Eeek - too much gear - what to take?

[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]

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.