Light weight travel kit

[wedgtail]

Iam going to Bangkok in june this year for 5 days and will mainly be visiting markets and Temples . I have a D600 I am seriously thinking of leaving my 24-70 2.8 Tamron home and travelling with a 50 1.4g and one other lens any suggestions please don't mention the 14-28 2.8 Nikon as I don't have the budget for it

[CarlR]

I'm off to Europe in June, but I expect the range of subjects will be very different to markets and temples in Bankok.

I also have a D600 but I am planning to take my Nikkor 12-24 and 24-70 f2.8, with an SB700 and small CF travel tripod to cover city, landscapes, interiors, people and what ever else comes along. (I'll be based in each place for a lengthy period of time, so won't need to lug gear from place to place on a daily basis).

I'll be interested to see what other forum members suggest, but you may care to think about a lightweight but wider option - perhaps a 28mm f1.8.

[Pixley]

Do you want wider or longer??? My 24-120 f4 is a great walkaround lens and often the only lens I take when travelling. Are you looking at another lightweight prime to take though? Edited to say that if it is a really lightweight bit of kit you want to take - why not take your K-x and pancake - great bit of kit!

[wedgtail]

I still have the K5 and 70mm 40mm pancake lens, I really wan't to give the d600 a run so i am looking for a wide prime possibly the 20 2.8

[Cage]

I'm rather pleased with the performance of the AF-S 28/1.8G on my D600.

It's not in the digital UWA league, and although not a cheap lens, it won't break the bank either.

It also reviews pretty well......http://www.photozone.de/nikon_ff/751-nikkorafs2818ff

PS: I've recently sold a K5 and a DA40 and they were an excellent combination, but FF has elevated my photographic journey up a notch, and you sound like you need a wider option. I have recently acquired a Samyang 14mm f2.8 and I believe when I come to grips with it's foibles it will be a great asset.

[wedgtail]

Thanks for the replies I just picked up a super cheap Nikon 20mm 2.8 af and have slash proofed my camera bag with a pack lite steal Strap and inner . so I have decided to take the 24-70 with me on the more hectic parts of my trip and try the 50mm1.4 and 20mm 2.8 on the more sedate days .

[Fredo]

Hey Wedgie . .
We did a big tour around Europe last year and I carried a D300; 70-200 F2.8; 24-7 f2.8, and the el-cheapo 18-105 f/whatever.
After day 2 the 18-105 was on 98% of the time . . . not for the length but for the width and I still needed more width often.
Used the 70-200 once.

We go back next year for another big Europe trip (West to East) and a 2 week stint in rural France
I'll take my new D600 (what a perfect size for travel, hey?)
Definitely a 10-24 (or similar) and the 24-70 for sure.
And definitely a good flash (SB-700)
Most useful item other than camera and lens?
Gorillapod tripod, absolutely brilliant and used it a lot.
Wraped it around fences, stop signs, seat backs . . etc etc . .
Fredo

[enigmatic]

I was in Vietnam earlier in the year, I found that, at least there, having a midrange zoom (I had a 17-50 on a crop body) was the best and the easiest. I was concerned about theft, and obviously grime etc... I found leaving one lens on did almost everything I wanted!

[CarlR]

I thought I’d post a quick follow up.

I’m currently in Europe, having spent the last 4 weeks travelling through France, Germany and Italy. One more week in London before flying back to Australia.

I packed my D600 with 50mm f1.4, 14-24mm f2.8, 24-70mm f2.8 and 70-200mm f2.8 along with a CF travel tripod and SB700. Macbook Pro and Lightroom (with a separate back up drive) for storage and editing. CPL and a variable ND were also packed.

The D600 has been fantastic. Low light capability has been extensively tested. In most attractions, tripods and flashes are not permitted (and there is often guards and attendants policing this), so I have only occasionally made use of the tripod. However, I have captured great shots at ISO 2000.

The 24-70mm and 14-24mm have been the two lenses most often affixed to the camera (in that order). The 50mm has been useful whilst moving between cities, as it is compact, fast and simple. Despite the weight, the fast zooms have been invaluable.

I brought 2 bags with me. A Think Tank Streetwalker Pro (backpack) and a Retrospective 20 (satchel type sling bag). This has worked really well and these bags have been really robust. The backpack is great for carrying all of the gear between places or where I was heading out alone to take some shots. The sling bag was perfect to take sightseeing or generally out (I could fit 14 – 24, 24 – 70, 50mm, body (attached to one of the lenses), filters, spare cards and other miscellaneous items) and about and doubled as a bag to take on aircraft with laptop, books and the like. I would definitely suggest taking non-descript looking bags that are not readily opened.

There have been several occasions where I have appreciated the longer focal length. If you have it, you are more likely to make use of it.

I hardly used the flash. Next time, I would question whether to bring it.
The CPL has been widely used (given it is summer in Europe and the skies have been generally clear and blue). It has also been useful cutting the reflection in shop windows.

I thought I had cleared out enough hard disk space. Half way through, due to the larger file sizes produced by the D600, I needed to move images off the internal hard disk onto the back up drive. Daily review and culling of images has been necessary to manage the volume of images.

I brought plenty of spare memory cards, which have been barely used. With two 16Gb cards in the camera, there have only been rare occasions where I have gone onto the second card, let along needed to replace cards over the course of the day.

The dynamic range, particularly in the interiors, lends itself to (restrained) HDR. I have used exposure bracketing extensively.

I’ve used Flickr to upload a daily selection. It has been good to show family and friends what we have been up to (and acts as an additional back up).

If you are interested, Flickr link is http://www.flickr.com/photos/carlrphotos/

CR

[Glenda]

Some awesome pics Carl. I agree when travelling OS my 24-70 f2.8 is on the camera most but for interiors the ultra wide 11-16 f2.8 is invaluable.

[Boo53]

Thanks for the update Carl.

Did all the gear travel in the cabin luggage, or did you have to check some of it in.

[CarlR]

John, I initially had the just tripod in checked luggage and everything else including laptop and camera bag as carry on. We ,flew Singapore and had no problems. After some shopping in Paris and Florence, even the tripod was carried on our British Airways flight from Rome to London..

[Boo53]

Thanks Carl.

I went to Cairns for the eclipse last year, with Qantas, and then for 2 weeks of sight seeing, so took a fair amount of gear. My tripod went in the check in but fortunately the cameras & lenses were able to be shared between my wife & I. Normally when flying I'm a little more pragmatic about what I take

However, later this year or early next I'm expecting to go to the US on my own and after visiting our eldest son in Chicago I'm planning on visiting Yellowstone, amongst other areas, so I'm still trying to work out what I can safely take with me and how best to do it.

[wedgtail]

Just got back from my trip my final kit was d600 tanron 24-70 2.8 and the 20mm 2.8 the tamron stayed on the camera most of the time the 20mmm came in handy in the temples after a visit to chatachuck market on a Sunday I noticed a slash mark on my bag thanks to the packlight inner I was using nothing was taken. Be very careful here keep your bag in front of you and be cautious with your wallet go in the morning to beat the heat and the crowds.
The only problem I had was fogging of my lenses with the humidity most days were 35+ and 75% humidity we had 3 days of very heavy rain so much that all of the river and klong venues were closed will get there next trip

[CarlR]

Boo,

From my experience, the key is to pack everything as compactly and unobtrusively as possible. If your bags fit the carry on restrictions, you are less likely to experience any grief.

The carry on allowances on my flights was a bag and computer bag / handbag. In my case, it was my camera backpack and satchel containing laptop, iPad etc. It is therefore worth checking the carry on allowances, selecting and packing your bags in a manner that complies as closely as possible.

Hope this helps.

CR

[Boo53]

Thanks for that Carl