The side alleys of Akihabara are great for ogling at pre-owned manual focus lenses for sure
New hmm, you can check www.kakaku.com for a quick comparison
I survived mostly on the 50mm f/1.2 AIS on my last trip out
Just take it easy, bring less gear, enjoy the company and the sights!
I'd definitely take the 50mm f/1.8. Isn't much space at all, and give you some creative DOF and low-light.
I'll check and see the camera stores we went to in Tokyo - some good deals on accessories/etc. - not so much lenses/bodies. There is one store that has two locations that are basically Auto-focus and manual focus, each with a separate floor for each manufacturer. The floors aren't huge, but really, really cool...
surf monkey wrote:
As Markova said, you need to let us know where you're going and what you plan to shoot.
It's a bit like saying, "I'm going to the United States, what gear should I use?"
The nice thing about going to the US is the stuff you don't need to bring like deworming pills, radiation suits, bribe money/gifts for border guards and the polizia.
I'll be heading to Tokyo and Osaka for sure, the rest of the trip is on a "Take it as it comes" with my travel mates.
Thank you for the suggestions so far! Looks like D800 w/o grip has an overwhelming consensus, as well as the 24-70 and the 70-300 VR.
The point of the trip is to go and have a good time with some friends, nights out on the town, morning trips to tourist attractions will al be part of it. There isn't a specific point to this trip I guess!
D800 no grip.
24-70/2.8
50/1.8
70-300 VR
TT Retro 10 or similar (make sure it has a rain cover)
I don't think you'll need a flash. Last time I was in Japan for two weeks, the flashes stayed in the hotel room the entire time.
I looked at your flickr stream - if you want to go real light, D800 + 24-120/4 VR will meet most of your needs. Traveling to Japan in August, you'll need a large water bottle! Make sure you buy a hand towel to wipe the sweat off (they sell them everywhere in Japan). Also try to drink some Nikka Taketsuru 17 or Yoichi 15. Color me jealous. Enjoy.
When nuclear reactors explode in a place the size walmart parking lot, there's no safe place to go.
I appreciate your concern. Minimizing one's risk to ionizing radiation is certainly prudent. But an anti-contamination suit will not minimize the risks inherent with the types of contamination he is likely to encounter.
In fact, there is no such thing as a "radiation suit", except in the Fallout series video games. It is this gross conceptual error that led me to believe that you were being sarcastic. I am sorry for mistaking your ignorance for sarcasm. These things happen on the internet.
Sendai is way the hell out from Tokyo for starters.
OP since he has mentioned night life if not a smoker they will get better chance of cancer from 2nd hand smoke (bars and restuarants are by and large smoker friendly unless that has changed in the past year).
About the only anti-smoking trend I have seen in tokyo is a reduction of street smoking. Can't jsut light up on the street, have to hit designated areas. best you'll get in many food joints and such is non-smoking hours like say at lunch. Watering holes....man, they want to keep you in there as long as possible. Last thing they want is you having to go outside to light up, see some hotties go into the club/bar next door or 2 up and have you collect your peeps and say we need to check this place out lol.
For second hand Nikon gear you should definitely check out Fujiya Camera in Nakano (two stops west of Shinjuku on the JR Chuo Line) and Map Camera in Shinjuku (JR west exit near Yodobashi Camera). Used stuff in Japan tends to be pristine but honestly speaking with the exchange rates I'm not sure how much you'll save over buying on FM. However those two stores should have just about anything you could want.
Zebrabot wrote:
yeah, it's a 100+ miles from a multi exploded, multi meltdown evacuated wasteland.
According to my Soviet Peoples' Ministry of Nuclear Isotope, Agriculture and Prosperity handbook, there's nothing to worry about.
I thought you were joking at first but then you clarified that you were serious. Is the reference to the Soviet handbook a serious reference or you just being facetious and/or sarcastic? If not, I think you are being paranoid and it will be best for you not to comment on threads on Japan with this kind of paranoid hyperbole.
I most likely will not bring a tripod, or flash. I was leaning towards the D3s for the low-light performance when I'm wondering about at night -- but I'm in love with D800's resolution + DR.
As for lenses, I'm thinking 24-70 for sure so I have the wider end covered, but I'm open to suggestions.
Any ideas? I'd love to pick up a travel lens like the 24-85 but that might be stretching it a bit.. ...Show more →
Based on your existing equipment, my suggested order of preference (stop when it gets heavy enough) is
D800 (no grip)
24-70
70-300
50
Flash
If you can stretch it a larger ranging zoom for a DSLR setup is my recommendation. I took a d800, 17-35, 24-120 f4, 70-300, 35f2 on a recent trip. Except for some interiors I could have done without the 17-35. Except for 3 days out of 14, I could have done without the 70-300; by using the DX crop mode I had very nice 15MP files at 180mm equivalent from the 24-120, even tighter if you're willing to settle for a little less MP.
But that's my shooting preference and style.
I also had many moments when I was envious of the micro 4/3 crowd, and if you would have the opportunity to spend the additional money or a new lens, I would seriously consider a micro 4/3 setup. Body, 14-4x zoom, 4x to 150 or so covers a lot of ground for around $600 if you buy used carefully. You sacrifice some low light ability and DOF, so you'll have to evaluate your style to see if that would work for you.
pbraymond wrote:
I also had many moments when I was envious of the micro 4/3 crowd, and if you would have the opportunity to spend the additional money or a new lens, I would seriously consider a micro 4/3 setup. Body, 14-4x zoom, 4x to 150 or so covers a lot of ground for around $600 if you buy used carefully. You sacrifice some low light ability and DOF, so you'll have to evaluate your style to see if that would work for you.
.
Ray
I shoot several formats regularly including 4x5 LF (Chamonix), 6x6 MF (Rolleiflex), 35mm (Leica), Nikon DX. It's been my experience that as the format gets smaller, the DoF increases. Thus, a Nikon FX camera has one less stop of DoF than a DX camera would. I would expect a 4/3 sensor to be stellar when it comes to DoF.
Two23 wrote:
I shoot several formats regularly including 4x5 LF (Chamonix), 6x6 MF (Rolleiflex), 35mm (Leica), Nikon DX. It's been my experience that as the format gets smaller, the DoF increases. Thus, a Nikon FX camera has one less stop of DoF than a DX camera would. I would expect a 4/3 sensor to be stellar when it comes to DoF.
Kent in SD
Kent
That's quite true. In fact, there are times I'll deliberately shoot with a P&S because there is that much more DOF. If one's style includes deeper DOF than most DSLR's will give when shooting handheld, then a smaller format is advantageous. Something else to consider in selecting a travel camera.
Just returned from several days in Tokyo and a couple in Kyoto, it was business so not much time for fun. I brought my D4 and a 24 1.4 and 85 1.4 prime. 99% of my keepers were using the 24. With that in mind the 24-70 is the only one I'd bring.
JCLittle wrote:
Just returned from several days in Tokyo and a couple in Kyoto, it was business so not much time for fun. I brought my D4 and a 24 1.4 and 85 1.4 prime. 99% of my keepers were using the 24. With that in mind the 24-70 is the only one I'd bring.
When buying used gear in Japan, I learned that bargaining begins with sucking air between your teeth, expressing your disapointment, and NEVER saying what you're willing to pay until the sellers name THEIR best price...in the end though, as has been said, used pristine gear sells for nearly as much as what it is here...
