Kit advice for India trip

I am lucky enough to be going for a relatively long holiday in southern India in a couple of months. To a considerable extent this will be off the main tourist routes. To that end I am trying to sort out the camera kit I will take with me to capture this once in a lifetime opportunity. I have been told that I can expect a 'mini monsoon' while I am there.

Based on that I thought I would take my 'new' E-1 as my main camera with 12-60 and 50 mm HG lenses (I will be sorry to leave my 11-22 behind, my first HG lens and one that has taken some nice shots, but the wider focal length of the 12-60 seems to make more sense.

However, should I be looking at trying to source a 50-200, go with one of my existing standard grade telephotos (40-150 or 70-300) or get a teleconvertor for the 12-60? I also want to take a spare body and am swithering between the E-520 (shares same batteries, good in low light) v E-400 (weaker AA filter, less prone to blown highlights?). I don't want to blow my entire weight budget on camera kit!

I would welcome advice from those with more experience of this kind of travel photography.
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Maczero

http://www.smiddyphotography.com

70-300mm leaves only a small gap from the 12-60mm. However the 40-150 mk2 is tiny and can be carried in a loose trouser pocket. I would consider the E510 as a second body, you get IS and weak AA filter.
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Oll an gwella,
Jim

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It is raining now in southern India. So weather proof body would be good to carry. I am not seeing much of chance to use tele lenses since it may not be season for birding. So if you need tele lens, take a lighter one. In my perception, you would be using 12-60 more than any other lens.

Thanks
Vance

For sure the E1 with the 12-60, then the 520 with a 50-200 if you can borrow one or one of the longer lenses you already have. My bet is that you will use the E1 12-60 80% of the time, but there is a lot to be said for having a second body with long lens, especially a light combination. No lens swaps and a backup body.
Joe

Hi Maczero,

I recently did a trip through the northern Indian Himalayas on a motorcycle:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1022&message=32728830

I had my E3 and 12-60. It served me very well, and although I did take the 40-150, i think i may have only used it once or twice. I guess it boils down to what sort of images you like to take; if you need a large zoom to get in close (i.e. 50-200) then it's probably not worth taking, not in India anyway; most things happen right under your nose. My suggestion would be to take the 12-60, and if you like to do portraits or have a fast prime, then the 50mm would be good to take along too...oh and maybe the 40-150 if you think you really are going to need it.

regards
Paul

By all means try to get a ZD50-200.
Doesn't matter if it is SWD or not, that is the perfect travel telephoto :

• weatherproofed for your monsoon
• relatively fast : it's 2.8 at 50 mm after all;
• focuses fast
• reliable build
• etc.

If you worry about weight, you might even consider NOT taking the ZD50mm if you can have and take the ZD50-200. It is not AS good, but close enough : pretty good for portraits wide open at F2.8.

And I am sure that you will want so telephoto capabilities when in India.

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Roel Hendrickx

lots of images : http://www.roelh.zenfolio.com

my E-3 user field report from Tunisian Sahara: http://www.biofos.com/ukpsg/roel.html

Two weeks ago I came back from a trip to India....Northern India (6 weeks)

Took my E3/12-60/50mmF2 and 50-200SWD....around 75% was 12-60 and 25% 50-200SWD. Nope, not one pic with the 50mm.

--I have been in Goa four times and I can say that India, without doubt is the photographic opportunity of a lifetime. Indians are very kind and gentle, but don't forget to ask permission before you take any photos of people. A little respect will take you a long way. It's a dilemma about which kit to bring along. Depends on how much weight you want to drag along. I have used the 50 f2 as a general purpose lens while travelling in India, but then you are going to miss wide angle shots not to speak of the need for a tele. I have even used my old 14-45 which is light weight and unobtrusive, but then it needs a bit of work in Photoshop later. If you can carry it then the 12-60 would be a great piece of kit to have in India. I don't carry spare bodies while travelling as I have found Olympus cameras to be extremely reliable. An extra battery and of course a charger are necessities. Have a great time in India, you won't regret it!

Anthony M

Of the lenses that I own:
14-42
14-54
25 Pan
50 Oly
50-200

I've decided that my travel kit is going to be:
14-42
25
50
40-150 (picking up before next trip)

Reasoning:

Very light weight set up with decent reach. 99% of my shots wider than 25 are landscapes... which are usually at F8 anyways. the 14-42 is good enough at f8. I hardly ever go longer than 50 except when I cover events or concerts so the 50-200 is just too big and heavy to travel with.

I really don't want to get another body at this stage. The E-510 might have been better than the the E-520 (sharper/lighter AA filter), but it's the E-520 that I have. So, it's the E-520, E-400 or no spare body at all.
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Maczero

http://www.smiddyphotography.com

Hmm. so perhaps if I take the 9-18 (which I have) instead of the 50 and a 50-200 that might cover the bases?
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Maczero

http://www.smiddyphotography.com