Gear for travel?

If it were me. I'd take the 2 M bodies with 28, 50 and 90mm lenses. Color in one body and B&W in the other. I think you can cover almost anything with that set up. If the med format folders shutter speeds are in order. Why not pack some E6 (Velvia) for it. But, then again I'm known for taking too much gear. :D
I will in the same dilemna in October. I'm heading off to Italy for 2 wks.
 
I tend to travel fairly light. Generally, I take one 'big' camera, and one small. The big camera is either a MF rangefinder (GS645S), Rolleiflex, or dSLR and that functions as my main day to day camera. The small camera is a high quality 35mm compact for when I don't want to bring a bag, or for night use and serves as an emergency backup. I've gone on a couple of trips recently where I've just taken the 35mm compact and not regretted it, so perhaps I'm more comfortable with minimal kit than some.

That said, if I had two bodies that took all of the sames lenses, I could see taking both M bodies, and two or three lenses. I rarely (if ever) find I need more than three. I have half a dozen or more for my SLR/dSLR but I can't remember the last time I took more than 3 on a trip.
 
On my last trip, I took 15, 21, 35, 75 with my M8 and used 21 and 35 for 99% of time. Therefore, with film camera, I would take 28 and 50 with two bodies (just in case) or just M5.
 
I'm a travel-light type myself. I'd bring the Hexar, the 35mm and the 105. The 35 because I try to avoid shooting with "normal" lenses, and the 105 because I love to shoot portraits. Like you, I would bring a medium-format folder. If the Hexar body crapped out I'd pack all my stuff away and not think about photography (and you'd still have the folder to work with).

One note, it seems like 120 film is becoming very difficult to find on the road. It might be worth scoping out in advance one camera shop (probably in the main city) in each country where you know you can stock up before travelling out into the sticks.
 
If you are taking one camera with several lenses consider what would happen if that camera went out. If you have several lenses for one camera it is best to have a second camera to match those lenses. Ideally, one camera would have color & the other B&W. & extra batteries! (I have had the batteries go dead on trips and reaching into the bag and pulling out and extra battery is a great feeling.)
 
Looks like i'll take Hexar and M5 with Hex 50/1.2 and either hex 28 or zm 21. I was wondering if I should also bring CV 35/1.2 or Minolta 40/2.
 
2 bodies, 28 / 50 / 90 (the last for the wedding, among others).

Maybe a flash.

Lot's of film.

Not too big to fit in a small carry on with other stuff.

Enjoy !

Roland.
 
Hi Krosya,



I'd take your M5 and Hexar RF, the Hex 50/1,2 and UC Hex 35/2 and one other longer length like 75 or 90. That would cover it all. You seem to shoot a lot with a 35/50, so those should be your bread and butter lenses.

In addition I'd take one 6x6 folder just for the wedding.

And bring lots of film and some batteries.
 
I travel very light so that I always carry a camera. It is m4 +35 f/2 summicron and Lumix LX3. I tire easily and I at least have a choice of camera. Hope this helps.
 
I'd go with one of the RF bodies (and the 2nd if you're one of those always bring a 2nd body people), the Hex 35, 50, and 90 as well as the ZM 21. I'd leave the 40 even though it is tiny, but I'm not a huge fan of the focal length, perhaps its best to bring along. The Welta goes as well, as well a cheap p&s.

I'd load up on tri-x/arista premium and whatever color film you're planning on using. On a lot of my trips I find myself bringing Acros and Tri-X for my film camera then doing color on my digital. Acros covers all the bright days, and Tri-X can cover everything else, especially with your lenses being 2.8 and faster.

To be fair though, when I go on trips I usually bring 1 digital body (slr) and 1 film (slr or rangefinder, depending on if the Leica is working). Usually the film body has a 35mm stuck to it, and the digital with a 28-80 equivalent zoom, everything 2.8 or faster. Usually the Canonet goes too, since it takes up no space, and it's so light I don't use a strap, it's literally on a lanyard.
 
I tend to use MF for mainstream and 35mm for P&S. And I do keep myself fairly light. Your Hassy and Kowa are really too heavy. The folder is OK but I don't know how good your TLR is. Only with MF you can do big blow-ups afterwards. And I rarely carry zoom lenses. But I do carry a very small Digital for the real P&Ss.
 
I travel a lot and face this decision frequently.

Light for me is 2 bodies with 35/75 combination.

I often add a CV 25 because it's small and light.

If this were me on the trip you're planning and the 50's presence was predetermined I would take 21, CV35 and 90 along with it. The fast 35 will pay dividends for wedding and evenings, the 21 lends interesting perspective, the 90 for times when isolation works and the 50 because you want it there.

Yellow or yellow/green filters for the B&W and a polarizer for the islands. Maybe an ND or two.

XP2 is convenient to have processed along the way and Portra would be nice for wedding color / Fuji 400H for some speed. Maybe some Kodachrome 64 for old times sake.

Have a great trip.
 
Everyone always has an opinion for a thread like this... not always one that will work for you, but hey. I'll throw my hat in the ring too.

21/35/50, one body. I like to travel with a longer lens too, so the 90 or 105 might make it into my bag too, but it depends on how light you want to travel.
The 35 1.2 would come in handy... but I'd probably bring the 35/2 hex, just because of the size/weight. If you're already bringing the 50 1.2, no need to really weigh yourself down.

you could do a 28 instead of the 21/35, but I just find those focal lengths easier to use for me. YMMV, of course.

Good luck, you have lots of choices, pretty much none of them bad.

-Brian
 
I agree with the "travel light" advocates. But "light" depends on the person wearing the camera bag. If your shoulder aches after wearing a bag all day, then you brought too much stuff, no matter what is actually in the bag.

Personally, I hate carrying stuff. I'm off to London in 6 weeks and if the weather cooperates it may be cool enough to actually wear a jacket with pockets big enough to take an RF lens. If so, I'm taking a Color-Skopar 21/4 and a Zeiss Planar 2/50 ZM, and probably a Bessa R4M. If no one is paying you to take pictures, look to your own comfort.
 
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