What gear for O/S holiday?

[p38arover]

I've been wondering what I should take on an upcoming UK/Euro holiday.

I'll definitely take the Pentax Q, a small mirrorless interchangeable lens camera which is discreet, takes great images, and can be pocketed. I only have one lens for it but I have an adapters which allow me to use any Pentax lens (except medium format) so I could take one of my small DSLR or film camera lenses to use as a telephoto because, with those lenses, the crop factor is 5.8 :)

I had thought about the DSLR with a Sigma 10-20mm, and a Sigma 18-200mm. Not sure about a 35mm f1.4 for night work.

However, I'm now thinking about not taking any DSLR equipment at all. After all, who ever looks at tourist photos after the event? I hardly look at anything I take. They get transferred to the computer and I don't look at the images again unless I need something to illustrate a post. Besides, thinking about taking a pic takes one away from actually looking at the subject.

I don't use my cameras that much any more. I've lost interest in photography.

[Rosco8]

I don't use my cameras that much any more. I've lost interest in photography.

Well that's all sort of sad :o:o I think you provided your own answer. A small portable camera. No need to lug heavier stuff around if you never look at it ;);)

Me .. I take the DSLR (currently a Canon D6 with 24/105mm), for some reason I persist in taking the big heavy lens as well (100/400mm), and really its only a few times that I need it so leaving it at home if I want to be really portable could be my choice next time .. and I leave the small portable camera behind, no use carrying 2. I used to carry battery packs and tripods, flashes etc but no longer. The D6 I can push the ISO for most locations and I just recharge as I go.

I am selective nowadays on what I take, and then I cull them savagely, and put the remaining few in a best folder. I have started to put the highlights of these, yep, culled again into photobooks .. call it my best work and happily skim them occasionally and show friends. The good thing is that their are not many shots and each has to be a really good shot so people don't loose interest. Nothing worse than having to wade thru a 100 photos of somebodies with, and we went here and look at this :twisted::twisted:

So bottom line, maybe approach your photography differently, look for those very few amazing photographs that you would interest others, package them into a printed book.

Enjoy your holiday.

[p38arover]

I don't cull much because I don't look at them after after transfer. I don't show anyone my pics except when I was going to the camera club but I haven't been to it this year. I should because I'm the webmaster and I haven't been updating the website either.

I should cull as my HDD is getting rather full.

[Scouse]

We could all come around for a (digital) slide night Ron. I'm sure that would get your interest back.


https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/07/222.jpg

[p38arover]

Er, um. No, it's OK, Scott.

Unless, of course, you bring along someone for life modelling..... ;)

I forgot that another option I have is to just take my Fuji Finepix bridge camera. One problem with it is I'd need more memory cards and XD cards are quite expensive compared with SD.

[lebanon]

I am facing the same dilemma, I will be travelling to Greece in two week time, should I take my 5 kg DSLR back pack or the 400g of the G11?

[p38arover]

The advantage for you is that the G11 has a viewfinder. The Pentax Q doesn't and it's impossible, in bright sunlight, to see the screen to compose the shot.

I'd use the Fuji S5500 except that I don't have much memory for it and XD cards are quite expensive compared with SD, e.g., $20 for a 2GB XD card. I have lots of SD cards ranging from 2 to 32GB.

[StephenF10]

For a recent three-month trip to France and the UK I bought a Sony RX100M2 (with GST refund under the tourist refund scheme). The 1" sensor produces the best quality images of any compact camera and is especially good in low light. It is genuinely pocketable - I carried it in a belt pouch and hardly knew it was there. Of the more than 3800 pictures I took very few were technical duds.

[p38arover]

Buying another camera might get me shot.

[lebanon]

The advantage for you is that the G11 has a viewfinder. The Pentax Q doesn't and it's impossible, in bright sunlight, to see the screen to compose the shot.

I'd use the Fuji S5500 except that I don't have much memory for it and XD cards are quite expensive compared with SD, e.g., $20 for a 2GB XD card. I have lots of SD cards ranging from 2 to 32GB.

it does not cover the entire frame...its only about 77% , what you see is less than what you get.

[p38arover]

I think I've narrowed it down to:

Pentax Q with standard 01 lens (50mm equivalent) and 3 batteries
Pentax K-5 with 3 batteries
Pentax DA ED-AL 16-45mm f4
Sigma DC 18-200mm f3.5-6.3
Sigma EX DC 30mm f1.4
Sigma EX DC 10-20mm f4-5.6
Pentax O-GPS1 GPS unit
Q-PK lens adaptor to allow the DSLR lenses to be used on the Q. (With a crop factor of 5.8, using it on the Q with the 18-200 would be like having a 105-1160mm.)
BlackRapid strap (I much prefer this over a normal neckstrap. I switch between it and a wrist strap).
Lens cleaners, blower brush **
Canon Backpack with badging removed.

Total weight about 5kg.

Add to that:
Tripod and Monopod which will be in the suitcase.

I could probably drop the 16-45mm which, along with the 10-20mm, I bought for the trip.

I'm still considering the Crumpler 6 Million Dollar Home rathr than the backpack but it's a shoulder bag. It's also bright green and obvious.

I'd like to take the Pentax DA* 60-250 F4 but it's a big heavy lens. It does take great pix, though. See http://www.aulro.com/afvb/flight/174152-wings-over-illawarra.html

** Thank goodness I'm not going via the USA where the TSA took a Rocket Blower 'cos they thought it looked like a bomb and could fly like a missile. :D http://petapixel.com/2013/12/18/photographer-blower-confiscated-tsa-fly-like-missile/

[lebanon]

I think I've narrowed it down to:

Pentax Q with standard 01 lens (50mm equivalent) and 3 batteries
Pentax K-5 with 3 batteries
Pentax DA ED-AL 16-45mm f4
Sigma DC 18-200mm f3.5-6.3
Sigma EX DC 30mm f1.4
Sigma EX DC 10-20mm f4-5.6
Pentax O-GPS1 GPS unit
Q-PK lens adaptor to allow the DSLR lenses to be used on the Q. (With a crop factor of 5.8, using it on the Q with the 18-200 would be like having a 105-1160mm.)
BlackRapid strap (I much prefer this over a normal neckstrap. I switch between it and a wrist strap).
Lens cleaners, blower brush **
Canon Backpack with badging removed.

Total weight about 5kg.

Add to that:
Tripod and Monopod which will be in the suitcase.

I could probably drop the 16-45mm which, along with the 10-20mm, I bought for the trip.

I'm still considering the Crumpler 6 Million Dollar Home rathr than the backpack but it's a shoulder bag. It's also bright green and obvious.

I'd like to take the Pentax DA* 60-250 F4 but it's a big heavy lens. It does take great pix, though. See http://www.aulro.com/afvb/flight/174152-wings-over-illawarra.html

** Thank goodness I'm not going via the USA where the TSA took a Rocket Blower 'cos they thought it looked like a bomb and could fly like a missile. :D Photographer Has Blower Confiscated by TSA Because it 'Could Fly Like a Missile' (http://petapixel.com/2013/12/18/photographer-blower-confiscated-tsa-fly-like-missile/)

So both of us will either return with larger muscles or backache :spudniklifter:

[p38arover]

I sometimes wonder if I should have gone Micro Four Thirds, e.g., Olympus OM-D. :D

It could be worse. Imagine humping a Canon 5D MkIII or a Nikon D800!

I could forget the 16-45mm but it takes better pix than the 18-200. The 18-200 is quite slow and, in low light (like I experienced in daytime in Washington state and Oregon), needs the ISO increased.

With my previous camera, once it got to 1600 ISO, it became quite noisy. The K-5 is much better at high ISO.

Another option is to leave the 16-45 and to take the 18-55 which is water resistant as is the camera.

The Crumpler shoulder bag would be less of a hassle than a backpack when touring the ships I want to look over - SS Great Britain, HMS Victory (Nelson's flagship), and HMS Warrior (a steam and sail ship of the 19th Century). Ditto at the Land Rover Experience.

[lebanon]

I am not able to decide on going light.

So I will take:

Canon 50D
Canon 24-105 L serie
Canon 75-300
Canon 50mm 1.8 for those low light situations
Canon 580EZ Flash
Cockin Filters (Polarizer, Gradual Neutral Grey)
Tripod
Canon G11 (I can't leave without it)
GoPro kind of video cam with its mounting pod.
4 battery charges to feed hungry batteries

6kg in total, I hope I will not regret it :(

[ozscott]

I know the feeling...same for me soon. To Europe with the d7100. Thought about a 35m 1.8 and a small bag. in the end i have decided to bring ny big ass Tamron 70-200 f2.8 aswell. I will also take an 18-55 but given the low light ability of the 7100 will leave the speedlight at home, and tripod also. Lowepro top loader backpack and room for other stuff like iPad water etc.

cheers