Travel Photography in Jordan? What to take?

[ijonas]

I'm planning to go to Jordan for 2 weeks in October. My intention is to enjoy myself first of all 😀 and shoot lots of film. I'm thinking of taking the following kit with me.

Leica M6 .72
Voigtlander Bessa R2
35mm f/2.5 Color Skopar P2
50mm f/1.5 Nokton
90mm f/2.8 Elmarit
red filter, orange filter, polariser
12 rolls of Fuji Neopan Acros
8 rolls of Fuji Neopan 400
5 rolls of Fuji Neopan 1600
5 rolls of Kodak Ectachrome 64
small tripod
cable release
Sekonic L558 light meter
lens cleaning kit

Have I missed anything ? Any tips for a wannabee Lawrence of Arabia ?

Thanks,
Ijonas.

 

[peter_n]

I'm interested to see your list because I'm going to Spain next month and I'm thinking about taking a somewhat similar list, except that I only have one camera. 🙁 The amazing thing is we're taking identical film (except for the Ektachrome) - I guess we're both big Fuji fans! 🙂

I am thinking about taking all my lenses; 21, 35, 50, 90 and 135. Apart from the 21 they are all very small and light. I'm a filter guy and one thing you might want to consider is some sort of filter for each of your lenses to protect against dust and other elements. A UV if necessary. If you have your lenses protected then you won't need a lens cleaning kit. 😉

 

[tamerlin]

I'm thinking of a trip to St. Petersburg in a few months (around the end of May, hopefully) so I'm deciding on
what to take for that, too 🙂

So far, my list is small:
film -- not decided yet... I'm too new to film
Leica m7 + 50mm Summicron (all I have right now)

Other stuff that I'm considering, though I don't know whether or not I'll be able to get it in time:
small tripod -- any suggestions/recommendations here? or a monopod (I have a Bogen Carbon One with a
magnesium 3-way head that I got for hiking with my DRebel, it's light but not as compact as I'd hoped... better
for hiking than packing)
Possibly another lens -- I'm thinking of either a 35mm or 28mm for city shooting... can't decide which
Filters, probably the Leica polarizing kit (I love landscape shots, so that one's a given -- eventually)

The hard part is trying to get stuff that I'll miss if I don't have it while at the same time trying to pace myself 😀

 

[peter_n]

I was in St. Petersburg just three years ago and it is a most beautiful city with lots of awesome photo opportunities. Also the center at least in in pretty good shape at the moment as it was spruced up a couple of years ago for the 300th anniversary of it's founding by Peter the Great. Don't miss the Hermitage Museum or the Mariinsky Theatre!

At least in the center, there are broad avenues and wide streets. A 50 and a 28 or 35 would be ideal, I don't think you need anything wider, especially as you're just getting used to the camera. With respect to a tripod, I strongly recommend a carbon fiber Gitzo with a medium ballhead. See the link below, this review is now about three years old (I think) but fortunately tripods are a slow moving technology so much of it may still be germane. I use a Gitzo G1228 and highly recommend it.

Lighter-Weight Tripods for Travel: A Suitability Survey

 

[tamerlin]

I was in St. Petersburg just three years ago and it is a most beautiful city with lots of awesome photo opportunities.

That has a lot to do with my interest in going there... as does Russia's long and rich history, not
to mention a certain 5'8 blue-eyed girl with long blond hair that likes volleyball 😉

Also the center at least in in pretty good shape at the moment as it was spruced up a couple of years ago for the 300th anniversary of it's founding by Peter the Great. Don't miss the Hermitage Museum or the Mariinsky Theatre!

Somehow, I don't think that finding a way to stay busy will be a problem!

At least in the center, there are broad avenues and wide streets. A 50 and a 28 or 35 would be ideal, I don't think you need anything wider, especially as you're just getting used to the camera.

That ought to help me keep my GAS pacing down 🙂
I'm going to try to get out and do some shooting in DC around cherry blossom time, partly because
DC looks gorgeous with the cherry blossoms blooming, and partly to get more used to the camera.

With respect to a tripod, I strongly recommend a carbon fiber Gitzo with a medium ballhead. See the link below, this review is now about three years old (I think) but fortunately tripods are a slow moving technology so much of it may still be germane. I use a Gitzo G1228 and highly recommend it.
[/B]

Thanks! It seems that quite a few people like Gitzo's tripods. I guess there must be a good
reason 🙂 Thanks for the link, I will read it over lunch 🙂

 

[FrankS]

Tamerlin, take lots of pictures to show us!

 

[tamerlin]

I intend to! 🙂

 

[kbg32]

I'd take a lens wider then 35 if you have one! A 25 or a 21.

 

[peter_n]

not to mention a certain 5'8 blue-eyed girl with long blond hair that likes volleyball 😉

Now that explains everything! 😀

The reason I'm going to Madrid is similar... a certain 5'6 blue-eyed girl... but she's my daughter! 🙂

Actually the real reaon is to pay my respects at one of the cathedrals of the game, the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. Real aren't doing too well at the moment, but I am really, really, really looking forward to the religious experience of seeing los blancos run out onto the pitch. 😀

 

[Doug]

Peter, when I went to Madrid and Málaga a few years ago I took 15, 25, 40, and 90mm... Among those the 25 and 40 got almost all the usage, and I used the 90 only once. I was surprised at how useful the 25mm turned out to be.

I'm planning a trip to Puerto Rico for next winter, so I'm already thinking about what to take...

 

[kjoebek]

If you would like to get in contact with some of the local people, it's good idea to bring an instant camera, because then you can give them a picture of them and you.

 

[Flyfisher Tom]

My wife and I just got back from a 2 week stay in Europe, and I shot mostly with a 50m / 21mm combo, she with a 45mm pancake on her nikon. I found almost no need for the longer focal lengths. At least the percentages would be so small and so time consuming, that it would not have warranted the extra weight. There is always that fine line between trying to capture the moments versus enjoying them in a carefree manner. Walking around for 10 hours each day with a heavy or even slightly heavy system will surely make your back hurt and take some pleasure away from the actual vacationing. Frankly I found my system to be a bit on the heavy side, even though I think it pales in comparison to what I saw others lugging around. I met this couple who both had their Hassy 500s around their neck! I need to graduate to one camera on lens. My wife has, and she frankly takes better shots ;-) Have a great trip!

 

[back alley]

i'm planning a trip back home this summer.
for gear, it's almost the same as you're taking, 2 bodies w/ 35/50/85 combo. meter & film.

i sold my tripod along with the medium format gear. a 35 mm camera has no place on a tripod, kinda defeats the purpose for me.

joe

 

[peter_n]

Walking around for 10 hours each day with a heavy or even slightly heavy system will surely make your back hurt and take some pleasure away from the actual vacationing.

Agreed. I've moved from an extremely heavy Nikon F3 + motor drive + 5 lenses to a Leica M6 with 5 lenses. There is no comparison in the weight! 😀 My two long focus lenses are a thin Tele-Elmarit and a Jupiter-11. Both weigh next to nothing so the weight is absolutely not an issue when it comes to rangefinder gear.

 

[alansoon]

I think you're missing a 21mm or a 25mm. This will be useful in Petra where the passages are pretty small. I've got some pictures on my website -- http://monsoonphoto.net