The Forever Question ... What camera to bring on a trip?

Don't leave the tripod at home! When I went on my last big trip, I only took an SX-70 and iPhone as well, and I often wished that I had a tripod because the lens and film are on the slow side. Portraits lit by a window or a "shade tunnel," architectural interiors, and landscapes in dim-ish light all ask for a tripod when you're shooting with an SX-70.

Since then, I've been keeping an eye out for a travel tripod. The Leofoto LS-284C looks like it'd be good, or the Really Right Stuff TFC-14 Mk2 if I can't help it. :D
 
madNbad said:
Since taking your phone is pretty much a given, take the tripod, adapters for both the phone and the Polaroid. Polaroid, flash and film. If you find yourself wishing you had taken more stuff then you'll know nextime. More often, it sits in the bag.
Click to expand...


On most cruises the phone doesn't/won't work. So, to me anyways, bringing the phone as a camera is a poor choice. Since you won't be doing a lot of hiking my goto camera is a Nikon DSLR with a wide angle and some long zooms. If you're going to be doing street photography on your fellow passengers, then bring your Leica & 35mm.
 
Why would the phone not work on a cruise? Possibly no connection, agreed. However, the camera and storage functions are independent of any network connection so there should be no problem taking photos with the phone. Insta might have to wait until the next shore leave.



Beemermark said:
On most cruises the phone doesn't/won't work. So, to me anyways, bringing the phone as a camera is a poor choice. Since you won't be doing a lot of hiking my goto camera is a Nikon DSLR with a wide angle and some long zooms. If you're going to be doing street photography on your fellow passengers, then bring your Leica & 35mm.
Click to expand...
 
For a 'week long electronica dance party at sea' (rave cruise?) your choice of iPhone and Polaroid sounds about right. The gear is low profile and easy to carry, and there's nothing you can't replace easily/affordably.


If it were me at such an event, my first camera would be the Panasonic LX10 with 24mm f1.4 zoom lens and 1 inch sensor. Great for low light and video, and still can be stashed in a pocket or sling bag. I happily use that as an everyday camera, just as I used the Panasonic LX7 before it, the Ricoh GR before that, and the Ricoh GRD III before that. High quality pocket cameras thrill me.


I have no idea if your tripod is a good thing addition. Maybe if you want to film sex videos on the cruise from beside the bed or couch, or vlog yourself. otherwise I can't see too much utility in a tripod for an iPhone or Polaroid camera.
 
G with your photo experience you can get good photo with any tool .
It’s a non photographic trip, keep it simple: sx 70 + iphone and a few accessories sounds ok.
Enjoy the trip :)
 
Last trip I went on (a first time visit to NYC) I brought my Leica M4/35/50 + Nikon FM3A 28/105. In hindsight I could have done without the Leica but I did use it the most. My usual travel setup is a Rolleiflex and my digital Ricoh GR. I just got a Hasselblad SWC so I’m gonna find a way to fit that on on the next trip!
 
i have returned a few days ago from a great trip to South Africa.
A family trip to see wonders, places and people,
the best of those my daughter and grandchildren family, ex-wife..
My daughter (a very good photographer) not appreciative of candids..
The phone the main camera,with Snapseed as main Photoshop.
A few toy digital cameras for personal shots.
Some SD cards, charger for phone and AA cells.
i had wifi when near my son-in-law..
Very little to carry, almost instant sharing to immediate family and world wide.
Everywhere i went were the new scanners, glad no film..
Since begin of 2019 have used the phone more and more!
Go light, go happy and secure.
 
Godfrey said:
With some difficulty, but I know that on this trip, it would simply be in the way but for two or three exposures. It's not a photo trip at all, more of a week-long electronica dance party at sea. The iPhone is really the perfect camera for this, and the Polaroid is, well, perfect in another way: People love having their photo made with a Polaroid!

That makes all the difference for this kind of travel. :)

G
Click to expand...

I understand. I agree with you...
 
I took the GR III to Cuba last November for 10 days. Worked well.

Anything could work. As long as you're okay to let go.
 
aizan said:
Don't leave the tripod at home! When I went on my last big trip, I only took an SX-70 and iPhone as well, and I often wished that I had a tripod because the lens and film are on the slow side. Portraits lit by a window or a "shade tunnel," architectural interiors, and landscapes in dim-ish light all ask for a tripod when you're shooting with an SX-70.

Since then, I've been keeping an eye out for a travel tripod. The Leofoto LS-284C looks like it'd be good, or the Really Right Stuff TFC-14 Mk2 if I can't help it. :D
Click to expand...

I had a Sirui T-025x and found it useful but only with iPhone and light cameras (like the Leica CL with a modest lens); it was hopeless with the Polaroid SX-70! I wanted something a bit more substantial but capable of handling the Polaroid and my Hasselblad 500CM and somewhat longer lenses.

So I pledged for the Peak Design Travel Tripod and sold the Sirui. The PD tripod arrived just Tuesday of this week—Just In Time! I've been testing it with the Polaroid and the iPhone: It is great, very stable, and folds to be very compact, yet is a very realistic full height tripod (about the same as my Manfrotto 190 series legs with Arca-Swiss Monoball P0 on them).

Beemermark said:
On most cruises the phone doesn't/won't work. So, to me anyways, bringing the phone as a camera is a poor choice. Since you won't be doing a lot of hiking my goto camera is a Nikon DSLR with a wide angle and some long zooms. If you're going to be doing street photography on your fellow passengers, then bring your Leica & 35mm.
Click to expand...

I'm booked for two walkabout excursions and a snorkeling adventure—and a behind the scenes ship tour AND an everglades fan boat tour—at the three ports of call (and beyond), so carry weight, bulk, and convenience are very important. I have internet available on ship, will turn off cellular service, so can do iMessage to any Apple devices and WhatsApp with anyone. The iPhone is extremely useful for nearly everything else I do anyway ... lists, expenses logging, photos, videos, socials, whatever. I would not be without it.

A camera at all beyond it is kind of an extravagance. The Polaroid SX-70 (actually the SLR670x by MiNT) seems perfect. :D

robert blu said:
G with your photo experience you can get good photo with any tool .
It’s a non photographic trip, keep it simple: sx 70 + iphone and a few accessories sounds ok.
Enjoy the trip :)
Click to expand...

Thanks Robert!

I'll post a photo later of the final photo kit, all packed up as I will carry. The biggest decision now is just how much film to carry ... I think 32 to 40 exposures is just right, with about half and half color/B&W.

G
 
Going to Berlin and Poland for a two week photo trip

Going to Berlin and Poland for a two week photo trip

The Plan:

Two Fuji X Pro2's
16mm f 1.4 Fuji
35mm f 1.4 Fuji
five batteries
Two chargers

Retrospective 7 V2 Messenger bag

That's all folks!

How long will this fairly minimalist resolve last?
I dunno...we shall see. :D


OTOH, Godfrey, it looks like you have it figured out!
 
After reading through the thread, my only suggestion is to pack some extra Polaroid film. Be ready for the “Can I get one of those?” Sounds like fun.
 
Godfrey said:
The big question mark is the travel tripod ... I brought a tabletop tripod last year and barely used it because in all those situations where I wanted a support, there was no way to use it effectively. A regular tripod would have been more useful, but will only be useful for a modest number of situations anyway. So it's a question mark still. I might take it out and put the tabletop back in the bag. Or it might not fit in the bag... LOL!
G
Click to expand...

Gorillapod.

Re. "using it effectively" it doesn't have to be sitting on its own. I found I could brace it against columns and railings and trees and just hold it in position with my hand; it doesn't need to be free-standing on a horizontal surface all the time. The tripod I had was the tabletop Bogen model with small ballhead. I used that with my old Canon SD600 Elph locked at ISO 80 to great success on one trip to Poland.
 
Thinking about my last cruise, I don't think I'd use anything longer than 35 mm. I think I'd bring my trusty Olympus mju and my LG G6 phone for when the mju isn't wide or waterproof enough. (which is submersible and has a 28 and a rectilinear ultra wide lens)

I'd probably bring a pack of good ol' Kodak Gold 200 film. (it'll be sunny, most of the time)
 
Fujifilm hybrid SQ Instax camera, maybe? Like the SX70, it has TTL viewing. Unlike the SX70, flash and close focusing are built in, and there are no worries that you’ve given away your best / only photos.
 
Your i-Phone 8 Plus is your spare tire, just in case your quirky camera does not work. keep it challenging, and pick a camera that is "non-standard". Have fun.
 
Smaug said:
Thinking about my last cruise, I don't think I'd use anything longer than 35 mm. ...
Click to expand...

ON last year's cruise, I found myself using 75mm and 150mm focal length settings on the Light L16 quite a lot, and I missed having an ultra wide (20mm or wider eqFOV).

Most of my photos floated around the 35 to 50mm settings, for sure.

G
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom