How many bodies? How many lenses?

[pete1]

This is a question for those who actually use their Leica gear to

take pictures. No offense to the collectors but they are clearly in

a different category.

 

How many bodies and lenses do you own and what do you shoot with

them. Also, how many lenses do you have. I am toying with the idea

of getting a second full size M body to compliment my M5. I have a

Bessa T which is very nice but also very loud, and two CLs which are

compact but not up to focussing some of my lenses. I do however

have a total of 17 lenses which suggests a lot of double coverage

but surprisingly, I still have some holes in the collection. The

only duplicates are a pair of 40mm f=2.0 lenses for the CLs, one a

Summicron the other a Minolta (no, I do not want to sell one unless

I can sell one of the CL bodies first).

 

I was just passing time listening to the rain fall on a cold

Albuquerque night and decided I needed to know what other people

consider a useful collection of gear. I am sure someone is going to

suggest that the answer all depends upon what you're interested in

shooting with it. True, but that's not the question for tonight.

[back_alley_.]

no leica gear, just ltm gear.

 

2 canon p bodies and a canon 7 body.

 

5 lenses...35/50/85/100/135

 

works for me.

 

joe<div></div>

[andrew n.bra hrefhttp]

<ul>

<li>Two Ms (M4-P and M6TTL)</li>

<li>A motor and Abrahamsson RW to match</li>

<li>Four M lenses (35mm and three flavours of 50mm - 'lux, 'cron & elmar-m)</li>

<li>Two R lenses (16mm fisheye + 50mm 'cron)</li>

<li>One Hasselblad 501cm / 80CF / A12 / Kiev NC-2 prism</li>

</ul>

 

Does everything I need. A year ago I realised I had way too much stuff, so over the last six

months I sold almost half of it off. Sad to see the "vanity" 1964 M3; R6.2 or 100-Apo-R

go, but like the Grint says: "It's all about the photography" :?)

[brambor]

I have one M body and 3 lenses (35/50/90). I wouldn't mind having an M3 with 50mm as another body but my kit as is works just fine.

[red_buckner]

Two M3 DS bodies and two lenses: 50mm Summicron and 90mm Tele-Elmarit. This covers the waterfront for me.

[al_kaplan1]

Leica stuff? A lot of it's gone, along the view cameras and the Leicaflexes, but I still have a Minolta Autocord and a Rolleiflex T plus a Brooks Plaubel Veriwide 100.

 

Actual Leica type stuff: Bessa L with a 15/4.5 Skopar, Leica CL with a 40/2 Summicron, button rewind M2, M2-R, M2, M3 single stroke, 21/3.4 Super Angulon, 35/2 Summicron (second model), 50/2 Summicron (second model), 85/2 Nikkor (chrome), 90/2.8 long Elmarit, 135/2.8 Elmarit, 65/3.5 Elmar in short mount, 400/6.3 Tele-Astranar in short mount, Visoflex II-S with both prism and chimney viewfinders. The "S stands for "Scientific" and it has interchangeable slide-in focussing screens but I only have the standard ground glass. I used to havea Visoflex mount 150/2.3 Astro Tachar that I loved but it was stolen and a 280/4.8 Telyt that I used but it never turned me on. I also had a 28 Elmarit for awhile but never used it, so I traded it off. I guess that makes 10 lenses and 6 bodies including the Bessa and non Leitz/Leica glass.

[olivier_reichenbach]

If we're talking Leica, one M4, silver, and one M7, black. One Summicron 40, one

Summicron 35 Asph., one Summicron 50, one C/V 75/2.8. And one C/V meter. A few B+W

b&w filters. One Abrahamsson Soft Release on the M4.

 

If we're talking non-Leica, you don't want to know. Neither do I ;)

[jason_b.]

2 M6TTL's, M4, M3, 35/2 ASPH, 35/1.2 VC, 50/2 'cron, 50/1.4 ASPH (on order), and a 24/

2.8 ASPH on permaloan from a dear friend, oh and a SF20 flash and 1.25x thing. Mostly, I

want to have two cameras with meters, and two cameras that have accurate 50mm lines,

and two of each of my most used focal lengths. I may add an 85/2 zeiss when they come

out.

---1 m6 with 50 cron (bought last year)

---1 m3 ds with 50 elmar(given to me by my grandpa when he found out about my secret hobby)

---1 501CM kit I bought new a few years back on a whim with funds from a large tax return

---a 50mm distagon and 150mm sonnar (very old ones) for the blad bought used on epay without incident

---Fuji S5000 and an A310 are the current digital models.

---Nikon FM2N and 20/35/50 primes and a vivitar 100mm macro

 

I shoot all of these a lot. even though most of my shots are mediocre at best, this is a hobby I enjoy and am just trying to get better. This collection comes after much buying and reselling over the past 7 years. I have bought and sold quite a lot over epay and haven't had a bad experience yet. I think that I'm pretty much settled on the toys I have now. The only thing I'll change is the digital models every few years.

 

I am not sure how I can afford all these expensive toys with 2 kids, a homemaker wife, and the weekend fishing trips along with the gear involved for that. Somehow we make it and still have some left over for a few brews on Friday night.

[opc]

I have an M6 with a C/V 35 P2, a 50 Elmar, a 50 Summarit LTM, and a 90 summicron.

[r s]

I got an M3 SS with a 50 'cron and a 90 Elmarit. 90 is as long as I would want to go when using a rangefinder and I like it a lot.

<br><br>

If I ever get a second body it would be a body where I could start experimenting with something wider like a 35 - but for now my 50 and 90 works really well for me.

<br><br>

joe, that's one good looking family photo by the way - <i>great</i> looking Canons.

[john_amiet2]

1 - R8 + 80/1.4,

 

Lenses: 70-180/2.8 vario, 28-70/3.5-4.5(bit 'o crap!).

 

1 - M6 classic

1 - M6TTL

 

Lenses: 24/2.8; 35/2; 50/1; 50/2; 90/2.

The bulk of my work is done with the above these days.

 

Also:

 

4 Hasselblad bodies, 6 lenses and I don't know how many magazines.

For many years this was my standard work outfit. Now, it mainly sit around waiting for me to go camping and indulge my photography!

 

Also:

 

1 - Nikon 801

1 - Nikon 801S

1 - Nikon D100

 

Lenses: 24/2.8; 60/2.8 Macro; 35-70/2.4 zoom(2); 80-200/2.8zoom(2).

When necessary or required (digital or macro work) I use this outfit.

 

Bottom line. Too late in life I discovered the superiority, IMHO, of Leica. But it will see me out, and I ain't goin' till someone convinces me it is worthwhile!

[back_alley_.]

geez, i almost forgot my other 'family'

 

just a 2 lens outfit - bessa r w/ 35/75 combo

 

joe

 

hey rich, thanks for the compliment & the family says hi!<div></div>

[jorge]

I have three M's; my main body is an MP, always loaded with ISO 400 B&W (HP5+ or Tri-X). The other two are an M6, usually loaded with ISO 400 color neg, and the new addition is a 1958 M2 that I either load with ISO 100/125 B&W or use sometimes as a 2nd lens platform for ISO 400.

 

Lenses? I have several: 15, 21, 35 and 75. I also have no less than five 50's (this is my Jack-of-all-trades focal length and I like the different "signatures"). The 50's are a Summarit, an old collapsible Elmar 3.5, a Summicron, a Nokton and a Color-Skopar.

 

Unless I'm traveling and I don't have an idea of what I'm going to need, I just pick a camera and a lens from the bag and stick to it come what may.

[melvin_bressler1]

Funny you should ask. I just did an inventory. I was surprised to find that I

have 17 35 mm cameras, and about 14 lenses. Now I have to increase my

insurance.

 

But as to your specific question, I have a IIIa and a CLE which I alternate as

my "car" camera (both very compact).

 

For other work, I use an M7 and an M4, with the three "crons" 35, 50 & 90, and

rarely, a 135, as well as SLRs, usually with zoom lenses.

 

Happy snaps.

[al_kaplan1]

I forgot to list my 50mm f/2.8 Elmar that I got a few months ago "just because". I still haven't really explored its possibilities. Depending on my mood my grab-it-and-go camera is either the Leica CL/40 combo or the Bessa L/15 combo. I keep meaning to try the 50 Elmar on my M3 and carry it around for awhile.

[john da]

Three M6 Classic bodies (two 0.72 viewfinders, one 0.85 viewfinder).

 

Lens: 21mm ASPH, 28mm Elmarit (IV), 35mm Summicron (IV), 35mm Summilux ASPH,

50mm Summicron (IV), 50mm Noctilux (with built-in hood), 90mm Summicron ASPH and

135mm Apo-Telyt. One Motor M motor and one M 4-P Winder.

 

Also, other than Leica: Nikon F2AS, F3HPT & FM2n bodies + 6 lenses. Hasselblad 500C/M,

500EL/M and SWC/M CF + 5 lenses.

 

I like to photograph just about any subject. Black & white is my favorite, but I also shoot

color.

 

Now that I have made this list, I think I should pair down the equipment to the essentials.

[Brad_]

Anyone taking notes on this?

[marc_lieberman1]

Ok Al, tell us the story behind the Minolta Autocord. The consignment shop down the street has one in the window. It looks brand new and has a Rokkor lens, which I think may be the same quality as your Summicron-C. It is smaller than a Rolleiflex and has Bay II lenses, but the screen seems too dark to focus accurately in all but the brightest light.

[icuneko]

<17 lenses...I needed to know what other people consider a useful collection of gear.>

 

Why not sell a few, or several, and donate the funds to the tsunami victims' relief agencies? That would be "useful."

[scott_mcloughlin]

M6TTL, Bessa R. CV 21/4, 35/2.5P, 50/1.5, 50/2.5 and Leica 28/2

 

Nikon FM3a. 28/2.8, 45/2.8P, 105/2.5, 135/2.8 AI(S)

 

D70. 24/2.8, 35/2, 50/1.8, 85/1.8 AF(D)

 

Most of it gets used, but I still feel like it's too much stuff. Most of the shooting lately is with M6 + 28/2 + 50/1.5.

[david j.lee]

3 M3`s

1 M6

1 minilux

1 35 f3.5 summaron

2 50mm collapsible summicrons

1 50mm 4th type summicron

1 28 f2.8 elmarit 3d type

1 90mm f2.8 elmarit

1 90mm f4.0 collapsible elmar

1 135mm f4.5 hector.

this is the leica stuff.

[ishik_tuna]

3 bodies:leicaflex sl, leicaflex sl black, digilux2

4 lenses: 21mm Super Angulon-R, 50 mm Summicron-R, 90 mm Elmarit-R, 250mm Telyt-R (not counting the Digilux 2's non-removable zoom lens)

 

love shooting architectural stuff with the 21mm, portraits are amazing with the 90mm, sports/wildlife with the 250mm, digilux for P&S kind of stuff, don't really use the 50mm lens for much of anything!

[hil3]

Leica stuff I use: M5, M6 Classic, 28/2.8, 35/2. 50/2, 90/2.8, 135/4.

 

Nikon stuff I use: F2AS, Nikkormat FT2, Nikkormat FT3, 50/2 Ai'd, 50/2 AIS, 50/1.8 E, 200/4, 75-150 E.

 

Stuff I don't use: Dozen sundry Nikkor lenses & Nikon gadgets.

 

If I had to get rid of stuff, I would keep all of the bodies and all of the 50s plus a 35 for the M6.

 

I use the M6 mostly for 100 ISO color film, the M5 for TX, the F2AS is always loaded with fast color film. The two Nikkormats usually have Neopan 1600 in one and 400 ISO color film in the other.

[c_d5]

Leica: beautifully beat up M2, R8

 

Lens for the Leica that I actually use: 90 "long" Elmarit, 50/1.8 Canon, 40 Rokkor CLE. 28-70, 50 cron.