Am I mad to take a film camera to Southeast Asia?

[Moto-Uno]

Twice in the last 3 years I've taken only medium format cameras with me to Asia , a nice light Bronica Etrs and then a Kowa Six 🙂 . And a backup Minolta Hi-Matic E . 35 mm film is available in Hanoi around the city central lake and cheaper than here in Vancouver . And aren't you supposed to have fun (film IS fun ). Peter

 

[nickthetasmaniac]

I travel to Malaysia a few times a year (plus trips to other parts of the region) and always shoot film. Why not!?

 

[ktmrider]

I have been in the Philippines since early November and will be here another few months. My present kit is a Leica M2 with a 50 Summicron and a FujiX100F. I admit that I threw the M2 in the bag at the last minute and my kit for the earlier trips was an MP240 and X100F.

I don't have any problems shooting either and we know each has advantages. Before 2002 or so, we all traveled with film and thought nothing of carrying film instead of batteries or computers/hard drives. Since I hate doing post processing, film provides some relief. Being honest, I shoot the X100F using jpegs and its wonderful film simulations. If push came to shove, it would be my only travel camera.

M2 is my favorite Leica and Nikon F my favorite SLR. We are of an age and don't have to please anyone but ourselves. Take what you want and have fun! I still have beautiful Kodachrome slides from visiting Bangkok and the Imperial Palace in 1980 on a WestPac cruise. My guess is they were shot with either a Nikon F2 or M4P.

 

[Colin Corneau]

All that matters is the image.

Shooting film is a different mental space you put yourself in, and travelling is a great time to do that. I'm fairly sure that once you get out there and start making photographs, all this debate will fade away and it will all become just about the image.

 

[DownUnder]

I have been in the Philippines since early November and will be here another few months. My present kit is a Leica M2 with a 50 Summicron and a FujiX100F. ... We are of an age and don't have to please anyone but ourselves. Take what you want and have fun!

Well said. I had an M2 for two years in the '80s but had to sell it to fund my way out of a life crisis. I've regretted this ever since.

Other than that, I will just say I would prefer one M2 and one lens (ideally a 35) for two of my G1s and one lens, any time.

Envy is a sad thing...

 

[DownUnder]

All that matters is the image.

Shooting film is a different mental space you put yourself in, and travelling is a great time to do that. I'm fairly sure that once you get out there and start making photographs, all this debate will fade away and it will all become just about the image.

Yes, yes, yes and yes. Or to be unaccustomedly brief, yes4.

I could not have written it better myself. Even in eight paragraphs as I (as usual) long-windedly attempted to do.

Many many (deliberate double here) thanks. Your post has hit home with a mighty thud.

Others have made many good points. My thanks also go to you all. I will update shortly if I feel I have anything worthy to add...

 

[CharlesDAMorgan]

No madder than generations of travellers! I hope all goes well, take a back up though in case Ko Fe's point transpires. Such beautiful cameras though.

 

[jarski]

Bangkok is good base for trips around Southeast Asia. Buy films there, and have developed, have some rest, before heading next destination. 5 months sounds like a nice long get away from home.

 

[helen.HH]

Sounds like a plan... You’d be ‘mad’ not to
If it’s what you Love
Go for it , Enjoy !

There is always the phone for the occasional ‘let’s see what it does?’

 

[Out to Lunch]

My two cents...within the region, Bangkok is the best -cheapest, venue to buy, develop and scan 35mm film...certainly not Singapore. Out of curiosity, where do you plan to go 'off the beaten path' in Vietnam? Have a good trip, OtL

 

[sebastel]

off the beaten path ... take care.
in some areas (vietnam, cambodia, laos) there are still land mines to be found.
like ... step, boom, dead.

the type of camera has no influence on this.

watch out.

 

[Hogarth Ferguson]

I've been to about 50 countries in the past few years with 100% film. I'll continue to do it this way, too.

 

[DanskDynamit]

most of film cameras come from Asia so why not take them back home? 🙂

 

[Ted Striker]

I travel with film all the time. Just came back from a 2-week trip to the southern-most tip of the American continent, Ushuaia in Argentina, with 30 rolls of FP-4. I politely asked for hand check and even though I took 8 flights, the films were never X-rayed. On previous trips, my films were X-rayed up to 5x and no fogging. I believe up to 8x is save. Since your trip is longer, I suggest getting the film developed there. So yeah, no problem taking film on travel.

I've had my film X-Rayed over a dozen times without even the slightest sign of any issue. I ran an experiment one time asking an operator to X ray a test roll of film 24 times. Again, no sign of any fogging. I stopped asking for hand inspection years ago. Total waste of time.

 

[Ted Striker]

I've been to about 50 countries in the past few years with 100% film. I'll continue to do it this way, too.

I travel to Asia shooting 100% film all the time, using the very camera in your avatar.

 

[Dante_Stella]

Real film cameras are those which don't use batteries, especially when traveling.

Because they don't have batteries in Asia?

 

[Applet]

I love traveling with only a film camera, I feel it makes me stay in the moment more, and if on a vacation, I'm able to relax more and just have fun

 

[Ambro51]

Back in the day international travelers made do with one Leica and a Summar. You do this.....you concentrate So much more on the Trip and catching the photo and Much less on “technical gear choices”. You just take the picture.

 

[kxl]

Just to add — I did just come back from a trip to the Philippines and Thailand with a DSLR and the holy trinity of lenses. In hindsight, it might have been more fulfilling (and less strenuous) to have brought my ZI plus 2 lenses and my Sony RX100.

 

[Ted Striker]

Just to add — I did just come back from a trip to the Philippines and Thailand with a DSLR and the holy trinity of lenses. In hindsight, it might have been more fulfilling (and less strenuous) to have brought my ZI plus 2 lenses and my Sony RX100.

That's what I would have done. A ZI is an amazing camera, with a gorgeous viewfinder and a joy to shoot. I'd easily have left the DSLR at home and forgotten all about it.