Need your recommendations, please.

[faris]

Travelling to scotland with family for 11 days. taking the M8 + D300. The setup I
am thinking is:

for street and walking around...M8+ 'lux 35 and 50.
for quick accurate focus and zoom capability nikon 17-55 +nikon 85/1.4

I do not do very wide and neither want to take tele zooms.

I love the cron 75, though...the d300 high iso is very very good! decisions..decisions.

Any help greatly appreciated.

 

[faris]

Erik, thanks.

Erik, thanks.

Confused and just in case a system goes bust! which/what would you recommend?
The weight of nikon ..ouch!

best.

Dont bring to much. Less choices means more time to take photographs. I would only bring one digital system.

 

[yclinn]

M8 plus a M-system film camera could be a good solution

 

[faris]

Yclinn,

Yclinn,

Considering...getting film developed, and scanned might be a problem when i
am moving around.

M8 plus a M-system film camera could be a good solution

 

[faris]

Yclinn,

Yclinn,

Considering..getting film developed on the move might be a problem.

M8 plus a M-system film camera could be a good solution

 

[whitecat]

I second the idea of a P/S. I usually take a Rollei 35 or a Contax T3.

 

[tomasis]

I would go with the M8 and 35 for daytime. Bring the 50 as well, but only go out with one lens. Bring a P&S as backup and enjoy holiday with family 🙂

This is MUCH better option, believe me. Much less weight. Nikkor lenses are way too heavy. You get pretty much nicer pictures from M8 and 35mm and 75mm lenses. You need not hassle with focal lenght of zoom while missing the picture.

 

[faris]

Thanks.

Thanks.

Excellent suggestions. Just the lingering feeling, will it be enough!

Regards.

 

[Photon42]

What Erik says, don't pack too much - take the M8 and bring your two or three lenses. For walking around, I'd use a 28 or 35. Maybe the 50 in a coat pocket (should still be the season for coats :-D)

Your Nikon 17-55 lens alone weights more than the M8.

Don't be afraid of humidity too much - my m8 just survived the ski vacation with no problems at all, and it got quite wet at times.

Enjoy your vacation.

Ivo

 

[Roger Hicks]

M8 plus a M-system film camera could be a good solution

Seconded.

I'm also puzzled by the original post: if the SLR focuses faster and more accurately, sell the Leica. I've always found the exact opposite to be true, i.e. the Leica focuses faster and more accurately.But then, I've long felt that going from an SLR to a rangefinder is like recovering from an illness

A spare M body weighs very little and (at least on the used market) costs relatively little in the context of am M8 and a D300 and will make carrying kit much less of a chore. A Bessa is even less expensive.

The weight of the kit does not matter so much when you are out shooting; it's when you are in the restaurant and have to carry all the kit you aren't using.

Cheers,

Roger

 

[jaapv]

Seconded as well. The SLR would only make sense if you were planning to do long tele or macro. As to high ISO, what is the speed of that zoom? 4.5 or something? f 2.0 gains you two stops and better handholdability another. So use the M8 at ISO 640, which is equivalent to ISO 5000 on that D300, say 3200 for sake of the argument.....

 

[faris]

Ivo, thanks

Ivo, thanks

yes, agree that the d300+17-55 seems to be a monster! with the addition of
a 85/1.4 the carrying weight is ouch!

What Erik says, don't pack too much - take the M8 and bring your two or three lenses. For walking around, I'd use a 28 or 35. Maybe the 50 in a coat pocket (should still be the season for coats :-D)

Your Nikon 17-55 lens alone weights more than the M8.

Don't be afraid of humidity too much - my m8 just survived the ski vacation with no problems at all, and it got quite wet at times.

Enjoy your vacation.

Ivo

 

[faris]

Hi Roger,

Hi Roger,

for me it takes more time to focus a leica when i am moving from one shot
to another. YM obviously varies. accuracy of m8 with various lenses is a subject
i am not going to get into. 51 point af is a marvel.

as to the weight, i am in total agreement with you.

sell leica...if i ever think of it, it shall only be when leica goes public and than too
it would be a short sell in a drastic situation!

have a nice day and a better evening.

Seconded.

I'm also puzzled by the original post: if the SLR focuses faster and more accurately, sell the Leica. I've always found the exact opposite to be true, i.e. the Leica focuses faster and more accurately.But then, I've long felt that going from an SLR to a rangefinder is like recovering from an illness

A spare M body weighs very little and (at least on the used market) costs relatively little in the context of am M8 and a D300 and will make carrying kit much less of a chore. A Bessa is even less expensive.

The weight of the kit does not matter so much when you are out shooting; it's when you are in the restaurant and have to carry all the kit you aren't using.

Cheers,

Roger

 

[faris]

Hello Jaap,

Hello Jaap,

I have decided to go with the m8 and m7, not for your maths but that the experienced folks ( you included ! ) are giving me their sincere suggestions.

...but i do love the d300😉

take care.

Seconded as well. The SLR would only make sense if you were planning to do long tele or macro. As to high ISO, what is the speed of that zoom? 4.5 or something? f 2.0 gains you two stops and better handholdability another. So use the M8 at ISO 640, which is equivalent to ISO 5000 on that D300, say 3200 for sake of the argument.....

 

[raid]

Good luck on your trip, Faris.
Just try to enjoy it with your family and let photography be a secondary issue.
Sometimes it is "more" to have "less".

 

[tbarker13]

Really depends on how much shooting you want to do.
I went to Scotland this summer. I had one suitcase devoted to camera gear. M8 and 6-7 lenses. A canon 30D and a couple lenses.
For me, a big part of a vacation like that is a chance to take photos of things I wouldn't normally get to photograph. I believe I shot several thousand images while i was there.
But if your photo time is going to be more limited, I'd agree that a smaller kit is to the way to go.

If you care at all to see, here are 20 or so shots.

http://www.timbarker.com/photography/scotland/index.html

Have a great trip.

 

[faris]

Raid,

Raid,

thank you so much. true, what you say.

Good luck on your trip, Faris.
Just try to enjoy it with your family and let photography be a secondary issue.
Sometimes it is "more" to have "less".

 

[faris]

Tim

Tim

lovely shots on your site. Can't even imagine carrying half of what you did.
i am getting too old and weight is really an issue.

Thanks.

Really depends on how much shooting you want to do.
I went to Scotland this summer. I had one suitcase devoted to camera gear. M8 and 6-7 lenses. A canon 30D and a couple lenses.
For me, a big part of a vacation like that is a chance to take photos of things I wouldn't normally get to photograph. I believe I shot several thousand images while i was there.
But if your photo time is going to be more limited, I'd agree that a smaller kit is to the way to go.

If you care at all to see, here are 20 or so shots.

http://www.timbarker.com/photography/scotland/index.html

Have a great trip.

 

[Richard Marks]

Dear Faris

Where abouts exatly are you going in Scotland? There is a great variety and unless i know exatly what you are planning it is hard to give too accurate advice. At the end of the day it is probably the best photo location in the Uk and you will get some beautiful light in March. Huge big waves crashing on rocks free of charge but ***** cold. Good outdoor gear and gloves is probably as important as anything.No one takes good pictures whilst suffering frost bite!
I can recommend the Western Isles for landscapes. Lewis and Harris are superb at this time of year as is Skye. In fact I would recommend contacting Skye in focus if you are interested. You could spend a couple of days with them and get an awful lot done benefitting from their local knowledge. Also quite a nice guest house there (and a website).

Have a great trip


Richard


Kallanish Stones, Lewis, Nikon FM2 35mmF2

 

[Roger Hicks]

for me it takes more time to focus a leica when i am moving from one shot
to another. YM obviously varies. accuracy of m8 with various lenses is a subject
i am not going to get into. 51 point af is a marvel.

as to the weight, i am in total agreement with you.

sell leica...if i ever think of it, it shall only be when leica goes public and than too
it would be a short sell in a drastic situation!

have a nice day and a better evening.

I fully take your points on both the weight and selling Leicas, so what I'd say is...

Learn to trust yourself and your camera. I've been using Leicas since about 1969-70, and with practice, I believe I lose far fewer pics than I do to autofocus. Yes, I miss some either way, but especially with finger-grip focused lenses (or the 'tit' on ZI lenses) I'm sure I miss fewer.

As you say, mileages vary. But it's worth considering.

(The good evening has already started; the boudins are on the barbecue, tomorrow's kleftiko has been seared redy to stew, and the lamb kebabs are about to go on; Retsina about to be opened. An enjoyable day to you too!)

Cheers,

R.