Re: [Leica] Lenses I'd carry

[Jim Brick <jim@brick.org>]

At 10:26 PM 4/18/98 +0000, you wrote:
>
>On an M camera, if I could carry only one lens it would be a 50.  No
>contest.  If it were two lenses and one standard body, it would be a 50 and
>a 35.  Best would be two bodies:  an HM with 90 and a standard M6 with 50,
>plus a lot of room to back up for when I really the needed the 21, 24, or
>35.  I'll be honest about the 21 and 24 on an M though.  I love the look of
>it and the feel of it, but I haven't a clue how to take a quick picture with
>an accessory viewfinder.  I grew up with SLR's and have a lot to learn about
>how to use M's, especially M's with those crummy plastic or metal
>viewfinders (all of mine have a titanium housing and 35% rubber, 65%
>carbon-fibre outer covering, with red dot made from the dryed sap of a tree
>from the Black Forest).  Apologies to Stephen Gandy for another poor attempt
>at humor -- it's late.
>
>On an SLR, if only one lens, it would be an 85.  If two lenses, an 85 and a
>35.  If three:  85, 35, 24.  If four:  85, 35, 24, 180.  If five, I'd add a
>50.  If six, I'd ask Jim Brick to follow me around and get whatever I need 
>;-)
>
>John McLeod

Hummm... do you know if I have anything different than you??? I don't have
an 85. But I do have a 15. As I said earlier, my "lightweight" R kit is 15,
28, 50, 100, 180, 1.4 & 2x APO extenders.

I too am an SLR photographer. Switched to Leica when the R3 appeared in
'76. I've had an M camera for just a few months and, although I really like
the camera and it's feel, it's a different way of photographing. I've never
done much hand held photographing. It's fun to be able to just "take
pictures". But I'm not very quick at manipulating the controls yet. They
are, however, intuitive.

I tried a Tri-Elmar but I cannot get used to the lens taking-up a major
portion of the viewfinder. So I didn't buy it. I'm used to looking through
an uncluttered R finder. No competition from protruding lens barrels. So
I'll stick to the small 35/50/90mm M lenses. So far, they do exactly what I
want.

Jim