p.1 #1 · Three week vacation in Asia - packing my bag
Hey everyone!
I'm about to embark on a three week trip to Asia that includes Hanoi, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. I'm hoping to take some nice cityscapes/landscapes and some portraits.
I've updated my profile to show the gear I have available to me. Out of the gear shown, I'm thinking of going with the following which *should* all fit my bag:
G10 w/ underwater casing (always useful on vacation)
5D2
1Ds3
15mm fish
24-70mm f/2.8
70-200mm f/2.8
35mm f/1.4 or the 100mm L macro
When I arrive, I plan to leave the second body at family home and go around with a single body.
For those of you that have traveled for a long vacation, would you say I'm bringing too much gear? I was thinking this or 5D2, 16-35, 24-70, and 70-200 + 2x extender.
I was also thinking of bringing a full tripod since I like to shoot nite cityscapes and those will require a tripod. Alternatively, I can try to make due with a gorillapod.
p.1 #4 · Three week vacation in Asia - packing my bag
I spent 6 weeks between Thailand, Singapore, India and Cambodia (with a few hours in KL).
I took my then current kit of the 16-35F/2.8L II and 24-105f/4L, I didn't use the 24-105 even once, and now that I have used it more recently, I wish I had.
But, I would say if you can handle carrying that kit around everywhere you are going, or at least the bits you know you need to each place, then go for it.
p.1 #6 · Three week vacation in Asia - packing my bag
I travel heavy. With the right bag(s) it's not too much to carry 3 lenses and one body. Tripod in the checked luggage. I would hate to feel that I left the wrong lens at home.
p.1 #7 · Three week vacation in Asia - packing my bag
I travel light mostly because I'd rather enjoy my time than be bothered with too much stuff that invariably rarely gets used, plus with the little ones my back can only take so much. I'm happy with 5diii and 24-70 and maybe a 85 1.8. Too much gear is usually a personal decision and far be it from me to tell you what's too much. That being said if their is a mrs or significant other traveling with you less is more.
p.1 #8 · Three week vacation in Asia - packing my bag
Tough call as you've got a great set of gear. I'd only bring one body and the G10 if it's a pleasure trip and it would be the 1dsIII. I'd probably bring the 16-35, 50 (night time shots around the city with the 50 are always great) , 70-200 just in case you need a bit of reach. 24-70 might need to come as a walk around but chances are that's what the G10 would be and 24-70 is a...brick...still tough to leave that behind...Chances are for a pleasure trip the best pics will be with the G10 anyway. Never ceases to amaze me that I'll haul 5k in camera gear on vacation only to have the best shots come via a $500 P&S...usually taken by my wife.
p.1 #9 · Three week vacation in Asia - packing my bag
I travel very light. I'd bring the 5D2 and 35/1.4 + flash + tripod + watercam. That will be all that I bring. During the day I'd just have the 5D2 + 35/1.4 + flash as walk around. Watercam for water use only. Tripod will be used at night.
Asia gets very hot and humid with tons of people everywhere so it's quite uncomfortable carrying a lot of gear. I don't think long lenses are very useful. 35mm will cover everything, just use your feet to zoom.
p.1 #10 · Three week vacation in Asia - packing my bag
You will appreciate the wides for places like Singapore and HK for the cityscapes(16-35). The 24-70 will serve you well in Hanoi and Taipei and most prob would stay bolted on during the day. Hanoi with its cool narrow lanes is when you can whip out the 35 1.4 to get the shots of people at work, cooking etc and finally the 70-200 is always a versatile tele that can come in handy. If you are staying in a/c hotels just be aware of condensation/fogging that could occur coming out from your cool dry room into the hot/humid temperatures, you'd experience in Asia at this time of year.
p.1 #11 · Three week vacation in Asia - packing my bag
What's your travel experience? How about your photography and travel experience?
This is a highly subjective question. Too much for whom? For what project(s)? For what ends?
I like to go light. For work, when shooting editorial feature work in Southeast/East Asia-- mainly people, street scenes, etc-- I've used a 5D2 + 35L. I tend to bring a 0-series carbon tripod, which usually isn't used much. And I like to bring an older manual focus Tamron 17mm f/3.5, which also usually isn't used.
I've since added a Fuji X-E1 + 35mm f/1.4 (53mm equiv. focal length), but for work wouldn't rely on this alone.
