What to take to India

[brill64]

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i'd ditch the lowepro slingshot if i were you because it screams expensive camera stuff. buy a camera insert and fit it into a regular, cheap, non camera looking bag that has a zip fastener and noisy velcro fastened cover. lens pouches are useful. advice here about a 35lux is really good and you can supplement that with a 90 but you won't be changing lenses much, since things happen so fast. also, fine dust and pollution is everywhere so pack a rocket blower and soft lens cloth. take a polariser to fit at least your 35 or 50. never divulge the real cost of your camera and lens when asked, in fact avoid all conversation on this topic in a friendly manner and substitute with disarming questions of your own. most sensible advice of all is to keep your kit small, light and accountable. you'll rarely use more than one camera and one or two lenses and accessories. you can't photograph everything. spend some quality non-camera time with your wife/partner to avoid minor frustrations or disagreements..

[swamiji]

I suppose it all depends on what circles you plan to hang out in. I go in places few westerners ever get to see. What I do and how I dress reflects the world I enter when I go to India. There are many different worlds in there. I had an aunt who went with rotary club, and brought back almost 200 photos of doormen, in their fancy cloths. Where I go, there are no doormen. Mostly people are amazed and grateful that a foreigner would learn their tradition enough to have the knowledge to dress in such a manor. It's funny the reaction I get when I change back into my civilian cloths, it's like I am instant tourist.

 

Their many reasons to go to India, you know your goal, and purpose. If you dress appropriately and act with respect, you will be forgiven for most transgressions.

 

However saying that, Tourists are always a target, everywhere. While you may not go as far as I do to avoid that stigma, the better you blend in the better. One of the best ways to blend in, is through friendship. If you are perceived as just a foreigner who is hanging with their friends, you will not be such an obvious target.

 

One thing I have seen done, is take a bag like a billingham Hadley, (or other bag with an insert), and buy a bag there, then transfer the insert in to the new bag.

[dent]

One of the best ways to blend in, is through friendship

 

+1 :-)

[Deliberate1]

you can't photograph everything. spend some quality non-camera time with your wife/partner to avoid minor frustrations or disagreements..

 

Since this trip is in celebration of our 25th anniversary, your advice is right on the mark. Appreciate your other very sensible comments as well. That being said, we photographers do have the urge to possess every image. As this will be my first "digital" trip, I am sure to be just a bit trigger-happy.

Regards,

David

[jaques]

Some travellers wear clothes with the Indian stigmata of poverty with the intention or whish to look more "un-touristic". For Indians this is extremly confusing and sometimes insulting. They just do not understand that You (as a wealthy man) dress as a low cast member. This only works for some Indians on a spritual journey. Better wear a clean shirt with the obligatory ballpen in the shirt pocket.

 

if this is something against Lunghi's I don't agree:). Their are plenty of rich Indian's who wear them- and in two years I don't think I ever seriously confused anyone... And to hell with the caste system- or what is left of it I say- it is actually outlawed by the constitution... of course dressing outrageously won't do you any favours- I vaguely met a ridiculous hippy tourist in Mysore- he insisted on wearing a set of fairy wings- if you can believe it. He drew a lot of (seemingly unwelcome) attention... idiot.

 

And Deliberate1: trigger happy is a good idea- there is so much happening- you will be amazed when you get home and see how much more there is than you could take in at the time (I actually think it takes 10 just to aclimatise- but my average visit was six months not 3 weeks) I wish I had taken more photos on my trips- here is one from Calcutta in 1993- really bad Ilford c41 b&w- Minolta SRT 101 (does that guy look extremely confused? ;-) ):

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[Deliberate1]

I wish I had taken more photos on my trips- here is one from Calcutta in 1993- really bad Ilford c41 b&w- Minolta SRT 101 (does that guy look extremely confused? ;-) ):

 

Jacques, as a kid, I lusted after one of those Minoltas - and and Nikkormat as well.

And as for that "confused" fellow in your image, well, he does have a lot on his mind....

David

[jaques]

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now's your chance David- live the dream- good Minolta 101 can be had for $50 bucks off ebay. Built like a tank- really great camera- should last another 50 years. Load it with film and keep in the car glove box. One day something special will happen worth photographing... The 101 will be ready as always.

[swamiji]

When I was last there I took over 2,200 pics and that was a short trip, only a month.

 

One thing about being a foreigner, you can ignore the caste system with impunity, and nobody will care.

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[gib_robinson]

When I think of taking a Leica to India these days, I think of having a very good insurance policy. Thieves are very adept in many countries and the crowds almost anywhere in India make almost any kind of gear very vulnerable.

 

Have a good trip.

 

--Gib

[swamiji]

When I think of taking a Leica to India these days, I think of having a very good insurance policy.

 

 

Your camera can be or is covered by your home insurance policy. Check with your agent.

[Deliberate1]

now's your chance David- live the dream- good Minolta 101 can be had for $50 bucks off ebay. Built like a tank- really great camera- should last another 50 years. Load it with film and keep in the car glove box. One day something special will happen worth photographing... The 101 will be ready as always.

 

That is really tempting - and for $50. After all, Leica charges $75 each time you just form a Leica thought.

Speaking of tanks, I have a Canon A1 with a something to something zoom. On snowy days, I throw it in the trunk for ballast.

[Deliberate1]

Your camera can be or is covered by your home insurance policy. Check with your agent.

 

It is high on my list to get an insurance rider. Good thought.

[SJP]

One of the best experiences we had in India was taking the train from Aleppi to Cochin (Kerala), about $1.5 for 1½ hours train, hanging out of the windows & doors while the thing was riding (not that fast admittedly) + talking to locals who had been to a wedding. The train carriage had seen better times - but who cares the people were very friendly & seemed to like having some weird foreigners on board.

 

Another was talking to the security guard at our "4star" hotel, who was repairing a fishnet at 11pm. Apparently that was his 5am morning job catching fish from the hotel pond/lake to enhance his, certainly for NL standards, presumably meager salary.

[Deliberate1]

Mr. Moderator, may I ask why my thread was moved from the M9 forum to "Digital Post Processing"? It generated a fair amount of interest there. As there is no digital processing content in the thread, I respectfully request that it be returned there.

Many thanks,

David

[swamiji]

Maybe, it was moved to attract a wider audience, as it's not really M9 specific. But why post processing, I am not sure. Maybe because there is no Pre-processing forum.

[Olsen]

Moderator: Why not move it to 'Landscape & Travel'?

[bill]

Because that's a picture sub-forum? IMO it belongs in the Bar or the Customer Forum.

 

Regards,

 

Bill

[StephenPatterson]

A very interesting thread that should be in the Customer Forum. Even though the OP asked about storage solutions in his opening post it was only a small part of the question, and this thread has evolved much more along the lines of it's title.

 

Of course the moderators are doing their best to keep things "tidy", and this thread did need to be moved out of "M9".

 

Stephen

[Deliberate1]

A very interesting thread that should be in the Customer Forum. Even though the OP asked about storage solutions in his opening post it was only a small part of the question, and this thread has evolved much more along the lines of it's title.

 

Of course the moderators are doing their best to keep things "tidy", and this thread did need to be moved out of "M9".

 

Stephen

 

Thread now in the Customer Forum. Many thanks Mr. Moderator.

David

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[jaques]

When I think of taking a Leica to India these days, I think of having a very good insurance policy. Thieves are very adept in many countries and the crowds almost anywhere in India make almost any kind of gear very vulnerable.

 

Have a good trip.

 

--Gib

 

 

Insurance for such an expensive camera is a good idea pretty much anywhere: having said that I was never robbed in over two years in India. In my experience the country is quite safe- most scams are small scale. Again having said that- I did meet an American who had a Leica m7 stolen at the Kumbh Mehla festival- by a large group of Sadhus (Indian holy men)- they simply surrounded him and took everything he had- there was nothing he could do- they were armed with tridents and swords... he just handed it all over . The Maha Kumbh Mehla in 2001 attracted up to 60 million people - making it the largest (known) gathering in human history... and in the middle of that crowd- anything can happen... even so- wouldn't you want a leica at such an unparalleled spectacle?