How much gear for a week in Iran?

[srichmond]

I'm going on holiday for a week next month, and this will be my first one since I got my RF in January. It's been a long year!

Anyway, I'm used to taking a digital SLR on holiday with me, and one of the advantages of not taking it is that I won't need all the plugs, cables, converters, batteries, back up devices etc. etc. This year, I'm just taking my M6, one 35mm lens and some film.

Can I survive? I'm worried I'm going to miss out on good shots because I have the wrong speed of film, or I'm using B&W when I really need colour. I guess these are age old questions, but not something I've had to contend with in the past. I'd like to develop the discipline and skill to work with these limitations.

What gear do other people take on holiday with them?

 

[jonmanjiro]

Yes you will survive! Less is more on a trip like this. But unless you like your film being x-ray'd to death (twice each time you board a domestic flight) be prepared to ask for hand inspect. The security will do it for you, but you might need an interpreter to explain if you don't speak Farsi. The security guys are good natured about it though (at least they were for me). I spent a week there in early May and absolutely loved it.

Tehran Bazaar

Tea house in Isfahan

Main dome of the Imam Mosque, Isfahan

Muslim girls visiting the Armenian Christian Church in Isfahan

 

[amoz]

It's all you will really need. Pick a 400 film that's easy to push (e.g. Tri-X) if you are worried to miss out on shots, and some 100 ASA colour slide film as well. I did five weeks in Africa with that combo and setup (M+35/2).

Enjoy! And post back when you have got something to share.

 

[trix]

I will be in Iran from Oct 17th to Nov 1st.

The gear i ´ll bring consists of 2 Hexar RF, 21/35 Dual Hex, 2,0/35 Hex and 40 rolls of Neoapn 400. Still figuring if i need a 90.

 

[srichmond]

Thanks folks. Really good to hear success stories!

jonmanjiro - really cool photos too!
amoz - I think you're right about the 400 ASA film, I just bought a batch of Tri-X for this purpose.

I'm hoping my RF skills improve drastically after this trip.

 

[kully]

Unless you're going to be going back - take some colour film! Especially places like Isfahan. And as amoz said - black and white film that you are happy to push for the souks &c.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Two bodies, two lenses: for me, 35/1.4 and 75/2. Colour in one box, B+W in the other. Swap bottles between 'em as needed. MAYBE in your pocket another lens -- a WA such as 15, 18, 21 or WATE -- but that'll do.

You might also care to take a look at http://www.rogerandfrances.com/travel.html

Cheers,

R.

 

[papasnap]

all good advice! you should have a ball. An M6 + 35mm lens + bunch of quality pushable 400 speed film is a great way to go when travelling - very versatile & lots of fun. I spent 4 months this year around south east asia doing the same (although I was using Provia 400X).

As amos says, you might do well to take some colour film (eg Provia 100F or 400X) as well as the TriX.. of course I'm biased (I love colour!)

jonmanjiro, I love the shot in the tea house - out of curiosity what lens length did you use for that?

 

[jonmanjiro]

jonmanjiro, I love the shot in the tea house - out of curiosity what lens length did you use for that?

Thanks! That tea house was awesome. I was standing in the mixed sex section shooting towards the men only section (larger version here). The shot was taken with a Nikkor 24mm f2.8 on a Nikon FM3A (oops, an SLR), and the film was Provia 400X (love that film!).

I took two FM3A bodies (one loaded with Provia 400X and the other loaded with Provia 100F) and used 24/2.8, 50/1.2, and 105/2.5 Nikkors. Prolly could have left the 105/2.5 at home as it only got used for about 5% of my shots. Two cameras, two to three lenses max, and two types of film max, is definitely the way to go when travelling!

 

[chut]

I think just the M6 and a 35 lens is a fantastic idea.

But just in case, it's always good to have a backup camera. Maybe just a compact like an Olympus XA, a Contax T or a Rollei 35 would be good to take along.

If you plan to shoot B+W primarily, the M could be loaded with it and the compact can have some color film, for whenever the occasion arises.

 

[srichmond]

I'm relieved everyone is so positive (I did come to the right forum for people to big up the RFs though! hehe).

On holiday I usually carry a small Canon compact digital, primarily for taking short videos. The photos are pretty terrible quality. I guess this could be my back up for those types of shots that you want to "catalogue" rather than admire!

The only other film camera I have is a Cosina C1, which I got when I was 15.

What's the deal with x-rays? I've got four flights. Is it really a problem? I've read about this, but haven't found a conclusive answer.

 

[35mmdelux]

Travel lite and enjoy the trip. For backup you could take Olympus Epic P/S.

Alex Webb shoots in that area with only the 35mm lens....These days I carry 35 & 50 lenses but such a trip I may want to take a 21mm lens as well.

Enjoy.

 

[Roger Hicks]

What's the deal with x-rays? I've got four flights. Is it really a problem?

No. At least not with carry-on. DO NOT put film in checked baggage.

There are several categories of response:

1 Those who have tried it -- sometimes with half a dozen X-rays (or more) in multiple countries -- and can confirm that they have never had a problem. Count me among them.

2 Those who have had other problems and attributed them to X-ray damage: all the cases of 'X-ray damage' I have ever seen.

3 Those who have read extensively and conclude that there might be a problem.

I'm not saying it's impossible. I'm just saying it's not worth worrying about. I've never seen X-ray damage to carried-on film, even with Delta 3200 and TMZ, and nor has anyone else I know.

Oh: and lead-lined bags are a substantial waste of time, and the chances of a hand search at a UK airport vary from slight to non-existent.

Cheers,

R.

 

[jonmanjiro]

What's the deal with x-rays? I've got four flights. Is it really a problem? I've read about this, but haven't found a conclusive answer.

The short answer is: it's most likely not a problem, especially for ISO400 and ISO100 films. But since all the Superia 1600 film I took with me to Thailand/Laos last christmas got fogged from x-ray exposure, my policy now is to ask for hand inspection wherever possible to try and cut down the amount of x-ray exposure to the film. But I don't fret about it if I'm refused.

In Iran, they x-ray everything at the entrance going into the airport, and then again when you go through customs (for international flights) or ticket control (for domestic flights). It ads up to a lot of x-ray checks in a short time. I managed to get hand checks at seven out of eight x-ray checks while there. The got me on the last one leaving the country, but by then I figured I'd done pretty well over the course of the trip so let it slide.

 

[NIKON KIU]

I would add a back-up body and a wide lens.
Enjoy your trips people.

Kiu

 

[ruben]

I myself am in the same dilemma about what to take for a week at Soth Turkey. However my choices are harder since competing with my RFs there is my OM compact gear. With four lenses I could comfortably cover from 24mm to 500.

As for the X-ray question, according to my humble, and really humble, experience, they will affect color film, but not BW.

Cheers,
Ruben

 

[mcgrattan]

Probably the most fun travel kit I've used was a Fuji GS645S and two autofocus compacts. One compact loaded with black and white, one with colour. All three cameras fit into a single small camera case [the sort of thing designed to hold an SLR with a zoom lens mounted and designed to clip onto a belt]. Quite often the Fuji had Reala in it, one of the compacts (mju II/stylus epic) had delta 3200 and the other compact had XP2.

I shot for a week in Granada, and the total weight was about the same as my dSLR with a single lens. Barely a bad photo taken as well.

These days I've been taking just my dSLR with a single 'standard' zoom lens, a fast f1.7 prime, and a film compact with fast black and white film in it.

I'll probably go back to using the Fuji or my Leica a bit more often for short trips. I'd take the Leica more if I had a decent compact light meter.

 

[Michiel Fokkema]

Last time I was in Iran i used a Leicaflex SL2 with 28, 50 and 90mm. I only used Fuji Provia 400. But it was in the winter. In the summer this film might be too fast.
My pictures are here:
http://michielfokkema.wordpress.com/picture-a-week-2008/week-06/

Cheers,
Michiel Fokkema

 

[andrewmore]

Changing bag? Small selection of tools like swiss army knife, jewelers screwdrivers and small pliers?

Some film is clearly marked as X-ray sensitive on the box - including some 400ASA Fuji films. Other film can go through the cabin scanner okay.

Getting a hand search at Gatwick goes like this:

Phone the airport general number - ask for security to book a hand search of x-ray sensitive film - security will put you on the terminal security people. They will refer you to their local specialist - if you can't get him go back to them and they will come up with other ways of getting him. Contact him (you will be given his phone number or e-mail) - he will want e-mail details and will book you in with the terminal people. When you arrive produce the copy e-mail correspondence. The folks manning the scanner point will ask you to wait whilst they get the specialist. He will deal with the film using the swab sniffing machine. The man I dealt with earlier in the year was not so familiar with roll film and just sampled the film still in its outer wrapper, but out of the box as I explained that roll film is especially sensitive to handling in light. He took a sample 35mm film out of the canister as he was familiar with this type of film. All very simple. What they can't cope with easily is people turning up without pre-booking as the specialst may not be readily available. Heathrow should have similar procedures as it is a BAA airport too.

Hope all goes well.

Regards

Andrew More

 

[BillBingham2]

I agree with Chut, bring a backup.

My choice would be a GR-1 or an R-1 from Ricoh. The XA is a fine choice as are the others listed, but I really like SMALL. If you want to do a crazy thing get a GR-D (I or II), it's a digital with a great 28mm lens and same size as the GR/R series of cameras. I love mine and it's my wider and second camera if I'm going anywhere that feels like once in a lifetime.

A little bit bigger but not weighing too much more would be a Bessa L and a CV 25/4 combo. You can carry a CV 15mm and still feel almost nothing. I would put the 15 on the L and use the 25 as an emergency backup.

B2 (;->