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the perfect travel kit


geesbert

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whenever I cannot catch any sleep at night I mentally pack a camera bag for a 1 year trip around the world. the contents change through time. currently it is a black domke 803 filled with:

 

- a M9

- a 50 lux pre-asph

- a 35 cron asph

- either a 21 or a 24 elmarit asph, (deciding about this usually send me to sleep)

- a ricoh grd3

- a minox tripod

the leica charger and the ricoh charger with apple plug

- memory cards (haven't decided about how much of them), stored in a think tank pocket rocket

- 4 Leica batteries

- 2 Ricoh batteries

 

in my suitcase I'd have the smallest notebook available (Apple: Shame on you for not providing a sub-notebook with two or three external hard drives, to be send back periodically

 

as a backup I'd have a m8 with 35 cron pre-asph readily packed at a friend's house to get UPSed to wherever I lost my bag.

 

What would you take?

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75? that is a tough one. my idea was two or three lenses, which works quite well in the domke.

 

I am currently selling my 90, which in my opinion is too long for a rangefinder. the reasons I haven't gotten a 75 are

 

- the summilux is too large

- the summicron is f2, therefore it wouldn't replace the 50 lux

- the 75 frame lines are the worst designed one in them M finder. I always tought it would have been better if they were paired with the 28 lines. as they are now they are too close to the 50 and they are not substantial enough to work properly.

 

BTW.: I am in list mode right now. reasons:

- bored

- kids in bed

- wife away with her friends

- looking for reasons not to do my tax returns

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That got me thinking about how few cameras work on non-proprietary batteries. Here's a link to a current list; there's not many left: Pocket cam that still takes AA/AAA? - Steve's Digicams Forums

I see the Ricoh GRD3 is on this list. I didn't realize it took AA batteries, which means I may have to add one to my kit...

Edited by brt3
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well i've done quite a few places with

 

nikon d70s with a nikkor 24-120mm (don't really like this lens).

m6 with 35mm cron and 50mm cron

lumix fx36 p&s

 

i have 3 batteries for the lumix and d70s so batteries aren't a problem. and i have one of those hard drives that download your card. it takes all different types of cards. i think the hard drive is 40gb, very handy!

 

will be replacing d70s with d90 with a nikkor 24-50.big europe trip next year. hoping to have m9. not a fan of tele lens or portraits, especially for travel. i find you need a wide lens often than not when travelling. hopefully, kit next will be

 

nikon d90 with nikkor 24-50mm

m9 with 50mm cron and 28mm cron/28mm elmarit (still deciding!)

lumix p&s.

 

i try to minimise what to carry, as everyone does.

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Well, my normal travel kit is:

 

Two M9s

 

28 Summicron Asph

35 Summicron Asph

90 Summicron Apo-Asph

 

Six batteries

 

Two Leica compact chargers

 

Currently 12 4GB Sandisk Extreme III cards

 

13-inch macbook (the metal one) (And I agree, shame on Apple for not making an 8- or 9-inch laptop!)

 

Two Seagate FreeAgent Go 320GB hard drives (the PC version is USB only but much thinner (and cheaper) than the Mac version).

 

Two SD card readers

 

Depending on unique needs for a specific trip I may also bring a 50 'Lux Pre-Asph or a 21 Elmarit Asph.

 

That's it, it works for me and it's much smaller than a comparable DSLR kit!

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M9 with two batteries

18m Super Elmar

28 Cron

50 lux

Oly Pen with Leica adaptor (as M9 backup) and Panny 45-200 (for any must-have long shots)

Macbook air with micro external HD as backup

Rocket blower, arctic butterfly

X-Rite Passport

Chargers with apple connectors

 

As of next month the Oly/Panny backup will be replaced with an X1 and I'll add a 90 Macro to the Leica kit when travelling

 

Fun game!

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My wife and I just did a round the world trip but we were only away for 3 months. In the end I decided to take my D3 with my Leica M8.2 since I wanted to take many night shots and also could take a longer zoom (plus I did not know if I could take a similar trip in the future).

 

With my M8.2, I took the 24 lux, 50 lux and the WATE. With the D3, I took the 12-24, 24-70, 80-200. This way I had two kits which could be shared or could be used solo depending on how big a bag I wanted to carry since some places were a little rough.

 

I took the 250GB Hyperspace 0 as well as a portable 500GB backup drive. You will be surprised on how many shots you can take just watching a parade or doing panoramas on Easter Island.

 

If you can manage it, I highly recommend it. It takes a month before one accepts reality and accepts the no e-mail mental heaven ;)

Best wishes,

Arif

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35mm Lux

50mm Lux

Pellican hard case for 8 SD extreem 111 cards

atleast 2 batteries with the compact charger

Small pacsafe 100 or 200 camera bag

Can't forget M9

Epson 5000 to store pics if you fill all eight cards

Panny Gf1 with adapter as a back up with 45-200 and , or the X1 if you can get it.

 

Cheers Jan

Edited by leicanut2
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I think geesbert has about the same idea as I have on travel kits. I would take:

- M9

- 24 elmarit

- 35 cron asph

- 50 lux asph

- ricoh grd2

- chargers, cards, lens cloth, rocket blower

- ultrapod II tripod

- all in a small sand-colored Domke

- maybe a 0.6 ND grad filter

 

Last trip I took the D3 as well, but I think I might leave it home next time.

 

 

whenever I cannot catch any sleep at night I mentally pack a camera bag for a 1 year trip around the world. the contents change through time. currently it is a black domke 803 filled with:

 

- a M9

- a 50 lux pre-asph

- a 35 cron asph

- either a 21 or a 24 elmarit asph, (deciding about this usually send me to sleep)

- a ricoh grd3

- a minox tripod

the leica charger and the ricoh charger with apple plug

- memory cards (haven't decided about how much of them), stored in a think tank pocket rocket

- 4 Leica batteries

- 2 Ricoh batteries

 

in my suitcase I'd have the smallest notebook available (Apple: Shame on you for not providing a sub-notebook with two or three external hard drives, to be send back periodically

 

as a backup I'd have a m8 with 35 cron pre-asph readily packed at a friend's house to get UPSed to wherever I lost my bag.

 

What would you take?

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whenever I cannot catch any sleep at night I mentally pack a camera bag for a 1 year trip around the world.

This is a dream that is becoming a recurring to me. Maybe it will materialize at some point ? ;) My kit would similar to yours :

- a Leica M9 (of course)

- 24mm Elmarit

- 35mm Lux Asph

- and ... I don't know. Either 60mm Hexanon or 75mm Cron. My sleepless nights would be on that choice. If 60mm than I would take a small 90 TE. I need to experiment more with the M9.

- domke F3Xa - black.

- 4 batteries

- ND filter

- the computers and cards part I don't know. Technology advances so fast.

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M9

MATE

WATE

35 ASPH Summilux

Minox 8 x 11 flash

All of the above in Billingham M plus various filters,batteries, spare cards and Frankenfinder.

 

In my luggage, I will have either my 75 Summarit or 90 Elmarit and often my SF58-D flash plus my Ricoh GX200 as a back up or for situations where I want a very small camera.

 

Wilson

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This is my Thanksgiving kit for 4 days, about to get on a plane.

 

Barbour Border jacket which has wonderful big pockets to hold:

 

M9 with 35 Lux mounted. Protected by my gloves.

75 2.5 for portraits

21 2.8 for architectural interiors of a farm I am staying at.

The two extra lenses are in individual small Crumpler pouches, in the jacket pocket, on the airplane, then can be loose when I am shooting,in a pants pocket, or mounted on my belt when I am shooting indoors.

 

In my carry on luggage are three more transend 16G cards, 3 more batteries,

and a charger, with apple plug adapter. Thanks to L forum for telling me about the plug adapter.

 

Almost brought the WATE instead of the 21 2.8.

Did bring the WATE finder for the interior shots, but not necessary.

 

Backup, a D-Lux-4 in the carry on, no battery charger for it.

 

Family I am visiting has a mac computer with lightroom beta 3 on it. That will be my storage backup. I await the iPad which will solve the issue of hating to take a laptop on a short trip.

 

Left at home, the M8.

 

Longer trip? More cards, and a laptop for storage, probably the M8

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what's that?

 

It is tiny little flash, originally meant for and bought for my Minox 8 x 11mm (spy) cameras. It works just fine on an M8/9 and as it is on quite a tall adapter (Minox ME2) red eye is not bad. It is manual but I have pasted a quick reckoner on the side. Here is a pic with a quarter dollar to give you scale. Another fine Metz product like the SF24 and SF58.

 

Wilson

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