Which lens is best suitable for mountain top photography?

[danross]

I would suggest 35mm, I do a lot of climbing/shoots with it a lot. Last time was on holidays in Greek mountains, also used 35 mm, for me it’s the most suitable lense for mountains shooting. I am in love with Greece: with its beautiful nature, reach history, friendly people, cats everywhere. Thinking of buying apartment in Athens to live few months in a year there and get some money out of renting during high season. Probably will be able to do wedding/honeymoon photo shoots, there are lots of newly married couples in Greece.

 

[peterm1]

Here are three images taken by my wife and I in the Summer of 1972 when we were doing spec photography in the Gros Ventre Range in Northwestern Wyoming. The first shows us on the summit of Sheep Mountain. 28mm W-Nikkor on Nikon SP. Second image shows the Jackson Hole and Teton Range from Sheep Mountain. Third image is same view as second image but using a 400mm Tele-Nikkor on a Nikon F. I found that a range of lenses all could produce good mountain photography.

Golly these are nice images. On a side note, what film stock I wonder. My gut says a slide film due to the way it has held its color and it overall look. In which case perhaps Kodachrome? This is one thing I do miss from shooting digital as I for one have never been able to emulate the Kodachrome look digitally.

 

[JB-Dancer]

Mountain Elmar 105/6.3

Mountain Elmar 105/6.3

It is these days an expensive lens too.

Yes it is, forget it.
Look for the Soligor 105/4 (M39) or the same lens also can be found as the Seastal f. Leica M39 105/4 OJASI.

Either of these two lenses can be obtained for about $110 in good condition.
David Murphy had one of these lenses See:-https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33860
and it also appears on http://forum.mflenses.com/soligor-telephoto-105mm-f4-m39-ltm-t72862.html
and http://forum.mflenses.com/soligor-ltm-105mm-f4-on-epl1-t39104.html

 

[wes loder]

Golly these are nice images. On a side note, what film stock I wonder. My gut says a slide film due to the way it has held its color and it overall look. In which case perhaps Kodachrome? This is one thing I do miss from shooting digital as I for one have never been able to emulate the Kodachrome look digitally.

Kodachrome 64. Still love its colors. WES
That was the year after Kodak replaced Kodachrome II with Kodachrome 25, which I did not like due to its raw colors. But Kodachrome 64 seemed to give the same colors as the old Kodachrome II plus a gain or an F-stop or so.

 

[BillBingham2]

Something rings a bell about UV-A vs UV-B (L-37 and L-39 from the old Nikon filters, I think). There is a difference and I think it has to do with how high up you are. I'd say look into it.

Bringing something long (say an old Vivitar Series-1 450mm solid CAT lens) depends upon the clarity of the air that/those days. Another option is a 300mm and a 1.5 or 2.0 X teleconverter as speed is not your biggest issue.

B2 (;->

 

[raid]

I want to keep my camera equipment to a minimum and light. I want to enjoy walking around with my family and with friends without having to worry about hauling around big and heavy lenses.

 

[peterm1]

Kodachrome 64. Still love its colors. WES
That was the year after Kodak replaced Kodachrome II with Kodachrome 25, which I did not like due to its raw colors. But Kodachrome 64 seemed to give the same colors as the old Kodachrome II plus a gain or an F-stop or so.

Wonderful Wes, thank you. As people here may recall one of my photographer heros is Saul Leiter. Who famously used out of date film initially because he was a struggling artist and it was cheap, but later I think because of how it looks. And I read that he specially liked Kodachrome. http://www.photohistories.com/Photo-Histories/70/a-pocket-full-of-kodachromes

OK this is a long way from shooting on mountain tops but that's how discussions evolve I guess......... However I should I suppose try not to hijack this thread so perhaps I will leave it here with a couple of shots by Leiter that also have for me that Kodachrome look.