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Archive 2009 · 8,000$ dream travel kit with these rules

alexandre
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p.2 #1 · 8,000$ dream travel kit with these rules

brainiac wrote:
I agree that these rules are insane because carrying that much gear is a pain.
(...)
(a) zooms suck as componenets in a lightweight kit and
(b) it really isn't necessary to take 3 large lenses, especially with the extra reach of the 500D.

+1 about travelling with too much weight. I wouldn't carry that much gear...

My kit:
5D2 + XSi = $3200
Contax Distagon 21/2.8 or Canon 24 TS-E II = $2200
Rokkor or Zuiko 50/1.2 or Sigmalux = $500
135/2L or 100L Macro or Zuiko 100/2 or Contax 100/2 = $1100
This should do but as I'm allowed I'll throw the Zuiko 40/2 for $500

The remaining $500 or so can buy cards, batteries and maybe insurance.

I'd like to try this kit, however, if I could:
5D2 + OM-4Ti = $3200
24-70L = $1300
Zuiko 18/3.5 = $1000
Zuiko 50/1.2 = $500 (preferring this over 40/2 because of large aperture only)
Zuiko 100/2 = $1000
The remaining $1000 or so can buy cards, batteries, film rolls and maybe insurance.

Nov 11, 2009 at 08:31 AM

Travelinbri
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p.2 #2 · 8,000$ dream travel kit with these rules

Interesting, you've given me something to think about.

Okay, so full disclosure.

I wouldn't say this is my traveling kit, as per I am going on a vacation and decided to throw 8000 into the mix. I am about to rejoin my career as a humanitarian worker overseas, so my travel and work coincide, and I end up some pretty spectacular places. I also take pictures as part of what I do.

I have been saving the last three years (well, two and a half, three when I actually buy the kit come May), and was planning on spending closer to 5,500, but as this is a once every 5 years type upgrade, I started consider spending more. Part of the cost is from selling my previous pretty top notch crop kit, which would net me a few thousand and either selling my FF lenses if I buy into a new system, or using some of these lenses, which I own.

Last time I traveled long term, just after returning from a work deployment, I brought 2 crop bodies and 5 lenses, and I agree, it was too much, but I love the versatility and good results. Truth be told, I would love to keep it to 3 lenses, but I want at least one lens that is WA, one standard, and one long, and I want low light capability. I suppose I could so something like 17-40, 50 1.4, and 70-200, but I use that middle range so much, and the 50 1.4 is so light, I find it hard to make that compromise. And yes, I literally hiked the Himalayas twice with my 4 lens kit (and no, it isn't 20 KG).

I suppose my real question is what do I need to add onto a WA zoom and a standard zoom? I keep wanting to convince myself that I could go just 5Dii, 30D, 17-40, 24-105, and 135L, but then I think about all the range I would miss, and not having a WA for indoor use, which makes me think I should either go 16-35 instead of 17-40, or just throw in the lightweight 50 1.4, and then I think, shouldn't I also throw in the 70-300 for reach? And then I think, rather then 70-300 and 135L, wouldn't I be better served with just a 70-200? And as you can see the thought process goes on....

Nov 11, 2009 at 08:56 AM

aoluain
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p.2 #3 · 8,000$ dream travel kit with these rules

Canon 5D
Sigma 12-24
Zeiss 24-85
Canon 70-300 DO IS USM

light and compact the main concern

not the $8000 but would keep some spare cash left over
to pick up some bits and bobs on location!!!

when are we going and who is handing out the cash?

Nov 11, 2009 at 09:05 AM

alexandre
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p.2 #4 · 8,000$ dream travel kit with these rules

Travelinbri,

As this is the alt forum, maybe you won't fins the kind of answers you need, given your current gear... unless you want to MF some more

Given this fact, the trio 17-40 + 50/1.4 + 70-200 is kinda classic among Canon fellas. You can't go wrong at all with this combo. Given you like low-light capabilities, maybe you should replace 70-200 with things like 85/1.8 and 200/2.8...

About your last paragraph, it's a classic matter of priorities. Need low-light capabilities? Range? Sharpness? Less weight? For me (and Richard, I guess), one can make 95% of the job with much less weight. But your priorities may vary... Which are yours?

Nov 11, 2009 at 09:11 AM

Steve Spencer
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p.2 #5 · 8,000$ dream travel kit with these rules

Travelinbri wrote:
Truth be told, I would love to keep it to 3 lenses, but I want at least one lens that is WA, one standard, and one long, and I want low light capability

If it were me, I would want one high quality prime for each of these uses that optimized IQ while still keeping the weight low. So if I had $8,000 and had your purposes in mind I would go with:

5D MKII
T1i

Olympus OM 21mm f/2
Voigtlander 58mm f/1.4
Voigtlander APO 180 f/4

Nov 11, 2009 at 09:36 AM

Planetwide
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p.2 #6 · 8,000$ dream travel kit with these rules

Lightweight:

5D2
7D
Voigtlander 20mm F/3.5
Canon 24-105mm
Contax N 50mm F/1.4
Canon 135mm F/2

Nov 11, 2009 at 09:46 AM

cheve
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p.2 #7 · 8,000$ dream travel kit with these rules

$8k may not be enough - but it is a dream so, budget overrun is part of the game, :

leica 70-180/2.8 apo
om 35-70/2.8
om 21/2
ef 50/1.0
+extension tubes
+5D/40D

Nov 11, 2009 at 10:40 AM

carstenw
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p.2 #8 · 8,000$ dream travel kit with these rules

I think the 70-180/2.8 costs about $5000 by itself... If you get lucky, perhaps $3500 or $4000.

Nov 11, 2009 at 10:42 AM

cheve
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p.2 #9 · 8,000$ dream travel kit with these rules

carstenw wrote:
I think the 70-180/2.8 costs about $5000 by itself... If you get lucky, perhaps $3500 or $4000.

I am always lucky in my dream

Nov 11, 2009 at 10:58 AM

Lotusm50
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p.2 #10 · 8,000$ dream travel kit with these rules

Mamiya 7ll with 43mm, 65mm and 150mm lenses
Canon 5D with Zeiss N 24-85mm VS

That's 2 bodies and 4 lenses, and just about everything you might need (except for a flash, which you will have ample budget left to buy a nice 580EX II).

Nov 11, 2009 at 11:05 AM

timpdx
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p.2 #11 · 8,000$ dream travel kit with these rules

I am a big time traveler

This is what is going to India with me in a month:

5D
24-105
24LII

E-P1 w/ 14-45 & Pany 45-200

---

Starting from scratch:

5DII
24-105
24LII/35L
85 1.8 *maybe
used tamron 17-35 (FF, discontinued, but handy to have a cheap WA option) *maybe

EP-1 with 1-45 & pany 45-200 (or GF1 with same lenses)

*maybe depends on shooting location, a WA is more important in Europe/Churches, 85mm is a great portrait lens, great for India or a portrait location.

Nov 11, 2009 at 11:41 AM

mawz
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p.2 #12 · 8,000$ dream travel kit with these rules

My real travel kit on an 8k budget?
My first post was just following the requested kit, this is what I'd really travel with, and is based off my current kit. Both are sticking to the two body, 3 zoom, 1 prime setup as it is pretty flexible (I normally travel with compact zooms)

Heavy:

Oly E-30
Oly E-3
ZD 7-14 f4
ZD 14-54 f2.8-3.5 II
ZD 50-200 f2.8-3.5 SWD
PL Summilux-D 25mm f1.4

Light:
Panasonic G1
Panasonic GF1
G Vario 7-14 f4
G Vario 14-45 f3.5-5.6 OIS
G Vario 45-200 f4-5.6 OIS
G 20 f1.7
and a lot of spending money.

Nov 11, 2009 at 11:45 AM

carstenw
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p.2 #13 · 8,000$ dream travel kit with these rules

I went to Egypt with a 5D, 17-40L, 50 Cron (latest) and 80 Lux. I used the 80 most of the time and didn't miss a longer lens.

Nov 11, 2009 at 12:57 PM

Roland W
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p.2 #14 · 8,000$ dream travel kit with these rules

You did not mention if you would be using a tripod at all, or if you will be fully hand held. If it is hand held, and you have a fair amount of active shots that need to be taken quickly, I would suggest you stick with auto focus auto aperature lenses for most of them, and include image stabilized lenses when you can.

With that in mind, here is what I would propose. I do not think it will meet your price, but it is close. So you could substitute a used 30D or other used body for the 7D to save some money.

Canon 5DII
Canon 7D
Canon 17-40 f4 L
Canon 24-105 f4 L IS
Canon 70-200 f4 L IS
Oly fast prime(s) if you want them, at low cost, and they are very small.

Remember that a 5DII is many stops better in low light than what ever previous several years old digital SLR you had before. So you may want to skip any fast primes. If you had plenty of budget, which you do not, the Canon 35 f1.4 L would be the fast prime I would add.

Nov 11, 2009 at 01:37 PM

brainiac
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p.2 #15 · 8,000$ dream travel kit with these rules

Steve Spencer wrote:
5D MKII
T1i

Olympus OM 21mm f/2
Voigtlander 58mm f/1.4
Voigtlander APO 180 f/4

Yeah - that would rock.

There's a lot to be said for the 17-40 as a lightweight compromise with a great range for travelling. I'm happy without AF but it's not to be sniffed at:
5D2
500D
17-40 L
35 f2
85 f1.8

That's starting to get a bit heavy for me though.

Edited on Nov 11, 2009 at 01:58 PM · View previous versions

Nov 11, 2009 at 01:50 PM

millsart
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p.2 #16 · 8,000$ dream travel kit with these rules

Such a question is next to impossible to answer unless you have the confines of how and where someone is traveling as well.

My kit for driving is certainly different than my kit for international travel. My kit for a tropical island is going to be different than my kit for an arctic climate. Am I going to be in a place where lens changes are practical even ? What type of conditions does my gear need to withstand ?

How safe is the area I'm going to be in ? Am I traveling with a large group or solo ?

To the OP as well, I applaud your doing humanitarian work, however, have you considered the safety of your gear while in some of the places your likely to be helping ?

I'd imagine $8k would be more money than many of the folks you'd be going to help could ever imagine making in their lifetime, and where are you going to keep all this gear while working ? You can't keep it all with you all the time, and even if you could, would the conditions take too much toll on it not to mention you, if you have to carry it all around ?

Nov 11, 2009 at 01:57 PM

Jim Casteel
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p.2 #17 · 8,000$ dream travel kit with these rules

Given the fact you are traveling you want bombproof gear!

I would say if you purchase used you could get a:

Nikon D3 $3400
Nikon 14-24 $1500
Nikon 24-70 $1600
Nikon 70-200mm VR I $1500

That would give you a camera that can survive in a warzone, great High ISO performance and a full range of lenses that can do just about anything. You could add a Teleconverter for a couple hundred extra bucks.

Nov 11, 2009 at 02:27 PM

Mirek Elsner
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p.2 #18 · 8,000$ dream travel kit with these rules

If I were in your shoes, I would be thinking about selling my existing gear and getting an M9 with 35 and 90 lenses.

Nov 11, 2009 at 03:25 PM

Travelinbri
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p.2 #19 · 8,000$ dream travel kit with these rules

All great responses. I would like my gear to be versatile, as I will most certainly be at altitude (as mountain climbing and WAs are the reason I got into photography), but I will also be in hot climates, cause frankly, that's where a lot of my work takes place. Safety is always an issue, and one I try to be careful about. One of the reasons I like adding a crop body is that I sometimes like to leave my more expensive gear locked away and travel with one small body and one lens.

Questions:

I cannot find the Zeiss lens anywhere, looked it up (didn't know about it before) and at least one poster said it had worse contrast and sharpness then the 24-105. Thoughts?

How easy is it to convert Olympus lenses (which are fantastic and has often made me wish for a better Olympus body) into canon mounts? Can the same be done with Pentax?

I often consider moving to more primes, certainly I could put together a great all primes kit for that amount, with say, a WA prime, a standard prime, and maybe two tel primes (something like a 14 or 24, 35 or 50, 85 or 100, 135 or 200), but I wonder how I would miss the zoom. That being said, I have often made my 400 and the 50 my light night walk around, and it has rarely bothered me...

Great advice, and I am checking in and listening intently. Yes, I have a 30D, 400D, 70-300, and 50 1.4 so if I stuck with canon I could knock out the crop body (although the 7D intrigues me ALOT) and would almost definitely bring the 50 1.4. That being said, I may be incorporating selling some of these if I buy a lot of gear.

Nov 11, 2009 at 04:46 PM

plastic_lens
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p.2 #20 · 8,000$ dream travel kit with these rules

What - no lighting equipment?? Save some of that money on a quality location lighting kit...My 2 cents.

Nov 11, 2009 at 04:58 PM

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