Thanks for all the suggestions; here's a list summarising the various
suggestions:
Add an extra body and ext.tube.
Add an extra body, lose one lens.
Add circular polariser, lose 35-70, 50/1.4, XA
Add 500/8
Add 135 + 2x converter + closeup filters, lose 65-200
Add Tokina 35-200 + Vivitar 19-35, lose 24, 65-200, 35-70, add macro 2x
converter, lose cable release.
Add 35-105, lose 65-200,50,35-70
which pretty much covers all the options other than "buy Can*n"..
I guess I should have explained what I'm expecting to do with this lot. I'm
not really aiming to take photos for the art of it, I'm aiming to take
photos to remind me of where I've been. TOPE is a great way to remember to
take shots that look interesting, of course, but fundamentally, I want to
take photos while travelling, rather than travel to take photos.
This is why I'm not too concerned about macro -- closeups of things are
great and all, but I want to take photos of where I am and what I've seen,
and frame-filling flowers may be very beautiful, but in isolation they don't
do a lot. Still, I've been meaning to pick up a set of auto tubes for a
while and I think there's some cheap ones in one of the shops around here,
so I can always post them back if necessary -- and I like taking photos as a
way to spend time, too.
So far, I've found myself in three basic types of photo-taking situation:
first, when I'm primarily there to see somewhere, photos are more of a
distraction than anything else -- that's where the XA+ultrapod comes along,
because it's tiny, takes nice shots, and has enough control to let me get
the shot I want without giving me the opportunity to mess around switching
lenses, etc. The alternative here is the 35-70 if I want a bit more options
for framing; it's a nice walkaround lens. (I'm almost tempted by a 35-105
here, I'll admit, but I don't know if there's one available around here.
That said, 24/2, 35-105 + 2x converter would cover a lot of range in not
much room, just pretty slowly for a lot of it).
Second, when I have a bag with me (or just large pockets) so can afford to
take lenses, but still am somewhere to see things rather than to take
photos. This is where I like a two-lens kit -- the 24/2 + 65-200/4 works
well here for zoos/when there's wildlife around but I don't want to haul
huge glass (not that I have any to haul), or the 24/2 + 50/1.4 for
museums/interiors/night shots where I want lots of speed.
Third, when I'm deliberately going somewhere to take photos of the place
and don't really need to worry about anything else. This is when the tripod
comes along, all the lenses, etc. This, I suspect, is when I'd want
extension tubes (or closeup filters, even, I should see how much those cost
and think about sizes). Tubes + 24/2 ought to get me pretty darned close, I
think. Oh, and I do have a 2x converter; just a generic 4 element one, but I
may as well put that in with the pile of stuff while I'm at it..
So, I think I'm going to stick with what I mentioned in the first place,
but add a spare body, closeup filters/ext.tubes, 2x converter, and see what
I end up using.
To clarify more, the first couple of months of travel will be driving
around NZ in a van, so weight isn't quite as much of a problem as it could
be. After that, though, we'll be living out of backpacks, and at that point
I'll start having to think very carefully about how much weight makes
sense..
thanks for all the advice! It's good to hear other people's suggestions,
there's always something I hadn't thought of.
-- dan
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