Traveling with light equipment

[eon]

I have never heard of so many multiple body travellers as here on RFF.


Last year i brought my D50, 20/2.8, 50/1,8 for a weekend to Praque. Carried in a F5XB.
The same gear followed along to Paris for a week with the addition of a 10.5/2.8 fisheye.

Now i january i was in South Africa for two weeks with safari game drive and other activities. I didn't want to lug around 8kg of foto gear so i travelled light. In a F803 went M6, 35/1.7, 75/2.5, film and binoculars.
That was my third time on safari so this time i opted for a better experience with only the binoculars watching the animals. It was a pleasant trip and i still got some nice pictures of animals.

To the summer i will spend a week in Sicily Italy and the M8 will be the only camera. A 28/2.8 is obvious but undecided is wheather to bring 50/2 or 75/2.5 or both.

/Erik

 

[demian]

I agree with "Back Alley" above.

A 35 and a 90mm, nothing more....safe journey.

 

[raid]

be strong raid!

repeat several times daily...'one camera-one lens'

Joe: I am being strong ... I think so .... maybe .... God help me!

There still are some questions to answer:

1. If I take two small lenses, do they count as one [larger] lens?

2. If I take only one lens and then I need another focal length, will "you" mail me your lens as a price for messing up my trip? 😀

Raid

 

[raid]

I agree with "Back Alley" above.

A 35 and a 90mm, nothing more....safe journey.

demian: Joe said "one camera and one lens".

So he actually allowed me two lenses!!! That's nice of Joe.

Raid

 

[back alley]

one lens!

be strong!

 

[Pherdinand]

Erik:
And next weekend i am going to Jupiter for a cloud-watching. I plan not to bring any cameras, since I can pick up a few hasselblads from the moon, on my way.
Last time i was on an outer planet, i carried a dslr but it froze up, all the semiconducting chips went insulating in that bloody cold.

 

[eon]

Raid,

A small table-top tripod allows you to shoot long exposures indoors by using support from walls etc. This make it possible to use only low sensitive film and one body.

/Erik

 

[FrankS]

Raid: M6 with 35 and 50, 400 asa B+W film, XA with colour neg film. Easy.

M6 over shoulder, under jacket with 35 or 50. Other lens in one jacket pocket, XA in the other.

 

[raid]

Frank: Now that's what I like to hear! Good man! [you too, Joe]

Raid

 

[reagan]

Hey Raid, thanks for the timely thread. Like many here, I'm planning a couple of spring/summer trips myself, starting next month. My thoughts? When you can't take it all, take your favorites. You're planning to enjoy the trip, so take the camera you enjoy the most. In my world that translates into Barnack w/Summar.5cm, Barnack w/Orion.15 & pocketed Jupiter.12.

If you decide to take it all, you'll need a Sherpa. I'd be glad to volunteer. 😉 Be safe, have fun.

 

[raid]

Hey Raid, thanks for the timely thread. Like many here, I'm planning a couple of spring/summer trips myself, starting next month. My thoughts? When you can't take it all, take your favorites. You're planning to enjoy the trip, so take the camera you enjoy the most. In my world that translates into Barnack w/Summar.5cm, Barnack w/Orion.15 & pocketed Jupiter.12.

If you decide to take it all, you'll need a Sherpa. I'd be glad to volunteer. 😉 Be safe, have fun.

Hi,
Thanks. I am avoiding a Barnack due to the film loading "sophistication" that can at times ruin a good photography opportunity when a quick film change is needed on location.

My favorites are many; I will be practical and take along either the M3+Summicron 35mm or the M6+ Canon 35mm/1.8. My Summicron has goggles, so it can only be used on the M3. A 50mm/1.5 will be thrown "into a pocket" for those times when a semi-tele is needed for a nice portrait. The only question left is: XA or GT ?


Raid

 

[raid]

Erik:
And next weekend i am going to Jupiter for a cloud-watching. I plan not to bring any cameras, since I can pick up a few hasselblads from the moon, on my way.
Last time i was on an outer planet, i carried a dslr but it froze up, all the semiconducting chips went insulating in that bloody cold.

Pherdinand: Are you an astronaut or did you get creative here?

Raid

 

[reagan]

Hey Raid. No, I wasn't suggesting a Barnack, just your *favorite*, which I had pretty much assessed would be an M. Good for you. You're going this month? I visited Germany/Switzerland yeeeears ago and it's true. If you come home without more gear, you ARE a man of strong will. Even then, I drooled from camera shop to camera shop. ...sheesh!

 

[raid]

Hey Raid. No, I wasn't suggesting a Barnack, just your *favorite*, which I had pretty much assessed would be an M. Good for you. You're going this month? I visited Germany/Switzerland yeeeears ago and it's true. If you come home without more gear, you ARE a man of strong will. Even then, I drooled from camera shop to camera shop. ...sheesh!

I need to take with me what I am familiar with and what is fun to use. I will try to find some camera shops on my way there. I will have a car, and I can always ask. Germany is like "home" to me.
The M with 1-2 lenses is a practical choice, but I am so tempted to go "impractical but cool" instead.

How about a wide angle MF light camera with a Nikon FE plus 105 lens?

Raid

 

[raid]

I have packed up my bag, and I willbe heading to the airport in a couple of hours. I will be meeting briefly with Keith (Carsten) in Marburg tomorrow, on my way from Frankurt to Bielefeld.

I packed up the M6 with the CV 25mm/4.0, the Canon 50mm/1.2 and the tiny Elmar 90mm/4.0.

The set is minimal for an overseas trip. I was undecided between which 50mm lens to take. First, I chose the J-3, but then I decided to use a lens which I could use more often, and the end choice was the Canon.

See you again in 8-10 days.


Raid

 

[FrankS]

Bon Voyage, Raid! (I won't second-guess your gear choice. One can drive oneself nuts doing that.)

 

[Igor.Burshteyn]

Once I had just OM1/50mm/35mm and took it everywhere in a backpack. Worked like magic - 50mm was 90% of a time on a camera, 35mm was used for 10% of shots. Now if I travel for pictures I'd take OM4ti with 16mm fisheye/18mm/28mm/35mm/50mm macro/135mm. But if I travel for fun I'd take just body with 18mm/50mm. I consider Oly 35sp but didn't acquired yet confidence it can compete OMs quality-wise.
Still, even if I take OM body with 4-5 lenses, it leave a lot free space in a backpack 🙂

 

[Bill Liss]

This last post sort of got me wondering...If you're traveling overseas for awhile, is a rangefinder the best choice? The only reason I ask this is because it seems like they are more susceptible to damage from travel, ie bumps. I know I've dropped my nikon and canon slrs and don't worry half as much as I would if I dropped my R2M. And I know that most RF bodies are solid, but I wouldn't want to be shooting with the rangefinder alignment off and not know it. I'm going to Italy for a few months later this year and am contemplating my travel kit. What are your opinions on this?

 

[raid]

Bon Voyage, Raid! (I won't second-guess your gear choice. One can drive oneself nuts doing that.)

Frank: The 50/1.2 is for those times spent inside a darker room. I have already used all three lenses yesterday as we met up with Carsten in Marburg. He goes by the nick (Kent) on the RFF. He was a wonderful host for the afternoon visit of this beautiful old university town. I will later on post some pics from the visit after I return to the USA.


Raid

 

[raid]

This last post sort of got me wondering...If you're traveling overseas for awhile, is a rangefinder the best choice? The only reason I ask this is because it seems like they are more susceptible to damage from travel, ie bumps. I know I've dropped my nikon and canon slrs and don't worry half as much as I would if I dropped my R2M. And I know that most RF bodies are solid, but I wouldn't want to be shooting with the rangefinder alignment off and not know it. I'm going to Italy for a few months later this year and am contemplating my travel kit. What are your opinions on this?

Bill,
Rangefinder cameras are great for travel. The lenses are small and light, and photography with a RF camera is not as touristy looking as using an SLR camera. People look with interest at you and not with annoyment. Lastly, it is enjoyment of using a RF camera that made me choose it. The M6 is highly reliable, so I am not concerned about damage.

Raid