Packing light, except for cameras

I have a smallish backpack and I have packed pretty light for my trip. It is 7 weeks long.

I adore photography, I take pictures all the time. I love film and digital and I have had such a hard time trying to decide what cameras to take. My Digital is a must I think! A nikon d7000 (I will bring just the one lens for space!). I shoot raw, I have 3 8gb SD cards, should I buy one more.. to be safe. I will not be able to transfer the images onto a computer until I return.

I am going to take my Hasselblad, I have taken it on all my travels, and I want to take it to India too. (However I have bought 10 rolls of film so far, might need to get a few more..)

Is bringing a 35mm cameras going a bit overboard? I am planning on making a big photo book, and framing some images when I return. Maybe 3 is excessive!

Also, regarding getting through customs, even though they are all used camera and for personal use (and will be coming home with me!) it might look a little odd..

I keep thinking, leave the 35mm, but then I think, ahh its so small it won't take up any room!

Sorry, I ramble..

If you do indeed shoot "all the time", then 3 memory cards won't be enough when shooting raw. I would load up on cards, unless you can make arrangements to download and burn to dvds along the way.

Carrying 3 formats is inconvenient, but only you know if your style warrants it. I understand the appeal of the Hasselblad, but what does the 35mm offer you that digital does not? I would think that additional lenses would be more beneficial.

As for customs, you usually read that multiple cameras are no problem, but I've occasionally been questioned about carrying 3. If you are, you should be able to convince them by pointing out that they're 3 different formats, so completely different cameras.

There's a photograph everywhere you turn in India. Get more memory cards, maybe an extra battery, and have a great trip.

Wonder whether you have anything like enough storage capacity.

When distaff and I shot film, we took 60 rolls for the two of us for six weeks and fllled them all.

Now that we've kicked over to digital, we come back with 14,000 images (admittedly, only about eight are worth something). As eccentrictraveler says, there are photos everywhere, everywhere.

distaff, who is our IT specialist, downloads nightly to data storage units (she uses 2 Jobo Giga Vu Pro Evolutions). If you're shooting RAW, you're going to fill those three eight-gig cards quickly. You might consider something like the Jobo.

@Fiona

If you need any further convincing - those three 8 gig cards won't be enough.

I understand the appeal of the Hasselblad.

What lens options do you have for the D7000?

What is the third camera you are thinking of taking?

Okay, I will up the SD cards. I also have a 16gb one, but it always seems to break when I use it, and have errors..

The lens for the nikon d7000 I have is the kit lens (18-105) I also have a 50mm 1.8, but was planning to leave it.

The 35mm is a canon ae-1, and I have about 12 rolls of film for it. I think I wanted to take the 35mm as well because I love film, but felt I had to take digital because of cost and the amount of pictures I expect to take.

I will take some more 120 film.

I don't plan on carrying every camera out with me when I leave hotel/guest houses though. Is is unsafe to leave them would you say?

Thanks

@fiona - the AE1 is an SLR - so which lenses do you have for it? My concern is the 18-105 won't be enough - you need something with greater focal length.

I really think you need some kind of portable digital storage device for the digital files.

re taking three cameras out with you during the day - hmm, there's a part of me that says if you're taking them all, why wouldn't you have them at your disposal at all times?

As for leaving them behind in your room - they should be fine in a locked room safe, or in locked baggage.

All of that aside, I'd take the D7000 with an additional lens; and the Hassleblad. (what lenses do you have for this?) I'm unconvinced about the need for the AE-1.

The last time I went (six month stay in Varanasi) I brought two NIkon FM-2 bodies (and four lenses) a video camera and a Canon G12. No issues when I left the country. But I stayed in one place for all those six months, made it a lot easier. I stayed in a Rs150/day hostel, but it was very well watched. I never felt anything but safe for the gear that I left behind. However, I don't think I'd do the same if I'd moved around India more. Always in the back of your head there's a part of you that might be concerned for your gear.

I too have loved film - and gave up still photography for years at the loss of Kodachrome 25/64 and 200. I was more than pleased with the modest G12; with it I could shoot almost anything and still be able to enlarge/crop images and retain a sharp photo. If I were you, I'd leave the film camera at home and concentrate on the other two. With those you should be able to get the photos you want without duplicating format, and it frees up room for another lens.

I'd take a tripod too, something big enough to handle both the Nikon and the Hasselblad.

Okay, I have invested in two more SD cards, both 16gb. I could take my (small) external hard-drive and i guess move photographs across when i come cross a computer.

I have one lens for the Hasselblad, the 1.2 80mm. I love it, and I doubt I will ever be able to afford another Hasselblad lens.

I don't actually use 35mm much, I just went an bought (stupidly) loads of film though, I will now probably sell on. So the ae-1 will stay in England. The nikon and hassy will come with! I can't afford another lens for the Nikon either, so the 18-105 will have to do. I don't see much point in bringing along the 50mm..

My advice: Don't risk leaving home without something you might regret leaving. Even if you only used it for a couple of shots... they might be the award winning shots you would have otherwise missed out on . If photography means that much to you, take it with you!

I'm leaving in nine days with the following:

D800 body
24-70 2.8
70-200 2.8
50 1.8
Speedlight
Spare batteries, about 200gb of memory, chargers, lens hoods, filters etc.

Unfortunately I haven't gotten around to buying the 14-24 yet, but that would be coming with me too if I had it! No point getting there and cursing yourself for leaving a lens you needed at home. My gear weighs double what my clothes etc. weigh, oh well. I'd hate to think what the pros on assignment would be taking!

One more thing: I would return or throw away the 16gb memory card that seems to malfunction. It will fail again, and probably when you need it most. Also, there have been some reliable reports of defective memory cards causing problems for the camera. (This is very rare, though.)

Don't mean to nag, but I really wish you had a moment to check into data storage units that download straight from your camera or its card: no computer needed, huge capacity, as small as or smaller than a portable hard drive.

like this
available here – priced in pounds

We have two Jobo Giga VU Pro Evolutions (80 gb) and one Jobo Giga One (40 gb). Other such things exist and are worth pursuing if you need big storage capacity in a small and portable object.

I was traveling in India for a month in March and brought with me only a D7000. I also shoot raw and filled up 2 16gb cards and 2 8gb cards. Since you are likely going to bring more than just one camera than you should be fine with 3-4 8gb cards, but its always better to have more than you think you will use. THERE IS ALWAYS something to photograph in India. That being said, don't let your camera get between you and the country. Sometimes expensive cameras around the neck can get in the way of experiencing real life. Be mindful of this...most of my favorite portraits from India are of people I got to know before taking there photograph. Not only do I have a story behind the image, but these people also did not look at me blankly expecting a tip after I clicked the shutter.

I think more than 2 cameras is overload. I brought 3 lenses with me and even that seemed like to much. I shoot mostly 50mm, but found my 85 1.8 to be really fun on train and bus rides. The 18-200 was just too bulky and I think I used it once. It can be hard to narrow it down but stick to what you are really comfortable with and think you will use the most. 7 weeks will go by so fast and you don't want too much equipment to bog you down!

For digital storage, you can get a Jobo or Hyperdrive or similar device --

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...ACE_UDMA2.html

I haven't shlepped film to India in a decade, but note that you have to go through lots more x-ray screenings than you used to -- not just airports but some hotels, monuments, etc.

And the camera-entry charges to historical sites are per camera. So if the Red Fort wants to charge you Rs. 250 to take pictures, it will cost you that amount for each camera body you want to take inside.

[QUOTE=Bridgette;1480033...I think more than 2 cameras is overload. I brought 3 lenses with me and even that seemed like to much. I shoot mostly 50mm, but found my 85 1.8 to be really fun on train and bus rides. The 18-200 was just too bulky and I think I used it once...[/QUOTE]

We travel with just one digital apiece, but it's a (gasp!) fixed lens zoom, 28mm-420mm Schneifder-Kreuznach Varioplan. (In truth, there is also in the hotel room another identical camera as back-up and a tiny compact digital cousin as back-up back-up.)

Wouldn't want to limit our range – we constantly toggle between macro shots of veg in the cracks to telephoto shots of the Taj way the hell over there. When we shot film, I carried three lenses to get less range than we have now, and it was a bother; but I still wouldn't have given up anything.

The trick is to evaluate your own shooting style and do what you can to limit how much stuff to tote. Also consider that as a backpacker your stuff is a little more vulnerable than would be the case if you were travelling with big luggage, car-and-driver. Do you really want to leave your beloved Hasselblad subject to damage or theft?

I have decided to leave the ae-1. I will be taking the hasselblad, it is insured, and I don't see why own it, if not to use it! I will of course try everything to make sure I don't damage/lose it, but I will be taking it.

Thanks everyone for your help