Travel Gear (try to keep it simple)

[Rob-F]

Raid, it's good to know you are still doing your statistical work on cancer. And you are including the USA in general, not only Florida? Have you reached any conclusions?

 

[raid]

Hi Rob. I always try to cover the 48 contiguous states. Here, we covered 16 cancer types, using data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Recently, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gave IHME additional support of $279m to continue their work on the Global Burden of Disease. We identified several cancer clusters, Rob. Data used is for the years 2000-2014. I gave a talk about our results in Seattle (at IHME) recently. We have 7 new cancer projects based on our results. One of them is about Arsenic in well water and some cancer types.

 

[Bill Clark]

Cancer is a very tough complicated disease. No defining battle line(s) to fight. It’s like gorilla warfare. It comes from all over and there seems to be no one solution.

How to kill off the wild uncontrolled division of cells of self without killing off the rest of the good cells? How to stop it from taking place in the first place with causes that contain both internal cell mechanisms and external ingredients?

But you can’t give up.

I wonder if computer designed software to search through the seemingly endless “what ifs” could help find some solutions?

There is hope if detected early as it there can be a better outcome.

 

[nightfly]

I usually take my M9 with one or two lenses and my Ricoh GR.

GR covers 28 (35 and 47 if you don't mind the in camera crop) and times you don't want to carry the M9.

The M9 and a 35 or 50 (and sometimes my 135 if I don't mind the weight) works for everything else.

Truthfully I could just take the GR but I enjoy photographing with the M9 more and do like the unique quality of the photos.

This combo has served me well on several cycling trips in Italy and a trip to Cambodia and pretty much anywhere I've gone in the last several years.

I hate bringing a lot of gear anywhere from walking out of the house for the day to traveling around the world.

The only way I think I could improve on this would be swapping the M9 for a Hassleblad X1d but it's not in the cards right now. When I used to shoot film I'd bring a Mamiya 6 or 7 if I was going somewhere that involved big landscapes that warranted the extra resolution and subtle gradations and those photos are still some of my favorites.

 

[raid]

Cancer is a very tough complicated disease. No defining battle line(s) to fight. It’s like gorilla warfare. It comes from all over and there seems to be no one solution.

How to kill off the wild uncontrolled division of cells of self without killing off the rest of the good cells? How to stop it from taking place in the first place with causes that contain both internal cell mechanisms and external ingredients?

But you can’t give up.

I wonder if computer designed software to search through the seemingly endless “what ifs” could help find some solutions?

There is hope if detected early as it there can be a better outcome.

Yes, it is a scary disease. I am just studying the data on cancer incidence and mortality, Bill. I look for unusually high cancer rates in some geographic locations in the USA. I am not an oncology researcher. If I were, I would have a couple of M10's!

 

[raid]

I usually take my M9 with one or two lenses and my Ricoh GR.

GR covers 28 (35 and 47 if you don't mind the in camera crop) and times you don't want to carry the M9.

The M9 and a 35 or 50 (and sometimes my 135 if I don't mind the weight) works for everything else.

Truthfully I could just take the GR but I enjoy photographing with the M9 more and do like the unique quality of the photos.

This combo has served me well on several cycling trips in Italy and a trip to Cambodia and pretty much anywhere I've gone in the last several years.

I hate bringing a lot of gear anywhere from walking out of the house for the day to traveling around the world.

The only way I think I could improve on this would be swapping the M9 for a Hassleblad X1d but it's not in the cards right now. When I used to shoot film I'd bring a Mamiya 6 or 7 if I was going somewhere that involved big landscapes that warranted the extra resolution and subtle gradations and those photos are still some of my favorites.

A mix of Leica M and a smaller and lighter camera is a good combination.
Using the M 4/3 cameras is really practical and effective, but the image files look better when using the M9. Maybe using both will do the trick.

 

[Mackinaw]

A mix of Leica M and a smaller and lighter camera is a good combination.
Using the M 4/3 cameras is really practical and effective, but the image files look better when using the M9. Maybe using both will do the trick.

When my nephew got married in Nevada a few years back, we decided to also tour the America southwest. I took my M240 and three lenses, and my Canon EOS-M with the 22/2.0 lens. Nice combo the Leica and the Canon. I used the Leica for “important” pics, and took along the EOS-M whenever we were on the trail.

Jim B.

 

[raid]

The M 4/3 with a 50 may be lighter than taking a 100mm lens. With the 25/4 AF lens, I get IS and AF for quick snapshots on the go.

 

[Ronald M]

Yes, I forgot the charger once! That was a bad experience.

Is it as bad as hauling a RB67 to Door County from Chicago with 3 lenses, 2 backs and one dark slide ? I found a photo studio/camera store about 50 miles away which had one for sale.

 

[raid]

I will start "packing" tonight maybe. Gives me times to double check such stuff.

 

[Rob-F]

Hi Rob. I always try to cover the 48 contiguous states. Here, we covered 16 cancer types, using data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Recently, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gave IHME additional support of $279m to continue their work on the Global Burden of Disease. We identified several cancer clusters, Rob. Data used is for the years 2000-2014. I gave a talk about our results in Seattle (at IHME) recently. We have 7 new cancer projects based on our results. One of them is about Arsenic in well water and some cancer types.

And so if some environmental cause of the increased incidence of cancer in those areas could be identified, lives could be saved! This is very important work!

 

[rfaspen]

Hi Raid,

Lots of suggestions and tangential discussions here! Before you head out, I thought I would actually provide my suggestion....just because.

I tried putting myself in your shoes and asked what I would take on my next trip to Europe (Spain this time)....

As much as I would like to have 2 bodies, I would limit myself to one body. From your choices, that would be the M9 (gotta break in that new sensor). Then it becomes a choice of which lenses. Among your choices, I would favor the the 35/1.4, the Hologon (because you'll regret leaving it behind), and a 50 of some kind. You seem to really want to bring that heavy rigid summicron.

That would be a small, light kit that covers a lot of potential. Easier passage through airport (and other) security and easier to haul around all day long. Also, you eliminate the gut-wrenching choice of leaving the second body in the hotel room or dragging it along with you all day. I know the M8 is pretty small and light, so you might be OK with that. My day bag would not have enough room for the second M body. Your bag might be larger.

If you're taking the Hologon, I would definitely leave the SWC at home. Only one body (the M9), but still have wonderful distortion-free ultra-wide capability (hologon).

So there you have it: Leica M9, 35/1.4 Summilux, 16/8 Hologon, 50/2 Summicron, CHARGER, and smart phone. If you want the hassle and workout of bringing the M8 body too, I suppose that could be added without too much pain. But that's all.

My Spain trip will likely be: M9 or M240 (one or the other), 21/2.8 elmarit, one 35 lens (35/1.4 CV, 35/2 biogon, or 35/2 summicron), 50/2 summicron, and a charger 🙂. I doubt I will bother with a 90 and I don't have a 75 (yet).

I like my Olympus EP2, but I only have a few lenses I like using with it. Also the kit lens is massively disappointing compared to my RF lenses, and its not really smaller or lighter than the Leica kit.

 

[Bingley]

I've come to the conclusion that the vast majority of the photos I like to shoot on vacation trips to cities can be taken with just 50 and 35 lenses (or their equivalents). On hiking trips I may take a 28 instead of a 35, but when I visit European cities a lot of my photography is street, for which I use a 35 or a 50.

I've got two vacation trips planned this summer, and am planning to take somewhat different kits on each:

NM (Santa Fe, Abiquieu, Taos): M3 with Zeiss ZM Planar 50; IIIc with Summaron 35/3.5; Olympus Pen F with 17/1.8 and 45/1.8 lenses.

Paris, Loire, Brittany: IIIc with Nikkor-HC 50/2.0 and Summaron 35/3.5; Rolleicord Vb; Olympus Pen F with 17/1.8 and 45/1.8.

In the past, I've often taken along an Olympus XA as a second and pocketable film body, but I'm leaving it at home this summer in order to simplify travel kits.

 

[raid]

And so if some environmental cause of the increased incidence of cancer in those areas could be identified, lives could be saved! This is very important work!

I wish it were, but health agencies seem to stay away from such studies. May have to do with real estate value.

 

[raid]

Hi Raid,

Lots of suggestions and tangential discussions here! Before you head out, I thought I would actually provide my suggestion....just because.

I tried putting myself in your shoes and asked what I would take on my next trip to Europe (Spain this time)....

As much as I would like to have 2 bodies, I would limit myself to one body. From your choices, that would be the M9 (gotta break in that new sensor). Then it becomes a choice of which lenses. Among your choices, I would favor the the 35/1.4, the Hologon (because you'll regret leaving it behind), and a 50 of some kind. You seem to really want to bring that heavy rigid summicron.

That would be a small, light kit that covers a lot of potential. Easier passage through airport (and other) security and easier to haul around all day long. Also, you eliminate the gut-wrenching choice of leaving the second body in the hotel room or dragging it along with you all day. I know the M8 is pretty small and light, so you might be OK with that. My day bag would not have enough room for the second M body. Your bag might be larger.

If you're taking the Hologon, I would definitely leave the SWC at home. Only one body (the M9), but still have wonderful distortion-free ultra-wide capability (hologon).

So there you have it: Leica M9, 35/1.4 Summilux, 16/8 Hologon, 50/2 Summicron, CHARGER, and smart phone. If you want the hassle and workout of bringing the M8 body too, I suppose that could be added without too much pain. But that's all.

My Spain trip will likely be: M9 or M240 (one or the other), 21/2.8 elmarit, one 35 lens (35/1.4 CV, 35/2 biogon, or 35/2 summicron), 50/2 summicron, and a charger 🙂. I doubt I will bother with a 90 and I don't have a 75 (yet).

I like my Olympus EP2, but I only have a few lenses I like using with it. Also the kit lens is massively disappointing compared to my RF lenses, and its not really smaller or lighter than the Leica kit.

Thanks! I can use the 1938 Sonnar 5cm/1.5, which is lighter than the Rigid Summicron.

Have a great trip to Spain.

Yes, I need the 35/1.4 as my daily lens, and then the hologon is used as needed for some wide angle shots.

 

[raid]

I've come to the conclusion that the vast majority of the photos I like to shoot on vacation trips to cities can be taken with just 50 and 35 lenses (or their equivalents). On hiking trips I may take a 28 instead of a 35, but when I visit European cities a lot of my photography is street, for which I use a 35 or a 50.

I've got two vacation trips planned this summer, and am planning to take somewhat different kits on each:

NM (Santa Fe, Abiquieu, Taos): M3 with Zeiss ZM Planar 50; IIIc with Summaron 35/3.5; Olympus Pen F with 17/1.8 and 45/1.8 lenses.

Paris, Loire, Brittany: IIIc with Nikkor-HC 50/2.0 and Summaron 35/3.5; Rolleicord Vb; Olympus Pen F with 17/1.8 and 45/1.8.

In the past, I've often taken along an Olympus XA as a second and pocketable film body, but I'm leaving it at home this summer in order to simplify travel kits.

These are two great trips planned, Steve.

 

[Bingley]

Thanks, Raid. The trip to France will be to see my brother who resides in Paris with his fiancée (who is French), so having local guides, so to speak, will be a lot of fun. And I'm excited about photography in France with my Rolleicord (which I got back in December after an overhaul by Harry Fleenor).

Your trip sounds like a lot of fun. My wife and I were in Milan in 2016. It's a wonderful city. Be sure to go up on the roof of the cathedral. I also enjoyed walking past all the high fashion shops... great shooting opportunities there.

 

[raid]

Gucci, Versace, Louis Vuitton ..... I am going to hide from them!

 

[raid]

On my smugmug site, the top few files that have been looked at within the past month are these:

M8 Rigid Summicron 4637
M240 Zeiss Hologon 16mm/8 4407
(new) M9 Hologon 4123
M8 Zeiss Hologon 3821
Zeiss 85mm 1.4 EPL1 2415
Zeiss 85mm 1.4 EPL1 (2) 1834
Zeiss 85mm 1.4 EP2 June 2013 1155
Tele Rollei 1025

I am surprised by the many views at the Zeiss 85/1.4 on a M 4/3 body. It is too heavy for travels.

 

[Contarama]

Lux, cron, & gon kit. Has a nice ring to it.

Id put the lux on the 9 and the cron on the 8. Carry the gon (this one more different than the others requiring different frame of mind too imo)...and work on some phone shots.