My standard bag/backpack-kit differs a bit. I use a domke and two kata-bags alternating.

If I go with the kata-backpacks, I have:
d700
Sigma 20 1.8
Rokkor 58 1.2
Nikon 85 1.8
Nikon 180 2.8

If I go with the Domke shoulderbag, I have:
d700
Rokkor 58 1.2
nikon 85 1.8
nikon 180 2.8

That is it, mostly.

What are the sharp and small 135ish lenses? I have the 135L, which is one of my favorite lenses, but it's too big sometimes. The Contaxs, by published MTF, begin to drop off at about this FL.

dcmiller wrote:
What are the sharp and small 135ish lenses? I have the 135L, which is one of my favorite lenses, but it's too big sometimes. The Contaxs, by published MTF, begin to drop off at about this FL.

Carl Zeiss Jena 135 3.5

Small, sharp and sexy.

The Zuiko 135/3.5 is small and sharp. Nice little lens. I tend to grab the 135/4.5 macro though...

5D with:

24mm f/2.8 Zuiko
35 f/1.4L
135 f/2.0L

Rarely use the 135L, thinking of getting an 85mm f/2.8 sonnar. I'm spoiled by the Oly though... I wish I could get a f/1.4 version of that lens at that size, even at high cost.

dcmiller wrote:
What are the sharp and small 135ish lenses? I have the 135L, which is one of my favorite lenses, but it's too big sometimes. The Contaxs, by published MTF, begin to drop off at about this FL.

The SMC-Tak 135/3.5 (at least the copy I had) is very small and is one of the sharpest lenses I've owned, even wide open. It easily beat my much bigger Contax 135/2.8 Sonnar.

The SMC-Tak is not quite a match for my CV 125/2.5, though.

Which brings me to my second point; if you consider that the CV125/2.5 is actually two excellent lenses in one (portrait/macro), it could certainly be considered both compact and lightweight. Any two lenses that have a combined weight and size smaller than the CV125/2.5 have no hope in hell of being as good.

My "light" kit:

Camera : 1ds3
1. Nikon 14-24 2.8G
2. Zeiss 35 2.0 ZF
3. Rokkor 58 1.2
4. Leica 100 2.8 APO Macro with ElPro converter

On the 5D:
OM 21/3.5
OM 40/2
CZJ 135/3.5

1.6x Crop:
OM 18/3.5 or C/Y 18/4
Plus to of the above or C/Y 28/2.8 or OM 24/2

I don't have all of these lenses, but this would be a nice setup on FF:

OM 21/3.5
EF 35/1.4L
85/1.8 or 85/2 of some sort

I am planning a ZE18mm, 24mm L, 50mm f/1.?, and one of the following : 85mm F/1.7, 100mm F/2.0 Oly, or 135mm L

I have quite literally flown around the world for a client in just under four days with three lenses. For a specific project, for a corporate client. During this shoot I shot in North America, Europe and Asia, shooting in four cities. To get the job shot I packed a Canon 1D & 1Ds, along with a 16-35f2.8L, 28-70f2.8L, 70-200f2.8L.

On the 1Ds was a 16-35f2.8, on the 1D was either a 70-200f2.8 or 28-70f2.8. No flash, no other toys or gadgets. Just 4 spare batteries, a battery charger, 3 pairs of boxers, 3 shirts, 3 pairs of sox, a MacBook, related MacBook accessores, an iPod, 2 mobile phones, some head sets, toiletries, and 4 spare CF cards. Threw it all in a North Face Borealis backpack with a single Newswear pouch.

Its a fun way to travel. For my next project, if it comes through, I am planning on two 5D bodies , a 16-35f2.8L and 35-350f3.5-5.6L.

For light pack;
OM 21/3.5
Rokkor 58/1.2
CV 125

If I need a long telephoto and push a little;
N17-35
Contax 85/1.4
Leica R 180/2.8
EF300/4 IS
Hm.....this could get real heavy.....

i think a good 3 (or 4?) lens kit is more based on the body being used, at least more so than is mentioned in this thread.

If i was shooting 3 lenses on a 5D(or 5DII), it would be a 16-35mkII, 35 or 50(1.2)L, and a 70-200/2.8IS....
If D700, it would be 18/2.8af-d, 35/2af-d, and 85/1.4af-d.
if D300, it would be Tokina 11-16/2.8, Nikkor 35/2af-d, and... 85/1.4 af-d
if canon cropper, i'd probably just smash my face in with a mallet instead.

mervifwdc wrote:
Watch going too light!

I'm just back from a trip to Namibia, where I brought just 3 lenses (17-40, 70-200 and a 300+1.4). end of week 1, I dropped and broke the 17-40.

a little overlap or closeness is no harm if you have the space, and as another poster commented, what you bring on the trip is not always what you carry around with you.

Merv.


Sorry to hear about the bad experience.

However, I should say that I have already done several trips where I had factored the chance of "losing" a lens to the bad luck (whatever the bad luck is) in my lens choice. Last summer, for a trekking in Himalaya, I did bring: 17-40L + 24-105L + Sigma 150/2.8. The first two would do landscapes, the last two would work for portraitures (the last one being the best of course).

On my next similar trip, and if I can afford new lenses, I would probably take the more alternative setup ZE 21 + 24-105L + Sigma 150/2.8. If $$$ was unlimited the 150 would be replaced by a 135L.

I like Paul's kit alot. I did a lot of travelling with a similar kit: Oly 213.5, Oly 55 1.2 and Leica 180 2.8, although I had other lenses in my bag, I used those most —the combination of an ultrawide, a standard and a mid-long tele basically covers it all, and you change lenses not more often than you would with three zooms!

Well, if Canon lenses are allowed, then 17-40, 35 f2, and 70-200 f4 L IS make quite a serious arsenal. Too heavy for me though. And small lenses come into their own when travelling. All this talk of 135's and 180's mystifies me. I always take my feet.

My light travel kit consists of

Rebel XSi body
Zeiss 16mm f2.8 Distagon
Olympus 24mm f2.8 MC
Nikon 50mm f1.2 AIS
Zeiss 100mm f3.5 Sonnar
and if I'm in the mood my Nikon 180mm f2.8 ED AIS

brainiac wrote:
Well, if Canon lenses are allowed, then 17-40, 35 f2, and 70-200 f4 L IS make quite a serious arsenal. Too heavy for me though. And small lenses come into their own when travelling. All this talk of 135's and 180's mystifies me. I always take my feet.

:-) I am almost always below 85mm.

A

Anden wrote:
brainiac wrote:
Well, if Canon lenses are allowed, then 17-40, 35 f2, and 70-200 f4 L IS make quite a serious arsenal. Too heavy for me though. And small lenses come into their own when travelling. All this talk of 135's and 180's mystifies me. I always take my feet.

:-) I am almost always below 85mm.

A


There's a compression, a density of space with a 180mm lens I absolutely adore, especially when shooting in cities. You can't get that with a 85mm, however much you walk.

With the lenses I already own I would take:

Sigma 14mm 2.8 Aspherical
24-70mm 2.8 L
70-200mm 4 L

However my three lens dream travel kit would be:

14mm 2.8 L II
35mm 1.4 L
85mm 1.2 L II