Camera kit for three weeks in Europe.

Have a great trip!  We returned several weeks ago from a river cruise covering much of the same territory.  Love Budapest!

Like jeffharris above, we do a lot of walking and I've slimmed down my kit substantially.  I tote the EP5 with the two Panny 2.8 zooms (12-35, 35-100), VF-4 and Oly 17/1.8, all in a small Tamrac sling bag, including a folding umbrella.  The 12-35 is on most of the time, while the 17/1.8 comes out for those dark church interiors and for evening/night walkabouts when I want to leave the bag in the hotel room.  It's all light enough that I don't need to make any choices about what to leave behind when we head out in the morning.  My wife carries the Sony RX100 mk 3.  She does people and I do architecture and landscapes, so this works out just fine.  This leaves me a little disadvantaged on the wide end, but I find I'm just as comfortable with stitching if I need something wider than a 24mm equivalent.

However, that's just me.  My priorities when traveling are to see and experience, and my photography hobby is just that (small "h").  It sounds like your photography hobby has a capital "H" for sure.

Enjoy!

Enjoy your trip to some of the prettiest cities in this world. Your fast short zoom will be your primary.

Jacques Cornell wrote:

john isaacs wrote:

Jacques Cornell wrote:

john isaacs wrote:

I will be in Prague, Vienna, and Budapest.

Plan to take the following: ...

That's a lot of gear to take on vacation.

I'm a professional event photographer who shoots travel & landscape for fun and occasional profit. Over the years, I've cut my travel kit way back. 20 years ago, I lugged a suitcase-size backpack (back when that was "carry-on size") around India for 7 weeks with a Pentax 67 kit, a 35mm kit, a full size tripod, and 120 rolls of film. It weighed probably 40lbs.

Never again.

On a 2-week vacation in Corsica last summer, I brought a GX7, 7-14/4, 12-35/2.8, 35-100/2.8, 20/1.7 & 45/1.8, along with a Metz 28 CS-2 flash.

Carrying wasn't a problem, but the constant lens swapping as I wandered in and around mountain villages was a frustration. My solution, a tiny Tamrac Rally 4 bag with:

Daytime:

• 7-14 on one GX7
• 14-140II on second GX7
• Metz 28 CS-2

Nighttime:

• 20 on one GX7
• 45 on second GX7
• 7-14
• Metz 28 CS-2
• 60" 3lb. travel tripod as needed

I just pull whichever camera/lens I need out of the bag. No lens swapping.

The Metz 28 CS-2 gives me studio-style 2-flash key+fill lighting in a shirt pocket. More on that here.

I switched back to the 35-100 from the 14-140

Why'd you switch back? The 35-100/2.8 is a slightly sharper lens and not a burden, but the IQ difference is minimal, and the convenience of not having to constantly swap the 12-35 and 35-100 won me over.

I've been considering the same thing, but with the 12-40mm and GX8. The only twist is that my girlfriend uses the 14-140mm, so I can't take that away from her! I grab her GX7 for a few shots. Although, she shoots in iAuto and me in M mode. I'd also be loath to give up the 12mm end!

The new 12-60mm is looking much more interesting these days.

I really do not see any problem in taking masses of gear on holiday.  Yes, it does weigh a lot but surely you just take one of your servants to carry it for you!  I mean, surely we all do that?:-D

jeffharris wrote:

Jacques Cornell wrote:

john isaacs wrote:

Jacques Cornell wrote:

john isaacs wrote:

I will be in Prague, Vienna, and Budapest.

Plan to take the following: ...

That's a lot of gear to take on vacation.

I'm a professional event photographer who shoots travel & landscape for fun and occasional profit. Over the years, I've cut my travel kit way back. 20 years ago, I lugged a suitcase-size backpack (back when that was "carry-on size") around India for 7 weeks with a Pentax 67 kit, a 35mm kit, a full size tripod, and 120 rolls of film. It weighed probably 40lbs.

Never again.

On a 2-week vacation in Corsica last summer, I brought a GX7, 7-14/4, 12-35/2.8, 35-100/2.8, 20/1.7 & 45/1.8, along with a Metz 28 CS-2 flash.

Carrying wasn't a problem, but the constant lens swapping as I wandered in and around mountain villages was a frustration. My solution, a tiny Tamrac Rally 4 bag with:

Daytime:

• 7-14 on one GX7
• 14-140II on second GX7
• Metz 28 CS-2

Nighttime:

• 20 on one GX7
• 45 on second GX7
• 7-14
• Metz 28 CS-2
• 60" 3lb. travel tripod as needed

I just pull whichever camera/lens I need out of the bag. No lens swapping.

The Metz 28 CS-2 gives me studio-style 2-flash key+fill lighting in a shirt pocket. More on that here.

I switched back to the 35-100 from the 14-140

Why'd you switch back? The 35-100/2.8 is a slightly sharper lens and not a burden, but the IQ difference is minimal, and the convenience of not having to constantly swap the 12-35 and 35-100 won me over.

I've been considering the same thing, but with the 12-40mm and GX8. The only twist is that my girlfriend uses the 14-140mm, so I can't take that away from her! I grab her GX7 for a few shots. Although, she shoots in iAuto and me in M mode. I'd also be loath to give up the 12mm end!

Jeff, you've got a 7-14. Makes a perfect complement to the 14-140.

As for your GF's GX7 and modes, you could program one of the custom modes with your preferred settings. Borrow, turn to C-3, shoot, turn to iAuto, hand back.

The new 12-60mm is looking much more interesting these days.

Jacques Cornell wrote:

jeffharris wrote:

Jacques Cornell wrote:

john isaacs wrote:

I switched back to the 35-100 from the 14-140

Why'd you switch back? The 35-100/2.8 is a slightly sharper lens and not a burden, but the IQ difference is minimal, and the convenience of not having to constantly swap the 12-35 and 35-100 won me over.

I've been considering the same thing, but with the 12-40mm and GX8. The only twist is that my girlfriend uses the 14-140mm, so I can't take that away from her! I grab her GX7 for a few shots. Although, she shoots in iAuto and me in M mode. I'd also be loath to give up the 12mm end!

Jeff, you've got a 7-14. Makes a perfect complement to the 14-140.

Yes, she likes the 7-14mm, too. The 7-14mm was the first M4/3 lens I bought after the GH2's 14-140mm I kit lens.

As for your GF's GX7 and modes, you could program one of the custom modes with your preferred settings. Borrow, turn to C-3, shoot, turn to iAuto, hand back.

Thanks. Of course! I keep M mode setup to my liking and just switchback to iAuto for her. She somehow switches it into aperture bracketing mode all the time.

john isaacs wrote:

Bringing a Panasonic TZ5 that I converted to IR by removing the IR filter, with 720 and 850 filters. Only shoots JPG, but shoots IR fast so I don't need a tripod.

Sorry for off-topic but I couldn't resist asking. How to remove IR filter? can it be done yourself or by service only? I have a few old cameras which I would use for experiments. Of course I can disassemble and assemble a camera myself.

Picture found on the web

Hugh J wrote:

I guess you don't have much travel experience, so I hate to tell you this, but most hotel room safes aren't the size of bank vaults. They're usually little shoebox-sized things, with an electronically locked door, that are designed to hold documents and other small valuables, and they're definitely not going to fit your gear.

Some of the better hotels might have a main safe behind the front desk, but to have to make the staff put up with you and your gear, as well as the time wasted lining up behind other guests checking in or out in order to deposit or retrieve gear... I don't know about you, but that's not my idea of being on vacation.

Looking forward to getting lots of great shots.

Not likely to happen, considering how much time and effort you're diverting to juggling gear rather than doing actual photography. It tends to be an inverse relationship.

Were I in your position, all I would need is one body with a 20/1.7.

+1

After having lived 6+ years in hotels and having travelled with Canon EOS 5 (film) with two L lenses, later Nikon FM3a with 28/50/135mm lenses, then Konica Hexar I am now exteemly happy to carry around just my Panasonic GM5 with the Panasonic 14-42 II lens. With Ex Tele it gets me an extension from 42 to 60mm and 14-60 is perfect for travel. It only moves about 5 mm when zooming which is not noticeable.

As a tourist you finish up being only in all the same tourist spots where thousands of others before you have taken exactly the same picture.

Travelling is about seeing places, experiencing the culture / environment and taking the odd picture as a memory. Less gear is more.

It is like all those tourists in the Louvre taking a picture of the Mona Lisa - what are they thinking?

Regarding hotel safes - all the staff know the bypass code plus hardly anything will fit in there.

john isaacs wrote:

I will be in Prague, Vienna, and Budapest.

Plan to take the following:

- E-M1 and E-M5. Don't plan to use both often, but want to have a backup.

I like walking around with two bodies. It saves changing lenses.

- Olympus 9-18. While I have both 7-14s, I like the small size and ability to use regular filters.-

The 9-18 is a good choice.  As you said, it's small, and the wide angle will serve you well.

Panasonic 14-140 Mk II. I'm slightly torn here, because the option is to take the Panasonic 35-100. Both take 58mm filters, so I can use my Canon 58mm 500D close up lens. This is the lighter of the two, and it can also be an all-around lens when I'm traveling light.

I would lean toward the 14-140mm.  Honestly, it depends on exactly where you are going.  I find the flexibility my Oly 14-150 indispensable when I get away from urban areas  -- on hikes and balloon rides and such.  And I don't shoot much at the long end in urban areas.

- Olympus 12mm f/2 prime. I like some faster lenses for shooting indoors, and this is one of them.

It's not that much faster than 12-35mm.  I would skip it.

- Panasonic 25mm f/1.4. My second fastest lens (and I'm not going to take the Nocticron 42.5 f/1.2 due to size and weight considerations). Plus, it uses the same 46mm filters as the 12mm. I could bring the Olympus 25mm f/1.8, but I like the extra ~1/2 stop and shallower DOF. I did swap that stupid lens hood with the shorter one for the 45mm.

Yep.  Good choice.

- Olympus 45mm f/1.8. Good for indoors and portrait. Small and light. Not bringing the 75mm f/1.8, again due to size and weight considerations.

Good thinking.

Bringing some flash gear (FL300R is great for food, FL36R is great for portraits and macro because I can use diffusers). Bringing a 42" ultra-light travel tripod and extensions to mount on.

I took the tiny Oly flash on my last trip and never touched it.  Your mileage may vary.

Bringing a Sirui T-005X tripod (2.3 lbs, <12" long) for night shots and panoramas. Also bringing a panoramic head, nodal slide, L-bracket, and radio trigger with remote shutter cable.

I have taken small, tabletop tripod on trips and never used them.

I won't be carrying all at once (in case you are wondering). The joy of m4/3 is that I can lock this all up in a hotel room safe and just take what I need for a given outing.

That's what I usually do, and it has worked well for me.

Looking forward to getting lots of great shots.

Have a great trip!

I would like to revisit my last post...

When I took a trip to Turkey last October with a lot of M4/3 gear, my three most-used lenses were the Oly 12-40mm, the 9-18mm, and the 14-150mm.  I occasionally used a 17mm prime or the Samyang 7.5mm fisheye -- when I needed them, I was really glad that I had them.

When going out for the day I would take two bodies: one body with either the 12-40mm or the 14-150mm attached, and the other with the 9-18 attached.  Occasionally, I would tuck the 17mm or the fisheye into my bag , but only when I knew I had a specific need for it.

My "daily carry" had to fit into my Billingham Hadley Small. Everything else remained locked in my suitcase in the hotel.  I never felt encumbered by the gear.

This setup worked well for me. I would do it again.

kaphinga wrote:

I would like to revisit my last post...

When I took a trip to Turkey last October with a lot of M4/3 gear, my three most-used lenses were the Oly 12-40mm, the 9-18mm, and the 14-150mm. I occasionally used a 17mm prime or the Samyang 7.5mm fisheye -- when I needed them, I was really glad that I had them.

When going out for the day I would take two bodies: one body with either the 12-40mm or the 14-150mm attached, and the other with the 9-18 attached. Occasionally, I would tuck the 17mm or the fisheye into my bag , but only when I knew I had a specific need for it.

This setup worked well for me. I would do it again.

I used to carry a LOT more stuff, mostly primes, and left a lot of lenses barely used. We started to only check baggage if we must, so I went on a campaign of gear simplification to keep the photo gear at a reasonable level… carry-on ONLY.

Our last few trips I carried the GX8, 12-40mm, 7-14mm, Voigtländer 17.5mm and Voigtländer 75mm f2.5 (small, light and compact, 250g with adaptor). My girlfriend carries a GX7 with 14-140mm II. I carry an UltraPod II just in case. It's light, weighs almost nothing and doesn't get in the way. If I don't use it, big deal.

We share the 7-14mm and I grab her camera when I want the range of the 14-140mm. I use the 17.5mm at night, so she uses the 12-40mm. I used to carry the 20mm for her, but she prefers a zoom, so, it all works out really well.

We're going to Colombia next week, along the Caribbean coast and Tayrona National Park. I'll leave the 75mm and carry the 100-400mm for nature shooting. I got a set of Kenko extension tubes in case I want to do some macro shooting. If not, they're small enough not to have to think about.

jeffharris wrote:

I used to carry a LOT more stuff, mostly primes, and left a lot of lenses barely used. We started to only check baggage if we must, so I went on a campaign of gear simplification to keep the photo gear at a reasonable level… carry-on ONLY.

I agree that carry-on only is the way to go.  The good thing is that I travel pretty light clothing-wise, and so I can still carry slightly more gear than I should and get away with it.

Our last few trips I carried the GX8, 12-40mm, 7-14mm, Voigtländer 17.5mm and Voigtländer 75mm f2.5 (small, light and compact, 250g with adaptor). My girlfriend carries a GX7 with 14-140mm II. I carry an UltraPod II just in case. It's light, weighs almost nothing and doesn't get in the way. If I don't use it, big deal.

That's actually pretty similar to what I carry, except that all my friends and family are total luddites. I am the only one who carries any sort of camera or electronics -- so there's no sharing of lenses or gear.

Have a great trip to Colombia!