I must apologize, I know I posted this before but my trip is less than two weeks away and it was brought back from the dead twice. I'm looking for some last minute suggestions now that I have a full itinerary. I'll be going to Japan for twelve days and want to make sure I have all the gear I need.
This is where I'm going:
Tokyo: Imperial Palace; Hibiya Park; Imperial Palace Hotel; Ginza; Akihabara; Edo-Tokyo Museum & Asaksua distric visit; All-Day Tour – Mt. Fuji; Tokyo Giants baseball game
Kyoto: Sake Brewery and General Touring
Option one (The kitchen sink minus 70-200): 5D mk II, 24-70. 17-40, 85L, 135L, 1 580 EXII
Option two (zoom zoom): 5D mk II, 24-70, 17-40, 70-200 II, 1 580 EXII
Option three:
Option four: Profit!
I'll be carrying this stuff everywhere I go for the most part. Advice?
If I was going to a foreign country, I would bring the following.
70-200
24-70
2 camera bodies
1 flash
1 fast prime.
LOTS of CF
Extra batteries.
My fast prime choices are the 50 1.8 and 135L, so I'm sure you can bet which one of the two I would take
The 70-200 may spend a lot of time in the hotel, but I'll have it if I need it. My walk around would be 24-70+135. Not sure how much the 17mm means to you, but perhaps I'd bring it if I was into really wide stuff (I find with my 16-35 I shoot more at the long end of it on any of my bodies.).
When I'm travelling the last thing I want is lots of gear. Of course I want to take great pictures but I'm happy to do without the last 10-15% in IQ to make the kit I take both lighter and less awful to lose.
If it were me I'd take your 40D with your 17-40L, some sort of fastish 35mm or 50mm and your 135L (or the 85L), a flash, a superlight tripod and not much else.
Gives you as wide as you need for most situations, and a mild telephoto for anything else. Crop if you need to get more length from either lens.
This, of course, with the idea I wouldn't take any baseball photos because I really wouldn't care about the actual players on the field (hell, you see one baseball game you've pretty much seen them all....unless you get the random streaker ).
I'm sorta with dhphoto, I wouldn't want to screw around with lenses and gear all the time - remember to actually enjoy the trip while you're on the trip and not afterwards when you're doing post work
Alternatively, rent / borrow a 24-105 and bring it and the 17-40 with the 5d2. Maybe a flash for "just in case" fill light.
edit - I would also seriously consider getting a very small travel tripod for things like self-portraits, etc, nothing too serious.
cputeq wrote:
Alternatively, rent / borrow a 24-105 and bring it and the 17-40 with the 5d2. Maybe a flash for "just in case" fill light.
Yes, 5DII, 17-40L & 24-105L & flash would pretty much do it for me. Much as I love my 24-70L, it's a big bugger and the 24-105 is more versatile as well as smaller and lighter
I use trips away to try and do more with less - experiment with pano's, try not to think 'gear' but just 'pictures'. How big are they ever going to go? They'd still be good enough for a decent sized wall print after all.
Most of what your going to visit in going to be up close and personal. Take the 5D2, the 17-40L and 24-105L and a small flash, go buy a cheap one. Don't need a p&s spare your in Japan in the city, you could buy one on ever street corner if your 5D2 craps out, which it won't. Your biggest mistake would be taking a lot of gear. Walking around a Japanese city is a wonderful experience but they are all dense with people, a big camera bag is stupid.
You must take the 17-40L. Japan is full of wide vistas but a little lame on wildlife/birds on Honshuu. I would actually probably rent the 16-35, but you own the 17-40L so that's that.
If you're skipping up to Hokkaido or some of the outer islands then a 100-400L may be appropriate, but it looks like you're in Tokyo then Kyoto.
If you want baseball shots (kinda eh IMO), then bring a longer lens, but for city and Fuji shots you'll be wide most of the time. Consider a macroish lens (extenders on 85 or 135L?) for the tea and food.
I went to Europe for a couple of weeks and the only time I used my 70-200 f/2.8 IS II is when I was compelled to use it because I lugged it around everywhere.
Richard Nye wrote:
I went to Europe for a couple of weeks and the only time I used my 70-200 f/2.8 IS II is when I was compelled to use it because I lugged it around everywhere.
FWIW When I went to Florida, I only used my 24-70.
I had to think about what I took, and I remember now.
Tony Llerena wrote:
...I'll be going to Japan for twelve days and want to make sure I have all the gear I need.
Is this a photo excursion, or a trip during which you'll be taking some photos? For the former it might make sense to take a lot of gear, but for the latter you could feel weighed down, especially if it's your first trip there.
I agree with the above posts suggesting a short zoom, a mid-range zoom (24-105 is a great choice), and a fast prime -- 24mm or 35mm for example.
Tony Llerena wrote:
...Kyoto: Sake Brewery and General Touring
In addition to the many Shinto Shrines, Buddhist Temples, and various gardens, Kyoto also is the home of several major schools of Sado/Chado (tea ceremony), including the Urasenke Ryu that I practiced. If that sort of thing interests you, you might want to take a video camera as well. You can watch a ceremony as a spectator, and then go to another one (or more) to take pictures. If you're lucky, you may even be invited to participate in a ceremony.
davenfl wrote:
Most of what your going to visit in going to be up close and personal. Take the 5D2, the 17-40L and 24-105L and a small flash, go buy a cheap one. Don't need a p&s spare your in Japan in the city, you could buy one on ever street corner if your 5D2 craps out, which it won't. Your biggest mistake would be taking a lot of gear. Walking around a Japanese city is a wonderful experience but they are all dense with people, a big camera bag is stupid.
+1. i kept tagging people in the subway with my tripod (hung on my Lowepro Primus backpack)
i only brought my 7D + 17-50 2.8 VC and 430 speedlight
i went in cold weather and the Primus is the bomb in comfort, but i still found it a bit heavy. if you go in warm weather, you'll probably not enjoy your trip carrying all that stuff. (except the girls will be wearing the tiniest things that can be considered clothing)
if i could have a do-over, i'd bring the same, but add a fisheye or UWA
Sorry for the thread drift, everyone, but it's a natural evolution of things Japanese.
(Speaking of thread drift: Robert, did you practice under Phil Porter?)
No, I'm pretty sure he was president of the USJA when I started, but I know he's not now. I no longer practice at a USJA school as I lost all respect for my instructor when I found out he knowingly has a "star pupil" (what a joke) that is Hepatitis C positive, and has him doing Judo/JuJitsu/NoGi grappling/kick boxing on our mats. I have since relocated to a different school and will work to get my shodan under a different Judo affiliation. Not sure if my brown belts in Judo and JuJitsu will transfer, but keeping my fingers crossed
Been to Tokyo many times.
Dont forget Harajuku down the road from Shibuya a great portrait and crazy japanese location not to be missed.
Id be taking 17-40,24-70,70-200 and the 85....leve everything else behind.
The atmosphere in Tokyo is in the natural lighting.
Have a great time...oh and your safe as houses carrying whatever you like around the streets.
).
