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What cameras + lens + compact do you bring with you in your travel?

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Can I add a dream travel setup?

The two upcoming lenses from Panasonic:

12-35mm f/2.8
35-100mm f/2.8

Look ideal for a travel setup. Throw in a 20mm f/1.7 or the 25mm 1.4 for low-light photography and you are good to go! Folks who like to travel with two bodies would also be well served with this setup.

Hopefully the lenses get released this year.

The only real exception would be a wildlife/safari trip when you would want more focal length.
 
I once said that if I were to take a world tour and were allowed only my Leica D-Lux 4, I'd be happy. I still stand by that. A 24-60mm f/2.0-2.8 with excellent jpegs is nothing to sneeze at.

If I want to travel one-lens-m4/3-light, I take my EPL3 and either 12mm f/2 or 25mm f/1.4. The lens choice depends upon my mood and the phase of the moon.

Jim Pilcher
Summit County, Colorado, USA
 
Currently for Day Hikes:
G2 w/:
25mm f/1.4
14-45mm f/3.5-5.6
Voigtlander 58mm f/1.4
Deitz legacy 135mm f/2.8

Currently for multi-day backpacking:
G2 w/:
25mm f/1.4
14-45mm f/3.5-5.6

Dream Kit:
EM5 w/
9-18mm f/4-5.6
25mm f/1.4
35-100mm f/2.8

Hopefully by summer I'll have the EM5 and 9-18mm...then I'll just be waiting for the 35-100mm.
--
--Mike
 
I want to go really light.





















Sometimes take the 40mm f/2.0 Rokkor M if I know I am going to do some really low light stuff:









TEdolph
 
Most of the time when I travel for quick 2 or 3 day trips I bring either an E-PL1 or E-P3 and the 12mm f/2 and 45mm f/1.8 lenses.

If I know I'm going to do a bunch of panoramas then I typically bring my NEX-3 and 16mm f/2.8 since it's easier to do a bunch of panos with that camera.

If I am on a longer trip and want to travel light I bring either the E-PL1 or E-P3, 12mm, 25mm, 45mm, 50-200mm with adapter and a FL-50R.

If I am on a longer trip and don't care about traveling light I bring all of the stuff I mentioned in the paragraph above plus either an E-1 or E-3 along with a 9-18mm, 50mm macro, and 25mm pancake.

I also bring extra batteries, charger, and sometimes other accessories like light modifiers or reflectors ... depends on what I plan to shoot while traveling.
 
my current kit is my travel kit

Oly Epl 1
Oly 45mm
Pana 20mm
VF2

it i want to go even lighter i would take only the primes or the kit 14-42 and the 20mm.

i would love to replace the kit with the 14-150mm "do it all" lens. :)
 
EPL-1 w/ Panasonic 20 f1.7, which reokaced my former film era combo of Leitz-Minolta CL w/40 f2 M Rokkor-C.
 
I bring a Samsung EX1/TL500 for walking around wherever I go, including when I travel, and I bring a small camcorder bag with the following when I'm out shooting or on a trip:

Panasonic G1 or G3

Panasonic 14-45, 45-200 (to be replaced by 45-175 if I can find one that works), 20
Olympus 45
Raynox 150 closeup lens

All of the above, plus a couple of extra batteries, LensPen, and extra SD cards fits in a package that weighs, including the bag itself, about 4 pounds.
 
My kit is humble.
E-PL1 + 17mm Olympus Pancake.
--
Extraordinarily Ordinary
 
Lately I've been pushing my small Lowepro bag to see just how many diverse lenses I can bring with the E-P2 ... as it turns out, quite a few. I have an awesome Kata 3N1 backpack as well, but never use it because of how much I can cram in the Lowepro :)

Current bag list:
E-P2 (soon to be E-M5)
Pana 20mm
Oly 45mm (had it just a few days)
OM 50/1.4 and 28/2.8 w/Kipon tilt adapter
Fed 50/3.5 Summicron (collapsible) w/M39 adapter
Pentax 25/1.4 and Fujinan 35mm CCTV w/adapter (most awesomeness for size and $)

...and if I leave out the lens hoods, a Isco-Goettigen 50/3.5 pancake adapted for the OM tilt :)

I also have a few other old and compact lenses that I can switch out for these if need be...

AND a Slik Mini Pro 3 with Rocketfish ballhead (separate, one in each side mesh pocket.)

Of course I don't always want/need all these, but for a weekend trip it's nice to have creative options.
 
And for a compact, just the iPhone.
 
arguros said:
Based on your experience, if you want to travel light, what cameras and lens do you bring with you? Do you carry along any compact as well? If so, which one?
Click to expand...
It sort of depends on what I'm doing or where I'm going. My typical walkabout kit is all manual, except for the -14mm.

Typically...
GH2
7-14mm
20mm or Voigtländer Nokton 25mm
14-140mm
Leica 10x25 Trinovid binoculars
Gitzo GM2561T carbon monopod w/ Gitzo G1077M ball head

For nature type trips I'd add...
Nikon 60mm f2.8D macro

100-300mm (just got this and haven't traveled with it but would probably swap with the 14-140mm)
Olympus 1030SW Tough camera.
 
I would take my EP-2, the Panasonic 14-45mm kit lens, my 20mm f1.7 and that's about all. For just strolling the streets, I could live with the 20mm alone, and I tend to just take that when I ride somewhere on my bike, though I am thinking about the Sigma 30mm f2.8 as I would like something with just a bit more reach...
--
Richard M. Poniarski
Not a speaker for anyone but myself.
"Everyone is entitled to the reality of their own choice"
 
arguros said:
Based on your experience, if you want to travel light, what cameras and lens do you bring with you? Do you carry along any compact as well? If so, which one?
Click to expand...
For the last two trips abroad, I've used two cameras: a compact infrared camera (to be used mainly in parcs) and a GH1. The latter is my main camera.

I bring three m4/3 lenses : the Lumix 14-45mm (as the main daytime lens), a Lumix 20mm (as my nighttime lens) and a wide-angle zoom lens (M.Zuiko 9-18mm or the Lumix 7-14mm to be used in narrow streets, for example).

I also bring a second battery, a SCHD card reader and a netbook (to which my photos are downloaded).
 
Olympus XZ1.
arguros said:
Hi,

I believe most of the users here brings m43 cameras whith them while on travel.

Based on your experience, if you want to travel light, what cameras and lens do you bring with you? Do you carry along any compact as well? If so, which one?

--
arguros

Have a look at my personal blog and let me know your thoughts
http://argurosblog.blogspot.com/
Click to expand...
 
I have old generation's m43 cameras so I need to decide do I want to take photos or video.

For photos:
  • Pen E-P1 + LCD viewfinder
  • Panasonic 20mm
  • Olympus 9-18mm
For video:
  • Panasonic GH13 + LCD viewfinder
  • LCW variable ND filter
  • Panasonic 14-42mm
  • Panasonic 45-200mm
  • Manfrotto 562B-1 + 701hdv
If I want to travel light, then I just take ep1 and panasonic 20mm.

Pekka
 
arguros said:
Hi,

I believe most of the users here brings m43 cameras whith them while on travel.

Based on your experience, if you want to travel light, what cameras and lens do you bring with you? Do you carry along any compact as well? If so, which one?
Click to expand...
I don't know what light travel is, ask my wife :-)

Seriously it depends on the trip, and whether photos are an intrinsic part of the trip. I've travelled with just a point and shoot, and I've travelled with 30 pounds of gear.

If I'm really travelling with minimal gear, it will be the E-5 + 14-54mm, and VG-120 in my pocket. With the E-P2 I find myself leaving it home due to not being sealed. When I bought the E-5 last year, I originally was going for the E-P3 since that answered several of the things I wanted in a small camera, but I ultimately passed on it due to weather sealing. It isn't necessarily that I go out with the intention of shooting in the rain, but when I'm gone from the hotel for 10 hours at a time, rain will come up from time to time, and I don't want to have to worry about protecting the poor little dear.

However, typically my go-to vacation gear is:
  • Olympus E-5, 14-54mm lens
  • 50-200mm, EC-14
  • Metz 48 flash
  • Olympus E-P2, 14-150mm lens
  • Panasonic 20mm lens
  • Olympus VG-120
  • The above fits in my Domke shoulder bag (though the chargers will go in the suitcase)
Depending on circumstances, I might throw in:
  • Olympus 11-22mm lens
  • Olympus 50mm lens
  • Olympus F-36 flash
  • Second weather sealed body
I'm hoping that in a year of so, I can get the E-M5 (got to finish paying off the E-5 first and then save up for the E-M5), that for just travel, the E-M5 + 12-50mm can replace the E-5 + 14-54mm.
 
If I only have pants pocket:
  • Canon S100
If I have a jacket pocket:
  • E-PL3 + 14mm OR 20mm
Smallest bag setup:
  • E-PL3
  • Oly 14-150
  • Panny 20 OR Oly 9-18 OR Oly 45 (depending on the amount of light)
Medium bag setup:
  • E-PL3
  • Oly 14-150
  • Oly 9-18
  • Panny 20
  • Oly 45
Large bag setup:
  • E-PL3
  • Oly 14-150
  • Oly 9-18
  • Panny 20
  • Oly 45
  • Panny 100-300
  • Raynox 250
My largest bag is Think Tank Retrospective 5 so it's still very portable compare to my prior DLSR based setup. Love the m43 system. :)
 
Bumping this thread a year later to reflect the current crop of options recently released.
  • Oly E-PL5
  • Oly 9-18mm
  • Oly 14-150mm
  • Panny 25 f/1.4
Was thinking about the OM-D but it does add bulk.
The viewfinder + slim profile of the NEX-6 is mighty tempting though....
 
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