3 weeks in NewYork, what camera in the bag ?

[steflaurent974]

That's it. We're leaving from Reunion Island for 3 weeks in NYcity.

We'll be there on sunday for one week in Manhattan, and then a few day in Long Island for a Bar Mitsvah and then we are free to go back to Manhattan or visit an other place. I was thinking of the Maine, Portland Area wich in my minds have a traditional and authentic coastal town....

Architecture : I want to shoot Manhattan with the Alpa SWA P25+ (I will try the tripod...we'll see withe NYPD)
Street : I'd like to have the M9 for this
Landscape : both are capable.

So here is my bag :

-ALPA SWA with 47mmXL and 24mmXL Phase Back and tripod.
-Leica M9 with cron 28 cron 50 cron 90.

I'd like to take a film camera for back up Leica MP.

Any suggestions on the gear, or pretty landscape shooting location near Long Island or NY ?

thanks...

 

[tokengirl]

I would need something even wider for the Leicas. Say, 21mm?

 

[steflaurent974]

I was hesitating I could replace the 28 cron by the 21mm elmarit... if so I'll go 21 50 90...

 

[Godfrey]

my choice for the Leica M9 would be a 21 or 24mm and a 50mm lens kit.

 

[steflaurent974]

Godfrey : you suggest me to limit my Leica Kit to 2 lenses. Very wise, I have to think about, can I live without my 90 ?...

What about the 21 35 50 combo ?

 

[robertwright]

"A permit is not required for filming that uses hand-held cameras or tripods and does not assert exclusive use of City property. Standing on a street, walkway of a bridge, sidewalk, or other pedestrian passageway while using a hand-held device and not otherwise asserting exclusive use of City property is not an activity that requires a permit. "

from the mayors office of film and TV.etc.

I doubt police officers will give you a second look- obviously parking yourself in a crowded sidewalk might not be the best thing. But tourists have great sway in NYC now to do whatever teh H- they want. We need the dollars!

Rent-a-cops in corporate glass boxes however might be another story- and in many cases the property line is all the way out to the curb- you can see bronze markers sometimes in the sidewalk indicating property lines. Security is likely to be far more difficult since they have nothing better to do.

Also many "public" plazas like lincoln center and rockefeller center will not let you use a tripod-and not in Grand Central either, except with a permit.

Central park does restrict the use of "props or equipment" in many of the great lawns, which presumably means tripods. - but they are not clear on this. I have seen birdwatchers with tripods looking at the falcons on fifth ave. all the time, virtually a permanent encampment for "Pale Male"- but that is on a path not on grass. So you might be able to do that.

Another forum member uses the M9 and stitches- my advice would be leave the alpa and just carry the M9- stitch where you have to. thats just me.

 

[steflaurent974]

Robert thés is thé main problem. Woddy told me about that and i havé to say hais stitching technique is really good.
Leaving the Alpa will lighter my bag also. I should just take thé tripod and the Leica kit.

Thanks for your wise advices.

Stephane.

 

[Godfrey]

Godfrey : you suggest me to limit my Leica Kit to 2 lenses. Very wise, I have to think about, can I live without my 90 ?...

What about the 21 35 50 combo ?

That's a classic three-lens kit, but I prefer only two lenses most of the time. Less time making decisions on which lens to use, more time looking at subjects. When I had my Ms, the 90 was my least used lens. The 75 was much more to my taste: I always wished there was a 65.

A 21, 35 and 50 is a classic short-three lens kit. I've done whole stretches with just a 21 and 35, but the 24 and 50 are a better two lens kit IMO ... 24mm is much more manageable and easier to find good framings.

What I've become very sensitive to when I see groups of photos is the 'scattergun multiple focal length' look of a wide range zoom shooter. Most of my photo sets have only one focal length for most of the photos, something near wide or near normal. Then a wide or a long shot becomes a punctuation in the visual phraseology.

 

[steflaurent974]

Godfrey, this make sense. I'll try to follow your advices : I'll Go for this bag :

Leica M9 with 21mm elmarit asph. And cron 50
Tripod
Backgammon up bodies : M8 and MP full of triX

Freedom and more photos ..!

 

[steflaurent974]

sorry for the backgammon, my iPad is configured in French language....

 

[Godfrey]

Godfrey, this make sense. I'll try to follow your advices : I'll Go for this bag :

Leica M9 with 21mm elmarit asph. And cron 50
Tripod
Back up bodies : M8 and MP full of triX

Freedom and more photos ..!

Sounds good to me, although I don't know how you put Tri-X into an M8!

]'-) ... I couldn't resist.

 

[steflaurent974]

I will give it a try, it has to go inside !!!!! grrr
;-)

 

[ramosa]

sounds like a good plan. in an urban setting, i would also want a 28, 50 and 90.

 

[steflaurent974]

Back from new york :

finaly I brought the M9 and a leica MP with :

CV 15mm
21mm Elmarit
35 cron
50 Cron
And it was very cool. The 21 Elmarit was a apin to use because my viewfinder was not correctly leveled. Corner Fix makes a stunning job on the 15mm files !!

Thanks to all your advices, i have travelled light and I am happy of the results.

(a particuliar up to Woody Campbell who gave some of his time to phone me: big thanks Woody).