Travel photography and camera type/size

BradJudy · « **on:** 23 Jul 2009, 06:58 pm »

Inspired by my interest in the Olympus E-P1 (and the bemoaning of a lack of posting in this circle), I thought I'd kick off a conversation about travel photography and camera type/size.

For me, my most important photos are usually when I'm traveling. Particularly abroad, but also domestically. I've been a P&S person on the digital side, but I also own a variety of film cameras (SLR, rangefinder, dual-lens, pinhole, etc). I generally only bring my P&S digital on trips, but brought a film rangefinder on my trip to Prague, which resulted in some very nice shots. Before each big trip, I often debate if I should make the leap to DSLR, but the size of the camera always holds me back. I neither want to carry something large, nor do I want to be that obvious in my photography. This past weekend, I participated in one of the Worldwide Photowalk walks and seeing a group of ~40 people all with at least one DSLR each really reinforced the desire for a more subtle camera for travel (it looked like a rag-tag militia group armed to the teeth).

I like the potential benefit of a larger sensor (particularly better high ISO performance - P&S sucks for that) and interchangeable lenses (I've been doing that for years with film). I enjoy shooting with any of my film cameras locally, but doubt I'll carry both digital and film abroad again (maybe bring a compact wide-angle pinhole). If my primary photography was family or local events, perhaps the DSLR form factor wouldn't bother me.

Anyone have similar feelings? Anyone think I'm crazy (more so than the average on AC)? Think I'm being a wimp and should buy a big honkin' camera and be proud of it?

woodsyi · « **Reply #1 on:** 23 Jul 2009, 07:19 pm »

You have to get on with the times. DSLR is actually better than film camera since you are not carrying any films. Have an ultra compact P&S like a Sony DSC-T900 in you pocket for the evenings out at cultured events but carry a big DSLR and the backpack full of lenses proudly when you are being an obvious tourist.

BradJudy · « **Reply #2 on:** 23 Jul 2009, 07:57 pm »

I made the transition to digital years ago (maybe 2002, I don't remember). I only returned to shooting film in the past year after several years of my film cameras collecting dust. My wife will likely always be carrying an ultra-compact when we're traveling, so that part will be covered.

I just have a hard time reconciling my mode of travel with a bulky camera/lens.

woodsyi · « **Reply #3 on:** 23 Jul 2009, 08:19 pm »

Think of every trip as a photo safari. I carry my camera stuff in one of these when I travel for pleasure.

I don't have the camera out all the time -- only when I anticipate there would be opportunities.

gary · « **Reply #4 on:** 23 Jul 2009, 08:36 pm »

I really like the looks of the new Pen, although I doubt it's something I will buy. Maybe someday I'll get something similar.

I do have a big backpack if I want to bring all my gear, but honestly I've hardly ever used it. For the most part I carry what I need in a crumpler bag. It's small enough not to be obviously holding an expensive camera, but it fits my Nikon D90 w/ 18-105mm VR lens plus my small flash and a 50mm prime lens perfectly.

gary

BobM · « **Reply #5 on:** 23 Jul 2009, 08:46 pm »

I'm usually the one that has to carry the backpack with the water bottles, towel, jacket, munchies, band aids, etc. in it. So there's no chance to add a full camera gear backpack onto this packhorse. I tend to find that hanging my digital SLR around my neck with one fairly versatile lens attached (35-135mm) is the way to go when I know I'm going to be taking good photo's.

Otherwise we tend to rely on my wife's ultra compact Canon pocket digital camera, which does a fine job for those informal family snapshots.

Actually these days the kids want to grab the camera and take the shots. I just don't trust them to carry it for me. It would definitely wind up on some countertop in a store, or lost or banged against a tree/rock on a trail.

Bob

jqp · « **Reply #6 on:** 23 Jul 2009, 10:29 pm »

Now that I have had the D40 and D90, I couldn't go back to a P&S for travel use.

I bring the Nikon 18-200 VR lense and just leave it on. As I get more lenses I may bring a prime also,

I use a backpack for my laptop, as is now the fad, instead of a 'laptop case'. This gives me a lot more options. I have the Wenger (Swiss Army) Synergy. It is very well designed with lots of internal pockets, while on the outside it looks like a standard computer backpack. Since I have to carry some prescription drugs with me everywhere I just bite the bullet and carry it everywhere. But this also gives me the opportunity to carry, in addition to the laptop, charger and external usb drive, my D90 and small accessories, and my Canon HV30 (optional). For a couple of weeks I even carried a Nikon 80-400VR lens! The backpack at that point weighed in at 28 lbs!

Because the backpack has many internal and external pockets with several zippers, and those pockets can shift around inside the backpack, it is very easy to put bulky fragile items inside while maintaining the 'just a backpack' look (until you take out a 'fancy camera').

With any kind of SLR, once it is out of the backpack, you become a 'paparazzi' in many situations, but you have to enjoy it, and if you are a tourist, people pretty much consider it par for the course. But I find that very few people have SLRs where I like to take pictures in Charlotte, a few had them when I traveled to London and Mexico. Its like being an audiophile - few understand why you have high-end gear, even fewer own it.

So for me, a backpack is the way to go. Not a dedicated photgrapher's backpack, but an all-purpose/laptop backpack. I can hike, go to cafe's, go to work, go to dinner, go shopping, go to some museums, even with this backpack! Anywhere a briefcase or satchel can go, it can go.

PeteG · « **Reply #7 on:** 24 Jul 2009, 01:05 am »

I've been using a canon backpack and its been great gets the job done and helps with wet weather, it also holds all my accessories.
I will be going to Bar Harbor, Maine in Aug and will be carrying it everywhere.

JohnR · « **Reply #8 on:** 24 Jul 2009, 07:35 am »

Not all DSLR kits are big and heavy

I'm one of those people that like to travel light. I've learned to take only one camera, and if it changes lenses, just a couple of lenses.

That's for air travel; if it were a road trip I would take a lot more.

PhilNYC · « **Reply #9 on:** 24 Jul 2009, 10:58 am »

This thread has inspired me to look into a good backpack for carrying my camera gear...it also has to carry a 15" laptop and work as a carry-on for airplanes. Anyone have experiences with either of these two?

Lowepro Fastpack 250:

Tamrac Aero 80:

Kata DR-467 Rucksack:

woodsyi · « **Reply #10 on:** 24 Jul 2009, 01:11 pm »

I have a Lowepro backpack and it's been great, but I am sure others are good too. Now that you mention it, I should carry my 10" netbook with me to download pictures at night. I never liked to carry my 15" or 17" laptop around but this net book is very small and light. Now, I will have to get one with laptop pouch as well.

Carlman · « **Reply #11 on:** 24 Jul 2009, 02:03 pm »

I have that Canon shown by Pete and it's OK.. not in the same league as a Tamrac in my opinion. It carries a lot and works fine.. the backpack concept is good for that. However, it's not as good quality, well thought-out, or as versatile as the Tamrac's I've had. Of course, the price difference was substantial also. I think I paid $20 for the Canon bag... and near 100 for the Tamrac shoulder bags I like.

I'm generally a shoulder-bag kind of guy. I like being able to get gear in and out without having to stop, find a place to lay the bag, (which gets really big when opened) and deal with everything. The backpacks posted by Phil may work better, though... they look more practical, especially that Lowepro.

In any case, if it were me traveling, I'd do a Leica or Rollei or some kind of medium-format rangefinder. I'd carry some film and take very few well thought-out shots.. rather than going snap-happy with digital. That way I can enjoy the travel without making it a job. To each his own, though.. I can totally understand wanting to take lots of shots of something new.

-C

PeteG · « **Reply #12 on:** 24 Jul 2009, 02:06 pm »

Quote from: woodsyi on 24 Jul 2009, 01:11 pm

I have a Lowepro backpack and it's been great, but I am sure others are good too. Now that you mention it, I should carry my 10" netbook with me to download pictures at night. I never liked to carry my 15" or 17" laptop around but this net book is very small and light. Now, I will have to get one with laptop pouch as well.

Thats what I do, I have a netbook with a Seagate freeagent portable drive and together they take up very little room.

PeteG · « **Reply #13 on:** 24 Jul 2009, 02:14 pm »

Quote from: Carlman on 24 Jul 2009, 02:03 pm

I have that Canon shown by Pete and it's OK.. not in the same league as a Tamrac in my opinion. It carries a lot and works fine.. the backpack concept is good for that. However, it's not as good quality, well thought-out, or as versatile as the Tamrac's I've had. Of course, the price difference was substantial also. I think I paid $20 for the Canon bag... and near 100 for the Tamrac shoulder bags I like.

I'm generally a shoulder-bag kind of guy. I like being able to get gear in and out without having to stop, find a place to lay the bag, (which gets really big when opened) and deal with everything. The backpacks posted by Phil may work better, though... they look more practical, especially that Lowepro.

In any case, if it were me traveling, I'd do a Leica or Rollei or some kind of medium-format rangefinder. I'd carry some film and take very few well thought-out shots.. rather than going snap-happy with digital. That way I can enjoy the travel without making it a job. To each his own, though.. I can totally understand wanting to take lots of shots of something new.

-C

I agree the canon backpack wasn't that much but I didn't think I needed a $100-$200 bag. Hopefully I can get a better tripod
before I go on my trip. Do you all use tripods a lot or just handheld?

BradJudy · « **Reply #14 on:** 24 Jul 2009, 02:20 pm »

This thread seems to have derailed into recommendations for backpacks (branching off from a fork of "carrying a lot of photo equipment works for me, so you should do that").

When I travel abroad and leave the hotel to go out for the day, I generally carry a wallet, passport, hotel key, folded up map of town, watch, and a camera (in a bag just big enough for the camera and spare batteries - if I'm shooting film there's no bag, no extra battery, but an extra roll of film in my pocket). No backpacks, shoulder bags, supplies, etc. If I'm hiking, then I'll bring a backpack for water, food and other supplies. I don't travel with a laptop, but I do bring a Hyperdrive and back up my photos each evening back at the hotel.

The point of the thread is that I'm not interested in changing my travel patterns to the point that I'm carrying around a backpack full of photo equipment all day or have a large camera body with large lens, and I wanted to explore the options for light-packing, higher quality digital photography.

Quote

I'm one of those people that like to travel light. I've learned to take only one camera, and if it changes lenses, just a couple of lenses.

JohnR - Have you traveled much with the D40? What have been your experiences in trying to travel light with a DSLR?

BobM · « **Reply #15 on:** 24 Jul 2009, 02:35 pm »

I also have a D40 with a 35-135mm lens. Nice and versatile and no need to switch lenses for the most part. It can be a bit of a pain if you're hiking or moving around a lot. The bigger lens also doesn't lend itself to a case very well. So I often take a bungee cord and wrap it around my back to anchor the camera to my body better so it doesn't swing freely. Easy enough to slip it off and take a shot. Very good solution when skiing (just don't fall down) and hiking.

That lets me focus on the artsy and architectural pictures while the kids and wife are snapping candids with the pocket Canon. I actually get into a picture once in a while because I'm not the only one taking pictures anymore

Bob

Steven Stone · « **Reply #16 on:** 24 Jul 2009, 04:56 pm »

I used to go traveling with 30 lbs of gear. Most of it would sit in the pack unused.

I travel now with two cameras - the Panasonic LX-3 and G-1. I bring two lenses with the G-1 - I have everything from 28mm to 400mm (35mm equiv) covered. They both use the same mem cards and I bring one spare battery for each.

Total weight for EVERYTHING - under 4 lbs.

I'm sorry, but DSLRs are for masochists and macho men IMHO.

My Pentax digital system hasn't left my studio for over nine months...

JohnR · « **Reply #17 on:** 24 Jul 2009, 05:07 pm »

Quote from: BradJudy on 24 Jul 2009, 02:20 pm

Quote
I'm one of those people that like to travel light. I've learned to take only one camera, and if it changes lenses, just a couple of lenses.

JohnR - Have you traveled much with the D40? What have been your experiences in trying to travel light with a DSLR?

A fair bit - I started with the 18-55 kit lens but now tend to take the AF-S 60mm macro as the main lens. In either case I use a small shoulder bag - I don't find it any less convenient than a compact, but perhaps that's because my compact (LX2) is not really pocketable and gets a shoulder bag anyway. A 24mm is (for me) a good supplement to the 60. For the flight the camera bag just gets put into the carry-on wheelie - laptop is in its own shoulder bag.

I've only recently rediscovered the 45mm pancake pictured above and will probably just try that with the D40 on the next trip as it's so small and light. I like the way the lens images and it's fast enough although a little hard to nail the focus wide open. Around town I don't bother with a bag even. Some people think it's a film camera, which is funny...

JohnR · « **Reply #18 on:** 24 Jul 2009, 05:19 pm »

Quote from: Steven Stone on 24 Jul 2009, 04:56 pm

I'm sorry, but DSLRs are for masochists and macho men IMHO.

Are you sorry because your humble opinion is wrong? Or because you're being rude about it?

Personally, I think that your system is unnecessarily complicated.

BradJudy · « **Reply #19 on:** 24 Jul 2009, 05:41 pm »

Quote from: Steven Stone on 24 Jul 2009, 04:56 pm

I travel now with two cameras - the Panasonic LX-3 and G-1. I bring two lenses with the G-1 - I have everything from 28mm to 400mm (35mm equiv) covered.

The G1 is another interesting option - smaller than a full DSLR, but a bit bigger than the E-P1. The G-1 is cheaper than the E-P1 and has a couple of nice features, but is a bit larger (identical lens options). The new GH-1 was pricier than I expected, but comes with a jack of all trades lens (28-280mm equiv).