TRAVELLING,Equipment,Work Flow and Storage

[doppelganger]

Greetings All. My Partner and I are off to the U.S in 2 weeks for a self drive(5 week) West Coast and East Coast Holiday. Although I love photography and my partner is happy that I enjoy it, when it comes to all things photographic, she usually grins with the accompanied statement,"That's nice dear":). I don't plan on editing whilst on the trip,I think it will be enough with me wanting to stop at ever photo opportunity,let alone having my head stuck in the laptop back the motel(s) editing.We will be keeping an online blog and uploaded a few photos on it,but other than that all the viewing and editing will done at home after the trip.

If I may ask this question : How would(have) you stored your photo's whilst on a trip?,what type of external(portable)drive would(did) you use?

I have loaded on the Home pc...... Adobe creative suite with Photoshop C5 update and Lightroom 3. We are taking an Asus Laptop with a 650 gig hard drive and no photo editors are loaded onto the laptop at the moment.




Below is list off what i'm taking,any suggestions on other gear I might need or want would be appreciated

Bags Thinktank Airport antidote V2.0, Lowepro Fastback 100, Thinktank Holster 20 V2.0

Cameras: Pentax K5,
Pentax K20
Olympus 790 sw
Sony HDR-HC3 Handycam

Lenses: Pentax 18-55mm DA
Pentax 12-24mm DA
Sigma 70-300mm DG
Tamron 90mm DI SP
Sigma 150-500 mm DG

Flashes Pentax AF 540 FGZ
Pentax AF 160 FC
Yongnuo YN 560

Acessories 3x 32 gig class 10 Memory cards
2x 16 gig class 6 Memory cards
1x Rs-5 strap
1x Yongnuo 602TX Transmitter x2 reicievers
1x k20 Battery grip + battery
1x K5 Battery grip + battery
1x MAHA mh-c801D Eight cell charger
12x Sanyo AA eneloop batteries
1x Manfroto MKC3-H01 compact tripod
Assorted filters and protectors

Regards

Steve

[JM Tran]

1. why are u even thinking about taking 4 cameras? you are not there for work or on assignment but on a holiday. In the case that your wife wants to shoot too, just take the K5 and K20 since they can share equipment

2. take the 540 flash, but I can almost guarantee you wont be using flash much if at all on your travel

3. leave the tamron 90 and sigma 70-300 at home

4. for data back up, 1 copy on your hard drive of laptop, a copy on an external drive or 2 separated from your carry on and carried in checked in luggage of yours and your partner, and keep them on the memory cards until you absolutely have to clear them

these are my suggestions based on my experiences working overseas.

[camerasnoop]

Not a definitive answer, but I'd look at taking a separate USB Hard Drive (or buy it there). Keep one copy on the laptop, and a backup on the USB HDD. Don't keep them in the same bag. Put one in your wife's baggage and the laptop in yours. No point in having a thief steal both copies at the same time.

[doppelganger]

1. why are u even thinking about taking 4 cameras? you are not there for work or on assignment but on a holiday. In the case that your wife wants to shoot too, just take the K5 and K20 since they can share equipment

2. take the 540 flash, but I can almost guarantee you wont be using flash much if at all on your travel

3. leave the tamron 90 and sigma 70-300 at home

4. for data back up, 1 copy on your hard drive of laptop, a copy on an external drive or 2 separated from your carry on and carried in checked in luggage of yours and your partner, and keep them on the memory cards until you absolutely have to clear them

these are my suggestions based on my experiences working overseas.

Thanks JM TRan,

1.The reasoning behind 4 Cameras is, My partner loves the olympus point and shoot and doesn't like all the controls on k20,although I've explained in auto it's point and shoot.:rolleyes:

I love Macro, particularly insects, the reason for purchasing the K5 was not so much as an upgrade,but more so I can keep the 90 with the ring flash attached to one camera so I'm not going to get caught out for candid Bird or wildlife photo. I was photographing Dragonfly's (macro set up) a while back and a hawk came over, the lowest of seen one fly.I made it to the car but whilst changing lenses it was all over, 10 mins later an inquisitive fox appeared,same thing.I'd hate to miss a shot of a bear or deer whilst shooting a Macro shot

I don't know why I was thinking of taking the Sony handy cam:rolleyes:,suppose I always have. K5 has vid, thanks for mentioning it,the Sony's out:

2. I have plans for some desert night shots with Joshua tree's, hence the 2 flashes and remotes.

3. May consider leaving the 70-300 at home, the Tammy's comming.

4.Thank's, I've got 1x 2 tb external hard drive, for the price,I may go buy another???

Thanks,Appreciate the tips:th3:

Steve

[doppelganger]

Not a definitive answer, but I'd look at taking a separate USB Hard Drive (or buy it there). Keep one copy on the laptop, and a backup on the USB HDD. Don't keep them in the same bag. Put one in your wife's baggage and the laptop in yours. No point in having a thief steal both copies at the same time.

Thanks Snoopy, I have an old usb external drive here at home, might see how small they are now and buy one,didn't think of buying one over there:Doh:

Thanks

Steve

[JM Tran]

Steve you can easily buy cheap and decent portable drives at the airports on duty free - ie. Changhi airport as its cheap or buy it in the US as its even cheaper! Same for camera gear and accessories as well.

One thing I forgot to mention is getting a premium travel insurance policy which can cover the amount you are bringing and more. I have heard reports of people leaving their some of the gear in their car and going for treks and coming back to find it has been broken into - so plan ahead what you would like to use for the day and leave the rest somewhere more secure ie. the hotel room or something.

[campdog]

I just came back from a 6 week trip in the USA. Im a pentax man as well. Seems like you are taking more gear than me.I had 2 cameras on the go and took 8500 shots. I got back mid june and still culling and editing. Never again so many shots.
I took the following.
K5 and K10D bodies.
Pentax 100mm macro - Didt use
Pentax FA* 28-70. nearly full time on the K5
Pentax FA* 80-200. Used with K5 .
Sigma 10-20mm Pano work on both cameras.
Tripod & Pano Head.
Sigma flash.
Spare batteries.
Instead of a 12 volt charger I took a small 240V inverter to run chargers and Laptop.
A laptop for storing photos.Filled hard drive in first couple of weeks.
I had a 1 tig external hard drive as well to store my pics.
I shot in raw + Jpeg as well. Ended up with 260 gig of photo files.
I had 3 x 16 gid SD cards and transferred to hard drive every second night.I also burnt a copy to DVD as well.
Just remember the USA is a big place and plenty of camera stores if you forget something.
I used the flash on the last couple of days at the San Diego Zoo.
I should be finished editing before my next US trip in May 2013.
Take the Sony Handcam. I did and glad we did.My wife loved using it and got some great video while driving along.Just had it plugged into the Inverter full time. Gave her the responsibility of videoing and I done all the still. It worked great.She was forever saying pullover.
John
John

[camerasnoop]

When you get to the US with all that gear, go buy yourself a hard case of some sort that locks. Then get yourself a bicycle chain/steel cable with 4-tumbler combination lock. When you leave stuff in the hotel, chain the case to the biggest waterpipe you can find in the bathroom. Put out the Do Not Disturb sign too.

When you are ready to fly home, don't dump the case at the airport. I might cause a problem.:D

[doppelganger]

Steve you can easily buy cheap and decent portable drives at the airports on duty free - ie. Changhi airport as its cheap or buy it in the US as its even cheaper! Same for camera gear and accessories as well.

One thing I forgot to mention is getting a premium travel insurance policy which can cover the amount you are bringing and more. I have heard reports of people leaving their some of the gear in their car and going for treks and coming back to find it has been broken into - so plan ahead what you would like to use for the day and leave the rest somewhere more secure ie. the hotel room or something.

We have to do some shopping when we get to L.A,Esky ,chairs,blanket and things,will buy some external hds there,hmmmmm,another lens maybe:D

We have top of the line travel insurance and any bags left in the vehicle or in motels will be fitted with motion sensor alarms:eek:

Thanks

Steve

[camerasnoop]

Here's another travel tip. As all your electrical devices are going to need an adapter, take one four outlet power board with you. You'll only need one plug adapter, and many hotel rooms don't have lots of power outlets, or in some cases are hard wired so you can't remove the appliance from the wall. Plugging in lots of chargers can be a chore if you have to do them one after the other.

[doppelganger]

I just came back from a 6 week trip in the USA. Im a pentax man as well. Seems like you are taking more gear than me.I had 2 cameras on the go and took 8500 shots. I got back mid june and still culling and editing. Never again so many shots.
I took the following.
K5 and K10D bodies.
Pentax 100mm macro - Didt use
Pentax FA* 28-70. nearly full time on the K5
Pentax FA* 80-200. Used with K5 .
Sigma 10-20mm Pano work on both cameras.
Tripod & Pano Head.
Sigma flash.
Spare batteries.
Instead of a 12 volt charger I took a small 240V inverter to run chargers and Laptop.
A laptop for storing photos.Filled hard drive in first couple of weeks.
I had a 1 tig external hard drive as well to store my pics.
I shot in raw + Jpeg as well. Ended up with 260 gig of photo files.
I had 3 x 16 gid SD cards and transferred to hard drive every second night.I also burnt a copy to DVD as well.
Just remember the USA is a big place and plenty of camera stores if you forget something.
I used the flash on the last couple of days at the San Diego Zoo.
I should be finished editing before my next US trip in May 2013.
Take the Sony Handcam. I did and glad we did.My wife loved using it and got some great video while driving along.Just had it plugged into the Inverter full time. Gave her the responsibility of videoing and I done all the still. It worked great.She was forever saying pullover.
John
John

Thanks John, We will be taking a 240 inverter for the laptop and chargers in the car. I was just talking to the other half and the Camcorders going,good tip:th3:

Might have to invest in a Pentax FA* 28-70:D ,then I'm covered;)

Steve

Steve

[doppelganger]

When you get to the US with all that gear, go buy yourself a hard case of some sort that locks. Then get yourself a bicycle chain/steel cable with 4-tumbler combination lock. When you leave stuff in the hotel, chain the case to the biggest waterpipe you can find in the bathroom. Put out the Do Not Disturb sign too.

When you are ready to fly home, don't dump the case at the airport. I might cause a problem.:D

Thanks for the tip, The thinktank soft case I have has a steel anti theft cable built in and it got me to thinking about running cables through our other bags and having motion sensor alarms inside. without the m/s alarms thieves could persist and remove items or cut cables,but if they try do grab and do a runner, the alarms will go off and hopefully deter them. A lot of accommodation on the trip has good security parking or parking directly outside our rooms.

I hope the comment at about dumping the case at the airport is not from personal experience :eek:

Steve

[doppelganger]

Here's another travel tip. As all your electrical devices are going to need an adapter, take one four outlet power board with you. You'll only need one plug adapter, and many hotel rooms don't have lots of power outlets, or in some cases are hard wired so you can't remove the appliance from the wall. Plugging in lots of chargers can be a chore if you have to do them one after the other.

Just added it to the list,read a few posts on travel forums in the last couple of days and no one mentioned that tip,thanks

Steve

[campdog]

We didnt have any trouble with theft.Just dont flash all your gear at once. I carried my cameras in my backpack and kept with me at all times. I got a US 240 adaptor from thr NRMA office and came with a power board for charging.Used it with the invertor as well. Most motels had heaps of power points. A power board is good advice.
What type of vehicle are you geting for the trip.
John

[doppelganger]

We didnt have any trouble with theft.Just dont flash all your gear at once. I carried my cameras in my backpack and kept with me at all times. I got a US 240 adaptor from thr NRMA office and came with a power board for charging.Used it with the invertor as well. Most motels had heaps of power points. A power board is good advice.
What type of vehicle are you geting for the trip.
John

I try be savvy with the gear,I Kitesurf and it's a sport where you become real savvy with your gear and vehicle,not so bad in Vic,but Perths a shocker, they hide in sand dunes,as soon as your out on the water,there goes your gear.

We were hiring a Jeep Liberty, but have since upgraded to a Jeep Grand Cherokee, posted some Googles of the routes below,the Gps is locked and loaded....can't wait

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6201/6123399330_e06b833468_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/57223055@N02/6123399330/) West Coast (http://www.flickr.com/photos/57223055@N02/6123399330/) by pentaxsteve (http://www.flickr.com/people/57223055@N02/), on Flickr

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6196/6123399542_ee39241a94_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/57223055@N02/6123399542/) East Coast (http://www.flickr.com/photos/57223055@N02/6123399542/) by pentaxsteve (http://www.flickr.com/people/57223055@N02/), on Flickr


Steve

[camerasnoop]

Looks like you're going to see a lot of the same stuff I saw in the US. Not heading over the border into Canada are you? Other than at Niagara I mean? You're not far from Toronto when you get to Niagara. Fall colour in Canada will be even more intense than in New England. Brings back memories. Have a nice trip.

[doppelganger]

Looks like you're going to see a lot of the same stuff I saw in the US. Not heading over the border into Canada are you? Other than at Niagara I mean? You're not far from Toronto when you get to Niagara. Fall colour in Canada will be even more intense than in New England. Brings back memories. Have a nice trip.

Originally we had planned to drive North through the Adriondak mountain regions, cross into Canada through thousand islands and come down the North shore of lake Ontario,through Toronto to Naigra. We cancelled that for the better Geology of the finger lakes region,should get some nice colour through Pennsylvania returning from Niagra.....ahhhhhh,the trip can't come sooner enough:D

[OwenS]

I recently went round the world for 6 months. I just had a small dual core laptop with LR3 for all my basic editing. I also took a 500gb Hitachi Simple Tough Drive (this thing is BOMB PROOF, and beats the crap out of the Lacie ones) for my backups. So uploaded photos onto laptop HDD through LR3 then a copy of these onto the Hitachi tough drive. If you took 2 of these, with your and your partner carrying one each you would be set in terms of backup.

CNET review on the Hitachi
http://www.cnet.com.au/hitachi-simpletough-500gb-339300989.htm

[Analog6]

I have a Vosonic VP8870 (http://www.vosonic.com/product.php?PA=feature&kind=1&id_1=16) with 250Gb HDD installed (you can out in whatever size you like up to 500Gb. Files can be up to 2Gb. Battery driven or plug in, I can do about 3 x 16Gb card downloads over a couple of days on a battery charge if I don't do any viewing. It stores photos, music, video etc, you can see them on the screen (it reads RAW OK) and makes an excellent backup device. You can hook it up to a TV and view the images at full screen if you want, although I've never done this, just tested it at home to see how it worked.