Marrakesh for 4 days... purely xpan?

[szekiat]

I'm off to marrakesh in 24hrs... just quickly, would i be crazy to leave the m8 at home (i don't have UVIR filters for a lot of my lenses) and just shoot an xpan with 45mm lens and a s95 for digi? Or should i lug my m8, 3 lenses and a bessa R film with 15mm instead of the xpan?

[Andy Kibber]

Only you can answer that question. My advice would be take the camera or cameras that you're most familiar with.

[szekiat]

I concur. I'm equally happy with any of them but so wonder if I'll miss having the 15mm etc etc

[Paddy C]

Jose Villa just posted some XPan photos from Cuba. Look wonderful. Could be a nice challenge and you would have the s95 for backup.

http://josevillablog.com/2011/02/cub...pan-panoramic/

[Colin Corneau]

Originally Posted by Paddy C

Jose Villa just posted some XPan photos from Cuba. Look wonderful. Could be a nice challenge and you would have the s95 for backup.

http://josevillablog.com/2011/02/cub...pan-panoramic/

I can only agree. Simple is better; less is more.

[Bobfrance]

They really don't like having cameras pointed at them over there.

I'd take the 15mm so you can hipshoot when need be. Alternatively something longer like a 90mm if you have it. Use a 35mm and you'll get caught.


Untitled by Bobfrance, on Flickr

See the second guy on the left and the others on the right giving me the look of death.
I walked away with them shouting at me. Many folks want money for a picture, but I get the impression the guys who wheel the barrows around the Medina are a particularly grumpy bunch and don't like tourists.

ETA. If you're spending all your time in the Medina bring plenty of changes of clothes. In just one day you will reek of raw meat, spices and effluent. I kid you not!
Taking pictures there is not easy. You have to keep moving or the hawkers will be all over you and you won't get a shot anyway. It's a tiring but exhilarating experience.

Oh and you'll need eyes in the back of your head, so you don't get run over by a scooter or an donkey!

[JHenry]

Might be too late as you're leaving soon, but I'd take the rangefinders (M8 and the XPan). I was in Marrakech last year and had a blast. Shot mainly with a M7 and a Zeiss Ikon. Used 25mm for the majority of my keepers, and also used the Nokton 35mm 1.2 a lot at night.

As bobfrance said, be careful as people really don't like to have their picture taken. One guy (and I wasn't even taking his picture or pointing the camera in my direction) had some colorful things to say about my mother and my country.

You can see some of my pictures from Morocco on my site, www.pixelsandgrain.co

Enjoy! It's a great city to just walking around for days. I miss the mint tea.

Jeff

[szekiat]

Well I ended up leaving the s95 in the car accidentally so I'm stuck with the m8 and span and bessa. Rf it shall have to be!!!!

[nksyoon]

Unless you're going to shoot pushed B&W film on the Xpan you'll be facing low light issues so I would take the M8 and one fast lens as well.

[raytoei@gmail.com]

hahaha...obviously too late but i was going to say...buy a Lomo Horizon Kompact at the airport. This way you can shoot from the waist, no one will know you are shooting and if anything happens, you don't lose too much (as compared to your M).

raytoei

[szekiat]

well in the end, it was xpan and M8... film stuff is still being souped having shot mainly superia200. In the mean time, i got lots of decent stuff working the M8 and a 28mm... Morrocans are extremely friendly ppl and are always happy to help, just not too keen on being shot. That said, with a few walls and a bit of estimation, I figured that anything on the other side of the alley was 4m away and anything on my side but within the 28mm frame would be about 1.5-2m away...That an aperture of 2.8 to 4 and i was shooting away.... here are some shots....


Marrakesh M8 photos by mailassistant, on Flickr


Marrakesh M8 photos by mailassistant, on Flickr