Travelling To Russia

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isalan

Alan42
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I am about to travel on a Russian river cruise from Moscow to St. Petersburg for 12 days. I will first be spending 3 days in Amsterdam. I leave home June 3. I have a Sigma DP1 as my second camera with a 28mm lens. I have 15, 28, 50, and 90mm lenses for my M8 and would like to leave a couple of these at home. What would you suggest I leave at home?
 
I would leave Sigma DP1 at home, if it is another digital camera--if it is a film camera then bring it--and leave the 15 and 90mm.

my 0.02 anyway.
 
Thank you Sisyphus. I looked at your pictures so I know I am getting expert advise. The 90mm stays home and probably the 15mm. But the Sigma DP1 is my stand by. It is digital. Very light weight and has a APS-C-sized sensor. I'd hate to have something happen to the M8 and be unable to take quality pictures. I have insured my M8 to protect.
 
Isalan,

I made that exact trip up the Volga on my honeymoon! It's a great trip with lots of stops at various villages along the way. I would take all the gear and film you can carry. Better to have it in your room on the boat than to wish you had something you can't get your hands on. Enjoy ther trip - the Russian countryside is amazing!
 
My shots aren't that great but may I make a point? It's a great distance from Moscow to St. Pete, so even though the boat docks frequently, you will be spending a lot of time on the boat, meandering down the river, passing lots of great scenics slow enough to get sharp photos. However you will be at a distance from the shore, so even though the M8's DNG's can take a goodly amount of cropping+enlarging, you might want to reconsider the 90mm. If it was me, I would leave the 50 home. I don't know your style, but I tend to shoot probably 80% of the time with a 35mm on film, and therefore the 28mm on my M8. On film I would not want to be without my 21mm, which on the M8 is the 15. 50mm on the M8 equates to a bit less than a 70mm, which I have found (after numerous outings with a 28-70 or 35-70 zoom) to be a little too short for portraits of strangers, and much too short for picking out details from a distance. I've even found a 90mm (on film) too short for my liking, and often travelled with a 135 instead. The 90 on the M8 is approximately a 120mm, which is for me a very useful length. Definitely I wouldn't leave home the p&S. There may be times when you'll feel more comfortable leaving the M8 outfit locked up on the boat, and also, you have to know if you go without a backup, Murphy's Law will haunt you :(
 
Thank you williams473. Im 66 and have a mobility problem otherwise I would follow your advise and take everthing. So far I have decided not to take my flash as there will be almost non stop daylight in Russia at that time of year. Everthing is digital and I have over 80gb of memory to fill.
 
Thanks Ben Z. You are making sense about the 90mm. I could always leave it on the boat when I go ashore. I'll give this some more thought.
 
Alan (Isalan).

Thank you for kind comments, and looking at my work. It is really subjective as to what equipment you should bring with you or leave behind. I struggle with same question every time I am headed out the door, whether it is down the street to the corner liquor store, to stock up on a night of debauchery, or a more involved trip.

I think it makes sense to bring a backup camera, and it also makes sense to bring the 90 if you are the boat a lot of the time. If the boat stops at various ports, I would bring the 28, and the 50. I like to get close to the people I photograph, and the 28 and the 50 help me do this. There have been times when I wished I had a 90mm. If it is not too much to carry, I would just bring.

Sounds like a great trip--
 
Arvay I really don't expect to be up at midnight taking pictures but I hope to have good light from say 8.00 am until 9.00 pm to take pictures without a flash. Would you agree?
 
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