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What would be your best tip for someone travelling overseas with the 10D and a set of Canon lenses for a 2 week vacation? Please elaborate with at least one suggestion for travel?
 
Carrying too much camera gear is a great way to ruin a vacation. Don't try to lug around too much. In fact, you might decide what you are going to take and carry it around with you on your daily routine before you go.

That's good advice for starters.

Abu Mumia

--
'He's out there operating without any decent restraint, totally beyond
the pale of any acceptable human conduct.'
  • Apocalypse Now
 
It really depends on where i am going but if i am not going to be doing anything special on the photography side (e.g. nature, birds etc), I usually bring my 24-70 and 70-200/4. IF i think there are going to be nice landscapes, I might add my 20mm prime if i am bringing the 10D over the 1Ds b ecause of the 1.6x factor. I can fit my 10D, the two lenses (mentioned above), metz 54 flash, extra CF cards and batteries in a small Nova 3 bag. I can even pack that bag in my carry on suitcase if need be. Mark
CathAce2000 said:
What would be your best tip for someone travelling overseas with
the 10D and a set of Canon lenses for a 2 week vacation? Please
elaborate with at least one suggestion for travel?
Click to expand...
 
For photography, you will want the widest WA lens you have and if you do not have one, get one. A 20mm on a 35mm film camera is not wide enoug in many situations.

Second, use a money belt. Keep your passport, credit cards, airline tickets and major cash in it. The only thing to keep in your wallet is one days cash, the local metro/transportation ticket and museum pass. The peace of mind is great.

Bob Sheldon
mark kay said:
CathAce2000 said:
What would be your best tip for someone travelling overseas with
the 10D and a set of Canon lenses for a 2 week vacation? Please
elaborate with at least one suggestion for travel?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Wherever you go, don't take your eyes off of your gear for a second. Lots of folks make a good living by hanging out around cruise ship docks and bus/train depots. If you have a companion with you, have them act as a second pair of eyes while you're taking photos. Keep your camera hidden in a daypack while you're not using it and wear the daypack reversed. When you're using the camera, keep the strap around your neck and shoulder, not just around your neck.

Just keep your wits about you at all times and be attentive. Thieves are looking for easy marks, not someone who appears to be paying attention to their surroundings.

In all of my journeys I've never been robbed, in large part due to following the advice that I just posted (and good luck).

If you take photos of people, offer to send them copies.

Bring a film or digital point 'n' shoot for city/market candids where you don't feel comfortable with a big SLR. I've gotten some of my best shots this way.
 
Abu Mumia said:
Carrying too much camera gear is a great way to ruin a vacation.
Don't try to lug around too much. In fact, you might decide what
you are going to take and carry it around with you on your daily
routine before you go.

That's good advice for starters.

Abu Mumia

--
'He's out there operating without any decent restraint, totally beyond
the pale of any acceptable human conduct.'
  • Apocalypse Now
Click to expand...
--This is the best advice anyone can give. Too much stsuff wears you out and frequently you do NOT have time to fiddle with changing lenses, twiddling with settings endlessly etc. So take one good all purpose lens like the 28-135 IS that is reasonably easy to carry day in and day out. I've been to Turkey a number of times, and you'll lwant a fast lens or else IS for Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, the Cisterns, churches, museums etc. in Istanbul, and cities like Ankara, and something moderately wide angle for Antalya and the outdoor archeological sites, esp. Cappadocia. I've gone there with just the 28-135 IS and been very happy with that choice. Forget the tripod. It is intrusive, museums don't allow it, and if you are outdoors in the bright daylight you won't need it. Travel as light as possible and you'll be a lot happier camper...esp. going through airports hauling your gear and having to put it through endless security checks.
Ranger
 
Robert Sheldon said:
Second, use a money belt. Keep your passport, credit cards,
airline tickets and major cash in it. The only thing to keep in
your wallet is one days cash, the local metro/transportation
ticket and museum pass. The peace of mind is great.

Bob Sheldon
mark kay said:
CathAce2000 said:
What would be your best tip for someone travelling overseas with
the 10D and a set of Canon lenses for a 2 week vacation? Please
elaborate with at least one suggestion for travel?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--I haven't had a problem in Turkey with pickpockets, but I have been accosted numerous times in Italy and France, (unsuccessfully thank goodness) esp. by little gypsy girls who poke newspapers or cardboard signs in your face; while you are trying to see what they have, their little hands are in pockets and purses. They are lightening quick and especially tend to go after people with a lot of gear hanging off their bodies that they want to protect. You cannot be nice if you are the victim, so aggressively push them off and tell them to "BEAT IT". They know what that means. So be wary and take Bob Sheldon's and my advice, buy a money belt and wear it. It is no fun to spend the day replacing passports and money. Bob has it exactly right. I was a victim 20 years ago. Older and wiser now!
Ranger
 
Using a money belt is OK. Keeping your passport, cc, ticket and major cash in it, IS NOT!!

Put those valuable items in the safe of your hotel. Those criminals know you are from out of town, no, they can see you are from out of town. They are capable to steal your money belt without your knowlegde. They know that visitors from America, New Zealand a.s.o. use those kind of belts.

So, if you plan to visit a town, take some money and a piece of paper with your name, the name of your hotel and telephone number on it. And leave the other stuff "at home"

Enjoy your trip

André ( a policeman)
 
This is actually very useful. I was looking for pointers like that and any good or bad experiences that people may have had and maybe would recommend something about. Thanks so much for the link.
Richard Seaman said:
Here are a few thoughts:

http://www.richard-seaman.com/Me/Photography/Travel/index.html

Let me know how useful or not these are, and if you have any
suggestions for other travel topics to cover.

Richard.
http://www.richard-seaman.com/
CathAce2000 said:
What would be your best tip for someone travelling overseas with
the 10D and a set of Canon lenses for a 2 week vacation? Please
elaborate with at least one suggestion for travel?
Click to expand...
--
Click to expand...
 
Sorry, but I do not trust hotel safes. Never heard of anyone getting their money belt stolen, but I have read many reports of hotel safe problems. I do read many travel bulletin boards and have made a few trips.

Bob Sheldon
JohnM said:
bergand said:
Using a money belt is OK. Keeping your passport, cc, ticket and
major cash in it, IS NOT!!
Click to expand...
Right!
Carry a photocopy of your passport and other documents.
Click to expand...
--
Bob Sheldon
 
bergand said:
Using a money belt is OK. Keeping your passport, cc, ticket and
major cash in it, IS NOT!!

Put those valuable items in the safe of your hotel. Those criminals
know you are from out of town, no, they can see you are from out of
town. They are capable to steal your money belt without your
knowlegde. They know that visitors from America, New Zealand a.s.o.
use those kind of belts.

So, if you plan to visit a town, take some money and a piece of
paper with your name, the name of your hotel and telephone number
on it. And leave the other stuff "at home"

Enjoy your trip

André ( a policeman)
Click to expand...
--My money belt is UNDER my clothing...under my jeans to be precise. Ii would have to be mugged and unconscious for someone to get it. I agree that some money belts (belt bags) are not safe, but one under your clothing should be. You need your passport with you to change money and frequently to verify your credit card purchases. Plane tickets are awkward to put in the money belt, so that is fine locked up at the hotel. They aren't negotiable anyway without the matching passport, esp. with security the way it is on international flights. Good tip about keeping the name of your hotel with you. If you need a taxi, you can show it to the driver. It is also handy if you are moving a lot, because believe it or not, it is easy to forget the hotel name if you are in a different town every night!
Ranger
 
avoid talking politics. Keep your belongings secure (purse, camera bag zipped up).

I brought a XII digital wallet to Spain. It worked well, but next trip I'm taking my laptop because I enjoyed editing and confirming the day's shots.
Most important, enjoy the trip; its not all about photography!
Patricknyc
http://www.pbase.com/patricknyc/root
 
Travel light as Abu mentioned, the minimum amount of gear.
  • I have an S45 when I need to travel light for business, I take a 10D at other times:
  • I carry either a 20mm and 28-135 or 24-70, lens cloth and a small blower (stays in the suitcase), some of the areas can be dusty.
  • Tripod – sometimes, depending where I plan to go. Generally not needed for outside shots, usually not permitted in many churches, museums, as carry-on luggage. If I plan to do low light/night shots I have a lightweight Slick monopod and a light weight Gitzo tripod for travel, either of which easily fit into a 22” suitcase.
  • Flash – Might be too bulky, but you might wish you had it.
  • Battery – carry a spare and an adapter for the charger plug. Should you not find the right adapter, you can plug the charger into most of the electrical outlets for razors found in hotel bathrooms.
  • Media – You will probably shoot more shots than you expect, bring enough CFs or alternate storage. Uploading to a website via internet cafes, looking for a CD burner are not practical.
  • A comfortable, secure bag for the camera gear.
  • I haven’t traveled in Turkey, but I travel a lot from India eastward. I generally leave my passport, money and other valuables in the hotel safe, never had a problem. When I don’t need the camera, it and the lenses go into the safe as well. Bring the plastic cap to cover the camera lens opening and the lens as the safe may be too small to accommodate the camera with lens mounted. As mentioned, a photocopy of the first page of your passport is good to carry. A money belt for the cash of the day, credit cards, hotel pass card, etc. is recommended. Europe varies widely, No one will approach you in Germany, kids will accost you in Rome. Pickpockets abound in many areas.
  • Check the internet for health, food, water & safety information, among others:
http://www.cdc.gov/travel/mideast.htm
http://travel.state.gov/turkey.html

And the most important point: take a lot of photos and have a great time!

--
Doug
http://pbase.com/dougj
 
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