eric von zipper

What sort of lens set up do you haul around? Do you go with multiple or a single, say 28-200mm?

Erick L

I've carried a 20-35 and a 50. I've carried both film and digital so I'd have a real wide angle. Sold the digital for several reasons but will buy another one with a 12-24 and a 18-70 or 18-200. If it's a 18-70, then I might carry a 70-300 on some trips.

ctyler

I carry a Nikon D50 with the 18-55 and 55-200 lenses. Also carry a small tripod.

womble

A single wide prime. I'd prefer to take a P&S than a 28-200 'cause I'm a bit of a lens snob- I don't see the point of carrying all that weight to bang on a substandard lens.

Erick L

I thought about a DSLR + wide-angle and a Canon S3 for the long end. You also get a back-up camera and can shoot little videos.

NoReg

What is the deal with DSLR lenses. I was looking at a bunch of them recently they have noticeable droop, seem kinda cheap. Huge zoom ranges that would have been considered compromised in an older time. Obviously the torque those little motors are capable of is not the equal of hte human hand. I am told that the Pentax DSLRs can run some of the purely mechanical lenses from a bigone time, any point in that?

Allen

Digital specific SLR lenses have a smaller image circle than their film counterparts. I haven't used one I particularly liked, soft optics.
Using older manual lenses has its advantages, depending on how you approach your photography. Prime lenses are still the sharpest, and good glass has been around for a couple of generations now. If you are really particular about your final print, or a specific effect, some of the older lenses are the only way to achieve it.

I'll carry two or three lenses (50mm prime, 24mm tilt/shift {damned versatile lens} and sometimes a 100-400) along with my camera body, and my iPod because I can download images to it, and don't have to be tethered to a computer.

I rigged a bag with some Ortlib attachment gear to lug it all around.

Click image for details

--A

MillCreek

If I had to carry only one lens with my Canon 20D, it would be the Sigma 18-200. Not as good optical quality as some of my other lenses, but a good travel solution.

Sebach

Canon 10-22mm, 50mm, 100mm (or a 70-200mm). I fall a bit short on the long end but the 10-22 is fun.

wmcmiii

I'd be interested in seeing what methods people use to haul their camera gear around. For my trip to patagonia in jan. I am taking by D1h (1.5 crop) with a 20 f/2.8 and 105 f/2.8. Weight is a big concern for me otherwise I would love to take the 80-200 as well.

niknak

I work for a newspaper as a photographer. In my humble opinion, those super duper zooms and all misc. equipment is really unnecessary to make good travel pictures. I'd recommend a wide angle prime and a short tele prime along with a small DSLR. You don't need a tripod or a flash or lots of other odds and ends. For an upcoming trip to New Zealand I'll be taking a Nikon D100, a 24mm f/2.8 and an 85mm f/1.8. This is a small versatile package with excellent lenses. Instead of using flash, work on understanding how to use natural light. A tripod can be a balled up sweatshirt on top of your saddle or on a fence post or a picnic table or tree branch. Less is more here.

Erick L

You'll have to pry the tripod from my cold dead hands.

I carry the SLR with 20-35 attached in the handlebar bag (Arkel small). The bag is lined with fleece pants that I wear in camp. The 50/1.8 goes in the bar bag as well, or in the top pocket of the left front pannier (Arkel GT-30), along with other photo accessories. When I had a second body, it went in a backpack on the rear rack, also lined with camp clothes.

Miles2go

I'm a professionally trained photographer that's never had the desire to ruin photography by making it my profession. My first camera, back in the 70s was a YashicaMat and carried that thing everywhere 'til High School. By the end of college I had a wonderful collection of 16 bits of nice Nikon glass. When I got out of film I sold all of it. Oh well.

I moved onto digital shortly after our first month long tour. I currently carry a D70 and the great 18-70mm "kit lens". In 27 days on our last tour to Switzerland I took over 3,800 photos. All of them were at full RAW format and I only had two 1 Gig cards. I was backing up to a 60 Gig Wolverine and an IBM Thinkpad.

This year we're going someplace I'll definitely need the 18-70mm but with big game sightings a sure thing, I might be crazy enough to also lug my Sigma 100-300mm F4 HSM (450mm on a D70). Then it might be a good idea to pick up second camera body. Hmmm, perhaps I can convince my wife to carry the tent on this tour. Then again, I'll be sleeping in the tent long before the tour starts if I do buy another camera body.


Cheers,

leftthread

It's been my experience that the D1H really eats batteries- which may end up being a problem. You might want to look at the new Nikon D80. It has the same 10mp sensor as the D200 with decent battery life.
https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond80/

To round out the middle of your kit: the older MF 50mm 1.8 AIS has great optics. Small and light. Found mine used, mint for $30.
Other choices would be the AFS 12-24 f/4, AF 35 f/2 and AF 85 1.8.
PS digicam: Fujifilm F30.

avatarworf

We are getting the D80 (just broke our D70 ) and have a Tokina 12-24 lens that we use a lot. Also have a 50mm macro for food pictures, because one of us is a food porn enthusiast Oh, an a lensbaby which hardly takes up any room or weight but is fun to play with.

wmcmiii

Yeah, the D1H really does eat batteries. I also have a D70 and the D70 has a much longer battery life and the batteries and charger are much smaller than the batteries and charger for the D1H. I'm considering taking my D70 for that reason instead, but the only drawbacks are:

larger file size for the D70 (means i need more memory)
and the big reason, for me the D1H files come out perfect and don't need any post processing. I feel like the D70 files just don't look as good straight from the camera and therefore require more extensive and time consuming processing.

avatarworf

I forgot to mention that we also have a tripod, however it is very small and wonderful -- the Ultrapod II

https://www.pedcopods.com/up2.htm (picture of it here)

It will support our D70 with 12-24 lens (haven't tried it with the new D80 yet which Santa just brought yesterday) and also with the velcro strap can be attached securely to my stem, to allow us to take pictures/videos while cycling with our compact Sony T9.

leftthread

FWIW, I found that with a new D1H battery, running it through three complete charge-deplete-refresh cycles before using helped increase the life.

eric von zipper

ended up getting a couple of lens: canon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6, and tamron 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6. Now I just need to figure how to carry them while on tour. Here are a pic I took today with the 300mm

Miles2go

300mm is a great tool in the digi world.



D70 and Sigma 100-300mm f/4 APO EX DG HSM , hand held.

This lens is a 13.5" monster with the shade installed. It weighs a ton too. That said, I'm really planning to take this beast along in July. I'll leave the tripod collar home to save a few ounces.

EDIT: And I just cemented my fate by hitting buy-it-now on a very slightly used D70s body. No laptop going on this tour and I'll be cutting the handle off my toothbrush. Now I have to devise a no cost quick access approach to carrying lens/body combo that's 11 3/4" long (the hood is staying home), on the bike. The D70s with kit lens will ride on my back in the same LowePro Sling I used last year. I hope the weather is good.

flipped4bikes

I'm kind of a bah humbug when it comes to zooms. Sure I got a range of focal lengths, but I sacrifice too much speed for my liking. The main reason I carry the 18-70 kit lens with my D70 is having the wide angle option. I love my single primes, a 28mm f/2.8 and 50mm f1.4 dearly, but would still need a good wide angle and thems pricey. Might as well get the 17-55mm f/2.8 (Sweet!), but maybe a bit too bulky for touring.

NoReg

Just bought my first DSLR. I got a Pentax K10. So far I am enjoying it a lot. I was thinking of getting a K110, or K100, both of which are limted to 6meg, which is way more than I need mostly. What I am finding is that with the old SLR lense installed the camera shoots a large border area that isn't in the viewfinder, but it's over the 6Meg segment of the info. Anyway, probably some button I haven't figured out yet. I think it's cool though to have the 35MM for cold weather etc... and then have many of the same lenses interchangeable for the digital.

Also I can slap on a single light oldy lense and it makes the camera light and seemingly more durable for more of a snapshot mode.

sunofsand

hood that short isn't doing the photo much good anyway


I don't "tour"
but I carry lots of equipment on longer rides ..when it's snowing.
Backpack or Alice. I sling an Amvona tripod over the back, too. Amvona makes good quality tripods for little $.

No DSLR for me, though. I got into photography using a Fuji S5000 and now only care for film.
I bought an OM-1 with 21/28mm 2.8 Zuiko primes, 50 1.8, cult classic Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm f/3.5 Macro Focus made by Tokina ..Great lens for less than $40.
A 50's 90mm Kodak Ektar as used by the classic Ektra camera that I use as a lensbaby-type selective focus lens ..look at this lens! It's beautiful https://cgi.ebay.com/Kodak-Ektra-35mm...QQcmdZViewItem
and some others made by Kiron that are just as good but not in the range I use.
Film is magical. Mechanical cameras are elegant ..and quiet. Manual focus is always perfect.
Roll your own bulk film and develop in chemicals
Or plug into computer and sit in front of computer for hours
I just don't care for computers that much.

Now I want to get into MF ..I have a Polaroid 180 that goes with me along with a Diana but that's not the same
Large format is probably where I'll end up as it just suits my style best. That would require a new enlarger and I have no more space.

I carry all those cameras and normally 4/5 lenses
plus a tripod and filters and hoods and film and flashbulbs ..I love flashbulbs. Sometimes a spotlight/flashlight for painting.
25-35 pounds

Miles2go

What's the length of the hood/shade? I never specified and think it's plenty effective.
Lens shade and 20+ year old loupe

Yeah, film is fun.

The convenience of digital rocks for extended touring use. Touring, and with DSLRs is what this thread is about.


Nancy and I spent the New Year in Portland and while there I made use of Oregon's lack of sales tax. I bought a 1 GB Lexar Pro 133x CF card in the Camera World store across from our hotel for $64 out the door.

Cheers,

NoReg

OM1 was my favorite pre-digital camera. If we are talking about the same model that was a time when they got it right. A time when a camara didn't need a battery. I liked the sort of camera that had in the viewfinder metering but no battery.