View Full Version : Lens Choice for a few days in Paris
I will be travelling to Paris this weekend for work but will have a couple of days to walk around and photograph. I will be taking a Hexar RF and either a 35 Summaron or a 50 DR Cron. Films are Tri-x and Acros 100.
I need to travel light and want to really use one camera one lens for the trip (i have a DLUX 4 as a back up), 35 was my most used focal length with my SLR and as such i see well with a 35, but there is something nagging at me to use the DR Cron with Tri-x in Paris. (classic combination!)
Any thoughts are welcome.
I would use the 50mm lens, whatever variation of 50mm you prefer.
coelacanth
11-16-2010, 18:18
When I asked similar question last year, many recommended wider angle lens because the alleys of Paris are very narrow and you can't back down.
I brought both 35mm and 50mm, but ended up using 50mm (Elmar-M 50/2.8) almost exclusively just because I am a 50mm kind of guy. If you are into 35mm, maybe 35 or 28mm would be better choice.
I shot all rolls pushed to 1600 so F2.8 was quite fast enough for me, but that's just me.
I will be travelling to Paris this weekend for work but will have a couple of days to walk around and photograph. I will be taking a Hexar RF and either a 35 Summaron or a 50 DR Cron. Films are Tri-x and Acros 100.
I need to travel light and want to really use one camera one lens for the trip (i have a DLUX 4 as a back up), 35 was my most used focal length with my SLR and as such i see well with a 35, but there is something nagging at me to use the DR Cron with Tri-x in Paris. (classic combination!)
Any thoughts are welcome.
Travel light and secure. There are plenty of people there who would luv to relieve you of your gear.
marcr1230
11-16-2010, 18:19
Either is fine. I would go with your strengths - the 35.
There are plenty of Paris threads - here's one I started a while back - towards the end are the photos I posted using a 50mm
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76400&page=2
Tim Gray
11-16-2010, 18:21
When I went I took a 15, a 35, and a 50. The 50 only got used a handful of times. I'd say the rest were 70/30 for the 35 and 15 respectively.
I like wide though. That trip was the one that convinced me that I'm not a 35 + 50 guy. When I got back, I sold the 35 and bought a 28.
35mm is a great lens for Paris--with the narrow streets and closeness to pedestrians. On my m8, I normally prefer a 50--but, in Paris, I tend to use a 28. Hence, my rec of a 35 on your m body.
Take the 35 and just the tri-x. Light is scarce in Paris these days. I was just there two weeks ago. Wish I was back. Try some street shooting in
Auteuil (16th Arr.) Nice quiet part of Paris without the tourists. Enjoy!
Vic
In Paris (and in France in general) I had along 25, 28, and 35mm CV lenses, and a 50mm collapsible Summicron, for the Barnacks. I also had along a 40/1.4CV for an M body. I brought adapters so I could use all the LTM lenses on the M body, when desired. All lenses but the 50 got a lot of use. The 50, I probably used twice. I'd recommend the 35mm as a single lens choice, and not the 50, for the reasons stated--the streets are narrow. Remember, France is only the size of Texas, and everything has to be proportionately smaller (an observation made by one of my French instructors who was originally from Toulon).
Most days my standard outfit was a 35mm on one IIIc, and a 28 on the other. The camera not in use went into my Royal Robbins vest pocket. Some days the 25 replaced the 28. In my mind, 25mm and 35mm are ideally spaced. They are far enough apart so I don't have to guess which one is needed for a shot, but close enough to not leave a hole in the middle between them.
The 40/1.4 CV was usually my choice, on an M body when I wanted a built-in meter and the versatility of a fast lens.
pixelatedscraps
11-16-2010, 19:39
Last time I was in Paris, I had an OM-1n + 28, 50 and 85, and a Mamiya 6 + 50 (28mm equivalent).
I used the Mamiya + wide angle about 98% of the time. But then again, that's just me: I would go with your favorite focal length and just stick to that.
Take the 35 Summaron the vintage look.
Leigh Youdale
11-16-2010, 22:57
I mainly used 25mm in Paris, so given the choice of the two you nominated I'd go for the 35!
Richard G
11-16-2010, 23:10
I agree with Rob F and Leigh. The 35 of the lenses you've got. But since I was last in Paris I got the ZM 25: not just the perfect focal length for Paris, but the sharpness and contrast of that lens are so appropriate to the crispness of French architecture, dress and thought. The DR 50mm would give you an opposite look, also nice, but not what I think of when I think of taking pictures in Paris.
I was there in August and used my 50mm on my M3. Take a look at my photos and see if this is what you're looking for:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2048838&id=1139559599&l=8971c05708
Frontman
11-17-2010, 04:44
My favorite pictures of Paris were taken by HCB, and we all know what kind of lens he used.
"Light" is a relative term. After a few years of carrying a ruck around in the Army I don't have any trouble carrying a couple of cameras. In Paris I would carry the same kit I carry anywhere else; 2 Leica Ms, one mounted with a 35mm Summaron, and the other with a 50mm Summicron. I find it much easier to carry two lens-mounted cameras than to carry one camera and 2 lenses.
Both of these cameras together weigh less than my digi Nikon and it's 24/70 2.8 lens.
NickTrop
11-17-2010, 04:53
A 50. That's the only choice. Forget all other recommendations. HCB shot Paris with a 50. I think it's a law there that Paris must be shot with a 50.
eddie1960
11-17-2010, 04:55
i'd shoot the 35 myself, paris has lot's of close quarters where it would be better, and in more open areas it works well for getting in close to people
last time i was there i shot more 35 on my fed and 28 on my k10 than anything else (though I did use a 200 with the pentax a fair bit at pere la chaise for isolating details)
damien.murphy
11-17-2010, 05:14
I will be travelling to Paris this weekend for work but will have a couple of days to walk around and photograph. I will be taking a Hexar RF and either a 35 Summaron or a 50 DR Cron. Films are Tri-x and Acros 100.
I need to travel light and want to really use one camera one lens for the trip (i have a DLUX 4 as a back up), 35 was my most used focal length with my SLR and as such i see well with a 35, but there is something nagging at me to use the DR Cron with Tri-x in Paris. (classic combination!)
Any thoughts are welcome.
The Summaron is so small, I would say bring both. If you're anything like me, you'll get a feel for one or other of the lenses as soon as you arrive, and end up using that lens almost exclusively for the trip.
SolaresLarrave
11-17-2010, 05:31
You said it yourself: 35mm is your most used focal length. I wouldn't complicate things and take a lens I use often and know well. As for film? Probably any ISO 400 will do (more versatile).
Roger Hicks
11-17-2010, 05:57
From http://www.rogerandfrances.com/short/z%20short%20schrift%20archive.html
Few topics generate more responses on the photographic forums than "I am going to Delhi [or Paris, or Istanbul, or wherever]. What cameras should I take?"
The curious assumption is that you are going to take different pictures from any you have ever taken before. If this is your first trip abroad, it seems a reasonable assumption that you will take the same sort of pictures you take at home, but in a more exotic location. If you have been abroad before, equally, you should have some recollection of what you shot when you were there.
You have only to remember two things. First, if you take too much, you have to carry it all; security is a concern, even when you put the bag down in a restaurant; and you're always having to decide what to use. Second, if you take too little, you risk insufficient versatility and the risk of your one camera breaking or being stolen. Two cameras, two to five lenses, and you've got it. How hard is that?
Or in your case, given your stated preference, one body + 35mm.
How are things going to change, compared with what you normally shoot? I normally shoot full frame Leica with 35 Summilux, so guess what I take to Paris, 3 hours from where I live.
Cheers,
R.
Andy Kibber
11-17-2010, 06:20
How are things going to change, compared with what you normally shoot?
Roger's on the money, I reckon. Take what you're comfortable with.
Thanks Everyone for your input. Rogers advice was on the money, I will take the 35 and lots of Tri x.
Nick De Marco
11-17-2010, 10:08
If only one, I think 35 for Paris (or in my view any city)
I was there last month and made a small set on flickr. I think about 75% of my shots (all film with Leica M6) were taken with 35mm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickdemarcofoto/sets/72157625262774414/with/5151081962/
Richard G
11-17-2010, 11:16
If only one, I think 35 for Paris (or in my view any city)
I was there last month and made a small set on flickr. I think about 75% of my shots (all film with Leica M6) were taken with 35mm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickdemarcofoto/sets/72157625262774414/with/5151081962/
And the rest with a CV 21. Nice pictures.
From http://www.rogerandfrances.com/short/z%20short%20schrift%20archive.html
Few topics generate more responses on the photographic forums than "I am going to Delhi [or Paris, or Istanbul, or wherever]. What cameras should I take?"
The curious assumption is that you are going to take different pictures from any you have ever taken before. If this is your first trip abroad, it seems a reasonable assumption that you will take the same sort of pictures you take at home . . . "
How are things going to change, compared with what you normally shoot? I normally shoot full frame Leica with 35 Summilux, so guess what I take to Paris, 3 hours from where I live.
Cheers,
R.
Roger: While it makes a certain amount of sense that if one usually shoots with a 35mm lens, they will continue that preference when faced with a new situation, I think it's important to remember that France is much smaller than the USA. I heeded the advice to take wide-angle lenses to deal with the narrow streets, and I'm glad I did. I think that even the fellow who usually shoots with a 50 will be well advised to take a wider lens or two. I could have done alright with my 28 as the widest lens, but I was glad I took the 25 along as well. I shot an awful lot with 28 and 35. I did need the 25 at times, like getting in the top of the Moulin Rouge's windmill. So I think the advice to take wide lenses, no matter what one usually uses, is relevant for Paris, Arles, and no doubt other French cities and towns.
I guess what I'm saying is that it doesn't hurt to get advice from photographers who have already been to a given location. I'd advise a French photographer contemplating a visit to the USA to include a long lens, for some detail shots in the Grand Canyon; for photos of eagles flying at Lock & Dam 24 on the Mississippi River in February; perhaps a shot of Long's Peak at Rocky Mountain National Park; some alpenglow shots in Imogene Pass in Southern Colorado; and so on. I'd also advise a wide-angle lens for some architectural shots along Wacker Drive in Chicago; for the St. Louis Gateway Arch; IN NYC; and so on. These things might not occur to someone visiting for the first time.
OT: Aquitaine is only 3 hours away from Paris? By what mode of transportation? The TGV? Sue and I spent days wending our way from Cassis up to Paris, by way of Arles, Auxerre, Dijon, etc., and the driving time was probably more like 12 hours total. Next time we'd like to skip the driving. (We will never drive in Paris again! How do you get around?
Leigh Youdale
11-18-2010, 12:54
OT: Aquitaine is only 3 hours away from Paris? By what mode of transportation? The TGV? Sue and I spent days wending our way from Cassis up to Paris, by way of Arles, Auxerre, Dijon, etc., and the driving time was probably more like 12 hours total. Next time we'd like to skip the driving. (We will never drive in Paris again! How do you get around?
First rule of travel: Never take a car into Paris! Use the Metro and BatoBus. And walk.
I walked across Paris, it was much more enjoyable than anything else. Stopping at little cafes was the best, and being able to veer any which way made for some great photo ops.
Definitely do a lot of walking.
:rolleyes:...ZM 25: not just the perfect focal length for Paris...
Pure comedy.. how can you say this?
Oh well. :rolleyes:
JeffMerlet
11-19-2010, 12:18
in my last days of touring europe for 2 weeks (business trip), and I only have my m6 and 'cron 35, and mostly b&w film. and i've been happy shooting, when not busy working, in finland, france (provence backcountry) and romania. was great to travel light with my preferred setup, and enjoying shooting mostly urban/architecture stuff as i never do it that much at home. but in finland and romania i really had to push my film as it is getting dark pretty fast. have fun shooting in paris, and you did make the good choice!
Getting on the plane in a few hours and had a change of heart. I have the Hexar RF with the 35 but decided at the last moment to take the M2 with the 50. So much for one camera, one lens. The two cameras still feel a lot lighter than my D700 set up. Taking a dozen rolls of TRi-X and 4 rolls of HP5 along. I will post some photo's after developing and scanning when i get back.
I prefer 2 cameras with 2 lenses to the one camera/one lens limit.
More flexibility at the expense of more weight/bulk.
I think it is worth it.
You made a good choice. Why not?
Thomas, I travel alot for work but rarely get a couple of free days to shoot, so i am really looking forward to this trip. I noticed your location is Fort langley, it's a small world as i did my grade seven at Fort langley Elementary School but that was forty years ago, a lot has changed as I hear you even have a bridge across the Fraser now, no more ferry?
Take Care.
Roger Hicks
11-19-2010, 14:26
Roger: While it makes a certain amount of sense that if one usually shoots with a 35mm lens, they will continue that preference when faced with a new situation, I think it's important to remember that France is much smaller than the USA. I heeded the advice to take wide-angle lenses to deal with the narrow streets, and I'm glad I did. I think that even the fellow who usually shoots with a 50 will be well advised to take a wider lens or two. I could have done alright with my 28 as the widest lens, but I was glad I took the 25 along as well. I shot an awful lot with 28 and 35. I did need the 25 at times, like getting in the top of the Moulin Rouge's windmill. So I think the advice to take wide lenses, no matter what one usually uses, is relevant for Paris, Arles, and no doubt other French cities and towns.
I guess what I'm saying is that it doesn't hurt to get advice from photographers who have already been to a given location. I'd advise a French photographer contemplating a visit to the USA to include a long lens, for some detail shots in the Grand Canyon; for photos of eagles flying at Lock & Dam 24 on the Mississippi River in February; perhaps a shot of Long's Peak at Rocky Mountain National Park; some alpenglow shots in Imogene Pass in Southern Colorado; and so on. I'd also advise a wide-angle lens for some architectural shots along Wacker Drive in Chicago; for the St. Louis Gateway Arch; IN NYC; and so on. These things might not occur to someone visiting for the first time.
OT: Aquitaine is only 3 hours away from Paris? By what mode of transportation? The TGV? Sue and I spent days wending our way from Cassis up to Paris, by way of Arles, Auxerre, Dijon, etc., and the driving time was probably more like 12 hours total. Next time we'd like to skip the driving. (We will never drive in Paris again! How do you get around?
Dear Rob,
I'm assuming that (a) he's seen pictures of Paris before and (b) he's been in places with narrow streets before and (c) he's a reasonably experienced photographer.
Besides which, a lot of Parisian streets aren't that narrow: Champs Elysées, anyone? Or most of the other Haussmann boulevards for that matter? Or even the Place des Vosges? Views of the Seine? Of the Eiffel Tower? In fact, away from the Marais, wide streets are arguably as common as narrow ones.
I've travelled quite a lot, in quite a lot of places, and quite honestly, if I don't habitually shoot (say) 400mm in one place, I find that I am unlikely to miss that same lens very much in another. If I were going to the mountains in California, I'd probably use exactly the same long lens as I use in the Pyrenees: 135mm. Or to turn it 'round, I very seldom used my 280, 300, 400, 600 or 800 mm lenses when I lived in California, so I never took 'em to the Himalayas. I'd rather miss the occasional picture than be burdened with kit I took 'just in case'. A new location is not the place to (re)learn to use equipment you don't use otherwise.
The Aquitaine may deceive you. I live in the far north of what is historically the Aquitaine, maybe 25 km from Poitiers, which as I recall was the last city to fall to the French in the Hundred Years' War. The Aquitaine has. after all, varied enormously in size over the last few centuries. In other words, I'm not in the region that the French currently call the Aquitaine, though as Eleanor is also buried nearby, I reckon it's a fair usage. It's about 300 km = 3 hours on the BMW R100RS. Riding a motorcycle in Paris is a LOT easier than driving a car.
Cheers,
R.
mtoledano
11-19-2010, 18:18
When I was in Paris I had a Voigtlander 40mm 1.4 and a Voigtlander 15mm 4.5. I don't think I've ever been anywhere so photogenic.
Whatever you bring, there will be photo opportunities. I would probably just bring both lenses.
Richard G
11-19-2010, 18:27
:rolleyes:
Pure comedy.. how can you say this?
Oh well. :rolleyes:
Filmfan, you're too easily amused. Just expressing an idea. This is not photo.net and not a 'street' forum only. If you don't appreciate the idea then move on.
<A 50. That's the only choice. Forget all other recommendations. HCB shot Paris with a 50. I think it's a law there that Paris must be shot with a 50.>
Depends in my view what you are shooting.
A 50mm would be ok for street/people but is not ideal for tourist views.
Last time I went to Paris I only took a 50mm and regretted it.
If you only want to take one take a 35mm.
But hey why not go mad and take both?
Canyongazer
11-21-2010, 06:57
Oddly, every time I've been to Paris I've used a 40mm equivalent on another format
60mm on a Fuji 645
80mm on Mamiya 7II
20mm on Panasonic GF1
but never an actual 40 on 35mm (don't have one)
Yes, 40 is sometimes too short, sometimes too long but usually proves to be like Baby Bear's porridge.
Still---it's Paris! If ever there was a location that deserved the "burden" of a second lens....
le vrai rdu
11-21-2010, 11:23
In paris anything from 21 to 50 is useable
it is true, the city is quite old and narrow so that a 50 is a bit "long"
the 21 mm is fantastic to enjoy the architecture of the beginning of the 20th century (aerian metro etc). Many building from this area can be seen when you leave the very downtown. They are very interesting and show the mentallity of this period.
Maybe looking about the recent history of Paris (for exemple Hausmann, La Commune, les citées ouvrières) would give you some keys to understand the palce and architecture too
concerning HCB, he used 50mm but not only and it is not because you go to Paris that you have to pretend to be HCB.
I used a lot the 35 mm in Paris and enjoyed it.
The city is very dense and it can take a long time before knowing 1% of it
The places I prefer in paris are on the hills, maybe because the light go down the streets more easily and because it is more popular and lively :)
If you need to refuel in film go to "photostock" M°5 porte de Pantin
Travel light and secure. There are plenty of people there who would luv to relieve you of your gear.
My advice is the opposite. Don't be paranoid. It's Paris, for crying out loud, not Mogadishu!
When I was in Paris I had a Voigtlander 40mm 1.4 and a Voigtlander 15mm 4.5.
Perfect. Last time I was there I had a 35 and a 50. Hardly used the 50, and at times wished I had an 18 or 21. Of course, in keeping with what Roger said, the same is true in Seattle, SF, NYC, Kyoto...
Given the OP's choices, I'd take the Summaron and a pile of TMAX400.
le vrai rdu
11-21-2010, 12:05
taking the metro allow you to see the entrails of the city ;)
an anatomy lesson for 1€20
Liquid-Sky
11-21-2010, 12:10
taking the metro allow you to see the entrails of the city ;)
an anatomy lesson for 1€20
huh! 1.70 not 1.20 euros! seens how long haven't jump on the metro :D
edit: sorry, my bad, 1.20e if you buy a carnet of 10! ;)
le vrai rdu
11-21-2010, 12:20
huh! 1.70 not 1.20 euros! seens how long haven't jump on the metro :D
edit: sorry, my bad, 1.20e if you buy a carnet of 10! ;)
buy ten ticket instead of one :D then it is 1€20
RFluhver
11-21-2010, 13:44
Travel light and secure. There are plenty of people there who would luv to relieve you of your gear.
Yep, definitely agree with this. Last time I was in Paris, I was nearly relieved of my gear while walking around La Defense. And this was only a Canon 450D!
35mmdelux
11-21-2010, 14:00
I will be travelling to Paris this weekend for work but will have a couple of days to walk around and photograph. I will be taking a Hexar RF and either a 35 Summaron or a 50 DR Cron. Films are Tri-x and Acros 100.
I need to travel light and want to really use one camera one lens for the trip (i have a DLUX 4 as a back up), 35 was my most used focal length with my SLR and as such i see well with a 35, but there is something nagging at me to use the DR Cron with Tri-x in Paris. (classic combination!)
Any thoughts are welcome.
Romanticism aside, I would go with the 35mm length. I would also throw in the 21mm VC since it weighs virtually nothing.
Just a quick update as i am sitting in my hotel in Paris packing up for an early flight home tomorrow. Paris is such a photogenic city with endless photo ops down every street and around every corner. I did my best to avoid shooting the "usual suspects" but at times I could not help myself as these Iconic structures sucked me in. I had two days of shooting one dull, dreary and foggy the other crisp and sunny. I have to say I prefer the look & style of the photo's I took on the dull day.
For film I shot only with the 35 Summaron on the M2. As a lot of you suggested Paris really begs you to use a wide lens and found myself taking the DLUX 4 out of my pocket frequently because of the 24 mm f2 equivelant on the wide end, I shot it in "Dynamic B &W only and the photo's look really good.(just digital). I think if I ever get back here again I could shoot everything using a 24 mm and be happy.
I will develop, scan and post some of the film shots over the weekend, i am not sure if DLUX 4 shots are allowed to be posted. (faux Leica)
I thank everyone for their responses, and for those of you have not been to Paris you really owe to yourself to try and get here! I was blown away by the people, the food, the wine and all the great scenes to photograph.
Thanks & Goodnight.
vBulletin® v3.6.8, Copyright ©2000-2013, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.