Traveller what's in your camera bag?

[walterpike]

In June I will be spending some time in Italy on holiday (Venice and Rome) I've been agonizing on what to take, I had decided on a D7000 and a 18-200 but since the arrival of the D800 not sure again. I usually carry a 18-35, a 24-70 f2.8, a 70-200 f2.8, a 50 f1.4 and a x1.4 converter,also two flashes and then polarizing and ND filters.

I just thought not to ask advice but to ask what you have as you kind of standard kit. If I as sensible I would stick with my iPhone.

I really would be curious to find out what's in your bag when you go out with no idea as to what you will be shooting.

[Trevor Ives]

I did a few cities last year and took a 17-40, 50 and 70-200 all with with 5D2 body. Looking back at the shot count per lens, 75% are on the 50.... fewer on the 17-40 and least on the 70-200.... Owing to the number of shots through the 50, the best of the bunch are there. The 70-200 gave awesome results. And I cannot live without the 17-40.... But for the next trip, I think the 70-200 will not make the trip with me.

I also take a light weight Gitzo and i think my Lee filters will come along too...

[Forgiss - Sean Nel]

I think it would really depend on your shooting style, but my kit includes:

5D's
17-40mm
50mm
24-70mm
70-200mm

24-70 is my walk around lens while traveling to and fro
17-40 is the lens that has the most shots on them in the cities and towns
50mm features every now and again for close up and details shots
70-200mm doesn't really come out much, but boy it's a pain when you want it and you don't have it (same with flash units)

Velbon Carbon Fibre travel tripod also comes along... don't always use it, but sunset and night time is where it would be nice.

Only thing I have extra is the Fuji X100 and 20mm f/2 - great for shots/locations where "photographers" are frowned upon (switch on the back LCD/live view and look like just another tourist!)

[Anonymous]

I'm looking at my bag right now wondering what I want to take on my trip to the UK next week. At the moment it's looking like my de-gripped 7D, 16-35 or 24-70 and my 50mm. Maybe the smaller speedlite too. I was hoping to leave my macbook at home and just use my ipad but it's developed a crack in the screen so I'm going to bring it along and see what Apple says.

[Gerrit Laubscher]

2 Bodies
16-55 f2.8
70-200 f2.8 (Agree with Sean on this one)
2 Flashes (they both fit in the bag but one is enough)
Tripod
PL filter
Cards
Basic cleaning equipment
Chargers.
Black Rapid Strap.

[Henk Coetzee]

I agree with Trevor. I'm currently travelling for work in Kyrgyzstan. With me I have the following:

Pentax K20D body
35mm f2
70mm f2.4
Sigma 10-20.

I've hardly used the Sigma and most of my photos are taken with the 35.

[elsahoffmann]

I am pretty gatvol carrying myself to death so next trip
D3x
24-70
70-200.
THAT's IT.
Checking previous trips those were the lenses used. very seldom used flash.

[Yves Lombard]

Sitting with same challenge, flying tomorrow night to Israel for 12 days. Eventually decided on the following;

5d ii
24-105
70-200 2.8 with EF 2x iii
15mm fisheye (in place of the 50mm)
flash
small manfrotto

O ja, slipping in the Leica D-lux 5 the day i am tired off above weight on my back :-), some macro(sorry, close up) shots.

Will let you know in 12 days which equipment went on a free holiday and which ones was actually used :-)

[walterpike]

This has been interesting. Thank you. I have the same feeling about the 70-200 I know that I will seldom use it but will curse if I leave it behind. I was thinking of laughing off the tripod in favour of one of those pods, only one speedlight, actually it looks like the normal bag comes along.

[mervin]

I travel extensively and have a 40D with 70-200 F/2.8, 17-85mm, 50mm 1.8 however this is all left behind when I do travels... rather take a P&S with which is a Canon SX40HS which does 24mm-840mm in one body.

[LeonardF]

On a recent trip to the US I took the following:
60D
17-55 F/2.8 IS
70-300 (Hardly used)
580EXII
Lowepro Aventura 170 bag
Velbon Ultra Luxi L tripod (39cm folded) 1.32kg

I wish I had taken along my 11-16mm for New York leg (instead of the 70-300)

[Henk Coetzee]

I wish I had taken along my 11-16mm for New York leg (instead of the 70-300)

Agreed. My 10-20 has only really got a lot of use in tight street scenes, as opposed to wide sweeping vistas where the perspective issues make it difficult to use. I've been wondering about a 15mm pancake as a more portable alternative.

[Alvin]

The 70-200 f2.8 is a big and heavy lens for traveling - the f4 version is much lighter and smaller.
Similar with the 24-104 f4 and the 24-70 f2.8 - but not as extreme difference.
I specifically bought the 24-105 f4 IS and 70-200 f4 IS for travelling "lighter". (sacrifice faster f2.8 for lighter f4, but IS does make up a bit for this).
1.4x goes with, and then optionally flash and maybe 50 fast prime or 14 prime - but usually not to save weight, and no space for a tripod (maybe a small monopod though).

[Henk Coetzee]

I'm travelling at the moment. It's for work and, while there's a small element of photography involved, it's nothing that couldn't be done with a basic P&S. The reality is that lugging a big SLR and my lightweight 3 lens kit around is a bit of a pain. What I'm doing now - a weekend off on a Greek island (hey, it's a sh1t job but somebody has to do it) - is to go out with an idea and a lens. My first walk of the day was with a 10-20. Later it's going to be a 70 f2f.4 and tomorrow I'm renting a quad for the day and taking a 35 f2.

All this said, what would people recommend as a travel P&S. Ideally I want something with the biggest sensor practical in a small package. A G12 would be too big, with an equivalent zoom range around 28-100e. A bit of manual control would also be nice.

[Yves Lombard]

Sitting with same challenge, flying tomorrow night to Israel for 12 days. Eventually decided on the following;

5d ii
24-105
70-200 2.8 with EF 2x iii
15mm fisheye (in place of the 50mm)
flash
small manfrotto

O ja, slipping in the Leica D-lux 5 the day i am tired off above weight on my back :-), some macro(sorry, close up) shots.

Will let you know in 12 days which equipment went on a free holiday and which ones was actually used :-)

Hi Walter, four days into my holiday.

-missing my 50mm 1.4 sigma :-), but the 15mm fisheye took wow coliseum shots,the tour group people all went Wow!, but it can be because they never saw a fisheye photo before.

- the bag ended up weighing 6.2 kg, bit heavy maybe the aim must be to arrive at 4kg.

-using the 24-105, and Leica the most, but the best photos of the day still stays the 70-200 shots.

-I am very busy between the tour program vs photography

-If tour was purely photograph focused the bag is perfect, would definitely think of a intermediate body if there is more focus on the tour like a Leica V-Lux 3, nikon p510 or canon sx40

The only thing I haven't use so far is the EF 2X iii, probably because the action is up close and some landscape shots only.

Yves

[walterpike]

Hi Walter, four days into my holiday.

-missing my 50mm 1.4 sigma :-), but the 15mm fisheye took wow coliseum shots,the tour group people all went Wow!, but it can be because they never saw a fisheye photo before.

- the bag ended up weighing 6.2 kg, bit heavy maybe the aim must be to arrive at 4kg.

-using the 24-105, and Leica the most, but the best photos of the day still stays the 70-200 shots.

-I am very busy between the tour program vs photography

-If tour was purely photograph focused the bag is perfect, would definitely think of a intermediate body if there is more focus on the tour like a Leica V-Lux 3, nikon p510 or canon sx40

The only thing I haven't use so far is the EF 2X iii, probably because the action is up close and some landscape shots only.

Yves

Thank you very much for the feedback (as regards the 50 f1.4 - its always good to get people thinking ... or not)