First overseas travel with film and RF. Seeking ur wisdom....

[mhazzaa]

James,
Is there some danger present when walking around in Egypt and take photos? In particular, in the poor areas of Cairo, is it OK to take openly photos of the situation there?

Yes it is safe. Safer than most countries.

 

[mhazzaa]

Jon: Thought about getting an extra F body too.... really interested in getting a FM3a (for this trip or not). However, since i already have 2 RF bodies and 3 lenses that i really like, i might just wanna stick with them - smaller, better low light ability, perhaps slightly lighter.

Great advices everyone!! Certainly did help my thinking process.

- will stick to my RF system
- bringing MP and ZI plus both 50mm and 35mm.
- Hope to purchase the ZM 25mm f2.8 before the trip to supplement my kit since i tend to shoot wide with color. Will go w/out the viewfinder. Thus the Hexar AF will likely have to go 🙁
- Films: TriX and Fuji 400H (i love grains)
- .....and the XA just for fun.

Some iso 100 film for morning touristy pictures maybe useful.

 

[fixbones]

Yes..... might bring a few rolls of Reala as well but i think the ZI should do well with ISO 400 as it goes all the way to 1/2000. Figured the ISO will e flexible enought for bright conditions as well as the more shaded areas.
I don't fancy changing films mid roll..

 

[jonmanjiro]

Jon: Thought about getting an extra F body too.... really interested in getting a FM3a (for this trip or not). However, since i already have 2 RF bodies and 3 lenses that i really like, i might just wanna stick with them - smaller, better low light ability, perhaps slightly lighter.

Great advices everyone!! Certainly did help my thinking process.

- will stick to my RF system
- bringing MP and ZI plus both 50mm and 35mm.
- Hope to purchase the ZM 25mm f2.8 before the trip to supplement my kit since i tend to shoot wide with color. Will go w/out the viewfinder. Thus the Hexar AF will likely have to go 🙁
- Films: TriX and Fuji 400H (i love grains)
- .....and the XA just for fun.

My second suggestion was going to be to pick up a wider M-mount lens, so you could take a two body / three lens M-mount kit 😀

My first M-mount wide was the ZM 25/2.8. Incredible lens! But coming from an SLR background, not having 25mm framelines in the viewfinder bugged me (plus I have an allergy to external finders), so I ended up scaling back to ZM Biogon 28/2.8, and then to a CV 28/3.5.

 

[fixbones]

Jon: You read my mind =D. Not sure how i feel about external viewfinder yet.....

The 21 is tempting but it'll mean that i'll have to use a viewfinder. However the great dof means that i can hyperfocus and forego the RF focus patch.

With the 25mm, i am hoping to rough-stimate using the entire viewfinder of the ZI (and unfortunately i wear glasses....not easy).

 

[rxmd]

I just came back from a couple of weeks in Georgia where I had just the M5, a 21 and a 50. Everything from architecture to urban nightshots and landscape photography in the Caucasus. I could keep the gear in a small handbag with three or four rolls of spare film without looking like a dork. For film I took Elitechrome 100, Fuji 800 and XP2, and the choice was basically dependent how I would be photographing that day. Don't be afraid to change film mid-roll (just be careful not to rewind completely into the canister, write down the number of frames on the canister when you change it, and tell your lab not to cut the film for you)

Keep it light. Why a ton of lenses and two different camera systems? I can see the justification for having a backup body in case yours breaks on you, but that's a risk I normally take and after all I've got a Leica because I'm reasonably certain that it won't break on me.

 

[David_Manning]

RXMD...exactly. Did you feel like you missed anything?

 

[rxmd]

No, I didn't.

Well at one point I found myself in the National Archive with a couple of documents that I wanted to photograph, and I had to borrow a small digicam from someone. I guess I could have brought one myself, but it was no problem. And an extra M body and more lenses wouldn't exactly have helped there.

 

[shadowfox]

My current plan:
- Bring both MP and ZI for B & W with all 3 lens. Should i drop one of the 50mm??
- FE2 with 28 & 50mm for colour

Films:
- B & W: XP2 and TriX. I don't develop my own just yet. TriX for pushing if needed
- Colour: Reala and ISO 400 film

What do you think?

My goodness!

I always end up with a heavy bag on my trips because of my insisting to lug a medium-format camera.

But you're talking about all 35mm, why on earth would you bring 3 cameras all taking the same format picture?

If you really like 50mm focal length, choose one on the rangefinder and stick with it. One RF camera, one lens. That's one "Zen" concept that can let you enjoy and practice at the same time.

Use your FE2 for 20mm and/or 100mm like Roger said above. 20mm Nikkor lenses are gorgeous for landscapes.

Then decided to bring either XA or Hexar AF for a nice snapshooting (I'd choose the Hexar over XA, but if you have XA4, nothing beats it for travel).

 

[Bruin]

I'm going to Israel and Spain in October for a couple weeks and taking my ZI, 50/2 M-Hex, 25/2.8 ZM, and Yashica GX. This is the only gear I use at home, so easy decision for me 😉

Ultra Color 400 for the Zeiss, Tri-X for the Yashica. Assuming neither camera breaks down, the ZI kit will be for most daytime shooting and the GX will handle indoors and nightime (Tri-X to be souped in Diafine). An Ultrapod II will provide extra support as needed.

Here's what I try to stick by:

1. Always bring a backup camera. You don't have to always carry it, though.
2. Use what you're comfortable and familiar with, including your film choices.
3. Have a one lens, one body kit for the times you want to go as light as possible.
4. Be considerate of your traveling companions. Taking WAY too long to change lenses, fiddle with camera settings, etc. will annoy people and make your trip less pleasant.

 

[mfogiel]

My preferred kit for light travel would be 2 bodies, 28 and 50mm lenses and Tri X only. If you develop in Diafine, you can expose between EI 200 and 1600 on the same roll if needed. Decide if you prefer 20 or 35 mm instead of the 28mm. Then take the MP with the 50mm and FE2 with the 20mm or the MP+50mm and ZI+35mm. The Sonnar is a great lens, but Summicron is easier to manage.