Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/07/01
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Just returned from a few weeks traveling through France and Germany. Lots of time beforehand deciding what equipment to take. Wanted to travel light. Real question was whether or not to take a digital camera. Ended up, I left the Canon G2 and digital Elph at home. Took one M6 and a Contax T2. Shot b/w and slide film only. Shot slides about 3 to 1. Wish I'd shot more b/w. Lessons learned...for travel film's better than digital. With digital I'd have needed my laptop (which remained home). Even with a handful of CF cards, or a high capacity Microdrive I'd have had less capacity than the dozens of rolls of film that I shot. Plus with a Micro all my eggs would've been in one basket. I'm much the techie, but I still know film better and I trust it more. ...film's a must for super wide shots. Used my 21/2.8 Elmarit ASPH a great deal (what's that a 5mm lens on a digital camera?). Used it more than half the time. Used my 35/1.4 ASPH the other half. Hardly used my 90/2.8 Elmarit. After a few days I stopped carrying it. Didn't take a 50 and didn't miss it. Keep reminded myself that less is better for travel. Used the M6 10 to 1 over the T2, but the T2 was handy...and convenient. Better, that, I think, than my second M. A couple of times I had the wrong film type in the M (b/w and wanted slide, or visa versa). Did some mid-roll switching. Ended up double exposing one roll. Aso took my trusty Vivtar 2800 flash. Came in handy a few times. Used a piece of Somerset Velvet paper for bounce. Attached a tiny piece of Velcro to it and to my flash. Inexpensive yet very fast and functional. (Had a backup bounce but never lost the first. Kept it in my Passport. Always handy). You guys on the Continent are lucky...film's certainly less expensive than it is in the States. Next time I'm taking less with me and buying along the way. Here's a link to some early shots...all b/w. http://www.lightcurves.com/europe02/europebw.html Dave - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html