Good travelling camera?

[Drewus]

Hey guys,

I'm planning on heading off on an around the world trip at the start of next year, and i'm wondering if you could give me some suggestions for a good, relatively cheap camera to take?

I currently own an M6, but i really don't want to babysit my camera gear for the entire trip, so i'd prefer to take a rangefinder that does the job, allows me to use my cheaper M-mount lenses, but doesn't break the bank or make me cry if it becomes lost or stolen.

I could always take a cheap point and shoot, but i've become so accustomed to manual focus and aperture that i need that kind of flexibility.

Film or digital, it isn't an issue. I also don't care about brands, but i would like the camera to be relatively easy to load. I could take my IIIc, but i really don't want to have to stop for 10 minutes while i load her up.

Thanks for any help.

[Bingley]

I have taken my Bessa T w/ me on backpacking trips and on longer vacations. It's performed like a champ. Easy to load, nice meter, the shutter is not battery dependent, and you can use your M-mount lenses. Slip the auxiliary finder off, and the camera is quite compact and easy to carry. And the Bessa T is pretty cheap so if it gets stolen or breaks you won't be out a lot of $$$ (for the camera body, that is, you may still be out a lot of $$$ depending on the lens you had on it).

If I were going around the world, I would take an M6 (if I had one) or a IIIc (which I do have), but given your criteria (cheap, easy to load, rangefinder, M-mount) the Bessa T fills the bill.

[ferider]

Take the M6. That's what it was made for. Or add an M2 and take that (or both).

No need to babysit. Just treat it like your passport, credit card or cell phone.

[KenR]

I agree - a trip of a lifetime demands the best camera equipment that you can afford and the lightest that you'll be able to carry. Insure the M6 and take it - but take a Bessa as a back-up.

[Livesteamer]

I just spent two weeks in the Rocky Mountains and since we drove and I'm a gearhead I took a bunch of old cameras. Nikon F, 2 M6's, Nikkormat, 2 IIIc's, Nikon S and a Leica 1a. Mostly used a IIIc just out of service with the 50mm Elmar and a Nikkor 35mm f2.5 and Nikon zoom finder. I'd take the IIIc and two small lenses but then that's just me. Light weight is Good. Have fun. Joe

[Drewus]

Haha, looks like i'll be taking the M6!

The main problem was that I could take it and chance it being busted or stolen, but have a great camera with me. Or not take it and totally regret not carrying it the entire time :(

[Frank Version Two]

I'd take the M6 and a Ziploc as its case, but that's just me.

I just got a Nikon N80 and 50/1.8AFD for $75. It's plastic but one of the most sophisticated and practical user 35mm cameras ever made, at least in my opinion. I can curse it's auto-plastic nature but the darn things work great and are hard to kill, and the film is consistently the most well-exposed and in-focus strips I've ever shot.

When I go to China next year I might just bring two N80s and make gifts of them at the end.

[Juan Valdenebro]

For such trip it seems impossible to be totally away from (a bit) dangerous (thieves) places, so a common (recognizable) Leica wouldn't be the best street camera... Bessas T with a small lens weigh nothing (got to feel it to believe it), and you have meter, fast loading and 1/2000th. With a 35 or 28 prefocused and stopped-down they're as fast as a point and shoot... And the external metering allows you to shoot without being noticed in front of lots of situations... I wouldn't bring just one camera to any trip, though, and much less to a world trip... Good luck deciding and during the trip!

Cheers,

Juan

[Vics]

Take the M6. That's what it was made for. Or add an M2 and take that (or both).

No need to babysit. Just treat it like your passport, credit card or cell phone.
+one for the Leica!. Why own it if you're not gonna use it

[wgerrard]

Think about the availability of film, and processing, before you commit to film on a round-the-world trip. Also, the more film you shoot, the more space it takes up.

I'd go digital, well supplied with batteries, chargers, plug adaptors, memory cards.

[Joe AC]

Take the M6. That's what it was made for. Or add an M2 and take that (or both).

No need to babysit. Just treat it like your passport, credit card or cell phone.
I Agree 100%

[Colin Corneau]

Take an M2 or M3 as a backup or your main. I'd feel more nervous with only 1 camera (worrying about a mechanical problem, etc) than I would about theft.
If you're going to get jacked, it'll happen regardless if it's a Bessa, a Leica, or a Holga...just be mindful, it's all you can do.

Film can be packed, and bought on the road too. Or you can mail/courier yourself film, if you know where you'll be.

The only unacceptable option is to be a guy wishing you'd done something, after it's too late.

[Colin Corneau]

There's a Konica Hexar AF for sale in these classifieds tonight...great camera at a good price. Might be an idea for you

(I have no connection or interest in the sale)

[andredossantos]

Get an insurance policy and take whatever gear you ENJOY using.

[Austerby]

I think the fact that you have an M6 means you really should use it.

As a backup, what about a Sony NEX-3 with the M adaptor. Manual focus, takes your rangefinder lenses but is a cheap digital for those times you don't want to use the M.

[David_Manning]

Contax T3 :D

[ajmartinez]

I took my Kodak Retina IIa with me to Scotland in June and did not regret that one little bit. My Mamiya C3 came with me as well, but some of what I'm most keen to print came out of that little sub-$200 rangefinder with the lovely 50/2 Schneider.

[Bingley]

I'll pipe up one more time. Recently returned from a multi- week trip in which I traveled by train, plane, boat, and car, w/ a lot of walking too. Took an M2, a Bessa T, and three small lenses. The kit was compact, worked perfectly, and the M2 was a joy to shoot w/ every day. Like Roland says, travel is what Ms are made for. If you're worried abt the cost of replacing the M6, you can buy a user M2 for not very much and take that instead. Just sayin'...:)

[Roger Hicks]

Yet another vote for the M.

Cheers,

R.

[Drewus]

I think i'll end up going with the M6 and my Nokton 40/1.4

I'll stick with the Nokton because it's relatively cheap, fast, and the quality isn't too shabby.

I also have a full leather case for the camera to keep her nice and protected.

[Jamie123]

How much is an M6 these days? $1k? It's not exactly cheap but it's not a fortune either. A trip around the world seems well worth the risk, IMO.

[Chris C]

I'm another to add to the "take the M6" voice. Traveling is pretty much the only time I don't mind if I get a couple of dings and scratches on my stuff. You'll look at any blemishes in a few years time and most likely be quite proud of them. I've got a watch that's been literally everywhere I've been. It's scratched up all over the place and I love it. It would be the same with an M6 if I had one to travel with.

[btgc]

Do not listen to me - I suggest Yashica Electro 35 MC. Classic focal length of 40mm, f/2.8 max. aperture helps to keep size small instead of sub-f/2 lenses, Av AE is excellent choice for trouble-free travel type photography. Do this sounds like text from brochure? Small size is reason you'll find this camera hanging from your wrist instead of sitting in a bag or hotel room. Above-the-lens metering cell lets you use filters without any exposure correction. Smart. Small. Super. Snap!

[shootodog]

i would say use your leica.

BUT i would suggest also the XA. small. relatively cheap. wide. and fast enough.

OR

you could get an old CL or CLE.

again, i say use your leica.

[Don Parsons]

Think about the availability of film, and processing, before you commit to film on a round-the-world trip. Also, the more film you shoot, the more space it takes up.

I'd go digital, well supplied with batteries, chargers, plug adaptors, memory cards.


I go 'round the world .on a monthly basis. I take a LX-5 and a cheap Sony PnS. The chargers ride in a plastic bag along with my power converter adapter and netbook powercord.

They're light, take great shots and I can share them that night.

[OSFlanker]

Hi, you can consider putting duct tape to black out your M6 (just the relevant parts) during the trip, won't harm the cam and can be easily cleaned off after the trip. On another note, it does not matter where you travel nor what gear you take, always be vigilant!

[Mablo]

Well, there are places where someone will rob you just because your hiking boots look sort of nice. OP didn't say is he going backpacking and moving around by trains and buses and staying in cheap hostels or flying from one **** hotel to another with a large Samsonite.

For a backpacker trip my advice is to take a cheap, rugged camera that can take dirt, heat, dust, rain and some very serious banging around. I cannot think a better alternative than a 35mm SLR like a Nikon + one good lens. A small digital wonder is always good to have as a back up. You can buy film and get C41 rolls developed + prints in small Fuji labs everywhere around the world. Send home your negatives and give away the small prints.

For a Samsonite trip you can carry your M6.

[OSFlanker]

Hi, you can consider putting duct tape to black out your M6 (just the relevant parts) during the trip, won't harm the cam and can be easily cleaned off after the trip.

On another note, it does not matter where you travel nor what gear you take, always be vigilant!

[cambolt]

As you can well guess I am going to tell you to take your M6. Leicas are for using properly, not for being kept in a collector's cabinet. Personally, if I were travelling to thief prone areas, I would cover the shiny parts of the camera with black tape, to at least make it look beat up and worthless, if anything else. I think thieves may pick on shiny stuff so cover that up. I would take a second camera, a Bessa R or Canon RF if your lenses are LTM, or a Bessa R2m if your lenses are M mount. And unless you shoot colour, bring plenty of B&W film, that stuff is hard to find in stores in most places.

[shootodog]

don't use duct tape. the adhesive will leave a nasty residue that could harm the camera when the tape degrades. only use gaffers tape

[wgerrard]

I go 'round the world .on a monthly basis. I take a LX-5 and a cheap Sony PnS. The chargers ride in a plastic bag along with my power converter adapter and netbook powercord.

They're light, take great shots and I can share them that night.

I have a real aversion to carrying stuff while traveling. But, I don't exactly go to the middle of nowhere. So, I really should just ship exposed film off to be processed. Better yet, get it processed locally and ship that back to myself.

I've traveled with an M, and a Bessa. The Bessa is a bit lighter, so that might be a factor for some.

I'm using a new DSLR on a trip next month, mainly to avoid days of scanning time. Should be interesting.

[besk]

"+one for the Leica!. Why own it if you're not gonna use it" That is why I sold the last two M6/s that I had. Now have a IIIf and it doesn't bother me so much.

[richardvanle]

Its a little crazy to me that you've got an M6 (arguably one of the best cameras ever made) and people are suggesting you take something else instead. By all means, take a backup. But don't leave the M6 at home. A camera is meant to be used.

I've taken my M6 around the world on assignment and for pleasure. It's withstood all sorts of weather and environments. No need to baby the camera, it's tough.

And as for thieves... anything can get stolen anywhere. I could walk out my apartment door and be mugged. Stay vigilant and you'll be fine.

[Jani_from_Finland]

I'd say that M6 w/ Nokton 40/1.4 is a great set for a trip like yours. Take some good compact as backup with you also, I love my Contax T3.

[CK Dexter Haven]

Someone's gonna smack you if you don't take the M6. Seriously, as above- that's why you have it, not for snaps around the house.

But, yes, also take a small, capable P&S, because even without the threat of damage or theft, there are places where it might be inconvenient or uncomfortable to have the M6. Get a Contax T3 or maybe an Olympus Stylus Epic. Either one can be sold again when you get back.

[Neare]

Take the m6 if you want, it's just a normal camera stop babying it. Get travel insurance...
Otherwise consider taking something like a stylus epic/mju II as a backup (or even main) camera. It's weatherproofing will come in handy and they are cheap and efficient.

[shadowfox]

Leica M and a compact digital like the Pen E-P2 or something similar. The kit lenses on the E-P2 covers from 28mm to 300mm. What else do you actually need? enjoy the world trip and make a photo book (or two) in the end.

[mervynyan]

One rangefinder (M6), one SLR (perhaps used F-1 in the ads might do), and a light meter will do.

[Roger Hicks]

As you can well guess I am going to tell you to take your M6. Leicas are for using properly, not for being kept in a collector's cabinet. Personally, if I were travelling to thief prone areas, I would cover the shiny parts of the camera with black tape, to at least make it look beat up and worthless, if anything else. I think thieves may pick on shiny stuff so cover that up. I would take a second camera, a Bessa R or Canon RF if your lenses are LTM, or a Bessa R2m if your lenses are M mount. And unless you shoot colour, bring plenty of B&W film, that stuff is hard to find in stores in most places.

You REALLY believe an opportunist thief is going to look that closely? Is he goiing to check the serial number as well, to make sure it's original BP and not a repaint?

For 'beat up' my black paint MP and black chrome M4-P look about equally worn. So would a thief steal my M2 instead because it's shinier? I seriously doubt it. He'd steal ANY of them, given a chance. So try to deny him the chance. Neck straps are good.

Or, of course, he might not bother with any of them because they're 'old cameras', not easily fenced SLRs or digicams.

Cheers,

R.

[PatrickT]

I think i'll end up going with the M6 and my Nokton 40/1.4

I'll stick with the Nokton because it's relatively cheap, fast, and the quality isn't too shabby.

I also have a full leather case for the camera to keep her nice and protected.

Bingo! I have that combo...small, light, fast, sharp, (relatively) cheap. You can't go wrong, it's amazing.

[rayfoxlee]

M + Ricoh GR1v for discrete wide angle street pix/buildings etc. That lens is terrific and the GR1v gives quite a lot of manual control.

Ray

[whitecat]

I always carry one of three compacts....Nikon 35 ti, Nikon 28 ti, or the contax TVS III.

[BobYIL]

Hey guys,

I'm planning on heading off on an around the world trip at the start of next year, and i'm wondering if you could give me some suggestions for a good, relatively cheap camera to take?

Drewus, round the world trip is a wonderful experience. Do you do it frequently? While having an M6, why do you look for other alternatives? How about living something like this and still enjoying it some half a century later? :)
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1038&message=37502936

[Roger Hicks]

When traveling I always include a good pocket camera.
There are always days I don't want to carry my full kit.

Chris

Dear Chris,

Depends on why you're travelling, really, and what a 'full kit' is.

When I'm travelling, there are never days when I don't want to carry a basic kit (2x M, 2-3x lenses).

If there were, I'd stop travelling.

Chers,

R,

[archeophoto]

I would take a Canon G12. That thing costs $500, takes great photos, has a flexible lens that's good troughout the range and you have the possibility to shoot videos. It's much quieter then any Leica and SD cards are a dime a dozen and now much easier to source worldwide then good film. Manual backup camera would be a Leica IIIf with a 50mm Elmar 3.5 or a Voigtlander Perkeo with a color Skopar if you like medium format.

[BearCatCow]

Bring your M6. It's your baby so enjoy it. :) Bring a backup, Olympus XA or whatever!

[batterytypehah!]

Not knowing which M lenses you own, I'll offer this: M6 plus a compact normal lens, a wide-angle p&s (film or digital, weighs less and is cheaper to replace than any wide M lens), and a digital with a good zoom.

Bring the M6 for b&w only. That'll be enough film to carry, and enough frames to scan back home. Don't rely on buying film locally, and don't lose time looking for it. I was at the Grand Canyon - the effin' Grand Canyon! - two years ago and was hard pressed to find a few dusty, expired boxes of Kodak Gold in the official National Park Service gift stores.

[The Standard Deviant]

I take a Balda Baldix on holiday (and a small 35mm camera).

[russelljtdyer]

I have a related question, but not along the lines of what the original poster asked. It will probably sound, um, something negative: What do you mean by an around-the-world trip?

Now that I live 'around the world' from the U.S. where I was born, and have traveled a good bit in Europe, I no longer understand that concept--or at least I don't have one clear vision of what it means. When someone says to me that they want to take a trip around the world, I envision something from the novel, "Around the World in Eighty Days." Or perhaps as simpler trip, when people from the U.S. tell me that they're going to take a whirlwind tour of Europe, they usually mean they're going to visit something like ten countries in two weeks--not spending much time enjoying any place they visit.

You didn't say where you're going, for how long, by what methods, or anything about your living arrangements. If you're planning on flying east from the east coast of the U.S. to Japan, staying there for a month and then flying east from Japan back to the U.S. by way of California, that's around the world, but fairly stationary while away from home. If you're taking a boat from the east coast of the U.S. to Iceland, and will be making a series of slow moving voyages, getting from country to country, by boat and train, hiking, and camping for days on end, spread over a one year period, working your way around the globe until you get home again, that might influence your decision on equipment to bring.

Still, I'm curious as to how this around the world trip is to be structured and why you don't just hit a few places, stay for long periods, and get to know them well. You'll have a more relaxing time, and your pictures will be less like travel photos and more photo-journalistic as they will be of the culture, not of the quick obligatory shots. Of course, it's your trip and your preferences. I'm just sensing that you may be planning something hectic and might enjoy your trip and the photography better by doing something simpler and less grand sounding.

If you think I'm wrong, consider the photography of Henri Cartier-Bresson. He spent weeks, months in far away places and took wonderful photographs because he got to know the country and the people. His photographs are great not just because he used a Leica, or because of his composition and other such factors, but also because of the insights into people and cultures that he captured.

[riceman]

Leica M + 35 and/or 50mm

in my case:
Leica M8 with Elmarit 28mm 2.8
Leica M2 with Nokton 50mm 1.5

easy to handle, leight weight. for day trips I take only one of the cams with one lens.

for me a great combo.

[Roger Hicks]

Another way of looking at it:

How much are you planning on spending per day on shelter and accommodation?

At $100/day, buying a cheap'n'nasty digi (as compared with the M) = 5days.

At $250/day: 2 days

At realistic insurance for Leica... who knows? But wouldn't it be cheaper to insure the Leica than to settle for a grossly inferior camera that you don't enjoy using?

Or just carry the risk yourself on the Leica. How likely is it that you willl actually lose it? For that matter, what does an M2 cost for backup?

Cheers,

R.

[Haigh]

When I go to Paris soon I'll take a Bessa R4A with 35mm Summicron and a 25mm Colour Skopar. I'll pack the M4 +a Nikon F100. The Bessa is very light.

[PMCC]

M6 and Bessa T and 3 lenses worked for me. Except the Bessa T came apart bouncing around on the bike in China, and I had to send it ahead to HK where it was fixed and waiting for me on arrival.

[Richard G]

Next trip I will take an M6, 50 Summicron (unless I have bought the more compact Summarit or Elmar M,) and a 25mm Skopar. M2 as backup. If I was too worried about where I was staying etc etc, i might just take the Hexar. Always with a little point and shoot as well. M6 is replaceable.

[goodtimes]

If you have only 1 camera to take care of, then take the M6. I do not think anything can happen if you have it always on you or in a pocket.
M6s don't need more babycare than any other camera.
If your trip is going to be similar to a combat session, grab a NIKONOS.

[Roger Hicks]

My days of carrying a kit that large are long gone.
I enjoy travel far more now... :)

Chris

Dear Chris,

By contrast, I'm on the side of an old friend who said, "If I couldn't take my cameras, I don't think I'd bother to travel." I travel quite a lot -- most recently the Baltic States in June, Arles and the Pyrenees in July, for example -- and I genuinely can't imagine enjoying travel one tenth as much without my cameras. The kit you regard as 'large' will (just) fit into a Billingham bag about 20x22x10cm: call it 8x9x4 inches.

Then again, I choose not to be weighed down by iPhones, computers, etc., when I travel. And, of course, it's part of how I earn a living. There are many worse ways of putting food on the table.

Cheers,

R.

[Matus]

I would not try to recommend you a particular type of camera as this depends on your preferences (seem RFs though) and the type of photography - but be sure that if you decide to take some "new" (to you) camera (or whatever relevant part of gear - like light meter) - to have enough time prior the trip to learn to use it well.

Taking multiple camera (or have two bodies were one can backup the other) is a good idea, but do not try to take too many systems. My experience from a 3 week long trip in New Zealand was that having 4x5" Rolleiflex and 35mm P&S what a bit too much at times.

You best bet could still be the M6 and maybe some Bessa RF as a backup unless you need long lenses or want to take larger format camera (what may or may not be a good idea).

I personally would not mix RF and SLR (unless necessary) on one trip as they handle so differently.

Concerning film or digital - that is a matter of taste, but also a matter of cost. For film make a realistic estimation of how many films you will shoot as for longer trip the total cost of development and scanning may easily reach a price of some m4/3 or APS-C sized cameras.

[retnull]

Concerning film or digital - that is a matter of taste, but also a matter of cost. For film make a realistic estimation of how many films you will shoot as for longer trip the total cost of development and scanning may easily reach a price of some m4/3 or APS-C sized cameras.

+1

I love shooting film, but processing here in NYC is so expensive that can't blindly shoot rolls and rolls of it. My solution for traveling: 90% shot with m4/3 body with Leica glass, 10% medium format folder. If the m4/3 camera tells me that the shooting's going very well, I break out the MF folder.

[jack palmer]

If you really feel uncomfortable taking the M6, how about something about as small as the M6? I would suggest a Pentax ME Super and a couple of Pentax-m lenses that you can pick up on ebay for very little. A great small camera with a large bright viewfinder, automatic and manual, great lenses all in a small package. What more could you ask for?

[Roger Hicks]

Do we travel solely for the purpose of photography, or is photography merely a tool for documenting our travels?
Hobbyists will find themselves somewhere between those extremes, but more often closer to the latter.

Were I a pro "on assignment" of course I would carry around all my tools. But I travel solely for pleasure.

At the risk of sounding heretical in a photo forum I have found that concentrating too much on photography diminishes my ability to experience a new place.
Further it can often be a real imposition on my traveling companions.

Photography may be inappropriate, inadvisable or even prohibited in some places I'd like to visit.
As quiet as you think your Leicas may be, here your camera bag is the dead giveaway.

It is important for me to travel light, yet I still want the ability to make some great photographs.
For me a lightweight, unobtrusive top-quality pocket camera is an important part of that strategy.

Chris

Dear Chris,

Well, quite a few do travel just for photography.

I've found that it's often enabled me to appreciate a place more, and get to know people better.

I travel with Frances, so photography isn't a problem.

To whom is a camera bag a 'dead giveaway'? What does it give away? And what does it matter to anyone if I'm carrying a (very small) bag, even if photography is banned, if the camera stays inside it?

And it's important to me to travel light, and to get the best-quality photographs I reasonably can, using a camera I enjoy, not a packet of cigarettes with an LCD screen on the back.

The only difference between how I used to travel as an amateur and the way I travel now is that I've got better gear.

I'm not saying that I'm right and you're wrong, but I know an awful lot of people who are closer to my viewpoint than yours, so I'd dispute that "Hobbyists will find themselves somewhere between those extremes, but more often closer to the latter". I'd guess there's a lot of bunching at either end of the scale.

Cheers,

R.

[KenR]

Another consideration is to take a waterproof/weatherproof camera as a back-up and iffy situation camera. A Canon Sureshot A1 looks like a toy camera but will take the abuse of a pouring rain - and come out smiling. Pentax makes a nice weatherproof digital - comes in colors. Adds another photosituation that you might miss with the M6 and as I said, if your in the midst of a bad looking street, everyone will think they're toys. Of course they might still mug you for your credit/ATM card but as a tourist you always run that risk.

[wgerrard]

Do we travel solely for the purpose of photography, or is photography merely a tool for documenting our travels?
Hobbyists will find themselves somewhere between those extremes, but more often closer to the latter.

Were I a pro "on assignment" of course I would carry around all my tools. But I travel solely for pleasure.

At the risk of sounding heretical in a photo forum I have found that concentrating too much on photography diminishes my ability to experience a new place.
Further it can often be a real imposition on others. One must be considerate of their hosts and traveling companions.

Photography may be inappropriate, inadvisable or even prohibited in some places I'd like to visit.
As quiet as you think your Leicas may be, here your camera bag is the dead giveaway.

It is important for me to travel light, yet I still want the ability to make some great photographs.
For me carrying a lightweight, unobtrusive top-quality pocket camera can help me achieve both goals.

Chris

Traveling with photography in mind is a dual-purpose kind of thing, even for pros who are working. We want to see and appreciate our surroundings, and we want to look around with an eye to taking good pictures. Those are not necessarily the same activities.

For me, one of the advantages of travel photography is that it slows the travel. I like to "see" a place first as a traveller, then see it again concentrating on photos. So, there's really no reason to let photography spoil your appreciation of a place. Just schedule appropriately.

Given away by the bag: I take my camera out in the morning and I put it back at night. Otherwise, it's very visibly in my hand or hanging on my neck. I think this stuff about bags outing someone with a camera is a bit silly. *Everyone* has a cell phone with a camera.

i travel as light as I can. That usually means a camera body and three lenses for photography. That's usually been a Bessa or an M2. Next myth, it's a Nikon D5100 and three lenses. The bag is a bit bigger, but it's a few ounces lighter.

[Roger Hicks]

Traveling with photography in mind is a dual-purpose kind of thing, even for pros who are working. We want to see and appreciate our surroundings, and we want to look around with an eye to taking good pictures. Those are not necessarily the same activities.

For me, one of the advantages of travel photography is that it slows the travel. I like to "see" a place first as a traveller, then see it again concentrating on photos. So, there's really no reason to let photography spoil your appreciation of a place. Just schedule appropriately.

Given away by the bag: I take my camera out in the morning and I put it back at night. Otherwise, it's very visibly in my hand or hanging on my neck. I think this stuff about bags outing someone with a camera is a bit silly. *Everyone* has a cell phone with a camera.

i travel as light as I can. That usually means a camera body and three lenses for photography. That's usually been a Bessa or an M2. Next myth, it's a Nikon D5100 and three lenses. The bag is a bit bigger, but it's a few ounces lighter.
Dear Bill,

No.........

Cheers,

R.

[filmfan]

Use the M6 man. Wow.

[wgerrard]

Dear Bill,

No.........

Cheers,

R.

Well, true. But, I think the ubiquity of cell phones with a camera has muted the surprise and potential offense of someone showing up with a camera.

That doesn't explain why people might not care about a cell phone camera, but will take noisy offense when someone pulls out a "real" camera. People are... funny.

I was out of town this weekend, playing with the new camera. I found myself also using my cellphone camera just for the ease of sending a pic to someone immediately.

[Roger Hicks]

Well, true. But, I think the ubiquity of cell phones with a camera has muted the surprise and potential offense of someone showing up with a camera.

That doesn't explain why people might not care about a cell phone camera, but will take noisy offense when someone pulls out a "real" camera. People are... funny.

I was out of town this weekend, playing with the new camera. I found myself also using my cellphone camera just for the ease of sending a pic to someone immediately.

Dear Bill,

Highlight 1: I can't recall anyone, ever, being funny about my carrying a camera except one or two supermarkets in Hungary, rather more supermarkets in the United States, and Virgin Records in the UK in about 1970. My feeing there is that if they don't want my business, there's plenty as does, and besides, I start wondering what they're trying to hide. Generally, if you assume you have a perfect right to carry a camera (as is in fact the case), and don't look furtive or guilty, no-one blinks at the fact. This works for me even in Las Vegas casinos.

Highlight 2: Very true.

Cheers,

R.

[wgerrard]

It's never happened to me. I have carried a camera into museums, etc., that prohibit photography and been politely reminded and asked to put it away, but that doesn't count.

Over the weekend, I saw someone gleefully use a phone to grab a shot of a pro shooting on a riverfront. And someone else shooting, emailing the pic, then calling to talk about it. All kind of interesting.

[Peter Wijninga]

I'd take the M6 and an Epson R-D1 so that you'd have the flexibility of film/digital + the interchangeability of lenses.

[Archiver]

I love this thread, as travel photography and gear choice is something very close to my heart. I've had the good fortune of traveling around Australia for work in the last four years, as well as taking trips to China, Hong Kong and Japan. Each time I've taken a number of cameras based on what I had and what my interests were.

For the OP: if you have a M6, heck, take the darn M6. As everyone says, it is meant to be used and can be replaced if necessary. But definitely take a secondary camera. My preference would be for something that shoots in ways or situations that the M6 cannot, which would mean things like:

- wide angle digital compact like the Ricoh GRD III, Canon S95, Pana LX3/LX5, Olympus XZ-1 or Samsung EX1

With a camera like this, you can shoot with wide apertures and keep the ISO fairly low. You'll get a very quiet and versatile camera that can go in a pocket, depending on the camera you choose, and in the case of the Canon and Pana, take decent video.

- high quality travel zoom like the Sony HX9V, Panasonic TZ22

If wide apertures are not as important, but zoom is, then a good travel zoom is an excellent choice. I am consistently impressed with the photos and video taken by the Sony. And for a trip around the world, I think that video is wonderful.

- tough compact like the Panasonic TS3

Something you can stick in a pocket and even taken snorkeling if you have to. The recent Panasonic waterproof compacts even have decent image quality, and the shutter sound is so quiet you won't even know you took the photo.

A compact digital as your secondary camera will give you a lot of flexibility, as you can take snapshots of anything and everything that takes your fancy, get decent video if the camera supports it, and if it has zoom it greatly expands your shooting options compared with a prime on the M6.

If I was going on a world trip, I would take a Leica body and two or three lenses, a large sensor compact like the Ricoh GXR and 28mm module, Sigma DP1/2 or Leica X1, and a compact like the Canon S95 or Ricoh GRD III. There have been times when I've only taken a GXR and two modules on a short trip and been very happy, but I know that on a round the world trip I'd desperately hanker for a Leica body and decent video.