Q': Italy on two bodies and three or four lenses.

[nesrani]

"Milan anytime (the home of the world's best pins)"

 

I'm really curious as to what this means Peter, seriously. Can you explain?

[patricks]

SWEET shot, Jeff! (and yes, Peter, love that one, but I've seen it before)

 

Sure, two bodies makes lots of sense, but I always found that one get along very nicely with only one body. If you say that the 50 is your fav - why consider leaving it at home? Perhaps a 50 and a 28 would be the "perfect" combo for you. Leave the 75 and 15, perhaps the 2nd body. I doubt you'll use the 21 a lot, but it is so small and nice to have for those occational shots.

 

then concentrate on enjoyment/experience. if you are having a good time it will show in the photos. i mean, seriously, how can anyone not enjoy oneself on such a trip?!?

[john_n._wall]

I traveled through Italy and France for a month last year basically with one body and two lenses -- a 24 mm and an 85 mm -- and there were VERY few shots I wanted that I could not take with that gear. I carried the camera on a strap with the wide-angle and had the 85 plus film in a small padded waist pack. I also carried a table-top tripod -- mine was not a Leica but I think Leica makes a really good one.

 

I used 400 speed B&W and Provia F 100 which easily pushes to 200 when you need the speed, or Sensia 100 when I could not find Provia in the shops. My general working pattern was to go to a place, size up the area, shoot with one lens for a while, then switch to the other and shoot with it -- used the wideangle for interiors and street scenes and switched to the tele for portraits. I also had with me a 50 mm 1.8, which was handy in some situations, and a 180 f/2.8 which I did not use all that much.

 

I would not hesitate to use that setup again -- light, easy to handle, fast, flexible. If you are going to shoot the best film you will need fast lenses and the drawback with zooms is that fast zooms are big, bulky, VERY HEAVY. Suddenly you need bigger camera bags, sturdier tripods, flash units, and flash cables -- maybe even flash brackets -- and lugging all that gear would wear me out way too fast on a special trip when every second counts.

 

Also, remember to get up for the sweet light of morning and stay late for the golden light of afternoon.

[matt_chamberlain]

<P ALIGN=LEFT>I right now in Ukraine on a two month trip with just an M6 and 35 cron. It has made me try so much harder to get the composition that I want and has no doubt improved my shots. My films are Tri-x, HP5, FP4, some odds and ends rolls to experiment with, and a few rolls of Reala which I haven't loaded any of yet.<br><br>I am getting to know this setup really well, and it takes little effort to pre-compose, pre-focus, and pre-meter most all of my shots. It has been a interesting educational experience so far. The real rewards come in the dark room in about 10 days. ;-)

[douglas k.]

Jorge--

 

To expand on my earlier post: My street & travel photography really took off when I began carrying just one body and a 35mm lens and (at most) 2-3 types of B&W film (slow, fast, and superfast films). Carrying the minimum eqpt means never fiddling around with gear, means never making decisions about which lens to use, and hence allows much closer attention to surroundings. As another poster noted, carrying one lens helps you to begin "seeing" photographically much more efficiently. And you will come back with a more stylistically cohesive set of pics. When I began travelling this way, I immediately started having much more fun (because less lugging of gear) and came home with many more good pics than when I carried everything under the sun. Why not try it, just once? Is it really the end of the world if you see a perfect ultrawide shot and don't have your 15mm lens along? Pretty soon you'll be seing shots that do work with your chosen lens -- shots that you otherwise might have missed.

[matt_chamberlain]

<align="left">

Very well said Douglas. I recommend that everyone tries this at least once.<br>

I am a young photographer but I've figured out one thing -- for me personally<br>

too much gear can really take the fun out of walking around shooting on the<br>

street or when traveling. There is nothing quite like the feeling of walking<br>

down via d. corso or kreschatik square with nothing but an m6 in hand a few <br>

rolls of tri-x in the pocket.

[matt_chamberlain]

</P>

<P ALIGN="left">.</P>

[emile_de_leon10]

Sounds like you are a candidate for a Tri-elmar. That with a fast 50 or 35mm lens and the 15mm would cover a lot of ground at a light weight. Considering your lens setup at present with the emphasis on the 50mm why not just 35 and a 50mm summicrons as you like their renditions better. And add the 15mm if necessary. If you level it (the 15mm)out on a cup/glass/mini tripod the lens will exhibit less distortion. If it were my choice I would bring 1 body and a 15mm, a fast 35mm 1.4 Leica lens, and the new 90 macro for portraits and closeups and maybe another body for B&W preferably MF.

[mike dixon]

Jorge, except for the 15, we share the same collection of focal

lengths. On a recent stay in Korea, I found that the 50, 35, and

21 were used most often. I used the 75 occasionally, but I

wouldn't have missed it terribly if I hadn't had it. I would have

missed any of the other three focal lengths. I also carried two

bodies. It was helpful to have two different kinds of film (or

different speeds) available without having to reload.

[jorge]

Center <b>OFF!</b></center><br><br>

Matt, I'll give your suggestion due consideration. Actually, I've traveled that way and the results have been all right.<br><br>

Mike, the 15 was one of the first adquisitions for my IIIf, way before I even dreamed of an M. The 21 is quite recent. I'm still getting the hang of it but it seems much easier than the 15.

<br><br>

BTW, re-read my opening message and cannot believe I wrote "the producer of the products I sell", Chriss! Sunday afternoons do soemthing to your brains... Well, you guessed I meant manufacturer. :-)

[jorge]

Emile,

 

The Tri-Elmar costs an arm & a leg and, besides, it's way too slow. Maybe when they make a 2.8 I'll get a second mortgage. OTOH, maybe Cosina will... <vbg>

[barry_weiss]

I had a 5 week trip last year ro India and opted to take two M bodies and added a cheap Bessa T for a CV 21/4 as it doesn't really need the rangefinder. Same would be true for a 15mm. You can get a Bessa L for $75 to $100. I took a Leica 35/2, 50/2 and 90/2.8 - never wanted for anything else and the Bessa 3rd body was nice to have. I rotated through color and black and white depending on the settings and my mood. I'd also highly recommend a small tripod set - I took a Cullman and also a cable release. I shot color slides and B&W prints - rotated through the 3 cameras depending on circumstances.

[jorge]

Barry, I have a IIIf that works just as well as the Bessa L but three bodies is overkill. I'll manage with my M6 & MP.

[roger_hicks1]

Dear Jorge,

 

I can't add much to the others' comments but I couldn't resist wishing you a Feliz Cinco de Mayo and re-establishing contact -- Frances and I have moved to France (about 200 miles s-w of Paris) and love it.

 

Personally I'd go for the 21-35-75 (actually I'd use 90 because I don't have a 75) but I'm sure I'd shoot 90% of the pictures with the 35. And I'd take two bodies: breakdowns are not unknown, even with Leicas. I'd be inclined to carry the better body and all lenses at all times -- I never trust hotel room security, and ever fewer hotels have secure storage for anything much bigger than an M-body, which is why I don't subscribe to the 'everything you've got' view.

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

[kaiblanke]

Jorge,

<p>

to that whole bunch of opinions above I would like to add my 2 cents:

<br>

Photogenic places are found everywhere. Starting in Rome and then going to through the Toscany and upper italy, there are lots of possibilities. Been there, and everytime found something new. Landscape is nice, but requires a car and some time; also shooting with an M I guess that is not your main goal?

<p>

Pisa is a nice place, and I found the smaller cities in the emiglia romana also nice to visit (Cremona, Piacenca and esp. Mantua). They should be not too far off on the way to Venice and are nowhere as crowded as the Toscany. Venice itself is nice (color and esp. BW), but always crowded. Without sunshine the city looses lots of its appeal I had to find out the hard way some months ago.

<p>

For lenses I would like to take the 21, 35 and 75. Maybe the 50, if I want to go out light (together with the 21). Two bodies are fine, but one body would usually be enough.

<p>

For shooting color or BW: I found it very difficult to shoot both at the same time. Some may find it easier, but I have to shoot either color or BW in order to get aceptable results, not both. If you say that you are good in the darkroom, shooting BW may be your thing. Converting from color to BW in digital is just not the same. The last times I shot color in italy, but I'd like to do BW once as well.

<p>

Enjoy your time,

[MTC Photography]

You definitely need the 21mm wide angle. 35mm is not wide enough.

28mm is not wide enough for many interior shots<p>

 

You need two cameras, one for backup, if not another M, at least

a compact, in case your camera dropped, lost, etc<p>

[Robin Smith]

In your shoes I would take the 21, 35 and 75mm and one body only. If you had to I would take the Nokton for its speed. There are dark shadows on most town streets during the day and you need speed. The most useful other thing to take is a tripod or a good table top tripod to capture interiors. Be careful with horrible conveging verticals that is all I can add (especially with the 21mm). Personally my list would be 28/50/90, but then that is what I like...

 

I agree with Jeff about Siena or for that matter Florence - any town in Italy is pretty well worth the visit (except Ancona, Rimini and a few others - but even then there are things worth seeing even there) so do not feel you have to stick to the main sites. The crowds are terrifying. But, I do understand though, you do have to see these things at least once.

[Robin Smith]

Jorge

 

I love Lazio, the area around Rome, and I recommend that as a more restful vacation than doing the "big ones". So beautiful - Villa D'Este, Frascati, Tivoli, Orvieto etc. and relatively quiet. Wish I were there again. Tuscany and to a certain extent Umbria are so packed with tourists a more pleasant time can be had by getting away from these hot spots. Rome and Lazio makes a great trip.

[jorge]

Hey Roger!

<br><br>

It's a thrill seeing you here. Since Compuserve dropped Mexico I let my account there lapse and ceased sysopping for the Photoforum.

<br><br>

Nice to know you've moved to France; English weather didn't befit you <ggg>. Are you on the coast? I'll try to catch up with you next year if a trip we're planning gets cooked. We have a house offering for a month at Jean les pins. <vbg>

<br><br>

Thanks for the 5/V wishes (normal day work for me <g>) and the comments. Give my best regards to Frances and a hug to you.

<br><br>

Do you have now a computer that runs Windows? ;-) If memory serves me you never saw this pic...<br><br>

<center><img src="http://www.photo.net/photodb/image-display?photo_id=1225215&size=sm"> Paris, September 2001. <br></center><br>

Take care pal!

[jorge]

Robin,

 

Thanks much for the suggestions. As I mentioned, the first part of the trip is a convention so I won't have much leeway in choosing my own path, except after hours. Thus the indecision about the Nokton. OTOH, I can push HP5+ one stop when necessary and make do with the small Summicron. The second week we'll be on our own and driving, and the plans are not set in concrete so we will pretty much go where we please.

[pensacolaphoto]

In my last trip to Italy (and other countries) I used a Rolleiflex TLR and a Minox 35GT. Only one lens per camera was a perfect set-up for me. It allowed me to concentrate on composition and it was relatively light to carry both cameras in a small camera bag. I liked the side-by-side arrangements of photos from a 35mm camera and a 120 camera. It is amazing how much you can do with a "normal lens". My suggestion would be to use only a normal lens.

[joseph_barbano]

Bring two bodies (always on a major trip). Three lenses: 21, 35, and 75. Small Flash, e.g. Metz 34C2. Small (not tabletop) tripod. Color film: Provia/Astia 100F and Provia 400F (different film for each camera) or comparable negative. Skip B&W; you'll catch it on the scan. Domke 803/Billigham Hadley/M Classic bag. Good luck.<div></div>

[roger_hicks1]

Dear Jorge,

 

Lovely shot -- thanks!

 

We're in the Aquitaine, near Thouars (last city lost by the English in the Hundred Years War). About a day from the Mediterranean coast on the R100RS.

 

Have fun in Italy -- though in my view, the Italians are the worst drivers in the world. I have driven/ridden in a number of countries regarded as dangerous (Malta, Greece, India, Mexico) and all are better than Italy, where middle-aged men drive like teenagers and teenagers drive like two-year-olds in a pedal car.

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

[cabophoto]

Jorge,

 

>>Since Compuserve dropped Mexico I let my account there lapse and ceased sysopping for the Photoforum

 

I didn´t know they did. Anyway, I canceled my Compuserve memebership last week as the account was overwhelmed with spam.

 

Carsten

[jorge]

Joseph,

 

>> Skip B&W; you'll catch it on the scan. Domke 803/Billigham Hadley/M Classic bag <<

 

I've been thinking about that, even tho I much rather print in true silver-gelatin. I finally seem to have cracked the mysteries of making digital negatives tho, but it's a chore. Believe me. OTOH, my quadtone prints on Ilford Gallerie Pearl are beginning to please me, albeit they're a far throw from my Ilford MG/IV-FB Warmtone prints.

 

My intended bag is either a Billingham L2 or Alice --very similar to the new M bag but with closure tabs pointing up. Good for two bodies with lens plus one/two extra lenses on a tight fit- or a Hadley Pro, depending on how much stuff I decide to carry.