the Grand Canyon; for photos of eagles flying at Lock & Dam 24 on the Mississippi River in February; perhaps a shot of Long's Peak at Rocky Mountain National Park; some alpenglow shots in Imogene Pass in Southern Colorado; and so on. I'd also advise a wide-angle lens for some architectural shots along Wacker Drive in Chicago; for the St. Louis Gateway Arch; IN NYC; and so on. These things might not occur to someone visiting for the first time.

OT: Aquitaine is only 3 hours away from Paris? By what mode of transportation? The TGV? Sue and I spent days wending our way from Cassis up to Paris, by way of Arles, Auxerre, Dijon, etc., and the driving time was probably more like 12 hours total. Next time we'd like to skip the driving. (We will never drive in Paris again! How do you get around?
 
Rob-F said:
OT: Aquitaine is only 3 hours away from Paris? By what mode of transportation? The TGV? Sue and I spent days wending our way from Cassis up to Paris, by way of Arles, Auxerre, Dijon, etc., and the driving time was probably more like 12 hours total. Next time we'd like to skip the driving. (We will never drive in Paris again! How do you get around?
Click to expand...

First rule of travel: Never take a car into Paris! Use the Metro and BatoBus. And walk.
 
I walked across Paris, it was much more enjoyable than anything else. Stopping at little cafes was the best, and being able to veer any which way made for some great photo ops.

Definitely do a lot of walking.
 
in my last days of touring europe for 2 weeks (business trip), and I only have my m6 and 'cron 35, and mostly b&w film. and i've been happy shooting, when not busy working, in finland, france (provence backcountry) and romania. was great to travel light with my preferred setup, and enjoying shooting mostly urban/architecture stuff as i never do it that much at home. but in finland and romania i really had to push my film as it is getting dark pretty fast. have fun shooting in paris, and you did make the good choice!
 
Getting on the plane in a few hours and had a change of heart. I have the Hexar RF with the 35 but decided at the last moment to take the M2 with the 50. So much for one camera, one lens. The two cameras still feel a lot lighter than my D700 set up. Taking a dozen rolls of TRi-X and 4 rolls of HP5 along. I will post some photo's after developing and scanning when i get back.
 
I prefer 2 cameras with 2 lenses to the one camera/one lens limit.

More flexibility at the expense of more weight/bulk.
I think it is worth it.
 
Thomas, I travel alot for work but rarely get a couple of free days to shoot, so i am really looking forward to this trip. I noticed your location is Fort langley, it's a small world as i did my grade seven at Fort langley Elementary School but that was forty years ago, a lot has changed as I hear you even have a bridge across the Fraser now, no more ferry?
Take Care.
 
Rob-F said:
Roger: While it makes a certain amount of sense that if one usually shoots with a 35mm lens, they will continue that preference when faced with a new situation, I think it's important to remember that France is much smaller than the USA. I heeded the advice to take wide-angle lenses to deal with the narrow streets, and I'm glad I did. I think that even the fellow who usually shoots with a 50 will be well advised to take a wider lens or two. I could have done alright with my 28 as the widest lens, but I was glad I took the 25 along as well. I shot an awful lot with 28 and 35. I did need the 25 at times, like getting in the top of the Moulin Rouge's windmill. So I think the advice to take wide lenses, no matter what one usually uses, is relevant for Paris, Arles, and no doubt other French cities and towns.

I guess what I'm saying is that it doesn't hurt to get advice from photographers who have already been to a given location. I'd advise a French photographer contemplating a visit to the USA to include a long lens, for some detail shots in the Grand Canyon; for photos of eagles flying at Lock & Dam 24 on the Mississippi River in February; perhaps a shot of Long's Peak at Rocky Mountain National Park; some alpenglow shots in Imogene Pass in Southern Colorado; and so on. I'd also advise a wide-angle lens for some architectural shots along Wacker Drive in Chicago; for the St. Louis Gateway Arch; IN NYC; and so on. These things might not occur to someone visiting for the first time.

OT: Aquitaine is only 3 hours away from Paris? By what mode of transportation? The TGV? Sue and I spent days wending our way from Cassis up to Paris, by way of Arles, Auxerre, Dijon, etc., and the driving time was probably more like 12 hours total. Next time we'd like to skip the driving. (We will never drive in Paris again! How do you get around?
Click to expand...

Dear Rob,

I'm assuming that (a) he's seen pictures of Paris before and (b) he's been in places with narrow streets before and (c) he's a reasonably experienced photographer.

Besides which, a lot of Parisian streets aren't that narrow: Champs Elysées, anyone? Or most of the other Haussmann boulevards for that matter? Or even the Place des Vosges? Views of the Seine? Of the Eiffel Tower? In fact, away from the Marais, wide streets are arguably as common as narrow ones.

I've travelled quite a lot, in quite a lot of places, and quite honestly, if I don't habitually shoot (say) 400mm in one place, I find that I am unlikely to miss that same lens very much in another. If I were going to the mountains in California, I'd probably use exactly the same long lens as I use in the Pyrenees: 135mm. Or to turn it 'round, I very seldom used my 280, 300, 400, 600 or 800 mm lenses when I lived in California, so I never took 'em to the Himalayas. I'd rather miss the occasional picture than be burdened with kit I took 'just in case'. A new location is not the place to (re)learn to use equipment you don't use otherwise.

The Aquitaine may deceive you. I live in the far north of what is historically the Aquitaine, maybe 25 km from Poitiers, which as I recall was the last city to fall to the French in the Hundred Years' War. The Aquitaine has. after all, varied enormously in size over the last few centuries. In other words, I'm not in the region that the French currently call the Aquitaine, though as Eleanor is also buried nearby, I reckon it's a fair usage. It's about 300 km = 3 hours on the BMW R100RS. Riding a motorcycle in Paris is a LOT easier than driving a car.

Cheers,

R.
 
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When I was in Paris I had a Voigtlander 40mm 1.4 and a Voigtlander 15mm 4.5. I don't think I've ever been anywhere so photogenic.

Whatever you bring, there will be photo opportunities. I would probably just bring both lenses.
 
<A 50. That's the only choice. Forget all other recommendations. HCB shot Paris with a 50. I think it's a law there that Paris must be shot with a 50.>

Depends in my view what you are shooting.
A 50mm would be ok for street/people but is not ideal for tourist views.

Last time I went to Paris I only took a 50mm and regretted it.
If you only want to take one take a 35mm.

But hey why not go mad and take both?
 
Oddly, every time I've been to Paris I've used a 40mm equivalent on another format
60mm on a Fuji 645
80mm on Mamiya 7II
20mm on Panasonic GF1

but never an actual 40 on 35mm (don't have one)

Yes, 40 is sometimes too short, sometimes too long but usually proves to be like Baby Bear's porridge.

Still---it's Paris! If ever there was a location that deserved the "burden" of a second lens....
 
In paris anything from 21 to 50 is useable

it is true, the city is quite old and narrow so that a 50 is a bit "long"

the 21 mm is fantastic to enjoy the architecture of the beginning of the 20th century (aerian metro etc). Many building from this area can be seen when you leave the very downtown. They are very interesting and show the mentallity of this period.
Maybe looking about the recent history of Paris (for exemple Hausmann, La Commune, les citées ouvrières) would give you some keys to understand the palce and architecture too

concerning HCB, he used 50mm but not only and it is not because you go to Paris that you have to pretend to be HCB.
I used a lot the 35 mm in Paris and enjoyed it.

The city is very dense and it can take a long time before knowing 1% of it

The places I prefer in paris are on the hills, maybe because the light go down the streets more easily and because it is more popular and lively 🙂

If you need to refuel in film go to "photostock" M°5 porte de Pantin
 
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