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Paris - lens choice, safety issues

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Hafcc

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Hey folks

Next week I will be in Paris, on vacation. I'm trying to travel as light as possible, but I feel like I need to take with me most of my lenses, a bunch of primes like 16mm fisheye/35mm/zeiss 50mm f/2/85mm f/1.4. I would love to take my Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 as well but I'm not sure how much I would benefit from a fast tele lens (I usually tend to use the tele side of photography a lot when I travel in foreign places).

Also, how safe is Paris for photographers? I'm talking here about wearing large cameras (> D300), big lenses and photo backpacks that scream pro grade. For what is worth I will walk alone most of the time. I'll be staying at a hotel near Sacred Heart Basilica of Montmartre (Sacre-Coeur), and from what I have read on tripadvisor it turns out that this area is not too pleasant, to put it nicely.

Any thoughts? Thanks.

If there's anyone willing to meet and shoot some photos drop me a line or message.
--
http://haf.cc
 
kI'm going to Paris next week, too. See you there! Luckily, Paris is only 1 hour away by plane from here.

Last time I went to Paris, a friend with me had his camera nicked. Pickpockets are the curse, especially on the Metro. Otherwise, Paris is a bit jaded these days and run-down but crime is no worse than anywhere else.

I shall take D300S with 16-85mm VR, D700 with 16-35mm VR, 70-300mm VR and flash. MIGHT take 35mm f/2 and 24mm f/2.8 as they're light. Not sure.

Don't bother with the Q to go up the Eiffel Tower - you can wait two hours for the lift, and one is out of action at the moment.

Otherwise, there should be some very good sights to snap! Just beware of the pickpockets. I didn't find Moscow too much of a problem so can't imagine Paris being worse. Unlike London, you won't be arrested the moment you take your camera out of its bag.
 
Hafcc said:
Also, how safe is Paris for photographers? I'm talking here about wearing large cameras (> D300), big lenses and photo backpacks that scream pro grade. For what is worth I will walk alone most of the time. I'll be staying at a hotel near Sacred Heart Basilica of Montmartre (Sacre-Coeur), and from what I have read on tripadvisor it turns out that this area is not too pleasant, to put it nicely.

Any thoughts? Thanks.
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As long as you do not include any magnetic surfaces in your kit you should be safe from french Government agents attaching limpet mines while you sleep in a safe harbour. I believe this was the only time the french killed a photographer so you should be OK.
 
exit here said:
As long as you do not include any magnetic surfaces in your kit you should be safe from french Government agents attaching limpet mines while you sleep in a safe harbour. I believe this was the only time the french killed a photographer so you should be OK.
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That's not the case, but I read that close to Sacre-Coeur there are lots of con artists that try to attach some strings around the tourists' wrists, some are quite rude and attempt physical contact as well.
lordbeau said:
I shall take D300S with 16-85mm VR, D700 with 16-35mm VR, 70-300mm VR and flash. MIGHT take 35mm f/2 and 24mm f/2.8 as they're light. Not sure.
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Of those I would go only with the D700 and 16-35 + 70-300.
--
http://haf.cc
 
Central Paris is like any other popular tourist city - a target for pick pockets and thieves. Be sensible and you won't have any problems.

I wouldn't want to carry lots of lenses. You'll become pre-occupied with changing lenses and keeping an eye on your kit; you'll forget to enjoy the trip and take photos.
I'd take one lens and be done. Two at most.
--
http://www.andrewsandersphotography.co.uk
 
I was born and raised in Paris and live not far away, my family is still there. As somebody else put it, being "sensible" should prevent you from any serious problem.

Paris, like NYC, is tricky in that one street can still be safe, but the next fall into risky territory. Avoid any environment that looks deginitely seedy, and keep your senses keen. No need for paranoia though, globally you should be doing fine.

Do yourself a big favor and make sure you visit the Opera Garnier, it's the most beautiful building in the city.

As much as I love primes I would bring only a mid range zoom, and like a 35 prime with the D700.

But that's only me, carrying a lot of equipment only means more fatigue, more potential trouble, and less enjoyment of the place, which would ne a shame, Paris is gorgeous.
Marla.
 
I was in Montmarte last October and I love it!!! I think you will too. Stayed at a small boutique hotel. I have been to France twice, all over and the French are very very polite people.

The problem only occured in central Paris near Louvre where there were lots of foreigners to the country who tried to trick me for money. They hang around the tourist spots waiting for you to take a picture and then they approach you to try to get money.

Just be aware of yourself and your surroundings as you would with travel to any foreign place. Tourists just stick out.

Montmarte is my favourite place so far.

I never use tripadvisor any more. Many of the negative comments there come from a certain regions where people are very grumpy. The reviews have also not been true.

I would suggest trying other review sites or forums. Trip advisor just doesn't work. People complain a lot because they didn't have the same thing they have at home.
 
I went a year ago for about a week. To be quite honest, I make a point to seek out the most deadly spots for photography, like dank messy alleys in China and deserted buildings. I find they're more exciting to shoot than average tourist spots that are all polished and ready for you when you get there. That said, I've really been to some dangerous places, and never once had any problems at all. France was great, nothing stolen at all.

I bought an expensive Pacsafe camera strap and ditched it for a Hakuba handgrip. I have a Columbian friend who put it gracefully, "Jon, you don't get it, do you? If someone tries to steal your camera, don't think of it as a camera, think of it as a giant block of magnesium, then aim it at their head. Insurance will cover a new one later."
 
I would also advise on traveling light if possible. I don't know if you're using DX or FX, what subjects you like to shoot, etc., but I'd say you couldn't go wrong with a wide angle zoom (at least 24mm equiv. on the wide end, but preferably wider) and a fast wide/normal prime. Paris is a wonderful city to walk, so make sure you're comfortable carrying what you bring. Personally, I wouldn't bother with a fisheye, 70-200/2.8, etc., but that's just me.

There were a couple areas of the Montmartre where I didn't feel too comfortable with my camera gear (near the Chateau Rouge metro stop, if I recall correctly), but I never felt unsafe anywhere else in Paris. And even there it wasn't all that bad -- better than many parts Oakland, CA, which is only a couple miles from where I live. &nbsp ;)

Truly lovely city. I can't wait to go back. Hope you speak (or can try to speak) a little French. They appreciate it a lot. &nbsp :)

--Brendan

--
brendancox.smugmug.com | flickr.com/photos/brendanmcox | 1 cor13:1
 
Aristoc said:
I would suggest trying other review sites or forums. Trip advisor just doesn't work. People complain a lot because they didn't have the same thing they have at home.
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I agree, I'm not a regular there, I arrived on the site only because of some google searches. Some people provide negative feedback for small faults that could be ignored with common sense.

Thanks to all who contributed to the thread.
Biarien said:
I would also advise on traveling light if possible. I don't know if you're using DX or FX, what subjects you like to shoot, etc., but I'd say you couldn't go wrong with a wide angle zoom (at least 24mm equiv. on the wide end, but preferably wider) and a fast wide/normal prime. Paris is a wonderful city to walk, so make sure you're comfortable carrying what you bring. Personally, I wouldn't bother with a fisheye, 70-200/2.8, etc., but that's just me.

Truly lovely city. I can't wait to go back. Hope you speak (or can try to speak) a little French. They appreciate it a lot. :)

--Brendan

--
brendancox.smugmug.com | flickr.com/photos/brendanmcox | 1 cor13:1
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I'm using a D700 camera and I'm mostly into street photography. I'm notorious among my friends for carrying tones of equipment, I change the lenses very often frantically, but ironically most of the time my keeper photos are shot with only one lens that rules the others: 85mm f/1.4
--
http://haf.cc
 
Go for the 35 and 85! Or something even wider than 35, but not fisheye only.

On my last trip abroad I was invited by a very dear friend, and fellow photograper. So I just had to bring stuff. He promised excellent photo opportunities!

I have a nice Lowepro Pro Trekker 400AW, and a bunch of primes, a couple of zooms and a pair of SB-900. I can even bring a portable computer. But, the bag is of the screaming kind, and a bit heavy.

Here is what I ended up with on the last trip abroad: D300s+16-85+50G/1.4+battery. I was very happy that I did not bring a bunch of stuff. I have a wrist-strap, and the extra lens would go in my pocket.

If I were to recommend a bag the Lowepro Flipside would be excellent. The compartment opens only if you take the backpack off. The zipper is next to your back.

Good luck, enjoy your trip :-)
 
I could get something wider than 35mm and not a fisheye, a friend of mine offered to lend me his 24-70mm f/2.8 Nikkor but I said no because I don't like that lens, every time I use it I feel it's too heavy for a standard lens and I always seem to get lazy with it because it's a zoom :)
--
http://haf.cc
 
Hafcc said:
That's not the case, but I read that close to Sacre-Coeur there are lots of con artists that try to attach some strings around the tourists' wrists, some are quite rude and attempt physical contact as well.
Click to expand...
This is true - these guys will try to put their "bracelets" on your wrist, and then insist that you must pay them. You have to just ignore them, walk by quickly, and be assertive about waving them off, as they won't stop trying as long as you're within reach. When we were there for a week about a year ago, these conmen were swarming all over the last landing of the stairway below the plaza in front of Sacre-Couer.
Hafcc said:
lordbeau said:
I shall take D300S with 16-85mm VR, D700 with 16-35mm VR, 70-300mm VR and flash. MIGHT take 35mm f/2 and 24mm f/2.8 as they're light. Not sure.
Click to expand...
Of those I would go only with the D700 and 16-35 + 70-300.
--
http://haf.cc
Click to expand...
I had my 17-55, 35 f/2, 700-200VR and a Panasonic LX3 with me on the trip, and used mostly the 17-55, with the LX3 seeing duty when I wanted to go out for a meal without carrying so much weight. Most museums in Paris will allow you to enter with a camera, but will require you to check any backpacks, so it didn't work out for me to carry multiple lenses on museum days. For extra peace of mind, I took a PacSafe steel mesh bag with me, and used it to lock my unused gear to the radiator when I left it behind in my room.

All in all, we never felt threatened in Paris, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I'd go back in a heartbeat.

Ray
 
I go to Paris a lot and I have never had a problem. The area around Sacre-Coeur is full of nasty tourist stuff - but drunken tourists are the problem you are most likely to encounter. It is a big city and there are lots of bad people, but no more than any other big city. The bad people are concentrated at the major tourist sites - Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, less Sacre-Coeur. But, NB, it is a BIG city, and you will walk a lot of it: lots of lenses is a bad idea. My Paris kit for DX is a 12-24/4 and a 35/1.8. Don't take a tripod - they are forbidden in all areas controlled by the Paris city authorities - but I have got away with a tabletop tripod on bridge parapets etc.
--
A l'eau, c'est l'heure! (French naval motto)
 
Here's my gallery http://richgibson.smugmug.com/Places/France

70-300 VR was a godsend. Out of 3500 pictures about 15% were using the tele. Very safe, moreso than Rome. Watch out for the gypsies around the more famous tourist locations though. They ask you if you speak English and carry around scripts for some sorts of scams. We always said NO! Last day a few pre-teen girls apparently snuck into the metro and tried to pick my pocket on a train but several Parisian gents raised holy hell with them ..apparently cussing them out and shouting at them. The kids couldn't get off the train fast enough. Wonderful folks those Parisians! In Rome a woman watched a guy try for my (always) empty pockets..then told me after the guy got off our bus.

Their metro has very few if any escalators. The wife and I are 68 so changing lines was pretty exhausting. I carried two bodies and three lenses: D700/D90 16-35, 28-70 and 70-300 VR. I'd go back in a heartbeat. We loved it.

Have a wonderful time.
 
Hafcc said:
Hey folks

Next week I will be in Paris, on vacation.
Click to expand...
Lucky you. It is my favourite city other than my home town, Sydney. :-)
Hafcc said:
I'm trying to travel as light as possible,
Click to expand...
Do lot's of exercise and eat correctly and you can lose lots of kilo's. ;-)
Hafcc said:
but I feel like I need to take with me most of my lenses, a bunch of primes like 16mm fisheye/35mm/zeiss 50mm f/2/85mm f/1.4. I would love to take my Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 as well but I'm not sure how much I would benefit from a fast tele lens (I usually tend to use the tele side of photography a lot when I travel in foreign places).
Click to expand...
When I went to Paris 4 years ago, I had an APS C Pentax kit and only took the following:
16-45 f4,
14mm f2.8,
28-70 f2.8 and
135 f2.8.

I used the 16-45 and the 28-70 for 95% of my photos.
Hafcc said:
Also, how safe is Paris for photographers? I'm talking here about wearing large cameras (> D300), big lenses and photo backpacks that scream pro grade. For what is worth I will walk alone most of the time. I'll be staying at a hotel near Sacred Heart Basilica of Montmartre (Sacre-Coeur), and from what I have read on tripadvisor it turns out that this area is not too pleasant, to put it nicely.
Click to expand...
Hmm, I never had any issues nor did I feel like I was ever under threat. However, like anything, you just need to be vigilant.
Hafcc said:
Any thoughts? Thanks.

If there's anyone willing to meet and shoot some photos drop me a line or message.
--
http://haf.cc
Click to expand...
--
Lance B
http://www.pbase.com/lance_b

 
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