Paris photos...too many options!

If you are going to Paris, or to any european city where there are still very narrow and ancient streets (Paris is a mix of large places from the XVIII/XIXth centuries and narrow places from "many times before that"), I would suggest anyway to make sure to take a real wide angle lens. 21mm and 28mm often turn out to be the good answer in such places.
 
There's no point in repeating any of FrankS's advice. It's all spot on.

Choose the camera you dislike least. Personally I'd go for the M6 and commercially processed XP2 Super.

Cheers,

R.
 
I had the same dilemma last November before a week long business trip to Paris. I ended up leaving the D700 and the zooms at home. The only camera i took along was an M2 with a 35 Summaron and lots of TRi X. I was really happy with the photo's although souping ten rolls of film and scanning it was a little tedious. I have recently acquired a used M8 and if i was going again it would be my choice to take along. I travel extensively for work and after lugging the D700 along on numerous trips i first started leaving it in the hotel room due to the weight and then just left it at home altogether.

Paris is a walking city and i think you will be happier with minimal lighter gear. The photo ops are everywhere you look, there just seems to be an endless sea of bars and restaurants with lots of people around. I did my best to avoid the cliche shots but i ended up with a few of the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe as they are just so photogenic and really drew me in.

While you are there please try some of the restaurants as the food in Paris is the best i have had anywhere.

Enjoy your trip!
 
I see 3 scenarios:

1) In TX, one camera / lens / film works best for you. If so, carry that to Paris.
2) In TX, you make the best of whatever camera / lens / film or digital you have with you at the moment. If so, don't worry about what you carry to Paris.
3) In TX, you carry everything and decide what to use when you find something to photograph. If so, carry everything to Paris.

I have been to TX. I have been to Paris. My photo style and equipment needs were the same. Scenery was different but the important things just did not change.
 
I am in no position to make recommendations on gear, but was in Paris last month for a few days.
I had a Nikon D90 and an F3 with some tri-x. It was too much to carry around for so many hours. After a couple of days I left one camera at the hotel.
Your M6 and a couple of lenses would be more than fine I think.
Have a good time.
 
Take film, enjoy film, shoot film of choice and splurge on something you love doing instead of being as frugal as possible. It's Paris. Live a little :D

Edit: Portra 400 + T3 / Leica = Amazing results.
 
I would take the M6 for sure, Tri-X, and as well as the 35 I would take my tiny CV 25 for the reasons mentioned above. We saw a thread on this recently where the 21 did most of the work in Paris. The Hexar is getting on and I would not want to trust it as the only camera for a first trip to Paris: I don't know about the reliability of your Contax.
 
Well, here's a suggestion from personal experience.
Have a look at < https://www.me.com/gallery/#100133>
That's the net result of 5 days in Paris. Used two Bessa (R3A and R4A) one with B&W and one with colour neg (colour not shown in the above link). A lot of shots I used 25 or even 21 mm lenses in addition to 35 and 50mm. Had a 75 mm with me and hardly used it at all.
Used a lot of ISO100 but ISO400 would have been useful too.
I don't shoot indiscriminately - I used about one roll of each film type per day - so ten rolls in five days, five of them colour, not a problem processing that when I got home. B&W at home, CN to the local lab.
Walked almost everywhere. Rangefinders perfect. A heavy SLR would have been a drag!
Had a shoulder bag that held both cameras and the lenses. Would do the same again except I've replaced the R3A with an M6!
 
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Well, that's what I get for asking on a rangefinder forum! ;)

My first inclination was the M6 and Tri-X. After some soul searching, I think it would be heresy not to walk Paris (France!) and shoot a Leica.

I think the answer is the M6, Zeiss 2/35, and BW400CN, which can be easily bulk-processed and scanned relatively inexpensively...maybe stuff the T3 into a little bag to carry to dinner or something.

How is that for a complete turnaround?
 
I love my Konica C35 for trips: totally automatic, it could be substituted with many P&S 35mm cameras. But like Jamie123, I usually take three; a small C35, two small Pentax SLRs (P3n). Then I take two lenses (Pentax; 28 and 50) and color and B&W films (in each body). In the C35 I have B&W which I can take in the mud, blood and the beer places. Have fun on your trip. I know you don't have these cameras and why would buy any for a trip.

But I travel all the time for pleasure and the biggest pain is to have a large camera to lug around.
 
I'm going to Paris (and some other places) in 2 weeks. An M9 with 28 and 50 lenses is my choice but I was tempted to go even lighter and just take the 35mm Cron.
 
David_Manning said:
Well, that's what I get for asking on a rangefinder forum! ;)

My first inclination was the M6 and Tri-X. After some soul searching, I think it would be heresy not to walk Paris (France!) and shoot a Leica.

I think the answer is the M6, Zeiss 2/35, and BW400CN, which can be easily bulk-processed and scanned relatively inexpensively...maybe stuff the T3 into a little bag to carry to dinner or something.

How is that for a complete turnaround?
Click to expand...

That plan has my complete endorsement. The T3 is good to have at dinner. I used to have one with a view to replacing my Rollei 35. It has a great lens but I never bonded with the controls and sold it to a member here.

As I said above, Paris and Leica go together although a Contax is OK as second fiddle.

And, don't forget to enjoy the food and the sights and the women!

:))
 
If you have a longer lens, like a 90mm or a 135mm to alternate... That'd be a good thing. You can go, scout a location and then return with a lens of choice... or just shoot a series with one and another with the other lens.

Oh, the beauty of rangefinder cameras... :)
 
Just got back from France, and shot only rangefinders, and was quite happy with the m6 and 35 zm combo in Paris. Was glad to have a wider lens on the Mamiya 7 to complement though.
 
Take the camera you're REALLY used to using. I've done seven trips to Paris, and it's my favorite city in the world. Best kit is the camera that is the most "second-nature" to you. One camera, one lens, one film. Keep it REAL simple and light and you'll be REAL happy you did!
 
Well then, M6/35 and maybe T3 too, BW400CN.

I have to admit...I'm seriously thinking an X100 though. The only problem...I doubt if I can get one before May 21st.

If I go that route, any ideas? I looked at the usual suspects...Adorama, B&H, and Amazon...and all are backordered. I don't think there is anything local here in Fort Worth and Dallas.
 
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