[wolfiegirl]

And that's why the DA18-250 is great. No missing shots whilst swapping lenses. The IQ of a missed shot is zero, near as I can tell.

My travel strategy: Use the 18-250. Arrive somewhere. Use the 18-250. Recce the terrain, taking mental notes. Walk the terrain later with selected primes. Then walk it again with just one prime (and backups in the bag). Repeat until it's time to go. Depending on spaciousness and prudence, substitute the 10-24 or 170-500 for the 18-250. Run when necessary.

yeah it's on my wishlist, but i don't see it happening any time soon

[SpecialK]

I'm trying to keep it under 30-35 lenses, not counting the minikit.

"Ha", is all I can say...

[monochrome]

The last time I did something similar it was only for two weeks, not for several months - but - after tough back and forth with my other 3/2 we agreed I could take two bags. I picked one, she picked one. I picked the Domke F2. She picked a Nova 3. Space sharpens my triage. <wink>

I could have (and have) done similar with just the XA.

[RioRico]

Next cut. I'm pushing towards the basic necessities, plus one KM or KA mount lens in each category, as well as my fastest and best, plus old German+Russian glass:

Ultralight minikit: Enna Tele-Sandmar 100/4.5 (110g, 10 iris blades); CZJ Tessar 50/2.8 (110g, 12 blades); Meyer Helioplan 40/4.5 (100g, 12 blades); Loreo 35/11 shift (30g, no blades); Enna Sandmar 35/4.5 (10 blades, 60g); and a Vivitar 28/2.8 (130g) (too large, alas).

Mandatory zooms: DA10-17, Tamron 10-24, DA18-250 (all KAF)
Supplemental zooms: Lil'Bigma 170-500 (KAF), Schneider Betavaron 50-125
And a cheap 180-fisheye screw-in that fits the DA18-250

28s: Komine 28/2 CFWA; Tamron 28/2.5; Accura Diamatic 28/2.8; Toyo 28/2.8 (KA)
35s: Nikkor-O 35/2; Tokina 35/2.8; Super-Tak 35/3.5; Meyer Primagon 35/4.5; Mir-1 37/2.8
50s: K50/1.2 (KM); FA50/1.4; Zuiko 50/1.8 (OM); Yashica DSB 50/1.9 (C/Y); Meyer Primotar-E 50/3.5; Macro-Tak 50/4(1x); Mamiya 55/1.8; Porst Color Reflex 55/2.8; and a cheap 1.5x optical adapter for the FA50
135s: Super-Tak 135/2.5; Ricoh 135/2.8 (KA); Zuiko 135/3.5 (OM); Jupiter-11 135/4

Other wides: Zenitar 16/2.8 (KM); Tokina 21/3.8; Kiron 24/2 (KM); Cimko 24/2.8
Other moderate: Nikkor 85/2; Jupiter-9 85/2; Meyer Trioplan 100/2.8; Super-Tak 105/2.8; Isco Westar 105/4.5
Other longer: Jupiter-21 200/4; Tele-Tak 200/5.6; Enna Tele-Ennalyt 240/4.5; Chinon (or Cosina?) Alpa 300/5.6; Sakar 500/8 mirror (PK)

Non-camera lenses: EL-Nikkor 50/2.8; Kodak Anastigmat 65/3.5; Vivitar-LU 75/3.5; Apos Colorstigmat 90/4.5; Novoflex Noflexar 105/3.5; TDC VIVID Anastigmat 127/3.5 -- All these sitting on M42 tubes, Bellowscope 45-110mm bellows, 17-35mm M42 focusing helicoid, and various mount adapters.

Hmm, excluding the ultralight and non-camera minikits, I count 40 items there, 36 if I strike out a few lenses and don't count the optical adapters. Hay, almost on-target! But is this the final cut? Ha. Stay tuned for thrilling|boring mind-changes. Like, more Takumars? What a pickle...

EDIT: I just scratched a couple more and added the Mir-1 37/2.8.
EDIT: More revisions; down to 36 camera lenses, excluding minikits.

---

Last edited by RioRico; 01-13-2012 at 04:58 PM.

[hoanpham]

I think you should cut the
Tamron28/2.5, Tokina35/2.8, Zuiko50/1.8, Jupiter-9

Tamron28/2.5 and Tokina35/2.8 for weight, They are not better than Komine28/2 nor Nikkor35/2, and you still have the vivitar28/2.8 if it arrives.
Zuiko50/1.8: difficult to cut, but if one have to go. you have the zuiko135.
Jupiter-9: bulky, not better than nikkor 85/2

K50/1.2 remains as an open question. In which case would you need the extra light that the FA50/1.4 cannot give?
I know it's fancy to bring it, and it is in your 'not-to-part-with' items. Consider f1.2 and AF f1.4, i would go for the AF.
I leave all my f1.2 at home during travel.

You forgot to bring some tilt option. or maybe you already have a bellow that allow shift/tilt for macro shoots?
I also had pentacon6 tilt adapter and 2 lenses last time, used in two occations.

[RioRico]

I think you should cut the
Tamron28/2.5, Tokina35/2.8, Zuiko50/1.8, Jupiter-9

Tamron28/2.5 and Tokina35/2.8 for weight, They are not better than Komine28/2 nor Nikkor35/2, and you still have the vivitar28/2.8 if it arrives.
Zuiko50/1.8: difficult to cut, but if one have to go. you have the zuiko135.
Jupiter-9: bulky, not better than nikkor 85/2

My goal isn't necessarily ALL my better glass, but a mix of gear including those I don't use often enough. If I toss-over the Tokina 35, it'll likely be for the Isco Westron 35/2.8 or even the Mir-1 37/2.8. Yeah, the Mir; I'll revise the list now. The Tamron 28 stays; so does the Jupiter-9, which isn't 'better' than the Nikkor 85 but is different (moodier) and will be fun to play with around picturesque Old Bisbee and Nogales and Tombstone.

For this selection, weight and bulk aren't serious issues. Most of this gear will be hauled straightaway into my old adobe house and used piece-by-piece as I stalk the vertical town and rocky surroundings. I'm even considering the huge Rubinar Makpo 1000/10 mirror. That could be fun to aim up Brewery Gulch or Tombstone Canyon, eh? Again, if we make a cross-Mexico drive, everything will be left behind except the minikit, mandatory zooms, and a very few fast primes.

K50/1.2 remains as an open question. In which case would you need the extra light that the FA50/1.4 cannot give?
I know it's fancy to bring it, and it is in your 'not-to-part-with' items. Consider f1.2 and AF f1.4, i would go for the AF.
I leave all my f1.2 at home during travel.

The 50/1.2 is for DOF effects, of course. I use the 50/1.4 for stuff that's moving around and the 50/1.2 for stuff that's just lying unconscious.

You forgot to bring some tilt option. or maybe you already have a bellow that allow shift/tilt for macro shoots?
I also had pentacon6 tilt adapter and 2 lenses last time, used in two occations.

Alas, nothing of mine tilts. I have a little money stashed away in case an ultralight Rikenon XR Aspheric 28/3.5 (70g) appears. If I can't find that in the next few months, or if somebody dies and leaves me an inheritance, then I may go tilty.

[xjjohnno]

Rico moseys off to Arizona in a B double full of lenses.

[RioRico]

Rico moseys off to Arizona in a B double full of lenses.

Had to look that up. What I'd call a twin-semi load. I call it something else when it passes too close. Fortunately, such a rig can't fit into Old Bisbee, so there *is* a natural limit to my accumulation.

Where I'm off to: Cochise County occupies southeast Arizona and includes Chiricahua (chee-ree-KOW-wah) Nat'l Monument, Fort Huachuca (wha-CHOO-kah), Tombstone, Bisbee, various tall mountains and deep caverns and vast valleys and huge mines and border towns. This is the land of Geronimo and Wyatt Earp and J.A. Jance and much bloody history.

Mile-high Old Bisbee is a vertical town -- 40% of homes are on stairways, not streets. A century ago, its huge copper pit made it the richest and biggest city between New Orleans and San Francisco. Now Bisbee is full of artists, snowbirds, transvestites and border cops (La Migra). (Those types are not necessarily exclusive.) It's a couple hours drive to Tucson, a half-day to Mata Ortiz (look it up), and you get here by traveling through the Time Tunnel -- the 21st Century at one end, Bisbee on the other end.

When I first took up residence, I spent months arising before dawn and wandering the slopes and gulches with camera and tripod. And that's just in old town. Go up High Lonesome Road past Rattlesnake Ranch to Cochise's Stronghold, then across to the Chirichahuas and Oak Creek, a mini-Yosemite, and Portal with its astro community (every home has an observatory). One does not penetrate Cochise County casually. You're here either because you *really* want to be, or you were sent here by job or government or fate -- like, it's where the mule died or the car blew up.

Ten lenses are not adequate. Not unless I'm driving on to Guatemala.

[RioRico]

Close to the end! Goals are still the basic necessities, plus one KM or KA mount lens in each group, plus my fastest and best, plus old German+Russian glass, plus some less-used lenses.

These groups are finalized (I think):

Ultralight minikit: Enna Tele-Sandmar 100/4.5 (110g, 10 iris blades); CZJ Tessar 50/2.8 (110g, 12 blades); Loreo 35/11 shift (30g, no blades); Enna Sandmar 35/4.5 (10 blades, 60g). And two substitutes: Industar-50-2/3.5 (70g, 7 blades); Meyer Helioplan 40/4.5 (100g, 12 blades).

NOTE: A goal for this minikit was a total weight of 450g / 1lb. So I throw the bag (minus substitutes) onto the scale and it weighs... 470g! Close enough! (I'll blame the bag and PK adapters for the overage.) Substituting the Industar for the Tessar will bring it in under-weight. Fine!

Mandatory zooms: DA10-17, Tamron 10-24, DA18-250 (all KAF)
Other zooms: Lil'Bigma 170-500 (KAF), Schneider Betavaron 50-125

20s (misc): Tokina 21/3.8; Kiron 24/2 (KM); Cimko 24/2.8
28s: Komine 28/2 CFWA; Tamron 28/2.5; Tokina 28/2.8 macro (KM); Toyo 28/2.8 (KA)
35s: Nikkor-O 35/2; Super-Tak 35/3.5; Meyer Primagon 35/4.5; Mir-1 37/2.8
50s: K50/1.2 (KM); FA50/1.4; Zuiko 50/1.8 (OM); Meyer Primotar-E 50/3.5; Macro-Tak 50/4; Mamiya 55/1.8; Porst Color Reflex 55/2.8

85+100s: Nikkor 85/2; Jupiter-9 85/2; Super-Tak 105/2.8; Isco Westar 105/4.5
135s: Super-Tak 135/2.5; Ricoh 135/2.8 (KA); Zuiko 135/3.5 (OM); Jupiter-11 135/4
Longer: Jupiter-21 200/4; Tele-Tak 200/5.6; Enna Tele-Ennalyt 240/4.5; Chinon 300/5.6; Sakar 500/8 mirror (PK)

Optical adapters: no-name 0.25x (full-circle fisheye at 18mm); Sony VCL-1546A 1.5x (for portraits on 50mm); Raynox DCR-250; +1+2+4+10+20 dioptre closeup set

And I'm still working on this group:

Non-camera minikit: EL-Nikkor 50/2.8; Kodak Anastigmat 65/3.5; Vivitar-LU 75/3.5; Rodenstock 75/4.5; Apos Colorstigmat 90/4.5; Novoflex Noflexar 105/3.5; TDC VIVID Anastigmat 127/3.5 -- All these sitting on M42 tubes, Bellowscope 45-110mm bellows, 17-35mm M42 focusing helicoid, and various mount adapters. And maybe a GoldE Anastigmat 127/3.5 on its own helicoid.

I'm also trying to persuade myself to haul the unique Rodenstock XR-Heligon 120/1.8 but it weighs 870g and its furthest focus is about 55cm. Sigh.

Excluding the ultralight and non-camera minikits and strap-ons, I count 35 lenses in the final list -- right on target! But this is still theoretical. Now I get to see just how much fits into which bags. And I must find room for the Sony DSC-V1 minibag, containing B&W and IR filters and adapters, IR light, etc. Oh yeah, the AF360 and maybe the ringflash. And a big tripod. And maybe the massive Rubinar Makpo 1000/10 mirror. And the ZX-M to burn film. And do I take a 6x9cm folder? Decisions, decisions...

[wolfiegirl]

sounds like you're getting there rico!!!

[RioRico]

sounds like you're getting there rico!!!

Yeah, almost there. I've packed everything and it all fits. Now I need merely wait until *I* am fit. We were due to hit the road this morning. That was the fantasy, before a nasty respiratory infection got me. So the take-off is delayed a week or so. Oh bother. Sick sucks. If nothing else, this delay will tell me just what gear I *don't* really need because I won't be using it because it's all packed up awaiting loading. A humbling lesson...

[wolfiegirl]

Oh no!! Hope you get better super fast Rico! Waiting and postponing holiday trips just suck don't it? And after you were all raring to go too!

[RioRico]

Waiting and postponing holiday trips just suck don't it?

It's not as much holiday as escaping before being snowed-in. Last winter we were snowed-in here for a week, and snowed-out for another week. Had to stay with in-laws that week. In-laws with a big house, a generator, and bizarre politics. Good thing their house is big, so we could avoid each other. And I didn't even get to play with the BIL's cellar-full of cameras. Anyway, we're trying to avoid a repeat. Might work. Except that blizzards are due over the next few days. Oh bother.

So, the current fantasy:

Recover from nasty bug. Load car. Leave if the snowdrifts aren't too deep. (We had 10m of snow around the house last February.) Zip west to San Francisco to see an exhibit of Pissaro paintings, and to snap many pix of squirmin' vermin (grandkids) and eat a fine dinner prepared by my son-in-law, a former celebrity chef. Then zip south to the outskirts of Los Angeles for an overnight.

Then eastward: past photogenic giant dinosaurs; through a 3600m-deep mountain pass; past Indian casinos, Palm Springs, military gunnery ranges, oases, extensive stretches of desert; skip around Phoenix (the capitol and steaming toilet bowl of Arizona); and finally to our high+dry border-town adobe house. Rest. Next day, walk into Mexico for cheap drugs and real ice cream. Proceed.

We'll make it eventually.

[wolfiegirl]

It's not as much holiday as escaping before being snowed-in. Last winter we were snowed-in here for a week, and snowed-out for another week. Had to stay with in-laws that week. In-laws with a big house, a generator, and bizarre politics. Good thing their house is big, so we could avoid each other. And I didn't even get to play with the BIL's cellar-full of cameras. Anyway, we're trying to avoid a repeat. Might work. Except that blizzards are due over the next few days. Oh bother.

So, the current fantasy:

Recover from nasty bug. Load car. Leave if the snowdrifts aren't too deep. (We had 10m of snow around the house last February.) Zip west to San Francisco to see an exhibit of Pissaro paintings, and to snap many pix of squirmin' vermin (grandkids) and eat a fine dinner prepared by my son-in-law, a former celebrity chef. Then zip south to the outskirts of Los Angeles for an overnight.

Then eastward: past photogenic giant dinosaurs; through a 3600m-deep mountain pass; past Indian casinos, Palm Springs, military gunnery ranges, oases, extensive stretches of desert; skip around Phoenix (the capitol and steaming toilet bowl of Arizona); and finally to our high+dry border-town adobe house. Rest. Next day, walk into Mexico for cheap drugs and real ice cream. Proceed.

We'll make it eventually.

oh yes of course. now that you mention it i do remember you saying about the snowing in and the in laws from hell.

obviously i have holiday on the brain atm.

photogenic giant dinosaurs sound super cool!