Northern Vietnam, Beijing, and Japan... what system to take?

[Sam N]

I'll be traveling with others (non-photographers) in Vietnam and China, but will have plenty of time to set up my shots in Japan (Kyoto, Tokyo). I want to get good quality images without slowing down the group too much.

If you have any travel tips or must-shoot places in any of these destinations, please post em here!

5D mk2 kit:
5D mark II + 17-40L + Sigma 50/1.4 = 4lbs.
Pros: Good IQ, very wide angle, faster lens for low light, beautiful Sigma bokeh, Both lenses use 77mm polarizer
Cons: Heavy, big, nothing longer than 50

5D mk2 kit "lite":
5D mark II + OM 21/2 + Canon 50/1.4 = 3lbs.
Pros: Lighter than above, still very good IQ
Cons: Manual focus oly may slow me down, Canon 50 pales in comparison to the heavier Sigma, nothing longer than 50

T2i kit:
Borrowed T2i + 18-55 IS + EF 35/2 = 2lbs.
Pros: Lighter than above, 18-55 isn't TOO crappy, 35/2 is sharp
Cons: EF 35/2 is cheap feeling and has so-so bokeh, nothing longer than 50ish equivalent

G3 mu-43 kit:
Panasonic G3 + 14/2.5 + 20/1.7 + 45/1.8 = 1.3lbs.
Pros: Lightest kit, tilt screen makes high or low compositions easier, all lenses are decently fast and quite sharp, good live histogram, includes a short tele for portraits
Cons: More high-ISO noise, slightly slower focusing, less dynamic range, much less control over depth-of-field

 

[ruby.monkey]

G3. You'll be able to outrun the rest of your group (you could fit your whole kit in a small fanny pack), and with the 45mm you'll have no trouble obtaining narrow DoF. You could possibly replace the zoom with a 20mm f/1.7 to keep things even smaller.

With a featherweight kit like that you could even add your Canon 5D Mk II and Sigma 50mm for night work.

 

[mfunnell]

If it were me and that's what I had available then I'd go with the "5DmkII lite" kit, so that's what I voted for. But it's not me, it's you. If you're OK with the G3 kit then that probably makes a good deal more sense. I can't live with an EVF, but you probably can.

Either way, I'd be inclined to take along something like a Stylus Epic, or an XA, and some B&W film as well.

...Mike

 

[jsolanzo]

Did the first one. I think you'd need the 17mm if you do landscape. But that's just me. The lite also sounds nice though. I wouldn't bring a 4/3 sensor with me anywhere. I know it's small footprint but you're sacrificing IQ

 

[maddoc]

I would use the Canon 5D MKII with some kind of 35mm lens and be done. 🙂 Especially places like Tokyo and Kyoto are very crowded depending on the time of your visit and you will miss many nice moments when you start thinking about your equipment. Also, no tripods, in many temple and shrines in Kyoto for above reasons. Have a nice trip !

 

[Rayt]

Wow. That is going to be so much fun! You are going to be doing a lot of walking so weight will be a factor. Kyoto on foot is the best way to see that great city.

 

[kxl]

When are you going?

In spring, I'd take the DSLR, with one thing in mind: sakura!

If you're going not going until the summer, bring the lightweight kit, especially if you're not used to heat AND humidity.

 

[Spicy]

Only you can know what the best mix is for you, but you're going to want to try and find the optimal balance of a few things, some of which have been mentioned, some of which haven't.

Aforementioned:

• Size/Weight (basically the same thing, whatever)
• Image Quality (you want the smallest/lightest thing that still affords a level of IQ you can live with)

Not yet mentioned but important considerations:

• Low-profile (is being subtle important to you? carrying around a cannon of a Canon will make people react a different way than walking around with something along the lines of an XA or a m4/3)
• $$$$ (how does the price of the kit affect you? will you constantly worry about keeping it safe, and will that affect either your enjoyment or your ability to take pictures with it? illustrative example: buying an M9 and then being too afraid to bring it out with you)

Obviously, you'll want to consider the kinds of photography you're likely to be doing. Will you be focusing more on static photography or something more along the lines of street? Will you be carrying your camera along with your gear non-stop (like if you're backpacking from hostel to hostel)? Will you go out during the day to photograph, and then go back to where you'll be sleeping and have a chance to drop off your gear before going out on the town for the evening? How often will you be changing your sleeping arrangements (new place every 2 days, every week, once a month)?

 

[Sam N]

When are you going?

In spring, I'd take the DSLR, with one thing in mind: sakura!

If you're going not going until the summer, bring the lightweight kit, especially if you're not used to heat AND humidity.

It'll be in April. The cherry blossoms were my favorite thing about Washington DC and I hope they'll still be around when I get to Japan around the middle of the month.

 

[Sam N]

Not yet mentioned but important considerations:

• Low-profile (is being subtle important to you? carrying around a cannon of a Canon will make people react a different way than walking around with something along the lines of an XA or a m4/3)
• $$$$ (how does the price of the kit affect you? will you constantly worry about keeping it safe, and will that affect either your enjoyment or your ability to take pictures with it? illustrative example: buying an M9 and then being too afraid to bring it out with you)

Very good points. I do like the fact that the G3 can be used almost like a TLR while looking down at the screen. The camera will be on me at almost all times, which is why weight is an issue.

 

[thegman]

For me, I'd take the 5D, and whatever lenses you prefer. I probably take more photos on one trip than the rest of the year at home put together. Trips like yours are why I buy cameras!

I'd like the optical finder of the 5D, proper focus rings on your manual lenses, and the weight does not really bother me.

But that's just me, maybe you use the 5D at home all the time, and are ready for a change on holiday.

 

[Lax Jought]

I clicked on the 5D lite kit. For me, the 5DMkII is a versatile pro camera with excellent IQ. Whichever kit may have swayed me is one that had a telephoto lens in it though.

If there was another kit I'd recommend, it would be something like a Leica M8/M9 with a 50mm (or its equivalent on the M8) and a tele. But that's me. You might prefer a wide angle instead of a tele.

 

[funkpilz]

I went for the 5DII because this is a special trip and you'll want to get the best IQ you possibly can. Also, I've used the 17-40L quite a lot on my friend's EOS cameras, and I absolutely love it. I think it's ideal on crop sensor cameras, but that doesn't make it any less fantastic on full-frame. Plus you got the nifty fifty for low-light, what more could you want.
Personally, the weight wouldn't concern me, I'm used to hauling around a Hasselblad and 35mm setup and also I don't think 4lbs is that bad if you have a strap.

 

[shimokita]

I would take the 5DII with the 17-40L (and leave the 50mm at home). Stick a P&S with flash in your pocket for dark restaurants interiors etc.

Cherry blossom forecast is from next week (25-31) in Tokyo, Kyoto is of course further south... so by mid-April you might miss the peak... but you never know. Rain this weekend in Tokyo and 4C last night.

Casey

 

[Snacks]

Go with the first 5Dmkii kit, perhaps leaving the 50mm as shimokita suggests. Prepare for epic landscape photos!

 

[Godfrey]

Smallest, lightest kit. G3 + 20 + 45 is what I'd use the most. I'd carry the 14 but likely wouldn't use it too much.

On my trip last October to the UK for three weeks, I carried the Ricoh GXR-M plus 21, 40, 90 lenses. The 40 did the majority of the work, followed by the 21 then trailed by the 90. It was a delight to have such a small, lightweight kit compared to the previous trip with SLR and three lenses.

 

[Tin]

I would take the G3 kit. Based on my past travels in China, I would expect that I would use the 14mm lens most of the time---may be even as much as 60%. I would also bring a high quality P&S, both as a backup and also rely on its zoom lens for convenience when needed. I don;t know what is you style of photography. But I do mostly landscape and cityscape, so a 28mm equivalent lens is the minimum requirement in the cities in China. I would prefer a 24mm equivalent.

 

[semilog]

Did the first one. I think you'd need the 17mm if you do landscape. But that's just me. The lite also sounds nice though. I wouldn't bring a 4/3 sensor with me anywhere. I know it's small footprint but you're sacrificing IQ

The quality of one's images generally has little to do with "image quality."

 

[StillKicking]

Sounds like a great trip.. having lived in the tropics I'd pack your camera gear with several 500g packs of silica gel.

Personally I'd keep I'd keep it simple and mechanical. O.K. I just love my M2 when I travel:
Leica M2 with Voigtlander VC II Meter..
Lenses: Sumilux 35mm, Summicron 50mm and Elamr 90mm..
Lots of Fuji Velvia

 

[Sam N]

Thanks for the input everyone. I asked someone who uses both a Canon/5D2 system and an Olympus EP3 and he told me to go with micro four thirds...

The lens lineup looks like it will be:
9-18, 14/2.5, 25/1.4, and 45-200

It'll weigh in at about 2.5 lbs and cover 18-400mm.

Now to figure out what to do in Japan...