Advice on Italy trip needed

Krosya

Krosya

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Hi All,
I'll be going to Italy soon. Will be in Rome, plan to visit Vatican, Venice, Florence, maybe Naples.

I'd appreciate any advice/tips on things to see, to do, equipment to take, etc.

I will for sure take RD-1S, Hexar RF or Leica M5 (not sure which yet), CV 15mm, CV 35/1.2.

I also have 21mm/4, CV 40/1.4, 50/1.5, 2.0 and 1.2, 90/2.8 and 135/3.5. I'd like to go fairly light, so 3-4 lenses no more. I will also take a small P&S.

Thanks in advance.
 
Take as little as you can stand. Of your three bodies, take the one you feel the most comfortable with. One or two lenses, lots of film (just one kind) and your P&S. If it were me I'd take my M3 and collapsible 'cron 50, a bag of Tri-X, and my Olympus mju-II. Have a wonderful time, and mingle!
 
Vics said:
Take as little as you can stand. Of your three bodies, take the one you feel the most comfortable with. One or two lenses, lots of film (just one kind) and your P&S. If it were me I'd take my M3 and collapsible 'cron 50, a bag of Tri-X, and my Olympus mju-II. Have a wonderful time, and mingle!
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+1 on this, but . . . I'd personally pack some print color film.

and YES . . . mingle and try hard to speak simple Italian sentences (rather than expecting them to speak your language) . . . if so, you will make lots of local friends if you meet them half way, you know?
 
I have been three times to Italy. My advice is yo limit yourself to on region only and to waste a lot of time by driving around all over the country.
 
Skip Venice this time. Maybe have Rome and Florence as your main targets. If time permits, include Pisa and Lucca. Nico lives in Lucca. I would send him a pm. You will get a nice day of Italian hospitality, if Nico is around.
 
As for equipment, keep things manageable weight wise. You need a fast wide angle lens for the interiors of buildings that you will visit. A light tripod willl be very useful. I suggest that you take with you the 21-40-90 set as your travel equipment. You will be mainly using the 21 lens.
 
+1 on the advice to keep your gear light, and simple. I usually take a single film body and one or two lenses [although, contra Raid's advice, I don't normally bother with anything wide], plus a compact (digital usually, but occasionally film).

In Rome, there is so much to see it's intimidating. The thing that has lived with me longest was the Villa Borghese, when my wife and I were lucky enough to get a fairly late booking slot, and were able to spend almost the entire time alone with the art.

In Florence, it's good to climb the Duomo, and obviously there's the Uffizi.
 
matt_mcg2 said:
. . . In Rome, there is so much to see it's intimidating. The thing that has lived with me longest was the Villa Borghese, when my wife and I were lucky enough to get a fairly late booking slot, and were able to spend almost the entire time alone with the art.

. . .
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The Villa Borghese is incredible ! Very intimate ambiance and the art is . . . uh !!

Also, as Raid suggested . . . . Pisa and Lucca are treasures (but only if you slow down and enjoy them!). Another overlooked town is Padua.

Rome (to me) is like NYC on espresso ! Very hectic in the streets. I am only going back so my wife can say she has been to Rome and the Vatican.

Actually we are going to Italy in a few weeks. Montepulciano is what I am looking forward to.

I am bringing only 3 prime lenses 24, 35, 50 and a DSLR.

I just remembered that I made a "trip report" in 2009 . . :
http://www.davesjournal.net/Pictures/ItalyTrip/Tripreport/Tripreport.html

😀
 
I know your probably asking about photo stuff but... When you're in Rome check the Antica Enotica for an evening meal. It is very near the Spanish Steps and metro. They have an excellent bar and restaurant. Food is wonderful and the staff is very friendly.

Antica Enoteca
Via della Croce, 76/b, 00142 Roma, Italy
http://www.anticaenoteca.com/
 
Pablito said:
Hey, moreammo, you own that restaurant?

re. equipment, Italian cameras and film work best in Italy.
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Lol, i wish. i live in Texas, if i did own it the meal would be on me, but sadly i do not, if your ever in Austin though i can arrange some fine Texas BBQ 🙂. I just love food and i really enjoyed that place.

I would also recommend that you explore some of the small streets, be safe but there are a ton of cool little churches that are off the beaten path and are tucked away. also the maze of streets can be quite an adventure of its own.

+1 on the Villa Borghese, they only allow a couple hundred people in at a time most of them run out in 30 minutes. you will get a couple hours with very few people and some amazing art. Easily the most impressive work i saw in Rome, absolutely amazing.
 
Krosya -- I have gone to Italy 2+ times a year over the past few years. In that time, my equipment has been thinned down from 4 cameras and various lenses, to one camera with two lenses and on P&S.

I concur with everybody advising light equipment burden and limited itinerary. The light equipment burden reduces the need for decisions every day and makes it more likely you have it with you. The reduced itinerary lets you hit the highlights you planned AND also follow up with what you find.

Lens choice seems to me to depend on what you shoot, where you'll be, and whether you are using a crop body or not. I am a normal and telephoto guy (50 and 100), but restricted spaces in buildings and small towns and alleys really made me feel the lack of a wide when I did not bring it along. If I were choosing, I'd choose EITHER a 35 or a 50, then something in the 85 - 105 range, then something in the 21 to 24 range. All of this in FF equivalents.

And I was slow to move to digital, but for travel, there's a remarkable lightening that happens when you take the RD1s, three lenses, and a P&S.

Looking at the decisions you have already made and the lens options you have, I'd take the RD1s and add the 902.8 and call it done. I'd also be tempted to swap the 40/1.4 for the 35/1.2, but I'm biased as I have the 40/1.4 but not the 35/1.2.

Most of all -- enjoy the trip.

Giorgio
 
moreammo said:
I know your probably asking about photo stuff but... When you're in Rome check the Antica Enotica for an evening meal. It is very near the Spanish Steps and metro. They have an excellent bar and restaurant. Food is wonderful and the staff is very friendly.

Antica Enoteca
Via della Croce, 76/b, 00142 Roma, Italy
http://www.anticaenoteca.com/
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The best restaurant to have dinner at on Via della Croce is "Otello alla Concordia" because it's an authentic old family-ruled trattoria, where Romans still stop by.

http://www.otello-alla-concordia.it/

The Antica Enoteca is a nice tourists trap... okay, it's nice enough too. 😀

I just spent several days in Rome and I had taken a RF body with a 50mm lens only, and my Rolleiflex. And many many B&W films.

And I walked a lot. As there are 2,000 fountains you can drink the water from in Rome, the trick is to carry a bottle in your bag, and some cookies, so that you can walk all day long from one spot to another, and also lose yourself in the streets, meeting the actual city people and life.

Eating paninis at lunchtime and stopping by an actual restaurant for dinner only allows you not to waste some time around noon. For paninis there is an excellent spot on the Isola Tiberina ; the customers are people working at the hospital, not tourists.

So, light and simple photo equipment, much storage media, a map in your pocket, and so you walk, and walk, and walk, and talk to people (Romans are very friendly).

Wish I could be there soon again...

Enjoy your trip !
 
I have always found the older parts of European city streets are tight... There are times u just can't step back far enough that a 35 becomes my standard normal and a 21 or 24 becomes my wide.

I would go 15, 35 and 50 f2 given your lens selection. The 15 on your rd1 and the 35 on your film body. Gives u essentially 5 focal lengths between the two bodies covering 15 to 75..

Have a good time there.

Gary
 
I was there number of times in the last 5 years. My sudgetstion would be
1. Rome and Toscana - even 2 weeks is not enought.
2. Film - 28-50-90 for 35mm and if you have somtging like MF RF or TLR, take it - you wouldn't be disappointed (P&S or digital as a back up)
3. Spend some time in "enoteca"s in the eveinings. It's really a one time in a life expirience.
Have fun, one of the best place in Europe to go...
 
I'd suggest walking everywhere. Things are surprisingly close together in Rome, and the footwork you do can put you next to some amazing things you might not have found otherwise.

If you are a little morbid, or interested in dark things, look up the Capuchin Crypt. It is a very interesting visit.

Beyond this, I feel like this is really a need to be said for Rome. Try no to buy, or eat, anywhere near a famous site. The price gouging in Rome is outstanding, and the waiters/shop owners will do it to you as you think they are forging a life long friendship.

When you visit the Spanish Steps, climb them, stay to the left side and when you reach the top follow the street to the left for a minute or two. There you will get the best view of Rome in my mind. It is truly outstanding.

As far as Cameras go, I'd take one and maybe two lenses. A point and shoot for facebook snaps would be my only real addition to this.
 
raid said:
Skip Venice this time. Maybe have Rome and Florence as your main targets. If time permits, include Pisa and Lucca. Nico lives in Lucca. I would send him a pm. You will get a nice day of Italian hospitality, if Nico is around.
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Raid, thank you for such nice words 🙂!
Krosya, feel free to contact me if you think I can help you in some way: obviously I'd be very happy if we could meet here in Lucca!
Ciao


P.S. for the equipment I can tell you that I usually shoot with a "normal" (started with a 50 and now moved to a 35) for street life shooting and street portaraits (there's something here in my blog and flickr) but I'd recommend a 15 or 21 for the narrow streets of italian cities ...
 
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