longterm journey: latinamerica - equipment?

[jmago]

I've been reading through this forum for quite some time and always found excellent information and discussions. I know there are several 'equipment-threads' but I thought I'd give it a try too, since I am not a very experienced 'analog-photographer'.

here is the thing. next year, march 2009, I'll start a long journey through middle-south america (mexico to argentina) for about nine months. mostly backpacking, lots of hiking, lots of different weather-situations. I surely want to shoot some landscapes, but mostly street and people, more documentarystyle. when photographing, I mostly used a digital rebel which wasn't mine. what I own is a nikon digital p&s and a konica hexar af.

I thought of what I was gonna take with me for that journey for quite some time. it's a tough decision because photography is gonna be an important part on my trip. I think there are some important aspects to reconsider. I've never traveled for such a long periond of time, but I think the material has to be reliable, light, small and discreet. initially, I thought of a small, digital slr with one or two primes. the data storage would be much easier than with film rolls, and most probably less expensive in the long term. on the other hand, the feeling using an analog is much more tempting and always made me think twice before shooting.

well, should I give it a try with the hexar af and a small, digital p&s or rather a digital slr and a p&s? if I have to, I definitely would spend some money for new equipment because I don't want to be standing there and regret my choices. but does it make any sense to buy a new camera? does it make sense to photograph analog on such a trip even though I only have very little experience with it? what are your thoughts & experiences?

I hope this is the right place to post, otherwise I'm sorry.

best wishes,
chris

 

[Wouter]

Chris, I have been living in Brazil for 15 years now and have travelled a lot on this continent. Your equipment has to be low profile and high quality. Forget about the dslr because of the weight of the package and the attention it will draw towards you - it will inhibit spontaneous photography in poverty environments for sure. The hexar is excellent - superb lens and retro looks. But it's hard to find good quality labs here.
Complement it with a sigma dp1 or ricoh gx200 with 135 extension lens. Must have raw capability.
Wouter

 

[oftheherd]

Not something I have ever done. It sounds like you are going on a trip where you will be on your own most of the time, in strange surroundings. It sounds like you may be traveling in places off the beaten track as well as normal tourist settings.

I think your first consideration is as mentioned by Wouter; a low profile. You don't want to become a target for thugs. Your equipment shouldn't look expensive nor desireable to thieves. I would prefer film for such a trip myself, but I might opt for a small P&S as long as I could figure out a way to keep my images.

Of course, film or digital, that is something you are going to have to work out. Do you plan to send negatives or SD cards back to your home? Negatives would probably be easier in your circumstances, if you can find a place to get them developed properly.

Given the equipment I currently have, I would probably have my Kiev CLA'd and take two or three lenses; 35mm, 50mm, and either the 85mm or 135mm. It wouldn't be my preferred gear, but it wouldn't be my preferred type of trip either. You might want to consider a FED that has been CLA'd, with the same lenses. Good for good photos, lighter than an SLR, and easy to send negatives back.

Hopefully others can give you advice from experience. It sounds like a fun trip that I might have enjoyed 45 years ago.

 

[jmago]

Complement it with a sigma dp1 or ricoh gx200 with 135 extension lens. Must have raw capability.

wouter, thanks alot for your little insight. that's what I thought too. I know some people who have traveled that part of the world and they all said to pay attention. you mentioned a dp1 or gx200. I don't know these cameras, I will have to check them out. as you mentioned, quality is an important point as well. what do you think about the d-lux 4/panasonic dmc-lx3?

Given the equipment I currently have, I would probably have my Kiev CLA'd and take two or three lenses; 35mm, 50mm, and either the 85mm or 135mm. It wouldn't be my preferred gear, but it wouldn't be my preferred type of trip either. You might want to consider a FED that has been CLA'd, with the same lenses. Good for good photos, lighter than an SLR, and easy to send negatives back.

oftheherd, thanks for your comment. I will definitely be in some strange places from time to time. I really want to travel and get in touch with the locals. film would be my prefered choice but as mentioned, I only have little experience with it. the low profile thing seems obvious, I really have to find a good combination. if I might ask, what's FED & CLA supposed to mean?

 

[Austerby]

Your equipment has to be low profile and high quality

Exactly. I've travelled like this in S America and in some places you will become a target if you carry a camera but everywhere you go you will have the most wonderful photo opportunities.

A quality pocket camera is your best bet - I think the idea of an old russian camera (FED is the make) is a good one as it won't matter if it does get lost or stolen. The CLA (Clean, Lubricate, Adjust) is to reduce the chances of it going wrong whilst you're away. I'd also consider something like an Olympus Trip or XA as a cheap film camera that will produce memorable results.

The most convenient option will be a digital P&S with memory cards. At the least you can download your photos on the road, or keep full cards separate from the camera to minimise the impact of any loss.

If you had more personal security options, such as travelling with friends or on an organised trip then a dSLR or more sophisticated equipment would be possible, but solo overland travelling in S America is not as safe for a loaded tourist as other parts of the world, but the rewards are just as high for making the effort - it's a truly wonderful place. Be especially careful in Lima!

 

[Wouter]

I haven't tried out the new panasonic-leica yet but first reports are very positive. High iso performance seems to be better than with the gx100-200. Best image quality gives however the sigma dp1 (28 f4) and sigma dp2 (40 f2.8 if I recall well) because of the far larger sensor. This one will enable you to not use flash in any condition, and seems to have great latitude - a worthwhile feature because of the extreme light conditions in many parts of south america.

Another tip: I do not recommend hiking or biking. Take the bus with the local people, far more interesting and maybe more secure.
cheers

 

[alan davus]

Having travelled extensively in the third world including South America (albeit in the '70's) the one piece of equipment I would strongly recommend is a money belt. Photographically speaking, small, light and inconspicious.

 

[elshaneo]

I would agree with everybody's comments about keeping a low profile. If I was in your place, I would bring the new Canon G10 or Panasonic LX3 as digital cameras. As for film cameras, I would bring a "worn out beaten" Leica M2 + the small Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 lens + Small lightmeter like the Sekonic L208. Both film and digital would be great together.

 

[jmago]

thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts. I'm aware that south america may not be the most secure place to travel, but that's ok. I think one just has to travel consciously, be aware of the risks, listen to people and be kind. after all, I'm not going unprepared. respect is a high priority to me..

As for film cameras, I would bring a "worn out beaten" Leica M2 + the small Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 lens + Small lightmeter like the Sekonic L208. Both film and digital would be great together.

I really love the idea of traveling with a manual RF, but does it make sens to spend about 1000$ for a camera if I already have the hexar af (not comparable I know..but still) than rather spend the money for a quality p&s such as the gx200 or grd2?

 

[sojournerphoto]

I spent 7 months in southern and eastern africa in 1995. i carried my Ae1 a few primes (28, 50 85 and a 200 that fell apart) and 30 rolls of kodachrome. I also bought a couple of rolls of E6. Now I choose from a panasonic G1 or olympus equivalent and a ricoh GX200 and the pana LX3. If I wanted to shoot some film I'd take my Zi and 28, 35 and 50.

Mike

 

[elshaneo]

Oh ok, in that case, your Hexar AF is good enough, just invest the money in the Panasonic LX3 which is a very high quality digital camera, and it should cost around 700 AUD, i.e: 500 USD

And today I went to the various camera shops, the price difference between the Leica D-Lux 4 and the Panasonic LX3 was around 550 AUD, i.e: 390 USD. That's a big price difference between two cameras that are practical the same...

 

[dirojas]

I have travelled in Perú, Argentina and Brazil, and I am from Chile. You´ll find wonderful pictures in this part if the world. I would like to do myself one time the trip you are planning. I think the most useful tip I can give you is learn a little spanish (you have time to start.. ) and keep a low profile. If you are able to speak the language it is easier to "get into" the countries... this will improve the pictures you take more than any equipment, IMHO.

In general safety is ok, but depends a lot on the specific places. Do hiking if you have a regular hiking route or other hikings to go with. Be careful if you use a bike on public roads, as soon as you arrive you will find out how traffic is over here.

 

[Pablito]

I have traveled throughout Latin America on assignment (not backpacking). Forget about Soviet cameras, they are notoriously unreliable. I just acquired the Panasonic LX3 - seems to me you should give this camera a very good look, maybe even take two of them. one for backup, and that's it. SD cards are sooooo cheap now, and tiny. I have used the Hexar cameras and I would not trust their reliability on a trip like this. I have taken Leica, but one Leica weighs more than two Panasonic LX-3's I suspect. Another option would be to take something like a Nikon D60 with the standard kit lens. This is quite light (also lighter than a Leica, I think) and as for being conspicuous, well, I have always found that attitude determines how conspicuous you are a lot more than what kind of camera you happen to be using. The most important thing, much more important than your choice of camera, is that you take something with which you are experienced, something you know like the palm of your hand. Both the panasonic Lx-3 and the Nikon D60 / D40 are relatively simple cameras, with some practice you could leave the instruction book at home. For me personally film would not work on a trip like this because I go through sometimes 15 rolls a day. Which is fine if you have a hotel where you can stash everything and use it as a homebase. But it sounds like you want to be a lot more mobile, like you want to be able to carry everything on your back.

 

[FifthLeaf]

You should go with whatever gear you're most comfortable with; but the smaller and less conspicuous, the better.

I' m more of an analog guy, so I would take film. Film SLRs are rangefinders are usually smaller than their digital counterparts, they look less expensive, and you'll pay more attention to your surroundings by not checking your histogram. As you reach major cities, you can mail your film back home. Unless it's cost prohibitive, numbering your rolls of film and sending the odds and evens in separate shipments will provide a little bit of insurance in case the boat sinks, etc.

Also make sure your favorite film stocks are available in the countries you plan to buy film in. Kodak recently pulled its professional products out of Brazil, leaving Tri-X and E100 shooters with HP5 and Astia.

Those who go on long trips shooting digital, how do you manage the large volume of files? External hard drives? Lots of memory cards? Uploading to a server back home?

 

[jmago]

I think the most useful tip I can give you is learn a little spanish (you have time to start.. ) and keep a low profile. If you are able to speak the language it is easier to "get into" the countries... this will improve the pictures you take more than any equipment, IMHO.

true. I don't speak any spanish yet, but I want to learn it! if necessary I will visit a school. by the time I enter south america I will definitely be able to speak some words.

I was in the shop and checked out the lx3, the gx200 and the grd2. very nice compacts. feeling-wise the ricohs fit better for me. they seem like pretty nice, reliable cameras. the grd2 is very tempting.

I already have an external harddrive. I thought of burning some dvds along the way and send them back home. same for films.

 

[Windscale]

I can't offer you any advice on the digital side. But as far as the film side is concerned, any good rangefinder which does not rely on batteries will be your best bet. Best also use something without bellows (unless you are quite sure the the bellows will last out your trip!). Japanese examples would be Canon QL17 or 19, Minolta 7S or 7SII or Konica S2. Many German ones from Voigtlander, Agfa or Zeiss will also do. Should also consider something small in terms of MF, such as a good TLR or folder (but again make sure the bellows are OK) as there may be hugh enlargements you want to do after your return. But most important of all, whatever gear you are going to take with you, have them all CLAed abd test before setting off. You must do all you can to minimize the risk of gear failure.

 

[CameraQuest]

A friend of mine was traveling in Argentina by bus. His camera gear (Nikon D200 and lenses) was at his feet as he slept on the bus, with the bag straps wrapped around his legs. He awoke to find the straps cut, his camera bag gone.

Stephen

 

[climbing_vine]

A blanket statement that Russian cameras are "notoriously" unreliable is absurd; the FED-2 has never given me a single spot of trouble (and these have not been lovingly CLAd, either). Can't say the same for any "good" Japanese or German camera I've had no matter how expensive (or not).

That said, like others have mentioned, unless you're going to have a homebase or are willing to spend a ton of money on shipping films back I would go digital with a film complement. Any place that you'll manage to be able to buy film, you'll be able to charge or buy batteries (probably more--- there are a lot more electrical outlets then Kodak racks in the world). So ignore the "no battery" silliness unless you like working like that (I do, a lot of the time, but on a once in a lifetime trip I wouldn't risk it).

Good luck with the Ricoh... I wouldn't mind having one of those on trips like this myself!

 

[photogdave]

I have traveled through South America quite a bit. Years ago with film SLRs and recently with film RFs. My most recent trip was to Ecuador and Peru and I wrote a report on my equipment choices:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66111
Maybe this will be helpful.

 

[Al Kaplan]

If you decide to travel around a bit, exploring more than your original itinerary, remember that in Brasil the language is Portuguese, not Spanish.