Going to Istanbul! questions

[dspeltz]

Here is a link to a pile of photos from my trip:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shutterflower/

Search my gallery "Tags Only" for the term "Istanbul" by entering "Istanbul" into the search field at the top right of the screen. Then, on the page it brings you to, click the "Tags ONly" option under the larger search box, and run the search again with "Istanbul"

George, you got a nice one in the cistern (hanger 73). Was that on an "illegal" tripod. A panoramic, 270 degrees, would go well in there. Next time.....

 

[ray_g]

Fast film is right if you want to shoot inside the mosques including, as mentioned, the chora. I only had a 50/2 and 400 speed film, and many times, that was not fast enough. A wprd pf caution: taking photos of people praying inside the mosques is generally frowned upon.

I agree that you will be best served by a wide, and a long lens. The streets are narrow, and a 28 or 21mm would be perfect. A 75 or 90mm would be nice to isolate details.

The sunset on the bosporus is also the loveliest I have ever seen.

 

[sf]

George, you got a nice one in the cistern (hanger 73). Was that on an "illegal" tripod. A panoramic, 270 degrees, would go well in there. Next time.....

That one was actually just rested on the banister. They have this railings along all the walkways so people don't fall into the water in the dark.

#74 was hand held at ISO 3200. #75 was on the tripod.

 

[thafred]

@shutterflower number 73 is fantastic but I like #76 most! perfect framing!

regarding the longer lenses.... 50 is my longest lens so I´m wondering if it will be usefull (say nokton 50/1.5)...it´s so close to 40 that I´m feeling it´s too much....I could say that I leave the CronC at home but I just love it´s quality and it´s the best general walkaround lens I have (albeit only f2). Sure for speed the 1,5 would be nice but otoh I can handhold at least a stop slower with the Ultron and it has wider view and deeper dof (i guess that would be more desireable for architecture)

I know it´s a limited setup so what do you guys recommend? (no dough for a 75 or longer lens) Is the 50 worth so much more for this trip that I should ditch the 40 and go with 21/28/50 (I really don´t want to take more than 3 lenses) or should I life with the limitation of the wide setup (i´m flirting with that idea since the trip was planend) ??

 

[sf]

@shutterflower number 73 is fantastic but I like #76 most! perfect framing!

regarding the longer lenses.... 50 is my longest lens so I´m wondering if it will be usefull (say nokton 50/1.5)...it´s so close to 40 that I´m feeling it´s too much....I could say that I leave the CronC at home but I just love it´s quality and it´s the best general walkaround lens I have (albeit only f2). Sure for speed the 1,5 would be nice but otoh I can handhold at least a stop slower with the Ultron and it has wider view and deeper dof (i guess that would be more desireable for architecture)

I know it´s a limited setup so what do you guys recommend? (no dough for a 75 or longer lens) Is the 50 worth so much more for this trip that I should ditch the 40 and go with 21/28/50 (I really don´t want to take more than 3 lenses) or should I life with the limitation of the wide setup (i´m flirting with that idea since the trip was planend) ??

I would bring a 21 and a 50, really. That's because I think three lenses is too much. If I were going to travel with my Bronica, I'd take only the 100 and the 45.

But the 28 and 40 are too close, in my opinion, and you are sure to want the longest lens you can find. 21/28/50 is perfect.

 

[Olsen]

I read this very interesting thread because my wife and I plan going to Istanbul for her 50th birthday in May. We have already booked tickets for a long weekend around the 17th of May (which is the national day here in Norway) and will be staying at Hyatt Regency near the Taksim Square, as I understand.

Many people reccommend us Istanbul. Like: My cusin's wife was 2.secretary at the norwegian embassy in Ankara for a few years. Their daughter was born there. They have just 'fallen in love' with Turkey and plan moving there as pensionairs.

We were also thinking about going to Paris, but we have been there many times before and I had my Thinkpad stolen there last time. - A lot of fuzz with a visit to the Surte' as a climax. Further, we think that 6 Euro's for a cappuccino is a bit over the top (although the food is damned good in Paris and people are friendly).


Equipment-wise I will do it simple: I will only bring my Canon 1Ds II with a 24-70 mm 2,8L and possibly a 50 mm 1,0L for night streetlife. Today it is practically impossible to bring fast films with you without risking that it will be destroyed through security, - slower films are all right.

A M8 would be ideal - with my Carl Zeiss 25 mm 2,8 and a Leica Noctilux, but I have no M8 - and with the technical issues piling up around it I doubt that I will ever have one.

 

[sf]

I read this very interesting thread because my wife and I plan going to Istanbul for her 50th birthday in May. We have already booked tickets for a long weekend around the 17th of May (which is the national day here in Norway) and will be staying at Hyatt Regency near the Taksim Square, as I understand.

Many people reccommend us Istanbul. Like: My cusin's wife was 2.secretary at the norwegian embassy in Ankara for a few years. Their daughter was born there. They have just 'fallen in love' with Turkey and plan moving there as pensionairs.

We were also thinking about going to Paris, but we have been there many times before and I had my Thinkpad stolen there last time. - A lot of fuzz with a visit to the Surte' as a climax. Further, we think that 6 Euro's for a cappuccino is a bit over the top (although the food is damned good in Paris and people are friendly).


Equipment-wise I will do it simple: I will only bring my Canon 1Ds II with a 24-70 mm 2,8L and possibly a 50 mm 1,0L for night streetlife. Today it is practically impossible to bring fast films with you without risking that it will be destroyed through security, - slower films are all right.

A M8 would be ideal - with my Carl Zeiss 25 mm 2,8 and a Leica Noctilux, but I have no M8 - and with the technical issues piling up around it I doubt that I will ever have one.

Istanbul is a great place to visit, Taksim is the nice end, in my opinion, and the Regency near Taksim is super nice. There's also a Ritz Carlton in that vicinity.

Paris is not expensive if you know where to shop and what to buy. In terms of food, if you don't eat out (and instead buy food at the many street markets), you can get along with spending about 15 EURO a day. Easily. A loaf of bread is 0.80 EURO max, unless you buy something extravagant. Taksim actually has many things in common with parts of Paris, in my opinion, from a photographic standpoint, but it is newer, more hills (lots of climbing steep hills). If I were going to visit Istanbul again, I would surely stay in Taksim instead of the old part across the water.