Transatlantic, Devonshire, Normandy in June

[02Pilot]

In June I'll be boarding the Queen Mary 2 in New York for a transatlantic crossing to Southampton. From there I'll be heading to the south coast of Devon to stay with family for a few days before heading across the Channel to Bayeux, Normandy.

My current thinking on gear is as follows:

- I will be carrying a Canon G12 as my digital option. It is very flexible and should give me the ability to shoot in most conditions without a problem.

- As to film cameras, I have these to choose from: FED-2, Rollei 35, Olympus PEN EES-2, Pentax SFX. My current inclination is to bring the FED and the Rollei; size matters, as does quality, and I think these two afford the best balance. I suppose I could get away with one if space becomes an even greater issue than I anticipate.

- For film, my initial thinking is to bring about 10-12 rolls each of Tri-X and Ektar. I figure subjects on the ship will lend themselves to B&W, while landscapes in England and France should generally be done in color.

These are preliminary plans only. It's been a long time since I've carried film cameras while traveling, so I'd be happy to hear feedback from those who do so regularly. Thanks.

 

[Jani_from_Finland]

Having worked at sea and also on cruiseships for half of my life (went out 15, stopped at 32) i'd choose the G12 as main onboard if not familiar with the surroundings onboard and i liked to use a Olympus Trip 35 so your Pen EES-2 would be my choice and preferably with Ektar if sunshine and on the outer decks, but Tri-X if a mix inside and outside decks. From the shoreside you seem to have a good idea allready, so i wont comment on that anymore and the other cameras is unfamiliar to me, but i liked to use a M6 onboard when i had one. Your choice of films (Ektar & Tri-X) is good.

 

[02Pilot]

Thanks Jani. I agree that the G12 is sort of the "go-to" option for the unfamiliar terrain of the ship (I've been on board ship before, but not this particular one). The only hesitations I have with the Olympus EES-2 are that, being a half-frame camera, I may not get the sort of resolution I want from the scans, and the limited exposure options (and lack of manual controls) may be restrictive. There's definitely a benefit to having it along for quick snaps, though, and in that case the half-frame factor is a plus. I'm quite torn, really, between the Olympus, the Rollei, and the FED (no real thoughts of lugging the Pentax kit); they all have their advantages.

Thanks very much for your input, and particularly your confirmation on the film choices.

 

[Jani_from_Finland]

Thanks Jani. I agree that the G12 is sort of the "go-to" option for the unfamiliar terrain of the ship (I've been on board ship before, but not this particular one). The only hesitations I have with the Olympus EES-2 are that, being a half-frame camera, I may not get the sort of resolution I want from the scans, and the limited exposure options (and lack of manual controls) may be restrictive. There's definitely a benefit to having it along for quick snaps, though, and in that case the half-frame factor is a plus. I'm quite torn, really, between the Olympus, the Rollei, and the FED (no real thoughts of lugging the Pentax kit); they all have their advantages.

Thanks very much for your input, and particularly your confirmation on the film choices.

If you are uncertain, i would say go for the Rollei then, at least you got the full frame and a good lens, cant say you go wrong with that. Usually it is easier to work with a fixed lens camera onboard as you concentrate more on the shot instead of changing lens or zooming "should i have that part in the photo or disregard it" type of behaving, ie you work faster and get better shots. If you are thinking of a 2nd or a backup, i would say the FED for that. Sounds good to me, but i am quite quirky with photography onboard and love a Rollei tlr for this nowadays and on evening/night a compact film camera like my T3 or mju:2 (Epic:2 in us i think?) with colourfilm as they are spot on.

 

[02Pilot]

All things considered, I'm inclined to agree that the Rollei offers the best combination of capabilities and ease of transport. Problem is that I have two months to think about it, which guarantees I'll change my mind several times at least, and that's assuming I don't acquire any other cameras to complicate things further.