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

[fixbones]

Hi there,

Some background:
I just started film photography March this year and have since shot around 25 rolls of films (a good mix of B & W and colour). I will be going to Egypt for 2 weeks this coming November and was wondering if i can get some advice regarding travel gears. I shoot a good mix of landscapes and street.

What i have:
- Leica MP & Zeiss Ikon - 50mm summicron (5th), 50mm C Sonnar, CV 35mm f2.5
- Nikon FE2 - 20, 28, 50, 100
- Compacts: Hexar AF, MJUII(Stylus Epic), XA

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?

 

[sevo]

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?

Well, if you are a hulking young athlete and jogging with a bag full of bricks through a desert is among your definitions of "fun", take them all.

Otherwise, pare down - I have yet to see evidence that bringing more than one camera body and lens makes better pictures. Personally, I consider a tripod far more relevant to the outcome than any extra lens or camera...

 

[FrozenInTime]

Keep it light ! ... but also add some redundancy against failure:

FE2 + 20,50
MP + 35

 

[fixbones]

Life would be much easier if i shoot only B & W. That way perhaps i can drop the FE2 and maybe have a compact for colour just in case....

Reason i brought my FE2 is because being a previous DSLR shooter focusing mostly on landscapes, i am rather attached to my polariser (reasonable or unreasonably)

 

[semrich]

I find that my travel choices depend a lot on the type of travel, if it is a tour go light as the tour group tends to move fast leaving little time for lens and camera changes. In China I looked up from taking a shot and the tour was gone and I was lost. If it hadn't been for an elderly villager who spoke english I wouldn't have found the bus, would have missed the last ferry and the plane back home.

If you are going on the Nile Cruise in Egypt it's pretty much the same thing with a little more free time and you can leave excess gear on the boat.

With independent travel leave what you don't need in the hotel if you will be in one location for a while and go back for that shot that just needed a different lens you didn't have.

 

[Roger Hicks]

THREE 50mm lenses?

Why?

The only reason to carry the FE is for a significantly longer (100) or wider (20) lens and quite honestly I'd look for a 90 for the M-fit bodies instead if lugging a reflex. And an adapter to scale-focus the 20 on the Ms too.

Then, two M-fit bodies and 20-35-50-90. Don't worry about the 85/90 discrepancy: go to http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/zeiss.html, scroll down a bit, and you'll see the variation in viewfinder frames between different cameras.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Turtle]

My advice would depend on what sort of shooting you intend to do and your style. I find trying to shoot colour and mono together rarely works that well and would rather commit to one or the other:

MP + Z1. 35 on MP and 50 cron on ZI. Tri X in both. Now you have both lenses and redundancy. No lens changes needed. You coudl put colour in one and mono in the other

The above alone will be fast and flexible. If you want to take more, add the FE2 with the 100mm for a long lens and maybe a wide.

If the above is too much, take the FE2 + 100 + wide along with ONE RF and 35 + 50 RF lenses

I would use one film stock (I would go for TriX as a pro printer will far prefer working with this to XP2). If you intend to home scan, maybe XP2.

You cant do everything and IMHO are better being master of something than master of nothing. People remember a smaller number of crackers better than lots of mediocrity and I so will you!

When i do shoot colour and BW together I shoot one system, with colour in one body and mono in the other.

Hi there,

Some background:
I just started film photography March this year and have since shot around 25 rolls of films (a good mix of B & W and colour). I will be going to Egypt for 2 weeks this coming November and was wondering if i can get some advice regarding travel gears. I shoot a good mix of landscapes and street.

What i have:
- Leica MP & Zeiss Ikon - 50mm summicron (5th), 50mm C Sonnar, CV 35mm f2.5
- Nikon FE2 - 20, 28, 50, 100
- Compacts: Hexar AF, MJUII(Stylus Epic), XA

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?

 

[fixbones]

semrich: The first 6 days will be with a tour group with my parents. Thereafter, its free and easy with my bro.

Roger: Interesting... i did not even realize that i have three 50mm !!! Well, i am not really a 100mm person and i really don't mind not bringing it along.

 

[fixbones]

What if.....

MP, ZI + 35, 50 - one for ISO 400 and another ISO 1600
Hexar AF for color

...... or buy a GRD III for color

 

[Leigh Youdale]

I've just come back from eight weeks in France, UK and Ireland. i didn't take my SLR kit - too heavy and too bulky. I took a Bessa R3A and an R4A. Used my 15mm lens a little, my 75mm lens not at all, but got a lot of use for the 25mm, 35mm and 40mm. (If the last two sound a bit close together it's because the framelines on the two Bessas are different - the 40 goes on the R3A and the 35 on the R4A. The 25 goes on either but you need a separate viewfinder for the R3A. I do have a 2/50 Summitar on my Leica IIIf but that stayed at home, even though both Bessas have framelines for 50mm.
Took Fuji 200 colour film and a mix of 100 and 400 B&W (mainly APX and HP5+).

If you haven't traveled with film before, take care not to put any film in your check-in luggage. Keep it in your hand luggage and preferably get a lead-lined film bag (probably Vanbar in Melb have them) to put your film in. The Xray machines for checked luggage are so powerful they'll fry your film but the hand check ones are usually OK. I prefer to run the risk of having to pull the film out of the lead bag AFTER it's been through Xray for hand inspection, rather than have a stand-up argument with badly informed security guys when asking for a hand inspection before the Xray.
In Australia they are obliged to carry out a hand inspection if asked, although some of them don't know this, or pretend not to know, but overseas the rules vary.

 

[fixbones]

Leigh: How was your trip? Must be great!!! Perhaps i'd leave the FE2 at home (might miss the CV 20mm though). Anyways, how was your film selection? Happy?
Did you have one RF loaded with color and the other B & W.
I do have the lead bag and intend to use them

 

[ZeissFan]

When I traveled more, I usually took a 35mm rangefinder or SLR (occasionally both), a medium format camera (folder or a Rolleiflex TLR) and a small pocket 35mm (often a Rollei 35T). Then on my outings, I usually brought just one 35mm and one medium format.

When I was much younger, I carried the proverbial "bag of bricks" all around Europe -- Nikon F2A and FE, 28, 50,105 and a very heavy Vivitar Series 1 35-85 plus my little Rollei 35T. I probably wouldn't do that again, given the chance.

We had paper routes when we were little, so carrying heavy loaded bags wasn't really a problem.

Generally, I like my Zeiss Ikon Contax IIa and the 35-50-135 combo. It pretty much covers everything that I need, and it's a very reliable camera.

 

[wgerrard]

It's a cliche that bears repeating: Put what you want to take in a bag and wear the bag for 10 hours. If you have no regrets and think you can repeat that performance for the duration of your trip, problem solved. Otherwise, make the bag lighter.

I find bags to be necessary evils. They get in the way, they're often too heavy and too big. A sturdy padded bag is great for protecting gear on a plane or in other travel, but I'm otherwise quite willing to sacrifice hardware choice to comfort.

Film and X-rays: A subject of endless internet chatter. Every airport I know of warns their checked baggage scanners will, without question, ruin unprocessed film. Every airport I know of also claims their carry-on baggage scanners will not harm unexposed film at or below ISO 800. Rules and guidelines and experiences on getting handchecks vary. I've never used an anti-x-ray bag. Seems to me that if the crew can't see inside the bag, they're going to either handcheck the film or take the film out and then run it through the scanner. Those are your options all along, so I'm not sure what you gain. Probably quicker to put in a transparent plastic baggie, ask for a handcheck, and if you don't get it put it through by itself.

I've had film scanned 6 times before processing with no visible impact.

 

[andredossantos]

Bring two cameras. I'd bring the FE with the 20mm (since it's your widest lens), and the MP with the 50 f1.5 and 35mm.

This way you have one camera that operates without batteries, one wide angle, one camera with AE, one fast lens, and the ability to have one camera loaded with b&w and the other with color at all times.

 

[julio1fer]

Taking more gear only allows for more potential photo opportunities, and there will always be more opportunities than you can capture on a trip. Of course it all depends on your preferences so I'll just lay down my own experience FWIW.

I have traveled quite a few times, over 40 years worth, taking film gear. I find that, with a single body, a 35 mm f2.8 or higher lens and color film I get 90 % of the photo opportunities I see. In my last long trip I spent two months in Spain with that gear and did not miss much that I wanted. If that set can work with no batteries, all the better. Well, if you want to take a 50 mm along it's all right. My longer lenses rarely get used on trips.

A backup camera such as a reasonably good digital P&S (or an Olympus XA2) would be very advisable.

Travel light (weight is important, not only in comfort but in concentration) and leave no options (don't take too many lenses or types of film), so you can concentrate on the images instead of the gear. A small tripod could be very handy for landscapes if you have the time, but tripods are not for tours.

As for film, if in winter take ISO 400 color (Fuji Superia 400 is my favorite); if in the tropics or summer, ISO 100 (Kodak Gold for me). You can always convert to grayscale afterwards. Slide film would also be a good choice, if you have good light metering skills.

 

[FrankS]

Most of my photos are B+W, but some shots just need to be colour. So take 2 cameras, one for B+W and one for colour. With 2 cameras, you also have a back up in case one fails. For maximum utility, the 2 cameras should be able to share lenses.

From your selection, that would mean: Take the MP and ZI with 50 and 35mm lenses. Choose one of the 50's. It'd be nice if you had a wider lens in M mount as well.

 

[Damaso]

I don't think you need both 50mm lenses. Other than that, have fun!

 

[Roger Hicks]

It's a cliche that bears repeating: Put what you want to take in a bag and wear the bag for 10 hours. If you have no regrets and think you can repeat that performance for the duration of your trip, problem solved. Otherwise, make the bag lighter.

I find bags to be necessary evils. They get in the way, they're often too heavy and too big. A sturdy padded bag is great for protecting gear on a plane or in other travel, but I'm otherwise quite willing to sacrifice hardware choice to comfort.

Film and X-rays: A subject of endless internet chatter. Every airport I know of warns their checked baggage scanners will, without question, ruin unprocessed film. Every airport I know of also claims their carry-on baggage scanners will not harm unexposed film at or below ISO 800. Rules and guidelines and experiences on getting handchecks vary. I've never used an anti-x-ray bag. Seems to me that if the crew can't see inside the bag, they're going to either handcheck the film or take the film out and then run it through the scanner. Those are your options all along, so I'm not sure what you gain. Probably quicker to put in a transparent plastic baggie, ask for a handcheck, and if you don't get it put it through by itself.

I've had film scanned 6 times before processing with no visible impact.

Dear Bill,

Impossible to argue with any of that -- including the lead bags. I use Zip-Locs.

Cheers,

R.

 

[pagpow]

+1 for reducing gear and film selection beforehand. I have traveled, on and off for 18+ years, always with partners, families, others. I used to take four cameras, B&W and color, Medium and fast speed film. It wasn't just the weight -- it was a wealth of decisions to manage -- what to take out today, whether to strip inappropriate film out of the camera for what suited, which lenses. Stabilized for a while on the OM system one or two bodies, three lenses. That doesn't help you cuz you don't have OM.

Now into RF, I find that my shots have gone up as i cut down the choices I have to make -- stabilizing around one body with interchangeable lenses, one P&S, possible a special purpose camera (like a pano) when I can't live with my one advice.

Used to be 24, 50, 100 -- finding that a 35 will let me do much of what the 50 will. Looks like you tend more to the WA -- so I would consider <no attacks, please, I'm a weak old man and can't stand the heat, taking the FE2 and your chosen lenses, and the little Olympus as a back-up.

Even when I have multiple cameras with me, against my own advice, I find myself reluctant to pull one out of the bag -- i shoot with what's out.

+1 for putting all this advice through a screen that includes a) how you are traveling, and b) what you shoot.

Enjoy what you take.

 

[Davo]

just a quick note on the polariser (seeing you mentioned that you like using them).

Remember using one on a RF is not particularly hard. A little more fiddly, but if you want to cut down on gear and avoid carrying a reflex just for use of a filter....

This is for non 'coupled' polarisers. The double up ones are obviously very fast and easy (though $$$).

make a few marks around the edge of the filter (liquid paper, permanent marker). point filter at scene (not mounted on lens yet). spin filter till degree of polarisation is attained. note where marks lie (ie 9oclock), then mount the filter and place marks in same spot. shoot.

Can be fast once you've done it a few times.

That way you can take the two bodies that share lenses. keeps things compact and familiar.

just a thought.

D.