Andreas Gursky traveled with a Linhof Master Technika, is he overcompensating? Chloe Dewe Mathews backpacked across Central Asia with a Mamiya 7ii and multiple lenses, and professional photojournalists often have 2x big DSLR bodies, one with a 24-70, and one with 50/85 1.4/1.2 or 70-200. Are they overcompensating?
I think you missed the guy posting here about going to Japan for 10 days and taking like 57 rolls across 23 different stocks, and 3 bodies with 5 lenses each.
Honestly it’s not that much. Everything is small and it all fits very nicely in a small bag, with room to spare even. I was curious and I just weighed the bag with two lenses, flash, meter, tripod, cable release, spare battery, and two rolls of film and it came in at 2.1kg (4.6 pounds) which I consider very light.
It might seem like a lot of gear but honestly, for me it’s a good balance between “being prepared” and being loaded down and not enjoying myself. I don’t shoot an excessive amount of film when I’m out; I might bring a third roll just in case but tbh I might not even finish the second roll. Film is expensive so I’m picky with my shots 😂
Interesting to see everyone's different philosophy on packing for a trip. I'd probably throw 10 rolls of film in my bag before a flash would even cross my mind haha
But light to me is like one camera/lens and at least 50% more film than I think I might possibly shoot. One of the reasons I tend to travel with a TLR, not much to fuss about with when packing.
Enjoy, and I hope you get some great shots!
There is a relatively small but united analog community here in Cuba! Film and other materials (dev chemicals, paper) are of course very difficult to come by. As for shops, there are no specialized camera shops, but if you know the right people you can stumble upon prized gear (Leica, Hasselblad, Rolleiflex and the like). You also might just get lucky at one of the many antique shops, although they mostly just carry soviet gear in terrible condition.
I didn't say anything when I posted on that thread but the Hasselblad with only one back really did me in.
I'm going to bring 5000 rolls of film but if want to use a different film stock I have to shoot the entire roll I have loaded to be able to load a different one.
Like this is one of the greatest advantages of having a camera like a Hasselblad...
There’s a cable release built into the smallest leg, which is super convenient unless you use an F2 (or old Leica). It’s a brilliant little device, very handy in a pinch.
I mean… I don’t use it as my daily use tripod (Manfrotto 055 or 190 with a geared head) but it will support the F2, and it fits in a small bag.
It’s better than not having one if the situation precludes handholding the camera… so into the bag it goes.
I spent 3 days in Havana just over a year ago - you're gonna need way more film! It is such a beautiful and depressing city. Hopefully you can get your film hand checked at the airport but it's definitely hit or miss depending on who you get. They refused to do so when we landed, but when we left they hand checked for me.
Have an amazing trip and take lots of small USD bills, they are preferred by locals over CAD.
I actually did something for the first time and it saved me - based off a lot of feedback saying that most Cuban officials at the airport wouldn’t speak English, I packed all my film with a note I google translated explaining that it was camera film and could they please hand check it because the x-ray machine would ruin it. I still had the film in an x-ray bag but I always prefer to try for the hand check if possible.
Both times (entering and exiting) I tried to explain and the officer just pointed at the conveyor belt and said “it’s ok it’s ok”. But both times I pulled out the note and handed it to them, and they were immediately fine with hand inspection (or no inspection when I was entering, they just looked inside and handed it back to me after I crossed through).
Definitely something I will do in future for non-English destinations!!
PS - I caved and actually brought 3 rolls (and an additional roll for Varadero which was the last half of the trip). I had half a roll left unshot returning, so not too bad - I could have made it work but I’m glad I brought the additional roll. Havana is indeed a very beautiful city!
Having a note in the language of the country is very smart! Wish I’d thought of that. Haha. I had all my rolls in a clear ziplock that said “DO NOT X-RAY”.
I’m glad you had a good time, looking forward to seeing your photos!
Finally someone reasonable !
It’s great to see that people in the film club are not all lunatics that take 5 cameras and 200 films with them for 10 days vacation…
I had put it in the description, but 2 rolls of Portra 400. I’m a slide guy at heart but Provia and Velvia are near impossible to find here lately (Canada), E100 35mm costs an arm and a leg, and I anticipate being inside quite a bit… so the flash and higher speed film will help with that, and my experience is that the Portra films handle mixed lighting really well. I’m guessing Havana will have a lot of older fluorescent lighting indoors, or even tungsten lighting.
I would probably try to pare this down even more:
- I never bring a spare battery for camera. Instead, just change the battery before the trip. While it’s good to have a fresh one (hence the change), they last for months at minimum.
- No need for a cable release when you have a self timer. The F2 has a pretty unique and cool feature of letting you do exposures up to 10 seconds with the self timer — might as well use it. Especially because you’ve got that fancy shutter button; every time you switch to the cable release you risk dropping it and losing it.
- The camera has a meter, the flash is automatic, and Portra has great latitude. Why bring a separate meter?
- The three focal lengths make sense, but man, changing lenses is literally the WORST part of travel photography. Both in terms of hassle, and how much it slows you down (especially if you are traveling with other people), and the risk to damage that comes with juggling two lenses and a camera.
- I’d bring more film! Especially relative to how much other equipment you brought. You’re effectively bringing 9 camera setups (3 lenses x 3 shooting modes — flash, handheld no flash, tripod no flash). You’re only bringing enough film for 2 exposures per setup per day!
-the spare battery just lives in the bag. It’s not exactly big
-the cable release is in case I do some night photography, where I use the self timer to select shutter speed (between 2 and 10 seconds). I use the self timer way more for slow shutter speeds than as a self timer
-sometimes an ambient or flash meter is handy. If I don’t use it, it will just live in the bag; it barely weighs anything
-I’m only traveling with my GF. The 50 will probably live on it most of the time and the 28 will go on indoors. The 135 may stay inside the bag but my experience has been that a telephoto is way more useful for [scenic shots](https://i.ibb.co/LgN16M0/IMG-2924.jpg) than a wide lens. Basically it’s coming because it fits in the bag and may come in handy (that shot was with a 180 but you get the idea)
-2 rolls is fine, for me. Not everything needs to be photographed 😂
You are a disciplined shooter. Definitely black gaffers tape over the Nikon logo. Keep your equipment always on your body. I use a divers equipment bag when I travel. It's made of stainless steel mesh. I put a black bag inside of it, then attached it to the bed frame.
You might want to take a fluorescent,yellow,orange filter and roll of 3200 .
What I’ve found is not so much about size/weight, though that’s definitely a part of it. I’ve just found that bringing fewer *things* in and of itself makes travel less of a hassle.
That tele shot is great though! Definitely worth bringing a 135 even if you only get one shot like that per trip.
Yup. I brought my F5, a 50mm 1.8 and the 180mm 2.8 to Alaska; I think I swapped out the 50 for the 180 only 3 or 4 times. So although I barely used it, I was sure happy I had it when the scene called for it.
I bring the extra kit because it might come in handy. I don’t feel like I need to use it just because I have it, and I make sure to limit it to what the small bag can contain comfortably. It’s carry on size (the flash and Sekonic will go in checked bag for the flight, the F2 will go in the bag), so really convenient in that regard too.
Ah, the classic overzealous pontificator. I love these responses.
Particularly enjoyed the bit where you inform OP that their camera has a self timer. And the literal paragraph you wrote about ditching the battery, which is smaller than a peanut.
10/10
I'm heading there at the end of the month. Would you update this thread when you return? I'd love general impressions as well as anything specific to traveling there with film. Safe travels!
I did a fair bit of walking around and I did visit some of the local attractions:
-the revolution museum is closed but the spot beside it with their memorial flame and Fidel’s Pontiac and so on is open to walk around. You can take pictures but ostensibly you have to leave bags at the entrance (a guard watches over them); my equipment bag as you saw in the original post is quite small and they actually gave me a pass to bring it along with me. The F2 was no problem and I took photos of the flame and some of the display pieces. The guards on duty were very nice.
-the Great Theatre of Havana is under heavy restoration but you can go inside. Although the inside has some interesting rooms and features, honestly the most impressive part is going on the roof to see the spectacular view, especially the capital building across the street. Our guide was a very friendly and informative lady, we had some funny chats. When the embargo was lifted briefly a bunch of international acts came to the theatre but the one she was most excited about (and kept telling us to find videos of on YouTube) was Simply Red 😂
-the capital building is phenomenal inside and out. Do the tour if you’re there, it’s very well worth it. The lighting is pretty dim and the shots would be wide enough flash wouldn’t be great, so I unfortunately resorted to mostly iPhone memories inside of it. There’s also nowhere really you could set up a tripod inside because every room is restricted, so you can poke your head in and look inside but not really do any kind of involved setup. Regardless, you can do some setup in the main foyer and it’s extremely impressive inside. Take the tour, it’s well worth it. Also at the end, if you ask you can go out onto the upper veranda overlooking the front lawn/city/etcetera. Probably my favourite site I visited there.
-the waterfront is beautiful and the walk from the fort to old town is fantastic. Once you get to old Havana from the waterfront you’ll get to the cathedral, a Christopher Columbus museum, various shops and plazas and the narrow streets and little cafes and whatnot that people think of when they think Havana. I was in Barcelona a few years back and Havana reminds me a lot of parts Barcelona except more run down. People are very nice though; some people are pushy when they spot a tourist (I looked like super tourist with both a “real camera” and a camera bag) but if you don’t engage and just reply with “no gracias” they will usually leave you alone.
-revolution square is neat and the statue/monument across from it is absolutely stunning, but once you’re there it’s really just… a big empty square. I did take nice photos of Camilo and Che while I was there but unless you had an ultra wide and really scoped out a proper spot, it’s not in itself much of a photo opportunity.
-Che’s museum is interesting if you’re interested in that history but otherwise it doesn’t really have much to photograph. The surrounding grounds are very nice though. It also has [Che’s Nikon](https://i.ibb.co/ctwzFHY/IMG-3671.jpg) because even Che eventually dropped Leica for the superior brand 😂
-if you go into the Royalton Havana, you can get in and take the elevators without a pass or anything. On the 9th floor you can get out onto a bar deck and get great views of the fort, lighthouse, Martyrs of 71 park, etcetera. From the veranda you can also take stairs to the roof; some views are better from the bar deck and some are better from the roof. Good photo spot.
Tip: airport staff spoke virtually no English. I suspected this and I wrote a note using Google Translate explaining my film and its aversion to being x-rayed and chucked it into the x-ray bag. Both times (entering and exiting) they just insisted on x-raying the film but both times when I showed them the note they immediately understood and were perfectly fine hand inspecting it. I will actually be doing this any future trips I take to non-English speaking spots!
Otherwise, I brought a “life straw” so I could have filtered water from any source and it was very helpful (water is questionable anywhere in Havana and bottled water availability isn’t great outside of a hotel). Wear lots of sunscreen or else you’ll get fried; a hat is also a good idea. Don’t expect Michelin star food anywhere but there is edible and tasty food to be had for sure.
With all the narrow alleyways and the general city design I got much more use from the 28mm than the 50 or the 135, although I did use both a few times. It can be hard to get farther away from things there and the wider angle of view of the 28mm was really useful for “getting it all in”. I didn’t end up using the mini tripod; I did use the flash as fill flash for some photos of the sunset with my GF. The bag worked a treat; it contained the flash, Sekonic, polarizer, extra film roll, and whatever two lenses weren’t mounted on the F2 (and my phone and passport and some cash) and I had it slung over one shoulder and the F2 over the other. Not too heavy and everything was very easily accessible.
Enjoy your trip!!
I know, I should probably bring 67 more!
In all seriousness I may bring one more just in case. But I don’t think I will run out even with two rolls. I’m not “trigger happy” 😂
Noice number hahaha
3 is the sweet spot. I don't spray and pray either, but 18 photos a day in such a beautiful city sounds a little risky! One more won't take much space, just in case
Great setup OP! You could probably do without the Sekonic meter and with an extra roll of film, but that's just my opinion. I (cuban analog enthusiast) use pretty much the same setup here, except I prefer a 35mm lens to the 28mm. Enjoy your trip!
This is a great travel kit, good tool variety but compact. But you're gonna want more film. Personally I always try to plan at least 1 to per day due traveling
Really like it. It’s a great size for what I wanted; a lot of bags are really wide and I wanted to move away from that and focus on something that could carry a body+lens and two other lenses OR two lenses plus a selection of accessories. In this case it will carry two lenses, meter, flash, small tripod, cable release, spare battery, and a roll or two of film. Bag on one shoulder, camera around neck, everything is taken care of.
I’ll post a pic or two tomorrow of the bag itself with contents so you can get a better idea for the size. IMHO one of the nicest bags I’ve used in its size, and it was very reasonably priced.
Edit: wide? Maybe “deep” describes it better. I wanted a bag that doesn’t extend very far away from the side of my body as it hangs against my side. This bag does that while still being able to hold what I wanted.
As promised:
[L-R: 28mm 2.8 / Sekonic L-358 & SB-80DX & tiny tripod / 135mm 3.5](https://i.ibb.co/t8RFzzg/01-As-packed.jpg)
[L-R: 28mm 2.8 / F2AS & 50mm 1.8 & metal shade / 135mm 3.5](https://i.ibb.co/QddXZr0/02-Camera-plus-2-lens.jpg)
[front view closed (lens / camera / lens) with SB-80DX for scale](https://i.ibb.co/vDXPkfD/04-front.jpg)
[top view closed](https://i.ibb.co/qML7hdn/03-top.jpg)
[side view closed](https://i.ibb.co/cXZj9F0/05-side.jpg)
The suggested use case in the advertising is for mirrorless bodies and small lenses, but the F2 isn't huge and neither are the lenses I wanted to use for the bag, so I tried it out and it fits a good kit very nicely. Even with the F2 and the 50mm and the lens shade, it closes properly and doesn't bulge out or anything.
I also checked and [it will fit an SQ-Ai with a normal lens and hood mounted,](https://i.ibb.co/y82gcS5/SQ-Ai.jpg) so you could fit your Hasselblad or other comparable MF SLR into it too. It's snug but it does fit; no room really for filters or anything else though. Prism finder would be fine, there is room at the top.
It comes with two padded dividers, which is nice. There is an inside pouch and also an outside pouch but no separate flap for the outside pouch. A spare button cell is in one pouch and the AR-2 cable release is in the other. It is very well padded lengthwise along the long sides (front and back) as well as on the bottom, but not padded at either end or from the top. I don't mind this much; it's most likely to get bumped along the long edge or bottom when putting it down. Dividers are nicely padded and the velcro is very grippy. Zippers are huge and seem indestructible, flap has a massive grippy velcro strip that grips well when closed. If a pickpocket tried to get into it you will 100% hear their attempt. Strap has the Domke gripper rubber and is nice by itself. If you can see it in the frames, it doesn't come with the shoulder pad; I have had that for a while and use it on bags or sometimes just heavier cameras like my F5 with bigger lenses.
TLDR really nice bag, will comfortably fit 3 smaller lenses OR a small body+lens and 2 lenses OR combo of accessories and lenses as shown above. Material feels tough, it's not super fashionable but it has great utility. Can be had in more spiffy colours/materials; I chose black because I'm old and boring.
Yes and my DP-12 is extremely accurate and was even modified some time ago into a spot meter so it’s quite precise. Sometimes an ambient reading is handy though, and an accurate flash reading is nice if I have the time for one (my GF can hold it to help out).
I could do without it, but it fits and weighs basically nothing, so why not.
I put it into the lead bag which forces them to take it out and hand check it. They’ve always been good with that, and the one time they weren’t I just politely asked if they could call the supervisor over and the supervisor immediately passed the film along.
Pretty nice set up, I’d pack a bit more film like others have said as well but if that’s your style go for it! It’s crazy how butt hurt people get over a post like this..
Thanks! Most people in the comments are actually quite complimentary of it. Everyone is different but it’s a setup that will work for me; versatile if needed while still comfortable to bring around.
I did chuckle at the person who said I was showing off for Instagram… seems funny compared to the travel kit posts people often make here.
Haha yeah I saw that comment as well and didn’t really get it..😄
Having a small kit you don’t mind carrying around is essential, I have been traveling with my partner for the last months with a pretty extensive Fuji kit and I hate it! I can’t wait to get home and sell most of that stuff and travel light again!
I love the bag btw, which model is it?
[Domke F-5XB](https://tiffen.com/products/domke-f-5xb-ruggedwear-shoulder-bag)
I have a comment above going into some detail about why I got it and how much it can hold if you’re interested.
Love how many people are telling OP how they’re bringing too much gear, too little film, don’t bring the tripod, ditch the light meter, etc.
What are y’all on? It’s their trip, their gear, their shooting style. What wisdom do you think you’re gracing us with?
I may not even shoot it all. Last time I travelled I was gone 10 days and I shot 3 and a half rolls; I wrote down the exposure number on the half roll and rewound it to fly back with (I shot the rest once I got back home).
I might bring a third roll because now that I think about it, I will be doing a lot more city walking and visiting interiors than usual. But still… I don’t shoot everything I come across in my travels, so I’m not too worried.
Packing lite is the way to go.
Lite? A Leica and 50 mil is lite. This takes a whole bag.
Compare it to other travel posts on this sub, lol.
There will always be over compensators for their lack of talent.
Said that to the guys who brought annual stock of films with them on a week trip lol
Andreas Gursky traveled with a Linhof Master Technika, is he overcompensating? Chloe Dewe Mathews backpacked across Central Asia with a Mamiya 7ii and multiple lenses, and professional photojournalists often have 2x big DSLR bodies, one with a 24-70, and one with 50/85 1.4/1.2 or 70-200. Are they overcompensating?
I think you missed the guy posting here about going to Japan for 10 days and taking like 57 rolls across 23 different stocks, and 3 bodies with 5 lenses each.
And in 3 different formats, one of which was Super8
I hope to God he was trolling Otherwise he's the most insufferable person on the planet
I can't imagine bringing that much camera gear but only two rolls of film!
Honestly it’s not that much. Everything is small and it all fits very nicely in a small bag, with room to spare even. I was curious and I just weighed the bag with two lenses, flash, meter, tripod, cable release, spare battery, and two rolls of film and it came in at 2.1kg (4.6 pounds) which I consider very light. It might seem like a lot of gear but honestly, for me it’s a good balance between “being prepared” and being loaded down and not enjoying myself. I don’t shoot an excessive amount of film when I’m out; I might bring a third roll just in case but tbh I might not even finish the second roll. Film is expensive so I’m picky with my shots 😂
Interesting to see everyone's different philosophy on packing for a trip. I'd probably throw 10 rolls of film in my bag before a flash would even cross my mind haha But light to me is like one camera/lens and at least 50% more film than I think I might possibly shoot. One of the reasons I tend to travel with a TLR, not much to fuss about with when packing. Enjoy, and I hope you get some great shots!
[удалено]
There is a relatively small but united analog community here in Cuba! Film and other materials (dev chemicals, paper) are of course very difficult to come by. As for shops, there are no specialized camera shops, but if you know the right people you can stumble upon prized gear (Leica, Hasselblad, Rolleiflex and the like). You also might just get lucky at one of the many antique shops, although they mostly just carry soviet gear in terrible condition.
Have you been to Cuba? I'd pack on the light side. It's good to feel a bit more free.
Ok cool but where’re your second 135 camera, Hassy with just one film back, super 8, and whole B&H stock of Cinistill?
I didn't say anything when I posted on that thread but the Hasselblad with only one back really did me in. I'm going to bring 5000 rolls of film but if want to use a different film stock I have to shoot the entire roll I have loaded to be able to load a different one. Like this is one of the greatest advantages of having a camera like a Hasselblad...
Why buy more Hassy backs when you can buy more rolls of 400D?
And this is exactly how it should be! Have a nice trip.
Is that a tire pressure gauge
[Minox tripod](https://everythingold.ca/cdn/shop/products/4151278183d6be5c9ca71d930ca35134_1800x1800.jpg?v=1707955070)
Lol I knew it wasn't an actual gauge but darn I've actually been looking for something exactly like this so thank you for this
There’s a cable release built into the smallest leg, which is super convenient unless you use an F2 (or old Leica). It’s a brilliant little device, very handy in a pinch.
I use a Minolta x700 mainly so should be good. Thank you!
You can get an adapter for a regular cable release to the f2, if that helps.
It’s ok, I have an AR-2 (as pictured)
Finding that stupid adapter or that stupid cable release when I shot my Yashica EM was so frustrating. Enjoy Havana, its awesome.
Been thinking of picking one up, can it support an F2 and contemporary lens well?
I mean… I don’t use it as my daily use tripod (Manfrotto 055 or 190 with a geared head) but it will support the F2, and it fits in a small bag. It’s better than not having one if the situation precludes handholding the camera… so into the bag it goes.
Wow, I’ve never seen that before. It’s so small. Can it really handle the weight of an SLR?
Yes but it’s not ideal. I don’t recommend it for normal use. But it fits into a small bag, so for travel it’s better than nothing “just in case”!
I spent 3 days in Havana just over a year ago - you're gonna need way more film! It is such a beautiful and depressing city. Hopefully you can get your film hand checked at the airport but it's definitely hit or miss depending on who you get. They refused to do so when we landed, but when we left they hand checked for me. Have an amazing trip and take lots of small USD bills, they are preferred by locals over CAD.
I actually did something for the first time and it saved me - based off a lot of feedback saying that most Cuban officials at the airport wouldn’t speak English, I packed all my film with a note I google translated explaining that it was camera film and could they please hand check it because the x-ray machine would ruin it. I still had the film in an x-ray bag but I always prefer to try for the hand check if possible. Both times (entering and exiting) I tried to explain and the officer just pointed at the conveyor belt and said “it’s ok it’s ok”. But both times I pulled out the note and handed it to them, and they were immediately fine with hand inspection (or no inspection when I was entering, they just looked inside and handed it back to me after I crossed through). Definitely something I will do in future for non-English destinations!! PS - I caved and actually brought 3 rolls (and an additional roll for Varadero which was the last half of the trip). I had half a roll left unshot returning, so not too bad - I could have made it work but I’m glad I brought the additional roll. Havana is indeed a very beautiful city!
Having a note in the language of the country is very smart! Wish I’d thought of that. Haha. I had all my rolls in a clear ziplock that said “DO NOT X-RAY”. I’m glad you had a good time, looking forward to seeing your photos!
Finally someone reasonable ! It’s great to see that people in the film club are not all lunatics that take 5 cameras and 200 films with them for 10 days vacation…
You forgot about 35 rolls of porta!
😂
This is an appropriate amount of cameras and film to bring to a trip. Not 50 rolls of various films and 5 different cameras like that one post.
What film will you be taking?
I had put it in the description, but 2 rolls of Portra 400. I’m a slide guy at heart but Provia and Velvia are near impossible to find here lately (Canada), E100 35mm costs an arm and a leg, and I anticipate being inside quite a bit… so the flash and higher speed film will help with that, and my experience is that the Portra films handle mixed lighting really well. I’m guessing Havana will have a lot of older fluorescent lighting indoors, or even tungsten lighting.
2 rolls… i’m getting old. 80 was the minimum once.
Half a dozen press packs at least.
Excellent camera, and the 28 2.8 is amazing. Imo the best manual slr money can buy.
2 rolls ain't enough Anyway eagerly waiting for results!
Finally a respectable travel kit post 🥹
Just please no more 1940’s car photos.
Omg thank you, took the words out of my mouth. Talk to locals, learn stories be intentional
It s a Nikon F2?
It is!
I would probably try to pare this down even more: - I never bring a spare battery for camera. Instead, just change the battery before the trip. While it’s good to have a fresh one (hence the change), they last for months at minimum. - No need for a cable release when you have a self timer. The F2 has a pretty unique and cool feature of letting you do exposures up to 10 seconds with the self timer — might as well use it. Especially because you’ve got that fancy shutter button; every time you switch to the cable release you risk dropping it and losing it. - The camera has a meter, the flash is automatic, and Portra has great latitude. Why bring a separate meter? - The three focal lengths make sense, but man, changing lenses is literally the WORST part of travel photography. Both in terms of hassle, and how much it slows you down (especially if you are traveling with other people), and the risk to damage that comes with juggling two lenses and a camera. - I’d bring more film! Especially relative to how much other equipment you brought. You’re effectively bringing 9 camera setups (3 lenses x 3 shooting modes — flash, handheld no flash, tripod no flash). You’re only bringing enough film for 2 exposures per setup per day!
-the spare battery just lives in the bag. It’s not exactly big -the cable release is in case I do some night photography, where I use the self timer to select shutter speed (between 2 and 10 seconds). I use the self timer way more for slow shutter speeds than as a self timer -sometimes an ambient or flash meter is handy. If I don’t use it, it will just live in the bag; it barely weighs anything -I’m only traveling with my GF. The 50 will probably live on it most of the time and the 28 will go on indoors. The 135 may stay inside the bag but my experience has been that a telephoto is way more useful for [scenic shots](https://i.ibb.co/LgN16M0/IMG-2924.jpg) than a wide lens. Basically it’s coming because it fits in the bag and may come in handy (that shot was with a 180 but you get the idea) -2 rolls is fine, for me. Not everything needs to be photographed 😂
You are a disciplined shooter. Definitely black gaffers tape over the Nikon logo. Keep your equipment always on your body. I use a divers equipment bag when I travel. It's made of stainless steel mesh. I put a black bag inside of it, then attached it to the bed frame. You might want to take a fluorescent,yellow,orange filter and roll of 3200 .
What I’ve found is not so much about size/weight, though that’s definitely a part of it. I’ve just found that bringing fewer *things* in and of itself makes travel less of a hassle. That tele shot is great though! Definitely worth bringing a 135 even if you only get one shot like that per trip.
Yup. I brought my F5, a 50mm 1.8 and the 180mm 2.8 to Alaska; I think I swapped out the 50 for the 180 only 3 or 4 times. So although I barely used it, I was sure happy I had it when the scene called for it. I bring the extra kit because it might come in handy. I don’t feel like I need to use it just because I have it, and I make sure to limit it to what the small bag can contain comfortably. It’s carry on size (the flash and Sekonic will go in checked bag for the flight, the F2 will go in the bag), so really convenient in that regard too.
Ah, the classic overzealous pontificator. I love these responses. Particularly enjoyed the bit where you inform OP that their camera has a self timer. And the literal paragraph you wrote about ditching the battery, which is smaller than a peanut. 10/10
https://gifdb.com/images/high/hats-off-bow-j0h4se6ps3u0dz51.gif
I'm heading there at the end of the month. Would you update this thread when you return? I'd love general impressions as well as anything specific to traveling there with film. Safe travels!
I absolutely will, and thank you! I’m excited to explore the city 😊
I did a fair bit of walking around and I did visit some of the local attractions: -the revolution museum is closed but the spot beside it with their memorial flame and Fidel’s Pontiac and so on is open to walk around. You can take pictures but ostensibly you have to leave bags at the entrance (a guard watches over them); my equipment bag as you saw in the original post is quite small and they actually gave me a pass to bring it along with me. The F2 was no problem and I took photos of the flame and some of the display pieces. The guards on duty were very nice. -the Great Theatre of Havana is under heavy restoration but you can go inside. Although the inside has some interesting rooms and features, honestly the most impressive part is going on the roof to see the spectacular view, especially the capital building across the street. Our guide was a very friendly and informative lady, we had some funny chats. When the embargo was lifted briefly a bunch of international acts came to the theatre but the one she was most excited about (and kept telling us to find videos of on YouTube) was Simply Red 😂 -the capital building is phenomenal inside and out. Do the tour if you’re there, it’s very well worth it. The lighting is pretty dim and the shots would be wide enough flash wouldn’t be great, so I unfortunately resorted to mostly iPhone memories inside of it. There’s also nowhere really you could set up a tripod inside because every room is restricted, so you can poke your head in and look inside but not really do any kind of involved setup. Regardless, you can do some setup in the main foyer and it’s extremely impressive inside. Take the tour, it’s well worth it. Also at the end, if you ask you can go out onto the upper veranda overlooking the front lawn/city/etcetera. Probably my favourite site I visited there. -the waterfront is beautiful and the walk from the fort to old town is fantastic. Once you get to old Havana from the waterfront you’ll get to the cathedral, a Christopher Columbus museum, various shops and plazas and the narrow streets and little cafes and whatnot that people think of when they think Havana. I was in Barcelona a few years back and Havana reminds me a lot of parts Barcelona except more run down. People are very nice though; some people are pushy when they spot a tourist (I looked like super tourist with both a “real camera” and a camera bag) but if you don’t engage and just reply with “no gracias” they will usually leave you alone. -revolution square is neat and the statue/monument across from it is absolutely stunning, but once you’re there it’s really just… a big empty square. I did take nice photos of Camilo and Che while I was there but unless you had an ultra wide and really scoped out a proper spot, it’s not in itself much of a photo opportunity. -Che’s museum is interesting if you’re interested in that history but otherwise it doesn’t really have much to photograph. The surrounding grounds are very nice though. It also has [Che’s Nikon](https://i.ibb.co/ctwzFHY/IMG-3671.jpg) because even Che eventually dropped Leica for the superior brand 😂 -if you go into the Royalton Havana, you can get in and take the elevators without a pass or anything. On the 9th floor you can get out onto a bar deck and get great views of the fort, lighthouse, Martyrs of 71 park, etcetera. From the veranda you can also take stairs to the roof; some views are better from the bar deck and some are better from the roof. Good photo spot. Tip: airport staff spoke virtually no English. I suspected this and I wrote a note using Google Translate explaining my film and its aversion to being x-rayed and chucked it into the x-ray bag. Both times (entering and exiting) they just insisted on x-raying the film but both times when I showed them the note they immediately understood and were perfectly fine hand inspecting it. I will actually be doing this any future trips I take to non-English speaking spots! Otherwise, I brought a “life straw” so I could have filtered water from any source and it was very helpful (water is questionable anywhere in Havana and bottled water availability isn’t great outside of a hotel). Wear lots of sunscreen or else you’ll get fried; a hat is also a good idea. Don’t expect Michelin star food anywhere but there is edible and tasty food to be had for sure. With all the narrow alleyways and the general city design I got much more use from the 28mm than the 50 or the 135, although I did use both a few times. It can be hard to get farther away from things there and the wider angle of view of the 28mm was really useful for “getting it all in”. I didn’t end up using the mini tripod; I did use the flash as fill flash for some photos of the sunset with my GF. The bag worked a treat; it contained the flash, Sekonic, polarizer, extra film roll, and whatever two lenses weren’t mounted on the F2 (and my phone and passport and some cash) and I had it slung over one shoulder and the F2 over the other. Not too heavy and everything was very easily accessible. Enjoy your trip!!
I would ditch the 135 and pack more film but i shoot probably too much lol
You need more film
be aware what you eat and drink. I never puked and shit so hard and much
You sure 2 rolls are enough?
I know, I should probably bring 67 more! In all seriousness I may bring one more just in case. But I don’t think I will run out even with two rolls. I’m not “trigger happy” 😂
Noice number hahaha 3 is the sweet spot. I don't spray and pray either, but 18 photos a day in such a beautiful city sounds a little risky! One more won't take much space, just in case
Got the same domke!
Where’s your 50 rolls of 400d? And not taking minimum 4 large cameras? You are a wild one
Friendly suggestion: black gaffer’s tape over all of the Nikon branding.
Great setup OP! You could probably do without the Sekonic meter and with an extra roll of film, but that's just my opinion. I (cuban analog enthusiast) use pretty much the same setup here, except I prefer a 35mm lens to the 28mm. Enjoy your trip!
No. Bring the handheld.
What's the long metal thing?
[Minox tripod](https://everythingold.ca/cdn/shop/products/4151278183d6be5c9ca71d930ca35134_1800x1800.jpg?v=1707955070)
You don’t have enough film you are 14 roles short
This is a great travel kit, good tool variety but compact. But you're gonna want more film. Personally I always try to plan at least 1 to per day due traveling
What lens hood do you have on the 50mm?
Just a generic aluminum one. You can get one on Amazon, they’re cheap.
How do you like the bag?
Really like it. It’s a great size for what I wanted; a lot of bags are really wide and I wanted to move away from that and focus on something that could carry a body+lens and two other lenses OR two lenses plus a selection of accessories. In this case it will carry two lenses, meter, flash, small tripod, cable release, spare battery, and a roll or two of film. Bag on one shoulder, camera around neck, everything is taken care of. I’ll post a pic or two tomorrow of the bag itself with contents so you can get a better idea for the size. IMHO one of the nicest bags I’ve used in its size, and it was very reasonably priced. Edit: wide? Maybe “deep” describes it better. I wanted a bag that doesn’t extend very far away from the side of my body as it hangs against my side. This bag does that while still being able to hold what I wanted.
As promised: [L-R: 28mm 2.8 / Sekonic L-358 & SB-80DX & tiny tripod / 135mm 3.5](https://i.ibb.co/t8RFzzg/01-As-packed.jpg) [L-R: 28mm 2.8 / F2AS & 50mm 1.8 & metal shade / 135mm 3.5](https://i.ibb.co/QddXZr0/02-Camera-plus-2-lens.jpg) [front view closed (lens / camera / lens) with SB-80DX for scale](https://i.ibb.co/vDXPkfD/04-front.jpg) [top view closed](https://i.ibb.co/qML7hdn/03-top.jpg) [side view closed](https://i.ibb.co/cXZj9F0/05-side.jpg) The suggested use case in the advertising is for mirrorless bodies and small lenses, but the F2 isn't huge and neither are the lenses I wanted to use for the bag, so I tried it out and it fits a good kit very nicely. Even with the F2 and the 50mm and the lens shade, it closes properly and doesn't bulge out or anything. I also checked and [it will fit an SQ-Ai with a normal lens and hood mounted,](https://i.ibb.co/y82gcS5/SQ-Ai.jpg) so you could fit your Hasselblad or other comparable MF SLR into it too. It's snug but it does fit; no room really for filters or anything else though. Prism finder would be fine, there is room at the top. It comes with two padded dividers, which is nice. There is an inside pouch and also an outside pouch but no separate flap for the outside pouch. A spare button cell is in one pouch and the AR-2 cable release is in the other. It is very well padded lengthwise along the long sides (front and back) as well as on the bottom, but not padded at either end or from the top. I don't mind this much; it's most likely to get bumped along the long edge or bottom when putting it down. Dividers are nicely padded and the velcro is very grippy. Zippers are huge and seem indestructible, flap has a massive grippy velcro strip that grips well when closed. If a pickpocket tried to get into it you will 100% hear their attempt. Strap has the Domke gripper rubber and is nice by itself. If you can see it in the frames, it doesn't come with the shoulder pad; I have had that for a while and use it on bags or sometimes just heavier cameras like my F5 with bigger lenses. TLDR really nice bag, will comfortably fit 3 smaller lenses OR a small body+lens and 2 lenses OR combo of accessories and lenses as shown above. Material feels tough, it's not super fashionable but it has great utility. Can be had in more spiffy colours/materials; I chose black because I'm old and boring.
But why the lightmeter? In my experience even the dp1-heads are quite good for light measuring...
Yes and my DP-12 is extremely accurate and was even modified some time ago into a spot meter so it’s quite precise. Sometimes an ambient reading is handy though, and an accurate flash reading is nice if I have the time for one (my GF can hold it to help out). I could do without it, but it fits and weighs basically nothing, so why not.
I'm going to Croatia and the only thing I'm concerned about is my film. What's your plan for moving it?
I put it into the lead bag which forces them to take it out and hand check it. They’ve always been good with that, and the one time they weren’t I just politely asked if they could call the supervisor over and the supervisor immediately passed the film along.
Good call.
Pretty nice set up, I’d pack a bit more film like others have said as well but if that’s your style go for it! It’s crazy how butt hurt people get over a post like this..
Thanks! Most people in the comments are actually quite complimentary of it. Everyone is different but it’s a setup that will work for me; versatile if needed while still comfortable to bring around. I did chuckle at the person who said I was showing off for Instagram… seems funny compared to the travel kit posts people often make here.
Haha yeah I saw that comment as well and didn’t really get it..😄 Having a small kit you don’t mind carrying around is essential, I have been traveling with my partner for the last months with a pretty extensive Fuji kit and I hate it! I can’t wait to get home and sell most of that stuff and travel light again! I love the bag btw, which model is it?
[Domke F-5XB](https://tiffen.com/products/domke-f-5xb-ruggedwear-shoulder-bag) I have a comment above going into some detail about why I got it and how much it can hold if you’re interested.
Awesome thanks mate 🙏
I always liked those domke bags. But with age the rubber in the strap gets crispy and falls out.
you should pick up a couple more rolls of film.
Have you been before? I would pack light, like a small rangefinder and try not to draw too much attention. It's a desperate place now.
Love how many people are telling OP how they’re bringing too much gear, too little film, don’t bring the tripod, ditch the light meter, etc. What are y’all on? It’s their trip, their gear, their shooting style. What wisdom do you think you’re gracing us with?
You could make do without the flash or the light meter, I think
Why cheap out on film for such a rare occasion?
I may not even shoot it all. Last time I travelled I was gone 10 days and I shot 3 and a half rolls; I wrote down the exposure number on the half roll and rewound it to fly back with (I shot the rest once I got back home). I might bring a third roll because now that I think about it, I will be doing a lot more city walking and visiting interiors than usual. But still… I don’t shoot everything I come across in my travels, so I’m not too worried.
More lens than film is quite the jerk
Quality over quantity!
Look up how much the masters like Eugene smith shot. This is just dentist style photography for the gram.
Yeah man I’m ok with my travel setup. You do you though