I need an advice - travel to Australia with 8x10?

[Navera]

In a few weeks I am going to Brisbane, Australia- from Athens, Georgia. It will be by far the farthest away from home I've ever been, and I would really like to take my camera. The problem is this, I am a one camera and ones lens type of guy, and the camera is 8x10.. I just bought a new 8x10, the 8.6lb wehman, would I be crazy to try and take it on my trip with me? I'm 24 and in school, I have no type of insurance for my gear or anything like that... I'm rambling, but I've been reading all these travel threads and it seems like everyone is traveling with 4x5 outfits, which seems much less complicated in terms of weight.. Any suggestions besides "Buy a 4x5 camera" ?..

My head is spinning...

[LabRat]

One modern problem is many security types don't know what film is these days, and if you go through a checkpoint without letting them scan it, there are stories of them taking it into a back room, opening the box (in roomlight) to see if there are any no-no ' s in the box...

Slower films can withstand a few scans without damage, but YMMV...

Steve K

[Tin Can]

Pack camera and film in small backpack carry on

Buy anything else on location

Clothes, Tripod, boots

Shipping stuff to down under is slow and expensive

[John Kasaian]

I think it depends on your reasons for taking the 8x10.
If you're driven by a project, by all means take it along.
For snapshots, there are better tools

Australia is a huge country and slogging around willy-nilly with an 8x10 and all the goodies doesn't sound like much of a vacation
but YMMV
Do get some insurance though!

[abruzzi]

Actually, with the new scanners that they are rolling out, I'm buy the film and chemicals to develop the film once you arrive. The new scanners can even fog slow film in a single pass. In the US you can request a hand inspection, but if you encounter an uninformed agent, they may spoil the entire box. I don't know how the Australian airport security handles requests for hand inspection.

Buy your film and chemicals there and budget time for developing when you're there, and you don't need to worry about x-rays.

[Cameron Cornell]

I went to Europe for six weeks in the summer of 2019 with an 8x10 Kodak Master Camera. You can see pictures of my setup in the later parts of the following thread:

https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?151789-8x10-in-Paris-Chamonix-Normandy-Dublin-Clonakilty

Cameron Cornell
Washington State
analogportraiture.com

[Ulophot]

you might try this:
https://viewcameraaustralia.org/contact/

Also, there are several individuals on this board from Australia who may have experience with customs there.

[Willie]

Lois Connor photographed in China with a 7x10 view camera and traveled around on a bicycle much of the time.

If it is what you want to do - why not?

I would take advice on here and make contact and have at least one or two sheets of film processed there so you can spot any gear problems early so they don't ruin all your images.

[pmviewcam]

Most major airports use the new CT scanners. The only way to get film hand inspected is to apply to Aviation Security in Melbourne and get approval. That doesn't necessarily mean the the individual airport security people will take any notice of an approval. There are camera shops in the capital cities for accessing Ilford and Kodak LF film, although 10x8 can be harder to find. Ordering ahead, Blanco Negro (Sydney) for Foma film, Gold Street Studios (Melbourne) for Bergger both will likely have 10x8, Vanbar (Melbourne) should carry it as well. CR Kennedy are the Ilford agents in Australia, and are in Melbourne. There are also public darkrooms in most capital cities as well.

Travelling with a 10x8 in rural areas should not be a problem if you have a rental vehicle. In the cities, the usual issues of using traffic, public transport, setting up tripods, etc do exist, but generally you shouldn't be hassled. Good luck with your trip. As an aside, you do know there is a 14-day mandatory Covid-19 quarantine in operation in Australia, which you have to fund yourself. Currently the best place for quarantining in Australia is at Howard Springs in Darwin. In the other places you are literally stuck in a hotel room for 14 days

[Nigel Smith]

For those suggesting buying 8x10 film here, you may have trouble laying your hands on it. Vanbars (in Melb) is listing some 8x10 in stock but the price might give you a heart attack! No idea what's available in Brisbane... probably have to get it sent there from Sydney or Melbourne. Someone might know of a local supplier.

But, can you come here for a holiday at the moment? I think international arrivals have to do 2 weeks quarantine, which you have to pay for... about AUD$3K. Read this
https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert/coronavirus-covid-19-restrictions/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-international-travellers

[Fred L]

you're getting into the country ? heard it was hard as hell to get permission to enter, even for citizens stranded overseas.

re:8x10. If you're travelling in country, I understand they are very strict re: carry on baggage weights. so the camera, filmed holders might be too much. before times, I'd consider it, but currently ? not sure. If you have a 4x5 outfit, I'd take that instead tbh, unless you are wedded to the 8x10 format. and as mentioned previously, X-rays will be the real issue when flying.

good luck, and try to get to Victoria (Melbourne specifically). It's a wonderful state and some fine camera stores in Melnourne's cbb.

[seall]

Don't know about the camera gear but I will tell you that the nice people on the plane may give you food such as fruit before you leave the plane.

Make sure you DO NOT TAKE THE FRUIT WITH YOU FROM THE PLANE!!! Leave it on the airplane. Do not try to take fruit through customs. There are many countries where it is not a problem but it is a problem going in to Australia.

Have a great time!

[Vaughn]

Nah -- just eat it all before you get to customs, and I believe there is a bin to toss in fruit, etc before customs. :cool:

I hope you can make it there...cause that means things are mellowing out! I have flown w/ 8x10 across country once (pre 9/11), but only 4x5 and 5x7 overseas. I was held up slightly in Peru when the scanner person had no idea what she was looking at (a 110 year old 5x7 camera). This was a couple years ago -- I just sent the film/holders on thru with the carry-on. FP4+ with no issues.

[Drew Wiley]

Ship your film to a prearranged location in advance. Bring a film changing tent or equivalent. Treat your filmholders with antistatic spray if you're headed out into the dusty desert. People have gone to far more remote places with far bigger cameras. Getting a basic 8x10 system into an airline carryon can be done, but takes a bit of forethought. The tripod might be allowed near the front of the plane in something analogous to a golf bag. Golfers seem to do it all the time, but check with the specific airline in advance, or else take a tripod that will collapse down inside a regulation carryon. Whether it's a smart time to travel is a more complicated question. Some countries might be off limits to international travelers for quite awhile.

[Rayt]

I travelled a lot with 4x5 the last few times to Tokyo, Venice, and Bruges but that was before the new CRT scanners. I would just let the film go through the scanners because to request a hand check would run the chance of someone opening the box. Post CRT era I had fresh film shipped to my hotel and I used FedEx to send back the exposed film. All in all that more or less doubled the film budget. Still worth it.

[Paul Ewins]

Big thing to remember is that Australian size carry-on luggage (for domestic travel) is smaller than US size. It is very rare for it to be weighed on Qantas or Virgin, but an oversize bag is pretty obvious and may get relegated to the hold. Checked luggage will be weighed and again will be less than you might be used to - usually 20kg, with a theoretical 8kg carry on bag. The budget carriers are less likely to be lenient since they can then charge you extra. An 8x10 appropriate tripod would be a bit of a nightmare without some sort of soft padded bag to protect it and even then the baggage-manglers would worry me. 8x10 *is* doable, but 4x5 would be a lot more sensible.

[LabRat]

I found that the time spent on location while traveling was the best indicator on what format to use... If someone only had a weekend someplace, they really don't have much time to scout out LF location sites and are lucky just to darken a few sheets of better and worst shots... If spending longer at a single locale, one's odds improve... Spending weeks or a month somewhere starts giving you a "home court advantage" as you can start to choose when the best time to shoot your pre-chosen subject is...

While staying somewhere strange, my usual best shots appear in front of me on early or late day relaxed walks with a smaller handheld camera as I explore relaxed, happen to have a camera with me, and make use of the moment...

Shooting far away also invites new issues you don't experience at home, like when I had to bring my (then new to me) Linhof Technika 4X5 to Puerto Rico only to find the humidity had swollen the film thickness, making it difficult to load/unload the sheets at night where I was staying... And the light can be very different than what you are used to etc...

But good luck, and live and learn!!! ;-)

Steve K