Eeek - too much gear - what to take?

[butterfly]

Hello all,

Ok - here's the issue. I fly to Iceland in 4 weeks. Baggage limit (take on) is 10KG.

I was planning to take my Canon digital SLR and a couple of lenses and my Ebony.
Well just adding up the weight of all this stuff is going to be near on impossible to get on the aircraft, and there is no way I'm putting it in the hold.

In the past I've travelled with just the digital, taken up to 200 shots in a week with about 20 real quality keepers, so I am wondering if I should leave the Digital at home and concentrate on the 4x5. I will be taking landscapes almost exclusively, and hope to catch the aurora (anyone done astro night stuff successfully with 4x5?).

I am thinking I should go, enjoy, take a shot only when it is really worth it (the essence of LF isn't it?). I can take snaps to satisfy my family with my tiny Leica 35mm compact!

Finally, I love Velvia but wonder if I should rely on this or shoot Colour neg?

Any thoughts appreciated. It's decision time for me on this.

Steve

[Peter Lewin]

I would ask myself two questions: (1) Are the prints I like enough to hang on my wall predominantly LF or DSLR, or evenly mixed? (2) Do I enjoy the process of working with LF negatives or positives more, less, or the same as working with DSLR files? The answers should guide you. My situation going to Europe this past summer was similar, excluding the digital aspect, whether to bring my LeicaM6 along with my 4x5. My own answer was that I love working with 4x5 negatives, virtually never print anything from 35mm "seriously" any more (just quick RC work prints), and therefore took just the 4x5. Personally, in your situation, I would take the 4x5 and the mini-digital, but you obviously may respond differently to my hypothetical questions.

[butterfly]

Thanks for the response Peter. I've taken some decent shots on the DSLR but find the whole process dull and soul-less. I really enjoy the challenge of 4x5. For me, nothing beats looking on that ground glass having considered all things before deciding to shoot. I'd rather just come back with a few 'wall hangers' from professionally scanned velvia slides. I'll have the time to set up and shoot LF when I am over there, so I am thinking yes, I agree with your rationale and it's what I will do.

Regards

Steve

[JPlomley]

If you take the DSLR, you will want to go back in two years time with the next generation DSLR with higher MP count to improve your print quality. If you take the 4x5, you can be rest assured you have captured your vision with the ultimate in image quality. I took many landscape trips when I was shooting 35mm and medium format that I now need to repeat since picking up LF last year. I wish I had just done it right the first time.

Why can you not shoot both Velvia and Color Neg? Shoot the Velvia in low contrast lighting and the color neg when you need 8-9 stops of latitude. That is the beauty of sheet film over roll. Not to complicate the issue any further, but are you going to shoot with B&W at all?

[PViapiano]

I went to Maui back in Oct-Nov and decided to bring both my Ebony and dSLR.

dSLR with one lens only, a 20mm prime, perfect for travel. If I had a 24-70 L zoom, I would've brought that, although it is heavier.

Ebony 45s with 210mm, 150 and 90mm lens. Never used the 90mm. Had my Provia quickloads shipped via Priority Mail, and carried a box of TXP in my camera case. Also, in my case, was a loupe, 545i holder, light meter, 4 film holders and various filters. Tripod fit in my checked luggage...

Ended up shooting 25-30 quickloads and 5 B&W TXP images in a week...all of the above gear fits in a Tamrac Cyberpack backpack and includes a spot for a laptop. Great backpack and still compact! So many folks seem to overlook this one...

Although some may find it essential to have their whole kit with them always, truth is your vision will benefit from working with one or two lenses only. Really what else do you need?

[Bill_1856]

If you're shooting B&W take the Ebony; if color take the digital.
There -- wasn't that easy?

[gary mulder]

A while back I took a trip to Iceland with exacty the same problem as you have, I took my dSLR and Linhoff with me. Afterwards I came to the conclusion that images taken with the dSLR were useless side by side on print with the Linhoff images because they lacked the necessary quality.
You can look at some images I made in Iceland at
http://www.xs4all.nl/~hamses/ijsland/index.html

[Diane Maher]

I am pondering this same thing for a trip I am taking to Seattle. I am planning to take my whole plate camera, two lenses and three holders (unless I can fit the above into my computer laptop bag (which is used strictly for photography) and I might take all five holders. I agree with the other replies in this thread.

[Daniel_Buck]

If you take the DSLR, you will want to go back in two years time with the next generation DSLR with higher MP count to improve your print quality.

I think it depends on what size prints you are going for.

[JPlomley]

I think it depends on what size prints you are going for

I generally follow the truism: It's better to have it and not need it, then it is to need it and not have it.

[davidb]

I was in Iceland in April of 2007. Amazing place. I went specifically to photograph.

I took my Hasselblad and left everything else at home. I am glad I did.

Iceland's weather this time of year is cold, damp, and windy. Setting up a 4x5 with a long lens and a dark cloth in the wind while trying to keep the camera from sailing away could be a serious task.

The weather changes almost immediately. Like nothing I've ever seen.

But to be honest, I'd probably bring my 4x5 and my 110SS, and my Hasselblad if I were to go back.

It's an amazing place. Email if you have questions.

[Aender Brepsom]

:D I won't say this very loud here, but personally I would take my new 1Ds Mark III (with 17-40mm, TS-E 24mm and 70-200mm) and leave my Ebony at home. That would be quite a light setup, very versatile, weather sealed and the image quality is not that bad after all ...
Too bad you cannot take both equipments. It is a hard decision that only you can take, considering your preferences.
Good luck in Iceland!

[Ed Richards]

Get a Pelican case and put some gear in the hold. Short of losing it, they are not going to hurt gear in foam in a Pelican case. Buy an insurance rider from your home owners insurer and stop worrying about the gear being lost. Then take the dslr so you can get some pictures if it is raining all the time. It does not make sense to let worries about physical damage to gear keep you from using it.

[butterfly]

Thanks so much for all the replies. Gary, your Iceland Photos are terrific! Since owning the Ebony I have not used the DSLR much at all, because I get so much satisfaction from 4x5. As for print size, I just like to get a couple of great shots to blow up big and put on the wall. As folks here say, the quality is there to be able to do that.

right - decided! 4x5, with Velvia and some colour neg as advised.

*maybe* I'll have a few worth sharing here in a month or two.

Best wishes everyone

Steve

[mrladewig]

Steve,

What I've seen of iceland it looks like there are some very high contrast scenes. You might want to carry some Provia and Astia with you for these situations if you aren't as comfortable shooting with the color neg.

Hope you have a great trip. Iceland is one of the places on my short list.

Mel-

[jetcode]

Hello all,

Ok - here's the issue. I fly to Iceland in 4 weeks. Baggage limit (take on) is 10KG.

I was planning to take my Canon digital SLR and a couple of lenses and my Ebony.
Well just adding up the weight of all this stuff is going to be near on impossible to get on the aircraft, and there is no way I'm putting it in the hold.

pack it well and put it in the hold - problem solved

[roteague]

If you're shooting B&W take the Ebony; if color take the digital.
There -- wasn't that easy?


No, not really. A preference for color or B&W has no relation to camera choice. Personally, I'd leave the digi-toy at home and take the Ebony if I was going (and all I shoot is color).

I travel a bit by air and I know the frustration of what to carry. On my last trip, I carried a Nikon F6, Nikon D200, 2 Nikon lenses, 3 LF lenses, 100 sheets of Velvia, 40 rolls of 35mm Velvia on the airplane with me - and still met the weight restrictions. I put the three lenses in a fanny pack around my waist, and took all the 35mm film out of the boxes.

The Toyo 4x5 was in my checked luggage - I put it in a locked bag (TSA lock), and then locked it to the internal frame of the suitcase as well. It wouldn't stop anyone who really wanted it, but the majority of people don't even know what a LF camera is, much less see any value in stealing it.

[eddie]

i would say definitely say bring some color neg film. i learned my lesson several years ago at the grand canyon.

if you need a second camera bring a range finder and put it in your pocket. i have a small 35mm SLR that i would put in my coat pocket. this way it would not be weighed with your bag.

eddie

[Frank Petronio]

All in all, it is probably the best reason not to buy an expensive Ebony because now you're caught in the horror of checking it and the fear of damage or theft. So it isn't doing you much good...

Get a cheaper 4x5. A Crown Graphic or a bullet proof Toyo or an old Technika.

90% or more of the time most landscapists are just using a little rise and tilt, so all the bells and whistles on these luxury cameras are just that.

[Hollis]

Yes, go with the 1ds mkIII. I love mine and the image quality is superb. As far as putting your gear in a pelican case and putting it under the plane, I would reconsider. I flew to White Sands 6 months ago and had my wista, some lenses, and my canon 5d and two L series lenses in a pelican case and it was opened up during transit and someone selectively took my digital gear out. It ruined me and I am just now getting back on my feet.

There is an in-depth description of what happened on my site in the 'news' section.

WWW.HOLLISBENNETT.com

other than that, have fun. Im sure that you can always pay a little extra to have your gear on-board, even if it is under the table.

[joolsb]

90% or more of the time most landscapists are just using a little rise and tilt, so all the bells and whistles on these luxury cameras are just that.

There speaks a man who has obviously never used asymmetric movements.... :D

[walter23]

Hello all,

Ok - here's the issue. I fly to Iceland in 4 weeks. Baggage limit (take on) is 10KG.

I was planning to take my Canon digital SLR and a couple of lenses and my Ebony.
Well just adding up the weight of all this stuff is going to be near on impossible to get on the aircraft, and there is no way I'm putting it in the hold.

In the past I've travelled with just the digital, taken up to 200 shots in a week with about 20 real quality keepers, so I am wondering if I should leave the Digital at home and concentrate on the 4x5. I will be taking landscapes almost exclusively, and hope to catch the aurora (anyone done astro night stuff successfully with 4x5?).

I am thinking I should go, enjoy, take a shot only when it is really worth it (the essence of LF isn't it?). I can take snaps to satisfy my family with my tiny Leica 35mm compact!

Finally, I love Velvia but wonder if I should rely on this or shoot Colour neg?

Any thoughts appreciated. It's decision time for me on this.

Steve

Last month I travelled with only the 4x5 for the first time. It was a really enjoyable experience; I got a lot of good shooting in. In the past I've always brought both the 4x5 and the DSLR, but I enjoyed the LF-only experience. You'll miss some shots, but that's life. What's the value in trying to document every single place and moment you encounter, anyway? I found that I actually saw and enjoyed more things that I'd otherwise have been squinting at and rapid-firing through the tiny viewfinder, and with LF you can concentrate on finding the one quintessential shot that defines the experience anyway instead of filling a memory card with the experience. It was also easier to get motivated to take the LF rig out; where normally I'd have decided on the DSLR for convenience, I had to bring my 4x5, and I usually was glad of it when I found that one shot I wanted ;)

[Aender Brepsom]

I have to agree with Walter about only bringing one camera system on a trip. It has happened to me too when I tried to work with the DSLR and the Ebony at the same scene. Sometimes, I thought it would be a good idea to capture a scene on both film and digital, but I could never really concentrate on the job. The workflow and the state of mind of the two are too different. It is better to bring just one camera.

[roteague]

The workflow and the state of mind of the two are too different. It is better to bring just one camera.

Yes, it took me years to get to the point where I could shoot both LF and 35mm at the same time. I shoot both, but for different purposes, looking for different results.

I did have workflow issues shooting both the F6 and the D200; I use the D200 simply for updating my blog as I travel. Next time, I'll leave the D200 at home, and not bother to update by blog.

[Ben R]

The light in Iceland doesn't change very fast so you will have enough time for LF photography. I found myself using a lot longer focal lengths so maybe keep that in mind.

[Ben R]

That said, just how much light is there at this time of year? I was ther in July...

[Carsten Wolff]

I often have the same decision to make as I regularly fly on small planes.
In my case I check the 7-day weather forecast a day before the flights
and make my decision then. So if the forecast is for not too windy conditions (and not too wet), I either go with a light version of my LF kit, e.g. Arca B-line 4x5 and 3 light lenses, or a small slr and one lens, or even just my 6x9 Agfa folder.
A compact digital is in my pocket anyway.
I'm not sure how long you're going to be in Iceland for, but you'll find it hard to find calm enough days (nights) at the moment, so bear that in mind. Iceland is a challenging part of the world for LF-outdoors-tripod work in winter. Esp. wind is a huge factor. This is probably a widespread phenomenon; many pack a great deal of (camera) gear to go to far-flung places without getting meaningful weather-, or at the very least seasonal climate-advice and then the weather is unsuitable for what they want to do :(. This Icelandic weather webpage is pretty good by the way: http://andvari.vedur.is/english/ I don't know how much LF you've done in freezing climes, but feel free to also look at my and others' responses to Asher's recent post Photography in the freezing cold! although Iceland is positively warm at the mo', compared to Antarctica...
PS: Astro-stuff works really well with 4x5, just keep it nice and open; check how much cloud cover/wind/dew/snow you can expect and your moon phase.
I actually would feel more at ease leaving the 20$ 6x9 out at night.....