asiafish
All-Pro
- Location
- Bakersfield, CA
- Name
- Andrew
So I leave tomorrow evening for 9 days in Seoul. This is a non-photography trip, but I do want to create a photo book as it is my father-in-law's 80th birthday. Seoul is extremely hot and humid, and I've had heat stroke before, so I will not be carrying a big heavy camera bag around.
So my question is, do I try and go really minimal and just bring the X 113 and a bunch of extra batteries and cards? This is the lightest, works in any lighting and while not wide enough or long enough to cover everything, is usually close enough. It will also force me to not worry about gear because I just won't have any.
Second option is to bring the M-E with a 50mm lens (don't think I'll need a 90) and also bring the X for 35mm and to use as a backup or to pass off to others so I can be in some pictures. The X is very light and can easily be passed around, but with my M-E I can turn this non photo trip into a photo trip and still not really annoy everyone else fussing with a bag of tricks. The M-E with 50 Cron is extremely useful in most lighting (the X is even better in super-low light), has no focus shift worth worrying about and with its modern Leica coatings is quite flare-resistant, and its a lot more solidly built than my Sonnars.
Another option is X Vario and M-E with a 50mm, using the M-E for lower light and the X Vario for everything else. M-E isn't as good as X for low-light so I would probably bring the 5cm f/1.5 Sonnar or Jupiter 3 instead of the 50 Cron to get that extra stop. The Sonnars aren't as well-built as the 50 Cron, but I get an extra stop in low light which the M-E needs when I don't have my X. The X Vario really does everything except low light and shallow depth of field.
Final option is X Vario and X 113, as both share the same batteries. This gives me versatility using the X Vario for everything with good light and the X indoors or in the evening, but I lose the real shallow depth of field and that CCD magic I get with the M-E, not to mention that Sonnar look.
As with every trip, I'm pulling my hair out before leaving, but will have a blast with whatever I end up taking and not really worry much about what I left behind. Currently leaning toward X and M-E/50 Cron combo with no extra lenses.
So my question is, do I try and go really minimal and just bring the X 113 and a bunch of extra batteries and cards? This is the lightest, works in any lighting and while not wide enough or long enough to cover everything, is usually close enough. It will also force me to not worry about gear because I just won't have any.
Second option is to bring the M-E with a 50mm lens (don't think I'll need a 90) and also bring the X for 35mm and to use as a backup or to pass off to others so I can be in some pictures. The X is very light and can easily be passed around, but with my M-E I can turn this non photo trip into a photo trip and still not really annoy everyone else fussing with a bag of tricks. The M-E with 50 Cron is extremely useful in most lighting (the X is even better in super-low light), has no focus shift worth worrying about and with its modern Leica coatings is quite flare-resistant, and its a lot more solidly built than my Sonnars.
Another option is X Vario and M-E with a 50mm, using the M-E for lower light and the X Vario for everything else. M-E isn't as good as X for low-light so I would probably bring the 5cm f/1.5 Sonnar or Jupiter 3 instead of the 50 Cron to get that extra stop. The Sonnars aren't as well-built as the 50 Cron, but I get an extra stop in low light which the M-E needs when I don't have my X. The X Vario really does everything except low light and shallow depth of field.
Final option is X Vario and X 113, as both share the same batteries. This gives me versatility using the X Vario for everything with good light and the X indoors or in the evening, but I lose the real shallow depth of field and that CCD magic I get with the M-E, not to mention that Sonnar look.
As with every trip, I'm pulling my hair out before leaving, but will have a blast with whatever I end up taking and not really worry much about what I left behind. Currently leaning toward X and M-E/50 Cron combo with no extra lenses.