Heading to Mexico - Gear ?

fredus

fredus

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Hi there,

Ok, My M6 is back from Sherry. She repaired the shutter curtain which was burnt and did a CLA. I should be ok for a few years :) I'm heading to Mexico on Saturday and I'm scratching my head to find out what I'm going to take ... We're going to Tulum, 1 hour south of Cancun. Will be mainly landcape photography, ruins, portrait of my daughter and local people ... This is what I have available

- M6TTL - M3 - Canonet QL17 - Bessa L

- 15mm Heliar - VC 28mm f/3.5 - Summicron 35 - Summicron 50 - Nokton 50 - Tele-Elmarit 90

I shoot color (Reala 100, NPH 400 and Royal 400) and B&W (mainly Neopan) ... So was thinking 2 body probably M6 and M3 and 28, summicron 50 and TE 90.

Any tips ? Idea ?

Sorry if this is a boring thread. I'm at work thinking about that :) Wanted to share.

Fred
 
Sounds good. You've got the useful focal lengths covered. Since you're shooting colour and B+W, 2 bodies make sense. More importantly, 2 bodies that will accept the range of lenses you are taking. Depends largely on what focal lengths you are most comfortable with and use the most. People are different that way. :)
 
fredus said:
Any tips ? Idea ?
Click to expand...
What I would take:
- M3 with 50 Summicron
- M6 with CV 28
- Loads of Tri-X
But that's just me... Whatever you decide, enjoy the trip.
Cheers
Vincent
BTW, I like your avatar... reminds me of home ;)
 
Hi Fred
Are you coming with somebody else on the same plane? Mexican customs regulations state that passengers (Mexican or foreign) can bring in one photo and one video camera, and up to 12 unexposed film rolls. That is per passenger regardless of age and is considered part of the passenger's baggage.
If you're arriving by plane you may also bring in up to US$300 worth of merchandise besides your luggage (which can be whatever you want). Those US$300 can be added if people of the same family are traveling together.
So 4 members of the same family arriving in the same plane can bring in 4 photo cameras, 4 video cameras, 48 rolls of film and US$1200 of any other merchandise.
If you bring more you'll be required to pay import duties of 17% of the difference.
So consider that if you want to bring in two camera bodies, you should bring two human bodies too!
You may check customs regulations for passengers at http://www.aduanas.gob.mx/webadunet/aga.aspx?Q=r30 (the page is in Spanish)
Have a nice trip!
Eduardo
 
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I would take the M6TTL and the 28, a 50 and the 90, and the Canonet with the fixed 40.

On my last vacation in March I took a very similar set; a 35 instead of your 28, and additionally a 21 and a 135 (the very small & light Jupiter-11). Everything fitted comfortably into my Domke F-2 and I used every lens.

 
At the ruins you may find yourself shooting the wideangles more than the "normal" lenses. I've never been to that part of Mexico, but I know that you will find yourself using color more often than B&W (perhaps the opposite at the ruins).

I second the recommendation of taking Tri-X, and and a 50/50 of ISO 100 and ISO 400 of your favorite color film (I recommend Fuji Reala or Supra, but if you're going to use Kodak, stay away from their "Max" stuff).

And tips? Mexicans speak softly (and will always say "hola" or "buenos dias"). Tourists can be heard for blocks away. If you're into discreet photography, that may help...
 
Fredus,
I went to Playa del Carmen in March, I visited the ruins at Tulum, I took my M3 with 50mm summilux, and a Nikon F with FTN meter (which the batteries crapped out on after I got there)and 24mm Nikkor.

Tulum for the most part is grey and brown so BW works well here, but on the beach side it is well worth bringing some slide film for great shots of the Ruins with the tourquoise water, some excellent opportunties. If you have a second camera with a zoom you might bring it along for the iguanas, they are everywhere.

On a side note, if you have a chance to go to Xel Ha, GO!!! It is a natural inlet for snorkelling that will blow your mind. We swam with Jack crevalle, dolphins, Parrot fish and all the other tropical stuff, it's like a giant aquarium. We bought an all day pass, all inclusive (food, beer, drinks , etc.) for about 100.00 USD, best money I ever spent and I'm not into the snorkelling thing.

If you are into the ruins, Chichen Itza (or something like that) is larger with less ruined ruins ;), have fun and shoot alot.
 
If you absolutely have to go to mexico, just take the canonet and a bunch of reala. If you still have a choice of destinations, go to Costa Rica or Belize. Once you enter mexico, you drop several notches in the food chain. This is just not the time for a gringo to be there.
 
You will be on the Yucatan Peninsula and most natives are Mayan and very proud of thier heritage, they will quickly let you know they are not of Mexican descent. Also, If you are a cigar smoker, this is your chance to smoke some Cubans ;). Here are a couple I took:
 
Todd, great job!

Fred... You're not traveling alone, right? Re-read Eduardo's post because these regulations are probably enforced by very anal people.

Enjoy your trip! I wish I could take off myself... but gotta work here.
 
SolaresLarrave said:
Todd, great job!

Fred... You're not traveling alone, right? Re-read Eduardo's post because these regulations are probably enforced by very anal people.

Enjoy your trip! I wish I could take off myself... but gotta work here.
Click to expand...

No I'm not traveling alone. I'll have wife and kid ... But I can't believe they would confiscate somebody's camera if he was traveling alone and he had two. This just doesn't make sense ... Don't tell me they actually enforce this ...

Fred
 
In maybe half a dozen trips to Mexicoi -- driving in, admittedly, not flying -- my wife and I have usually had AT LEAST four cameras between us and no-one has ever blinked. Similar outdated rules exist in many countries and the worst that has ever happened to me is that I have sometimes been required to fill in a TBRE (Tourist Baggage Re-Export) form in India.

Cheers,

Roger
 
Or you could go classic Leica: one body, a 35 and a 90, B&W film, nothing else...... And take a digital P&S for those holiday snaps. :)
 
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Cameras are so expensive here that it probably is a protectionist measure to make it a bit harder for individuals to import cameras on their own and sell them without paying duties. A new MP/M7 body sells for about US$4,700 here so you get the idea. Prices for any photographic equipment are insane! But I completely agree that this doesn't make any sense for foreign tourists.

Actually I like the rule as it applies to me since the goods can be purchased abroad, can be new and even in its unopened box. So in theory I could legally import a $30K Hasselblad with digital back without paying sales tax in the USA and without paying a cent of duties or VAT here. I know there are countries that are a lot more restrictive than this when their own citizens import things like photo equipment, laptops or even iPods and CD players.

Yes it's totally absurd that I can do that but not bring in two $100 P&S cameras duty-free!!

On the other hand, any foreign resident may import almost anything he/she wants provided that the item is going to be used by this person and will be returned in the same condition to the country of origin, but this must be done through a customs broker who does the paperwork for a temporal import permit.

BTW, as Roger speaks of outdated rules, you can bring in 5 laserdiscs and one typewriter, too... Wait! as you'll be traveling with your wife and daughter, that makes for FIFTEEN laserdiscs and THREE typewriters!
 
Well you will probably want or have to take your gear with your everywhere. You will also want both color/slide and b&w film. How often do you use tele lenses? Do you mind getting sand blown onto/into your cameras? Will you bring a flash?

BTW there is a great italian restaurant in Tulum town, forget the name tho.
 
Fred, I simply would want to be ready in case I run into someone who's willing to enforce the rules just because that particular day he got up the wrong side of the bed. It seems they're not enforced, and since you won't be traveling alone, it'll be easy to circunvent the situation.

In any case... I'd be really screwed. When I travel on vacation, I only go with my wife (we're DINKs: double income, no kids). And she takes her own camera! :( I guess I'll have to plan any trip to Mexico with this regulations in mind.

Eduardo... can they really confiscate a camera? Just wondering...
 
IMHO, it would be better to go to some other South American bean eating country. If Mexico makes it difficult to visit then do not go there. Instead go down to Costa Rica. I hear they just want you to come there and have a good time while spending lots of dollars and no pesky importation laws that are only there to rob the tourist before the street criminals get a go.
 
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