vacation - what do i/you take (meant as fun thread)

damn it is you! I've been reading and thinkig "this sounds familiar... nooo". you really do turn into digital hater :)

for me even 2 lenses are almost too much. I'll take 5d and 35mm (yes it's still on the borrow, I have such a nice friend). that's it. maaaybe, just maybe 50mm as well

if I were you I would take bessa and d40
 
I have lists on my computer of what to take to the various regular destinations we go to. My usual beach holiday sees me taking two M bodies, 21 to 135mm lenses with SHOOC finder for the 135. Now I have an M9 I will still be taking two film Ms and mainly shoot film for all sorts of reasons including archival. I take a Leitz tabletop tripod and a light carbon fibre SLIK tripod. I carry a case for filters so I can take a filter off if I need to. Some years I take the OM2n and 200 f4 as well. Since getting the X100 that comes too, of course.

I always take my 8 x 42 binoculars and if we go to the family beach house, not usual in summer, I take the 80mm refractor telescope as well. Star charts. Two field guides for birds....
 
I work in Japan so summer vacations are three days (theoretical, might be less due to work) which means no hassle with thinking about what gear to bring where. :D
 
Nikon (APS sensor) and 24mm and 35mm prime lenses. Small small Domke bag so I only carry the camera with one lens mounted. I alternate lenses day by day.

EDIT: reading more carefully, I see your (the OP's) remarks about the D40.
I had a D60 and now have a D5100. Both take wonderful pictures, esp within the "vacation" category. Gotta imagine the D40 does a great job at that as well.

In (at last) conclusion: For a family vacation by the sea I'd leave the mechanical film cameras at home, have fun and snap digital shots.
 
Iusually bring way too much. This time again.
But I have decided to bring only my NEX set next time. Most versatile.
 
my latest four day excursion to see my granddaughters - which always involves lots of family photos - i took my new patagonia mini-mass bag with the following inside: om-1n with 50/1.8 mounted, zuiko 28/2.8, konica SIII, x100, film, cleaning items, small scissors for leader cutting (this is how i know for sure a roll has been exposed), small notebook and pen, weston master V and incident dome.
 
I believe that the decision is as personal as deciding which clothes and underwear to bring.

Personally, and if I can, I bring a bit more than I think I'd use; it's good to have a choice.
 
A good 35mm camera, either a Leica M2 or a Nikon FM, or an FE if I need long shutter speeds from a tripod. A few primes. Yashica Mat 124 for portable MF and an Olympus Mju-II as back-up. And a Lomography Spinner 360 for fun.
 
For me, less is more. Less can be fewer things. Less can be smaller things. Or any combination. But more and more I prefer simplicity and THAT can be configured in an infinite number of ways to fit the vacation.

For example, when staying in one place for a week, I keep my Leica bag secure in the condo. When I go out, it is with the M3+Summarit, or the X1. That's it, unless I need the R4 SLR +Cron and then will carry it alone. I will only carry one camera+one lens at a time when out and about.

Simplicity is liberating, which is what I tend to think of vacations.:p
 
You have four camera systems and seven lenses. That is not too much to manage; you could bring it all. However, you sound like you're done with the D40. If you can't get an X100 locally, then how about swapping the D40 for something you can get? I think you could use a small digital point & shoot so that you will have one pocket-size camera you can always have with you. I might suggest one of the Panasonic models on which the Leica D-Lux series is based. You can get the current Panny version of the D-Lux 5 for less than half of what they cost with the Leica red dot added. Perhaps your local dealer has one; if not, there's always Amazon. They ship fast, and the prices are right!

Just noticed your location. I don't know if Amazon could ship in time for your vacation. Perhaps a local dealer has a point and shoot you would like? There are lots of good ones. Enjoy your trip!
 
For the OP...what is the problem with just the D40 and a zoom lens for a vacation? Is it image quality? Never had that with mine for 4 years. Compactness/carry? For me that was dfinitely an issue as small as it was. Image doesn't complement your other images? That was a killer for me and why I decided to sell my D40 last year.

Any camera is very capable of producing great photos especially on vacation. My D40 was fun to use and quite useful when I had it, chasing grandchildren as well as using it professionally.:)
 
Depends on your type of shots, but there is no way I'd leave the 'blad behind. If you're staying in one place, it's easy to take a couple of cameras and leave one in the hotel or whatever. I'm paranoid, so I need to take a backup for my own peace of mind, but I don't mind leaving it in my room, to save weight walking around.
 
I went on vacation at the New Jersey Shore (Avalon) during the first week of July. I took a Fuji X-Pro 1 with the XF 35/1.4 and 18/2 lenses. Easy to carry and flexible for the type of work I did.
 
I usually take two Ms and three lenses and if I'm in Europe the CV 15 as well. Last month's vacation for the first time I took only my DSLR and a big zoom lens. I sold that kit last week.
 
Through all of the sixties, seventies and eighties, I never once had to decide which photo gear to take when I traveled. I just had the one camera at a time through all that time. Then in '91 I inherited an old Nikon F body. That's when I learned that all the cameras I had always wanted but could never afford (see the list in my signature) were available used for really cheap. Now I obsess over what to take before every trip. I just did a six-week to France with only a Rollei. It was the wrong choice for me, and I pined away for the Leica the whole time. Ugh!
 
I enjoy thinking about what gear to take on holiday; factoring in the length, location, type of holiday, method of travel, and my current photographic interests. Having a collection of gear makes it possible to select the most appropriate gear for the "task". This involvement before the vacation actually happens, extends the pleasure, sort of like foreplay.
 
this is straying from the OP's fun intent, it appears to me. nevertheless, when i get to where i'm going with the bag, i use only one cam and one lens for actual roaming. everything else stays put, with the bag. :)
 
I've been on vacation for the past ten days... it's ending soon.:(

I've been traveling w/ an M4-2 loaded w/ TMax400, CV 50/2.5 and 35/2.5 lenses, and a Rollei 35 w/ color film. And an Oly E-PL1 and Pany 14/2.5 lens for indoors and quick snaps.
 
wow, thanks guys for all your suggestions and help, you're the greatest! as paul noted, though, the thread did stray a bit from the fun tone,... as for my vacation, i don't shoot my film gear enough through the year and the vacation is great time to make up for that. since we are traveling by car and staying at a family house (so no transportation or storage problems), i'll simply bring everything along and just use what i please at a given moment/day. like paul, i tend to take one camera with one lens when i'm going out and use it. later on, i'll take another combo...

as for the D40, the thing is that i would feel selfish if i would only shoot film, since i want to have my family "normal" summer vacation pictures, which is digital color pictures these days. but, of course, they have to be to my liking and that's where the kit lens fails to impress, more often than i like. 35mm f/1.8 AF-S, which I also have (c'mon, he who's without sin... ;-)), is a perfect match for the camera and i'll use that as a "family camera". been contemplating to exchange it for a real snapshot camera, small and compact, (checked out x-10 today), but i don't think there's such a camera out there which would satisfy me (it has to be cheaper than x-100, it's just a snapshot camera after all). that lx-5 and canon s100 also sound interesting, but i think d40 it will be this year...

thank you guys for all your support, i'll report back after the vacation

maddoc said:
I work in Japan so summer vacations are three days (theoretical, might be less due to work) which means no hassle with thinking about what gear to bring where. :D
Click to expand...
man, that's tough! although it does alleviate some problems :)
 
domagojs; said:
been contemplating to exchange it for a real snapshot camera, small and compact, (checked out x-10 today), but i don't think there's such a camera out there which would satisfy me (it has to be cheaper than x-100, it's just a snapshot camera after all). that lx-5 and canon s100 also sound interesting, but i think d40 it will be this year...
Click to expand...

If u have a chance check out the Sony rx100. Bigger sensor then the ones mentioned above, but smaller then apsc size. Check out the rx100 thread in the p&s forum... Originally I was going to upgrade to the x10 from the lx3, but changed my mind after more info and review info came out...

Have fun on your vacation.

Gary
 
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