I Never Learn

scorpius73

scorpius73

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I'm off to Belgium and Paris for 2 weeks tomorrow. I started off with my Hadley Pro bag. I had too much so switched to the Domke F2. Here it is:
30 rolls of film in the Fuji containers
2 Leica M's
Konica 28mm f2.8 and 35mm f2
CV 35mm f1.4
Nikkor Millenium 50mm f1.4
Leica 50mm f2.8 Elmar II
Konica 90mm f2.8
Duplication, I know but I always talk myself into taking more. Oh yeah, I forgot the Canon S100 and the Oben table top tripod. My wife has already reminded me about how heavy the DSLR set up was on vacation last year and not to take so much. I hope I don't regret this.
 
Just got back from NYC and shot 12 rolls of B/W with M3 and 21mm and 50mm. Would like to have had my Nikon FE for color but, hey, I was lean and mean.
 
I'm gonna sleep on it but you may have convinced me to go with a 28mm, 35mm f1.4 and the 50mm f2.8 for the 2 M's. The S100 has a 24-105mm zoom. I'll be 39 in 12 days so I might take it easy. I might take another look at fitting into the Hadley Pro. Oh, I forgot the tripod has to go too.
 
M2 and 35/2.0 Hexanon should do the trick. Oh ... and save some additional space / weight by dropping the Fuji film boxes in favor of ziplock bags. ;)
 
Not going to lie, I'd pick two cameras, the 28 and the 90. One lens on each camera. If you can't fit that in an F2, your bag must be waaaay smaller than mine. Less crap to lose/have stolen/weigh you down. That's only if you're packing two or more types of film (if you're a one-film shooter, just take one camera, two lenses, your P&S and be done with it).

Last I checked, the whole point of 35mm rangefinder photography was to take LESS stuff with you, not more. Then again, I don't like to OWN two lenses of the same focal length and mount, let alone CARRY more than one. Of course, it's your back/insurance policy. If you want to carry a bunch of stuff you won't use, go for it.
 
Definitely way too much stuff.
28, 35, and 50 would be enough.
Do you really want to lug all that around everyday? And if you're going to leave some in the room then why even bring it in the first place?
 
Dunn said:
Definitely way too much stuff.
28, 35, and 50 would be enough.
Do you really want to lug all that around everyday? And if you're going to leave some in the room then why even bring it in the first place?
Click to expand...
Seconded, though I might put the 90 in instead of either the 28 or 35 (but then, I don't like 28 much). I'd go for the table-top tripod, though, if it's small enough and light enough.

Actually, with my own kit, I'd go for two bodies and three lenses: one of 15/18/21 (depending on how I'm feeling), 35 or 50, 75 or 90.

Cheers,

R.
 
I went to Marrakesh earlier this year and took:

Leica M6TTL
28mm / f2.8 Elmarit-M
35mm / f2.8 Canon
50mm / f2.0 Summicron
10 rolls of Ilford XP2 Super

Rolleiflex 3.5T
10 rolls of Portra 160 / 400 (5 of each)

Lowepro Stealth Reporter 400 (more than enough room to also carry water - essential as it's damned hot in July/Aug), mobile phone and a sun hat.

We were based in a Riad for the week but, even so, if I went again, I'd leave the Rollei at home and use my Billingham Hadley.

The point of all of this - travel light. Your back will be forever thankful and you'll probably get better shots for being less fatigued.
 
Paul Jenkin said:
I went to Marrakesh earlier this year and took:

Leica M6TTL
28mm / f2.8 Elmarit-M
35mm / f2.8 Canon
50mm / f2.0 Summicron
10 rolls of Ilford XP2 Super

Rolleiflex 3.5T
10 rolls of Portra 160 / 400 (5 of each)

Lowepro Stealth Reporter 400 (more than enough room to also carry water - essential as it's damned hot in July/Aug), mobile phone and a sun hat.

We were based in a Riad for the week but, even so, if I went again, I'd leave the Rollei at home and use my Billingham Hadley.

The point of all of this - travel light. Your back will be forever thankful and you'll probably get better shots for being less fatigued.
Click to expand...

Hear! Hear!

Cheers,

R.
 
It's your trip. Do you travel a lot? If so, what is your past experience? The title of your post sounds like a lament so one would guess you have already found that you don't need that much gear. One question I always ask is will I be touring alone or with someone. Will they understand a photographers need to stop for more than 10 seconds?

Hmmm, travel light? Well, that is a relative term is it not. Only you know how much weight and handling you can put up with. Speaking strictly for myself my favorite travel experience, camera equipment wise, was an OM-1 with a 28~48 f4 S Zuiko lens. But being too stupid to remember how much I liked that combo once back home I foolishly sold the lens for way more than I paid for it. I came to regret that.
 
If this is a pro assignment, bring it all if you must.

If this is a vacation, bring one camera and 2 lenses and have fun and take memorable snap shots.

I just came back from 2 vacation weeks in Europe and our favorite pictures came out of my panasonic P&S and my wife's iphone ! (My Nikon D5100 was no fun at all !)
 
That's a nice kit and I imagine it's tempting to take it because it's there.

Personally, I'd take at most two M bodies and three lenses (for me, 21/35/90) and the P&S as a backup. But that would have to be for a trip where shooting was a key purpose of the trip.

Better, one RF body with 35, plus the P&S.

YMMV. Have fun!
 
When I go traveling I usually only take my M6 and 35/50 combo,
Or even just my trusty old Konica Auto S3 if I want to travel very light,
but once a year I go traveling with the sole purpose of taking pictures then I take the whole lot.
 
I suggest 1 M2 with the 28 and the other with the 50, plus at most the 35/1.4 in the bag for when you walk Paris in the evening. If you are a B&W shooter, take the Elmar, it is probably the best modern era lens for monochrome, if not take the Nikkor. Leave out everything else ( apart from a lightmeter...) Take more film instead.
 
It's easy to bring way to much, and convince yourself that you want to be prepared for every possibility and that you won't want to miss "that shot" because you left a certain lens at home.

Having traveled a lot around the world, I can tell you that if you have the Canon P&S, I'd take one M body, and maybe two lenses. If you must bring a second body, put the 35/1.4 on one body and the 50/2.8 on the other; leave them permanently attached. But I'd recommend just taking two cameras, so either both Ms and no P&S or the P&S and one M body. Ultimately, if you have too much gear to lug around either you:
A) will miss shots swapping lenses,
B) won't enjoy your trip as you'll be worn out from carrying it all, or
C) you'll end up leaving it all in the room and wonder why you bothered in the first place.

Trust me, whatever you don't bring you'll quickly forget about. I was worried the first time I went abroad with just my X100 last year, but it was small and light and I only ever saw things in one focal length--the one I had with me. Less is more.

Enjoy your trip!
 
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