[Leica] Vacation Camera Lenses: What did NOT work?

[douglas.sharp at gmx.de (Douglas Sharp)]

If I know more or less exactly what I'm intending to shoot, e.g. steam 
trains, landscapes or street scenes. I'll take a fair bag full of stuff 
to cover all eventualities - carrying the whole lot in a backpack from 
the car to the plane, the plane to the train and the station to the 
apartment or cottage. In all about a mile at the most in both 
directions. Total weight between 6 and 8 kilos, including films and 
memory cards

Best for long walks:
a Voigtl?nder Bessa-L with a 15mm (sometimes a 12 mm too) and its finder 
- less than a pound all told and slips easily into a jacket pocket.
 
If there's too much in a frame, crop it when you get home, the CV 15 mm 
is good enough and the 12 mm lets you shoot wonderful panoramas.

Shooting trains:
The longest walk is from the station to the next pub, so a 60mm Macro 
(also useful as a normal lens), a 12-24 zoom, a lightweight 4/135mm 
Voigtl?nder and a fast 35 or 50mm for "shed-shots" along with my Canon 
20D. The lenses are carried in thick, weatherproof canvas, press-stud 
fastening ammunition pouches attached to my belt - they cost about 1 
euro apiece, army surplus.

4 pouches - 3 for lenses and 1 for a waterproof jacket and a plastic 
supermarket bag for popping over the camera if it pours.

I just don't like "gadget-bags" - you forget them, have them stolen or 
they slip off your shoulder into the mud.
I even had one fall between the rails under a train. Shoulder bags 
always tend to slip off your shoulder when you're having a pee too.

Walking around town:
My trusty 20D with the 12-24, I can't be bothered changing lenses while 
walking around town, possibly carrying a bag of shopping too. Weighs 
just over 1.5 kilos

The only time I take really long glass (300 or 400 mm) is when I know 
the Red Arrows or historical aircraft are going to be giving a show.

A hiking or cycling holiday, or from hotel to hotel, without a "base 
camp" or carrying your "home" on your back, is a different matter, but I 
don't do much more than 10 mile hikes these days. (unless the good pubs 
and food are 12 miles apart :-) )

Cheers
Douglas