What lenses for traveling with 35mm?

[werra]

Yeah, another vote for 35mm with yellow filter. Makes the best tourist shots.

[ic-racer]

I just got back from 2 week trip. I was using:

Nikon N75 and 35mm f2 autofocus lens
and
Yashica fx3 and Yashica ML 24mm f2.8

BTW, no measurable base density change after two runs through the airport x-ray compared to similar film that did not make the trip.

[Peltigera]

I think Mr. Ambivalent is traveling to Europe, possibly from the U.S., and wants to know which lenses to bring - since he can't conveniently nip back to the house for that other lens.

I was commenting on the "When I am in Europe" bit. Not being able to nip back for another lens applies if you are in any country. No big deal - it just struck me as strange.

[OldBodyOldSoul]

With couple of exceptions, American cities are so spread out, streets so wide, buildings and people so far from each other, that you will need a long telephoto to make similar kind of shot to the one made in most European cities with a 50mm.
Just my experience.

[xxloverxx]

If I'm doing multiple lenses, it's a 35 and 50. Most times I'm happy with just one. Depending on where I'm going, I might be taking an SLR, in which case I take a 50 1.4 and 100mm+ just for the SLR (usually it's just a rangefinder). Most of the time I'm perfectly happy to shoot 12 hours a day with a 35, 40 or 50mm. I worry more about how long I can carry the bag and less about how much I'm taking (once you take one lens you'll "have to take another" "just in case" — if you only have one, you adapt (from my experience)).

[baachitraka]

If I'm doing multiple lenses, it's a 35 and 50. Most times I'm happy with just one. Depending on where I'm going, I might be taking an SLR, in which case I take a 50 1.4 and 100mm+ just for the SLR (usually it's just a rangefinder). Most of the time I'm perfectly happy to shoot 12 hours a day with a 35, 40 or 50mm. I worry more about how long I can carry the bag and less about how much I'm taking (once you take one lens you'll "have to take another" "just in case" — if you only have one, you adapt (from my experience)).

Biggest inconvenience is carrying too many things. Apart from important documents I would like to carry a SLR and a 35mm lens + 20 rolls of film and you can leave the rest of the rolls in the hotel.

[Uncle Bill]

On a recent trip to NYC I took an Olympus OM-1 with a 28 f3.5, 50 f1.8 and 135 f3.5 Zuiko lenses along with a Rolleicord. I realized once I was there I really needed a 24 f2.8 lens, unfortunately none of the usual suspects (B&H, Adorama etc.) had one in stock. I do plan to go back next year and I might instead go with the FM2 so I can use my 24 f2.8, 28 f2.8 and maybe sub out my 50 for a Nikkor 35 f2 and 105 f2.5. I got a year to figure that out. The Rolleicord is still going along for the ride too most likely. I liked having medium format with me too.

[RedTownCats]

You might find you want wide more than usual.

If you're keen on bringing a 100 consider the small Series E - could give you more room for a 200 or, as suggested, a PC lens.

[semi-ambivalent]

Well, we're back. Frankfurt, Krakow, Prague, Vienna, Florence, Venice, Sienna, Volterra, Verona, Munich and Frankfurt. A few of these just long enough to make the train we HAD to make. It was hot. It was humid. Other than that it was wonderful.

I brought ten rolls of Tri-X and shot 9 of them. Three rolls of Ektachrome 100G and shot none of them. A hand check leaving Denver was easy but I wasn't sure about Europe so I shot the Tri-X at 250/320-ish. (I had wanted to do some at 1000/1600 and stand proc. in Adonal.) A security lady in Munich said I my film could skip the X-ray but then she dropped the bag in the tub and sent it through. The guy at the screen looked at my bag for quite a while, clicking through the layers, and then sent it out and said something to another woman. She picked up my camera, a straight F with a 50mm f/2 Ai, and asked me to turn it on! I'm not lying here. She was certainly old enough to have used a film camera in her youth; perhaps just didn't see them at all anymore. I took the lens off and showed her the mirror and offered to let her take a picture but she declined. The film went through various X-ray machines three times. We were otherwise able to stay inside secure areas and avoid a couple more hits. I abandoned the color stuff to my son and a digital; it was liberating.

I took an F, an F3 and 20, 28, 35, 50 and 105. The plan was to bag the 35 but at seven ounces (f/2.8) it was too easy to include. I had my son carry the 105 for me . I used the 35 and 50 for probably 80% of my shots, 28 for 15% and the rest with the 20 and 105. For those, they were what I wanted so I'm glad I carried them. It was all rather light and if I had to carry the 105 too it still would have been fine. The 50 was f/2 and everything else was f/2.8(5). Having 1.4 would have been handy but I really like the look the 50 f/2 has. No regrets except that it might have been nice to ditch the family and go out alone more than I did. There were many instances where I chose not to take pictures, to just take it all in. No regrets there either.

s-a

[SafetyBob]

Glad your back and thanks for the excellent report on what happened during the trip. I am surpised you took THAT big of a selection of glass with you. May I ask what specific results do you like with the 50m f/2? I see that so many people swear by them but never get to any specifics.....is B&W just got "that" look to it? Color give it the old fashioned look from long ago? Just wondering.

My wife LOVES Prague, even with her old film P&S she got some wonderful photos. If you get any real keepers, I think we would all love seeing a few.

Bob E.