Jim,
Sounds like a fantastic trip. Make sure you have your priorities straight
when planning your kit, ie whether you are travelling to take pictures or
taking pictures of your travels. Consider whether you will be printing,
projecting or scanning your images. Consider what it will be like carting
all your equipment through unfamiliar, confronting places in addition to
your normal luggage. When you've thought all that through, forget it and
pack every zuiko you own <g>
That seems to be what happens when I travel nowadays anyway. My first big
trip I took just one body (OM1) one lens (35-70/4) a 2xTC and a flimsy
collapsible tripod. At different times I wished for something wider and
longer, and a more stable support, and I could never go back.
On my last three overseas trips (Thailand, Vietnam,
Mexico/Guatemala/Spain/England/Wales) I have taken basically what is
outlined below.
My list of requirements for travel photography:
2 Bodies, at least one with spot metering and auto mode. Slide film goes in
the spot body (my choice is provia 100F, can be rated at 200 if necessary),
B&W in the other body (I use HP5 and am a recent SFX convert). I don't like
colour print films as a rule.
*Blank slate? OM4ti, OM1.
*What I actually take: OM2sp, OM1
Full size tripod - a small pod is better than nothing, but you can't beat
the versatility of something that goes from ground level to eye level. If
you get a lightweight carbon fibre model like the Velbon or Bogen/Manfrotto
(the Gitzos I saw were still way heavy) it can go anywhere - mine has been
lugged around the world, to the top of active volcanoes and on 5 day hikes -
and I only bought it 6 months ago. The night before last it was in the wilds
of tasmania getting covered in frost while I was trying to shoot start
trails (get the slides back this afternoon, don't expect great results from
the last two as the lens had a thick coating of frost). Next weekend it will
be on a 4 day backcountry ski trip.
*Blank slate: pretty much what I have, Velbon Carmagne 530 (carbon
fibre/magnesium) with Benbo ball head (there are some nicer Manfrotto ball
heads but these had the wrong size thread for the legs), total weight about
1.4 kg.
Lenses: I like to have a long range, but am prepared to sacrifice some speed
(luckily, since I can't afford fast glass anyway) for light weight. For most
travel photography, zooms rule - so long as you are happy with the image
quality from your zoom of choice. As a good compromise, I would take from
18mm to 200mm, and a 2xTC. You can't beat a superwide for making the most of
tight spaces, or using interesting viewpoints - great for the immense depth
of field. Also couldn't do without a decent length tele for compression of
perspective, and taking portraits of people without them knowing. I like
close ups of interesting objects, so some macro capability is a plus.
*What would I take/buy if I had a totally blank slate? Zuiko 18, 24/2.8,
35-70/3.5-4.5, Tamron 80-200/2.8 or similar, Circ polariser, filters for
black & white, ND and ND grad filters.
*What I took on my latest OS trip: Zuikos 35-70/3.5-4.5, 50/3.5, 500/8 and
oly extension tubes, Tamron 24/2.5, Samyang 19/3.8, Sigma 70-210/3.5-4.5, 2x
TC. Circular polariser, dark red + blue filters.
Accessories: Cable release, spare batteries, lens cloth, marker pen (for
pushed films). Also took a T20, but only used it for some family snaps and
would leave it at home otherwise as I don't like flash much)
Camera bag: I don't have a decent travel camera bag, just a big bag
(Crumpler www.crumpler.com.au) and selection of too-small bags.
The LowePro Orion AW looks like about the one to do the job: waist mounted
can be accessed without putting it on the ground but is so much easier on
the neck and back than a shoulder bag, and still cooler than a backpack.
Dylan
From: "Timpe, Jim" <Jim.Timpe@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "'Olist'" <olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, 21 July, 2003 03:00 PM
Subject: [OM] Travel kit
> OK. I've resisted doing this until now, but here goes. The trip in
> question is: Seattle to Cairo, to Jerusalem (and surrounds), to Jordan
and
> home...
> Total trip duration approximately three weeks. Part of a Holy Lands tour
> group hosted by the Sr. Pastor at my church (he's lead probably 15 tours
> over the past 25 years).
>
> Consider the slate blank. Body,lens,film,'pod',case, it's all open for
> discussion at this point. No replies/suggestions discounted without
> opportunity for rebuttal.
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