Travelling with a RF, what are you packing?

[anselwannab]

I bought my CL after realizing that my Canon 20D and 17-40 were not going to be going with me on business trips in my briefcase. For travel I think the Leica CL is perfect.

When you guys travel, especially on business, what do you usually bring along? A body and one lens, and how much film. Do you carry a wide, a telephoto, and a normal? Any meters or flashes? A second body?

I've found having a camera helps to kill down time, and keep my head on swivel when I'm driving. Plus people seem more at ease when they realize it isn't some P&S piece of crap.

Just wanted to see what people have in their "concealed carry" set-ups.

Mark

 

[FrankS]

Hides in my briefcase.

 

[Mackinaw]

Going to New Mexico soon. Will be taking a Canon G2 digi for color and a Canonette G3 for B&W.

I guess I like G's. I'm typing this on a G4 iMac.

Jim Bielecki

 

[kvanderlaag]

Popping up to Edmonton for a few days this week on a choir tour.

CL's coming with me.

I was thinking of bringing either the M2 or the Retina, but honestly, I just don't think it's worth it.

The 40/2 'Cron is a beauty.

 

[Goodyear]

Depends. A 'proper' trip would be a body with 21, 35 and 75 lenses, perhaps with a backup body. In the past with that kit I've used the 35 maybe 85% of the time, 10% the 21, and just the occasional shot with the 75. This kit will fit reasonably comfortably in my little Domke bag (the teeny one - FX5B or whatever) with room for some film and a meter.

If I'm working I'll usually have some sort of satchel with me at all times, so always room for a small kit.

A quick weekend, or travelling especially light I'll take a body and either a 35 or a 50. Maybe both. No backup, if it dies my wife may be with me and will have a camera or I grab something cheap (even a disposable - camera, not wife).

 

[back alley]

i don't really go anywhere.

 

[clarence]

I just bring my hotshoe accessory rangefinder.

And my Franka Solida I.

And my Mamiya 220 + 55mm, 80mm, 180mm.

Clarence

 

[wlewisiii]

I bought my CL as a compact travel camera. Currently I've only got 50 & 90 lenses for it, though I hope to get a 28 (using the whole vf area) and a 40/2 rokkor for it eventually. Once the meter's fixed I'd be set for most needs in a travel camera. This is for simple trips, up to the in-laws cabin,etc. Serious travel would get the 7 kit instead.

William

 

[flipflop]

I backpacked for 1 month...south america and took a Contax G1 35mm and 90mm a bunch of film and velbon maxi tripod.

Didnt use the pod much but was nice to have and it was super light.
The 35mm got used 90% of the time.
By the end of the trip my g1 was beat up but still working. I dropped it twice. Was using the wrsit strap and I had it on my lap in the car. Got out and smack on the groud...I thought I had the wrist strap on. The camera still workd. I sold it when I got back and got another G.
Great cameras and a test to the build quality.

 

[eric mac]

On my last vacation with the family, I brought a Bessa L with a 21mm, R3a with a 40 Nokton and a 90 tele elmarit. All in a slightly too small timbuk2 bag. I generally carry around the R3a with the 40.

Eric

 

[erudolph]

I used to travel (and for me travel is going to visit my family on Ohio once or twice a year) with a Rollei TLR, but now I take a Hexar RF. With two lenses, something wide, and either a 50 or a 90. That and a little Nikon flash for fill takes up little room and can handle about anything I need to shoot.

Ed

 

[Ron F]

I'm glad I stumbled upon this post as this is a topic I've been thinking about regularly since I bought my RF back in September and it's great to see what you more experienced users do. So far, for day trips, I'm taking am M6-ttl, 35mm VC, 50mm f2.8 Elmar M, 90mm SM postwar Elmar f4, Minox 35el (color/backup), batteries and a meter in a Domke F-2 bag. The 35mm and 90mm lenses seem to be the most versatile, but the the 50mm Elmar is a nice lens to keep on the camera since it collapses (also, once collapsed, there's no fear ~at least I think~ of burning a hole in the shutter curtain, so I keep mine uncapped - it takes time to extend, but there's no cap to loose and no fear of a curtain hole). While the Domke F-2 is not the bag for an ultralight jaunt, I find that the extra space holds a couple juice boxes, 2 sandwiches and a bag of chips nicely 🙂

 

[Stanton]

An Olympus XA and/or XA2 and "the Pod," which is a small bean bag with a tripod screw.

 

[danielnorton]

Loving the Konica Hexar AF for travel, usually put some 400iso color film in it.

 

[amateriat]

One reason for switching to a ragefinder-based setup several years back was travel-related: not that I travel all that much, but I loved the idea of having everything permanently reside in a small bag, always ready to go at a moment's notice - a pair of Hexars, three lenses and a flash (sometimes two), and a few other photo odds & ends. Only decision to make is film-related.

For weekend someplace when traveling really light is paramount, I have another pair of cameras in mind: my Konica Auto S3 and Ricoh GR1. Unfortunately, the Konica suffered the Concrete Bounce yesterday and now joins the Ricoh on the D.L. (the meter needle is MIA, although the metering/AE still works). I have a place that can fix the GR1; now I need to see who can handle the Konica. 🙁


- Barrett

 

[rbiemer]

The last couple of trips I took the Bessa R with CV21 and Jupiter-8. I have since added two different short teles(J-9 and Elmar 90/f4) so next time one of those two will come along also.
I tend to do more day trips in the spring/summer months that are specifically about taking photos; for those I load up the car(Bessa, Zorki, FED, Arax 60 SLR, Seagull TLR and all/most of the LTM lenses I own) and then pick what I want when I get to where I'm going.
None of my travel is for business--usually it's family stuff(weddings or funerals mostly) with the occasional concert trip.
Rob

 

[egpj]

I'd say that 90% of my travel is for business. I take pretty much everything with me. I have a Pelican case that has wheels and an extendable handle which is carry on approved for all airlines I have traveled thus far. You can take a look at the inventory at the bottom and add to that film, flash, tabletop tri-pod and other stuff. But when I travel it usually for weeks at a time. Like now, I have been down in Costa Rica for almost a month now. When I worked in Colombia I was there one time for just over 6 months. Depends on what your needs are and where you are going to stay. Luckily I can get better hotels with great security. Riding on the coat-tails of all the expensive computer equipment for work. I always have access to safes and such for securing the gear. If I did n ot have that then I would just carry what would fit into one bag. Say, a Billingham 335 or something comparable. Then take only what you need.

 

[raid]

I see posting #12 superimposed on posting #11. Is something wrong here?

 

[raid]

It depends how long the trip is and how much time I expect to have time for quality photography. If it is a "serious" photo trip, I will take something like this:
Canon P/Bessa T Leitz 90mm/2.8, Nikon 50mm/2, Canon 35mm/1.8, CV 25mm/4
plus Olympus XA and/or Minox GT (both weight "nothing"). If I expect good use for a panorama camera I would take the Horizon 202 camera. If it is a short trip, the Hexar Silver will do the job.

 

[Nikon Bob]

For air travel I take an M4, 21VC,35mm and a 90mm with the 35 doing most of the work. If I go by car I just fill the trunk.

Nikon Bob