Hello,

Next week I'm going to Orlando for the Kids (12&14) spring break. I plan on taking lots and lots of pictures just for the practice. I'm pretty new to photography and hope to gain lots of experience.

I have am M6 with the 35mm 2.0 ASPH lens. OR I can take my Konica FT1 motor with a 28-200 lens. I just love the M6 and desire to take it because its small, light, easy to use and takes good pictures. The SLR outfit with the zoom feature is bigger to lug around but has the variety of focal lengths with the zoom.

Does anyone out there have experience with a family trip to the amusement park scene and the M6? Will the 35mm lens be good enough for the trip? (My wife has an olympus P&S that has a zoom up to 85 or 100mm she plans on taking also)

Your advice is much appreciated.

David S Smith

-- David Smith (dssmith3@rmci.net), March 20, 2001

Answers

Its a personal thing for sure, but I'd bring the Leica and learn to move in closer. That's the problem with zooms, is they make you want to stand farther away and "zoom" in instead. The other nice thing about the Leica is you will be able to get some shots in lower light, which are often more interesting. I own a telephoto zoom but find I seldom use a lens longer than 100mm unless I'm doing some sort of sports photography where I can't just run out on the field or track to get the shot I want. It would be nice to have a 90mm in the bag for when you might need the extra reach, but you'll find plenty of shots without it. I did many trips where all I took was a Minox 35 and got many images I was pleased with "stuck" only with the 35mm f2.8 lens.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), March 20, 2001.

Hi David

I second the M6/35. In -99 I was 2 days in Disneyland Paris, day 1 was with a 28-200 and 2. day was with a Hexar (35mmf2) pictures are different the 2 days. But I prefere the ones from the Hexar and really appreciated the smaller outfit and better low light capasity (not to mention the better image quality). Last don't forget to have a good time with your kids!

-- Kaj Froling (kf@draupnir.dk), March 20, 2001.

I'm voting for the M6 as well, not because it's a Leica, but simply it's a light, compact rangefinder with a moderately wideangle lens. The wideangle lens requires you to go up close to the subject, and since you're photographing mainly your kids, they'll react more cheerfully when they're aware of the fact that they're being photographed. Have fun!

-- Hoyin Lee (leehoyin@hutchcity.com), March 20, 2001.

I spent several days in Disney World a few months ago and carried only a P&S with a 38-120 zoom. Most of my shots were taken at or near 38mm, so I recommend the M6, especially because your wife is carrying a P&S zoom. Plus, you won't regret not carrying extra bulk and weight after a few hours of Disney.

-- Chris Crevasse (ccrevasse@millermartin.com), March 20, 2001.

I live in central Florida, so I have the "pleasure" of being the tour guide for all of the theme parks when out of towners come for a visit. When I am on a photographic trip... then I am on a photographic trip completely. When I go to see the big mouse, photography is incidental, a lower priority. I have settled on an old Nikon SLR and a 35mm lens. I forgo the Leica because I simply refuse to be worried about it during violent rides, sudden thunderstorms and the pick pocket's dream of the crowds. I bring no camera bag, but use a simple daypack for everything. In many situations, I throw the Nikon into the bag, not worrying about bumping the rangefinder out of alignment. The whole park to me is so fake and contrived, but I put up with it to be a good host. The only reason I bring a camera at all is for the other people, who want shots of themselves in front of the main sights. I keep my 35mm lens set for hyperfocal distance, and have my friends stand about 5 feet from me, slightly off-center, with the castle or what ever in the background. Just like shooting weddings, it is formula, but it works and the people love the shots. At least you can recognize the people's faces. You will see many dads shooting their family with a small wide angle point and shoot, but the family is standing right under the castle about 300 feet from the lens. I can hear him showing the pictures back home, "...and these ants here are Marge and the kids."

One other tip... don't use the pre-designated "photo spots" that pepper the park. I would hate to work at a one hour lab near the park printing ten thousand shots looking exactly the same. Talk about deja vu.

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), March 20, 2001.

As a user of Leica M and R, Hasselblad and Nikon AF, if I were going to an amusement park to shoot pictures of active small children I would grab my F100 and 28-105 zoom. Given the ages of your children, and the fact that your SLR is not AF, I too would go with the Leica. If you shoot high-quality print film such as Portra 400VC you can stop down to f11 and still be shooting 1/250-1/500 in average Florida daylight (it's brighter than farther north)and at worst 1/125 at f8 if it clouds over a little. That way you'll stop motion and have plenty of DOF to make fast spot-on focusing unnecessary. Take a little cheapo flash with you (one of those 2AA matchbook-size ones) for fill-in on the kids' faces if they're in shadow. You can shoot verticals (camera must be held with shutter button/wind lever on top) at 1/125 with daylight flash with the M6, as long as you keep your subject's face in the upper 1/2 of the frame. The flash will illuminate that part of the frame, daylight exposure will illuminate the bottom, you won't ordinarily see any demarcation.

-- JAy (infinitydt@aol.com), March 20, 2001.

David:

I'm going to go with the M6/35 combo as well... I ended up taking the same combo on my last vacation. First, it's light and compact, so you will likely have it on your person, ready to shoot, for the entire trip; Second, the 35 is perfect for including some of the fun "environment" your family is sharing in the images, plus getting in close makes for more intimate portraits. (True, the zoom on the SLR will pick out the smiles on their faces while in their seats on the rides, but in my experience, that type of photo doesn't always convey the total "ambiance" of the trip -- plus your wife's P+S can cover those.) Third, the M will allow you to shoot in the park at night -- take along some good 400 speed color print film, and have fun shooting your family surrounded by all the excitement and neon colors! Lastly, and maybe this is unique to my situation, but my kids pose more naturally when I photograph them with my M, and the photos convey this -- alternatively, when I pull out my Nikon and a zoom, they line up like birds on a wire and freeze with their "hurry-up-and- take-it-Dad" cheese-wiz smiles!

Either way, have a great time, and let us know how it goes!

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), March 20, 2001.

Jay wrote:

>>You can shoot verticals (camera must be held with shutter button/wind lever on top) at 1/125 with daylight flash with the M6, as long as you keep your subject's face in the upper 1/2 of the frame. The flash will illuminate that part of the frame, daylight exposure will illuminate the bottom, you won't ordinarily see any demarcation.<<

Jay: Very clever; VERY, VERY clever! Thanks for the great tip -- I'll have to give it a try!

Jack

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), March 20, 2001.

To all:

Thanks for the responses. Very helpful. I'm going to Disneyland to watch the kids and wife have fun. Think I'll take the leica and some color print film. (BTW, I recently purchased a $5 cheapie Haminex used flash for just this type of possibility. Great advice on the settings)

-- David Smith (dssmith3@rmci.net), March 20, 2001.

I would take the ligthest equipment too, M6/35asph seems perfect, but who needs a camera if you can hugh Micky,Mimi and White Snow.

-- R. watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), March 20, 2001.

OK, for what it's worth, I've been to DW twice in the last year. The first time I took a Minox LX. Nice but no real low light capability unless you have it clamped to a fence post, rock or bench. The second time I took a Minolta Weathermatic Dual 35mm as I went during rainy season and wanted some telephoto capability. I'm going again in late April. This time I'm taking my Leica CL with a Tri-Elmar and the 90-C Elmar. Why? Most of your shots could be handled with the 35mm Summicron just fine. However, one of the best experiences there is at the Animal Kingdom park where you can to on a Safari ride. Its like riding through a large, semi-free roaming zoo but there are the life and death drama events you don't get at a zoo. For instance, on the January 2000 trip, on the first safari ride of the morning, we found a dead Gazelle in the middle of the road. Evidently a lion had escaped its containment area and gotten a late night snack (or early morning). Anyhow, on the Safari ride I would have killed for something which could have quickly switched from wide angle to short telephoto. We once had an Ostrich come right up to the truck and peck at someone's camera. On another trip we saw an elephant up close in the watering hole. The guide told us that in 1 1/2 years that was only the third time he had seen the elephant in the water. On most trips, the animals are far enough away that a 90-135mm range lens would have been perfect. Forget the high resolution of the Leica lenses, forget the intimate silence of the M, go with what's going to get you the pictures. Also, it rains frequently - and hard, and a lot of the rides will require you to have the camera in a soft bag for a little protection. Personally I would take a good low-light lens as there are spectacular fireworks shows at Epcot, MGM and the Magic Kingdom almost every night. I would take a Noctilux except it looks a bit silly on a CL and my M5 is on the fritz. (See http://www.multimania.com/cesarigd/photoe2cleo.htm for a laugh. It's a CLE but its close enough.)

-- mark ackermann (mramra@qwest.net), March 20, 2001.

Outdoors, vacation, kids= automation.

Your wife has that covered with her camera. Take the M6 with the 35, or IMHO, a videocamera.

At the risk of speaking heresy in a Leica forum, I'd take the video camera ;-)

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), March 20, 2001.

Mark

Does the Tri-Elmar fit on a Leica CL??? I tried one the other day and it did not fit.

-- Robin Smith (smith_robin@hotmail.com), March 21, 2001.

Wow, what can I say. I guess it depends on your definition of fit. It's M mount and there are no protruding elements to bind such as on the 20mm/f5.6 Russar which physically will not mount. Mine is an old 3 Elmar and I hear its bigger than the new one. There's a bit of the lens visible in the finder but it all works. I use the 40mm frame line as a real tight 35mm, 50 is there and I have a 28 to throw on top. It sort of works I guess. What problems did you encounter.

-- mark ackermann (mramra@qwest.net), March 21, 2001.

Disney World Tip I went to Disney in 1998 and my advice is take both your M6 and SLR kit ,My trip was well worth the extra weight,I was the proud owner of a M6+35mm3.5 with specs,50mm f2,My SLR kit Nikon F5 +24/120mm +Tamron 300mm f2.8 .the photo's I took varied from sea world to animal kingdom,wide angle shots,and telephoto shots.It is all down to the type of photography you are into!PS I was used to humping a 70lb bergan in the Army so that helped me. Regrets I sold my M6 kit and regret it very much,M6 brill camera *****

-- John Heaney (john@northerndancers.fsnet.co.uk), June 11, 2001.

By this time David must be planing his new family trip. by the way; how was it David?

-- r watson (al1231234@hotmsail.com), June 11, 2001.

I took the M6 and the 35mm lens and a cheapie $5.00 Haminex flash.. Went through in excess of 15 rolls of film and had a ball learning to use the camera. I used it in all light settings. We had very good weather which made the light rather harsh. Lots of shadow's across facies and pictures that were under/overexposed in the same frame.

I'm sorry I don't know how to scan and post pictures but I did take one shot that I particularly liked. In one of the parks there were some old auto's. There was this chrome hood ornament I was able to open up on at close range and blur the background. The light effects from the chrome were fascinating and it's a great shot!! I made it into an 8x10 and framed it.

My kids and wife absolutely hate it. They like "people" pictures and loathe "meaning" shots as they refer to them.

I'm glad I took the leica. I recorded many good shots on slide film and we've been through them several times. I was even able to use the flash to some effect at night. Lot's of night activity in the parks.

The poster that referred to the entire place as "fake" was right on the money. I had my fill of the scene in three days and had to last the rest of the week to satisfy the kids. Using the camera was my "fun".

Thanks for all your advice and help. I did bring the leica home with the rangefinder needing adjustment. I must have set it down too hard and banged it. It took a month at the repair shop to get it aligned and now it's good as new.

David S Smith

-- David Smith (dssmith3@rmci.net), June 11, 2001.