Camera for backpacking.

Hamster · Feb 23, 2009

I am planning on backpacking through south east asia for 2 months. The plan is to travel light and have high mobility.

The choice is between a Spotmatic with 55/1.8 and Electro 35 GSN with 45/1.7 for this trip. I would really like to take some photos indoor hence the fast lens. Since they are the similar size and weight I really couldn't decide.

I would also bring a Rollei 35 for to keep me happy if the fast camera is lost or broken.

Any suggestions which one are better for a long trip?

Ian Grant · Feb 23, 2009

Take the Spotmatic and add a wide angle lens, that would give you more flexibilty, I'd take a 28mm f2.5 Tamron, they are easy to find and reasonably priced. I have one with my Spotmatics.

Ian

Uncle Bill · Feb 23, 2009

I would second the Spotmatic, but also look into the Olympus OM-1n and the Nikon FM2.

John Koehrer · Feb 23, 2009

+another one for the Spotmatic. If the battery dies there's always Sunny 16.
What battery does the Yashica use?

Rol_Lei Nut · Feb 23, 2009

Staying with what you have, another vote for the Spotmatic, though I'd add at least a good wide-angle lens (20mm, 24mm or 28mm). My own choice would also be to substitute the 55mm with the excellent 35mm f/3.5, aim for a wider wide (20mm) as a second lens and get a short tele (85mm, 105mm) as a third.

Ideally a rangefinder, such as a Cosina-Voigtländer, Z-I or Leica, which would save you quite a bit in size and weight (rangefinder lenses, especially, can be quite tiny).

mjs · Feb 23, 2009

John Koehrer said:
+another one for the Spotmatic. If the battery dies there's always Sunny 16.
What battery does the Yashica use?

Important point: the Yashica is dead without a battery (ok, one shutter speed. 'Nearly dead', then!) and the battery it uses (mercury) is no longer available. There's an alkaline substitute, but good luck finding one on the road. On the other hand, a battery lasts for very many rolls of film.

As much as I love my Electro 35's, I'd take the Pentax.

Mike

denmark.yuzon · Feb 23, 2009

+1 for the spotmatic.. ^_^

Poohblah · Feb 23, 2009

Just ask Galen Rowell...

He went the Nikon route with an FM2 and either a 20mm f/4 or a 24mm f/2.8. He seemed to switch his lens lineup often though.

A Spotmatic would work just as well however.

Hamster · Feb 24, 2009

OK, Spotmatic it is! Let see if it come back in one piece.

Rol_Lei Nut · Feb 24, 2009

Hamster said:
OK, Spotmatic it is! Let see if it come back in one piece.

If it doesn't, I'd really hate to meet what broke it... ;-)

dynachrome · Feb 28, 2009

I would take the Spotmatic and add a Vivitar 28/2.5 wide angle as well as an extension tube for the 55.

Christopher Walrath · Feb 28, 2009

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry9000/4.6.0.167 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102 UP.Link/6.3.0.0.0)

Definite consider a 35mm rf kit. Small and lightwieght.

Hamster · Apr 13, 2009

Just a follow up from after the trip...

I took the Spotmatic with 1.8/55 and Rollei 35 with me on the trip. And I regretted not taking the advise of bringing a wide angle lens with me, even though I am mainly a normal lens person, I suppose travelling means you get to come across a lot of wide angle situations and perhaps a 35 or 28 mm would have been more suitable.

So, without the wide angel lens, I think I should have just taken the Rollei given the space/function ration. Or better still a Trip 35, but mine was broken at the time.

On another point, I visited the genocide museum in Phenom pehn in Cambodia, it is a museum that document the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge. I won;t go into details here, you can read it yourself here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuol_Sleng

Two things that stand out might be interesting for members of this forum.

There were exhitbits of the contact prints of the documentary photos of the vicitms when they were admitted into the camp. It was a little though provoking to think that for many of the vicitms, they only trace of their existence and suffering were documented on a strip of medium format material that reads KODAK SAFETY FILM on the edge, no names, just horrified eyes staring into a camera.

The other thing that caught my attention was what was the remains of an print enlarger standing abondanded on one of the stairwells. One does wonder how much horrors this piece of equipment must have seen.

I didn't take any photos that day.

elekm · Apr 13, 2009

When you're in Cambodia and on a tour, they used to advise you not to stray from the path, because of the possibility of land mines.

Vanishing Point Ent. · Apr 19, 2009

Hamster said:
I am planning on backpacking through south east asia for 2 months. The plan is to travel light and have high mobility.

The choice is between a Spotmatic with 55/1.8 and Electro 35 GSN with 45/1.7 for this trip. I would really like to take some photos indoor hence the fast lens. Since they are the similar size and weight I really couldn't decide.

I would also bring a Rollei 35 for to keep me happy if the fast camera is lost or broken.

Any suggestions which one are better for a long trip?

If you're afflicted with Spotmaticitis, there is only one cure. Buy as many Tamron Adaptall II lenses as you can. With the interchangeable mounts, including a Spotmatic F, ES, ESII mount, you can use these lenses & if you ever decide to upgrade, all you have to do is change mounts. Just check the mounts, because some have a tendency to underexpose, but put that mount on a different lens & it works fine.
Once you find a match leave it, it won't go wrong.

I would recommend the: 17 mm f 3.5, 24 mm f 2.5, the 35 - 105 mm f 2.8 ASL &
the 80 - 200 mm f 2.8 lens that is " L ", sharp. Look on eBay.

This is inline with my motto:
" Buy once, Buy right, Move On. "

Rick A · Apr 21, 2009

My cousin spends a couple of months every winter bicycling around S.E.Asia he usually has a couple of Nikon bodies along with a half dozen lenses. He also makes use of the buses to get where he needs a little quicker, to keep with schedules. Soooo......
Rick

Camera for backpacking.

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