Camera would be with me every step I take and never be a bother!!! I wouldn’t even need to bring a special bag for my gear-
I think travel for me its important to make the camera part of the experience not the experience. Big kits get in the way, stop me from enjoying myself and annoy people you are with because its always a thing-
Sony A1, Sony FE PZ 16-35/4 and Viltrox 50/2 AIR.
Done that , been there and know the zoom will be used for the majority of the images and a lot of them will be taken at 16-18mm. Some will be panos to get a wider view without filling the frame with too much sky.
Everything will be carried with ease in a Domke satchel bag.
RWNPhoto wrote: Preferred Travel Outfit?
Slacks, a polo shirt and a light jacket, with a hat, sunglasses and comfortable shoes...
This is the answer I was looking for when I read the subject. "Oh, something not about gear but interesting outfits" but then it ended up being about gear.
I would wear some vans, fun colorful socks, shorts, a polo, and some camera around my neck, but that part isn't important
Jman13 wrote:
He says in his original post it's hypothetical - what does it matter? It's a discussion forum. And if someone wants to get a feel for the experience of forum members for European travel kits, that's not a bad thing to discuss, regardless of whether it is an immediate need for help or not. I actually appreciate that this is open ended, rather than 'I have these 5 lenses, which 3 should I take.'
My current setup: Sony a7V + 24-50/2.8 would do just fine, in fact, I took it walking around the Eiffel tower this morning with the dog.
But in reality, I would do that trip with a Leica Q3 (28mm) and not look back. Even the rig above is too big to travel with. Leica M11P with a 35 Summilux would work as well.
patotts wrote:
My current setup: Sony a7V + 24-50/2.8 would do just fine, in fact, I took it walking around the Eiffel tower this morning with the dog.
But in reality, I would do that trip with a Leica Q3 (28mm) and not look back. Even the rig above is too big to travel with. Leica M11P with a 35 Summilux would work as well.
A one-llens, one-focal length option? Interesting!
Jman13 wrote:
He says in his original post it's hypothetical - what does it matter? It's a discussion forum. And if someone wants to get a feel for the experience of forum members for European travel kits, that's not a bad thing to discuss, regardless of whether it is an immediate need for help or not. I actually appreciate that this is open ended, rather than 'I have these 5 lenses, which 3 should I take.'
Well, for one, Prague and Istanbul are vastly different cities.
johnvanr wrote:
Well, for one, Prague and Istanbul are vastly different cities.
Feel free to differentiate your kit selection for both. I just don’t understand complaining about a discussion. If the discussion doesn’t appeal to you, move to another thread.
RWNPhoto wrote: Preferred Travel Outfit?
Slacks, a polo shirt and a light jacket, with a hat, sunglasses and comfortable shoes...
And "respect." Doubt that's a problem for this crowd but did notice the "tourist" crowding a lot, especially the weekends and some may have been oblivious to the idea that while it's a tourist spot for "us," the residents are just trying to live, work, and get around.
We just zipped from Geneva to London is about 2/1/2 weeks. "Jacket" maybe got used once or twice but that's seasonal, of course. Hey if bricks and stones worked for streets and walkways, for the last 2000 years, why change? Footwear is important.
Situational. Where am I going, what am I planning on shooting (if known), how am I getting there? Is photography primary, secondary, a distant 3rd, etc.
Don't take this as a complaint about the thread, and maybe it's worthless. But I imagine some people are in the same boat in terms of "it depends".
Couldn't delete this post, sorry if it doesn't add any value.
Jman13 wrote:
Feel free to differentiate your kit selection for both. I just don’t understand complaining about a discussion. If the discussion doesn’t appeal to you, move to another thread.
I just asked a question about OP’s future plans for threads. I didn’t complain.
Hi res Sony body. Recently switched from A7Rv to A1ii. Precisely configurable RAW precapture is such a massive quality-of-life improvement that I am stunned it is not available on Nikon or Canon.
14GM. I don't shoot wide a lot. But if I do, it is often at night. And some trips I will shoot the Milky Way.
35GM. I'm a 35 prime shooter. Occasionally I will substitute the i35 but I like the 35GM better.
55ZA. This is a new-to-me lens in the last year small enough that I just toss it into my bag. I don't enjoy shooting 50 much, but I also find I learn a lot shooting at an uncomfortable focal length
28-200. I like shooting long. The idea of a 20-70 or 24-120 feels extremely claustrophobic to me, particularly in urban environments. I love architectural details and "need" 200mm frequently. I also like the speed / focal length tradeoff. AF is fast enough, and IQ is good enough. Neither bother me enough to "upgrade" to the 25-200 or 20-200. For wider, I stitch or get out of the 14GM
Other thoughts:
In general, I think a travel kit should be built around the way you shoot. I like shoot long and I like to shoot a 35 prime. If you like 50 and wide, my kit approach is flat out useless. That said, causing a little friction and cognitive challenge can be good for your evolution as a photographer. I bring the 55ZA for just this reason.
I tried the 35-150 on a few trips. It is a fantastic lens but a bit too large and heavy. If you really are not a wide angle shooter, like myself, having 35 as the widest FL is a non-issue.
I struggle with an 85 prime. It comes with me into the mountains when I am snowboarding, but for travel I don't like it much.
I've tried the 100GM macro on trips. Also too big, and when shooting macro, you have no idea where the shot as taken.
At the most recent UCI World Championships in Montréal, my focus was on shooting the race. It was the first time I've ever taken the 70-200GMii out of the country. Great for the race, but the results when shooting it for travel purposes were not significantly better than the 28-200. I also brought the 24GM. As someone who doesn't shoot wide, it was too wide (for me) for shooting scenes around the city. But great for big crowd shots at the race.
Finally, I had never had much experience until the Montréal trip shooting large LED screens. If you know that is going to be a significant part of what you end up shooting, I highly recommend bringing an A9iii. The screen banding on my A1ii was really ruining some environmental shots, but I switched to the A9iii and problem fixed. I was initially a little skeptical of the utility of global shutter, but after owning an A9iii for a few years, I am increasingly enjoying its capabilities. That said, it isn't my go-to travel body ATM
Jman13 wrote:
Feel free to differentiate your kit selection for both. I just don’t understand complaining about a discussion. If the discussion doesn’t appeal to you, move to another thread.
patotts wrote:
My current setup: Sony a7V + 24-50/2.8 ...
... Even the rig above is too big to travel with.
I looked hard at that zoom but decided it was too big and heavy for my walkaround purposes. So my all-Sony euro kit would be the A1, 28-60/4-5.6 kit zoom (170g) and F28RMA flash (pocketable). Maybe a beanbag for long exposures.
