travel photography: what should I take?

[FrankS]

Here's a link with good answers to this oft-asked question:

http://www.asc.upenn.edu/usr/cassidy...travelfaq.html

[wlewisiii]

That's a good article, though I still like Dante Stella's answers better: http://www.dantestella.com/technical/travel.html

Thanks for the link Frank.

Willia

[Tom A]

Some good advise on these sites. I have always tried to live by the old adage :" Take along what you are comfortable with".
As for camera bags, they are great for storing things and a pain to travel with! I use a trout fishing bag, made by Brady in UK. It does not look like a camera bag, it has two smallish outside pockets for my pipe/tobacco and matches and the second one holds whatever paraphenalia that I think could be useful that day. The inside is unpadded (has a rubberized snap in lining - designed to carry a live trout home !
I am a devotee to the two bodies/3 lens package. One body, usually with a 35 is around my neck or in my hand. A second body in the bag with either a 50 or a wide (15/21/25). Third lens is wrapped in a piece of cloth and can be either a super-wide or a faster lens, occasionally a 75 or 90.
As for film - I dont experiment on trips! Air-fares and hotels are expensive enough as it is, without having to contend with unknown entities like films. It is TriX all the way. I throw away the boxes and plastic cans (usually keep one for spare batteries) and stick the film in small freezer bags (8-10 rolls per bag). I usually count on 4-5 rolls per day (2-3 rolls/camera). Every morning I restock one of these bags and it goes into the left pocket of my vest. As the day progresses I put exposed film in the right pocket. Pick -pockets abhor photovests - there are way too many pockets and usually noisy velcro tabs to contend with.
I sometimes stick film containers back to back and tape them together with gaffers tape (use 24-30 inches of it). This means that you can tear off a small piece and write notes on it and stick on the cassette. Tri X pushed to 1600 looks the same in the cassette!
If it is a long trip or a camera behaves strange - I buy a roll of cheap color film, 24 exp, and run it through the camera. If you check the speeds, run it so that the setting and subject is the same across the board. Then have the roll processed at a 1-hour lab. The prints should look the same, only the DOF would change. Much better way than coming home and finding out that the shutter has been capping for the last 30 rolls ( been there and done that!).

[FrankS]

More good advice, thanks Tom!

[oscroft]

This means that you can tear off a small piece and write notes on it and stick on the cassette. Tri X pushed to 1600 looks the same in the cassette!

Before my last trip I discovered a wonderful invention - the Sharpie pen. They write on just about anything - including film canisters, and I now have Sharpies in all of my camera bags, computer bags, etc.

[Jamie123]

Funny that this should come up now as I was just asking myself the same question.

I'll be going to Morocco in January with my girlfriend and was thinking about what equipment to take with me. The more I think about it the more I come to the conclusion that I probably won't take anything with me other than a digital p&s and maybe a Rollei 35TE. Both are cameras that I'm not a big fan of but they're small and light and surely won't ruin my vacation.

[mike_j]

Best advice I know is KISS

[FrankS]

Originally Posted by oscroft

Before my last trip I discovered a wonderful invention - the Sharpie pen. They write on just about anything - including film canisters, and I now have Sharpies in all of my camera bags, computer bags, etc.

My Sharpie Pen to the rescue:

I was the wedding photographer at a ceremony once where the priest and the wedding party had not prepared for the signing of the marriage licence by providing a writing insrtument to do so. My Sharpie Pen came to the rescue!

[Al Patterson]

I thought both of those articles were good, although I'd rather have a picture of Stonehenge WITHOUT the "Neuvo Druids"...

I will usually carry my A-1 SLR and two zooms, a CL with both 40 and 50, plus a digital P&S. These fit in my medium bag.

[alexz]

I adopted 2 cameras + 3 lenses approach for a serious photo-devoted adventure, unless going to the areas with high personal security alarm must be taken into account (in such case - one camera + single lens).
I manage with M3 + 50mm 'Cron, M6 + 35mm 'Cron and have my 90mm Elmarit ready in a pocket (or just leave the Elmarit home until hit by a dedicated portraiture mood).
It seems it works out for me great, just like Tom mentioned. A single film type is preffered approach as well, so far Tri-X goes with me, planning on expanding to Neopan 1600 for low-light opportunities.
What we differ by (me and Tom) is our way to carry the stuff - I have both of cameras hanging down on me - one (the most used in given session) on shirt strap off my neck and usually is held in my hand ready for instant operation, the second one on longish strap is hanging down across my chest under my right elbow. I figured keeping the secodn camera in bag doesn't contribute to its usage in street environment where quick shooting is desirable, unless it seres as backup strictly. THis is why I don't usually lug any camera bags with me, prefer a few more pockets to keep film and few accessories handy.
I usually intend each camera per lens, not per film.

[steenkamp]

In the recent years i tried all combinations of cameras/lenses (digital and analog) for my travels. I came to the conclusion that (at least or me) it's best not to concentrate on the gear. The more gear you leave at home the better your pictures will get. Even if there's some space left in my bag, all i take with me is my old M6 together with a 35mm lens and lots of Tri-X. Cheers, Guido

[hlockwood]

Originally Posted by wlewisiii

That's a good article, though I still like Dante Stella's answers better: http://www.dantestella.com/technical/travel.html

Thanks for the link Frank.

Willia

I looked at Stella's site and I agree with most of what he advises, except for film choice. Lately, I've been shooting XP2 exclusively; he advises against all chromogenic film:

" Chromogenic b/w films - don't get me wrong - I like these for use in my town. But T400CN and XP2 are susceptible to scratching, and taking them anywhere where there is a lot of dust is asking for scratched negs. The other problems with these are the lack of control over processing and the lack of effect of filters."

I haven't experienced any scratching problems, and I believe that the C-41 process (at a reasonable lab) is usually well controlled. The statement about filters is a mystery.

Harry

[FrankS]

It's tough to pack for a trip.

colour:
If it's a family trip, I want one camera for colour slide film to relive the trip later on.
Some photos just call for colour because that may be the subject or the reason the subject works.
That's 2 cameras. These can be P+S cameras like the Leica MiniLux and Contax Tvs.

Now for B+W:
I like one body dedicated to a 50mm lens. This is my main camera. It's an M6 or Hexar RF.
I like to have a small body (CL or IIf) dedicatd to a WA lens - my new CV21.
Knowing that MF is capable of much better quality than 35mm, I like to take one of those. Could be my folding Fuji GS645.

But that's 5 cameras!

Okay, I could do without the colour neg film camera, since a digi P+S is coming along anyway. So that's 4 film cameras and a digi.

[peter_n]

The tip I like is put the film in with watches and keys. I travelled a good bit this year and took 2 bodies 3 lenses on one trip and 2 bodies 4 lenses on the other. The 4th lens was a CV 15 and I'm really glad I had it with me for not much penalty. My bag was Domke F-2 but the inserts are challenged if you have TA Rapidwinders on your bodies, I don't know what to do about that. I like to use just one speed film for B&W as well as color if I'm using it.

[cmogi10]

I'm sorry,
But I felt like that was all really common knowledge?
It's not complicated stuff.

[Pherdinand]

i am going to south africa in february. Three friends, three weeks. Decision was extremely easy though. I am taking my rolleiflex (the 3.5 planar one - technician promised to be ready with it well in time for some tsts at home) and bags full of fuji nps, npc and slide films + some rolls of efke 25. I also take a small pocketable camera - probably my trusty hexar af with the 35, or some fixed lens rf (have a beatup canonet 1.7 or maybe even the minolta slr with a 24mm, and will have some tri-x and neopan 1600 for these.

And the handheld quantum light meter.

After last summer, i decided NOT to go to such a place without a medium format camera. Never again.

[Pherdinand]

" Black Lenses Weigh Less

It's true. Black leica lenses are made of aluminum, the silver ones are made of chrome."

WTF??? chrome??? lol
one line like this and i immediately think the guy is drunk and makes up everything after midnight out of boredom.

[Steve Bellayr]

I think it all depends on the nature of the trip. If you are going diving you need a waterproof camera. Back streets of Mexico I might take a camera I could afford to loose. A city with architecture definitely wide angle. Do you want to carry a Leica M6 on a pub tour of Ireland?

[cmogi10]

Originally Posted by Steve Bellayr

Do you want to carry a Leica M6 on a pub tour of Ireland?

Of course!

[mervynyan]

load up films... don't real care how many cameras will you bring, films are always expensive in unfamiliar places... i usually get 2 brand new packs, about 40 rolls.

[Pablito]

Originally Posted by peter_n

The tip I like is put the film in with watches and keys.

You're being sarcastic, right?

this will only get your film x-rayed along with the watches and keys, not big deal really as long as it's not TMZ.

[Pherdinand]

I even got my tmz and delta 3200 double-x-rayed (return flight) sometimes, and never ever had a fogging problem.
Hand luggage scanner of course.

[Ben Z]

Originally Posted by Tom A

I have always tried to live by the old adage :" Take along what you are comfortable with".

Me too. And here I thought it was just a coincidence we always travel with our wives

I always carried 2 M bodies and 4 lenses (with those double end cap thingys) but since I'm not about to spring for a second M8 I'm using a DLux-3 as backup these days. I've tried a bunch of bags and settled on the Domke F5XB for travelling. I have another bag made by Eagle Creek that's about the same dimension as the Domke, and has a built-in waist-belt, in which I pack the DLux-3, my portable HD, a spare flash, spare IR filters, extra batteries, and chargers for both cameras and the HD, plus a triple-tap extension cord so I don't have to put chargers under hotel desks where I could possibly forget them. My two tripods (a Leitz table-top and a Gitzo GT0540) have their own cases, and all of it goes in a PacSafe DaySafe backpack that has wire mesh imbedded in the lining and a twisted aircraft cable that can secure the bag to something immobile in a hotel. When I'm going through airport security I remove the two smaller bags from the backpack and put them in a gray tub. That has prevented having the TSA rifle through everything in my backpack just to get a look at one thing that caught their attention.

[DougK]

I always agonize over what gear to take on my trips and I always end up taking just a small, quality P&S, plenty of film or digital storage, and sometimes a pocket tripod.

EDIT: For me, the focus is usually on the "travel" part, not the photography. I still wind up coming back with pretty decent photos. I'd much rather enjoy the trip and avoid getting so caught up in taking photos that I don't really see what's around me.

[FrankS]

See, I don't get enough photography in my day to day life, so when I get to go on vacation and travel, it is my opportunity for photography, and so I want to have some gear with me, not just a P+S.