How many do you travel with?

[Mark Feldstein]

Howdy: I go with whatever I think I need to complete the assignment plus a back up or two. If it's 35mm, three bods. Or, depending, it could be two 35 bods and a MF body with a couple of mags and lenses, hoods, etc., and film. Most of the time, this fits in a Tenba roller case that fits under my seat. I've also got a Tenba shoulder bag that usually goes in the overhead. Even lately, I haven't gotten much, if any, flack from TSA because I get on at Monterey, CA and just sit tight on the stopovers in places like San Francisco, Denver or Chicago.
M. ;>)

 

[Black Dog]

Of course, if you're driving then you can carry a lot more stuff. Users of MF cameras with interchangeable backs of LFer's can load several different types of film and be prepared for anything- can't imagine needing more than 3-4 different types of film though. As for lenses, 2 or maybe 3 are ample for me-I feel freer not having to fouter around trying to decide which lens to use.

 

[Bromo33333]

For walking or driving around on day trips - just two. Either two slrs or a slr and RF.

For longer trips - four. 2 SLRs, a RF and the darkside DSLR.

I am assuming you are referring to the color of the camera, yeah? DSLR = Dark Single Lens Reflex with the other one being in silver...

 

[copake_ham]

I am assuming you are referring to the color of the camera, yeah? DSLR = Dark Single Lens Reflex with the other one being in silver...

Yes, yes, absotively!

 

[Philippe-Georges]

For pleasure and it depends on my mood, ther are two kits who fit in my Billingham Hadley :
1) 500 C/M + 80 mm + SWC + 2x A12 + filters + Pentax spot + B&W film + tripod (on a sholderstrap)
2) 2 x Leica M5 + 35 mm + 50 mm + 90 mm + filters + B&W film (+ sometimes a BEOOM for close up fun, in a litle bag)
This will have to do.

 

[snegron]

We now have two semi-active threads on how many cameras is too many cameras and no clear consensus. Let's go at it from another angle that bears more on how we use our cameras.

How many cameras do you travel with? I'm not thinking of a short excursion from home, more of something like a week's trip.

For me, a lot has changed with the new air travel regulations. In '92 I went to Paraguay and carried on a Pelican case with 2 Nikons and their lenses, a Tundra case with a Beaulieu and a Canon cine camera, and stowed an Ikelite housing with another Canon cine camera in my checked luggage. Those days are gone, I can't imagine taking that much gear as carry on.

Oh, yes, I also carried on a 30v battery belt for the OmniLight in checked luggage. I think I'd be shot if I tried to board a plane with a battery belt now.

Nowadays, on long drives with photography in mind, I carry two 2x3 Graphics, bracketry to make them a long tandem camera, and many lenses for them. Also the same old Pelican with a pair of Nikons and sometimes, in case we go on a long walk where lugging much camera gear just won't do, a Canon AF35ML. And tripods, flashes, flash brackets. More than that won't be used, so why take it? Funny thing is, during a week in the field everything except the longest lens will be used at least once.

Cheers,

Dan

I have been thinking about this same thing all weekend long! I will be planning a trip somehwere in Europe this winter (hopefully Prague) and was thinking about what camera to take along with me as well. I learned a sad lesson two weekends ago when I flew to Puerto Rico from Miami and back. My luggage was opened and all of my newborn's clothing was stolen as well as my cologne, electric shaver, medicines, etc. All items were located in two separate suitcases. Both suitcases had no signs of damage and I discovered the theft after arriving home. I am still struggling with American Airlines for them to pay for the stuff stolen. After this recent incident I vowed never to send anything of any value through check in again. It is simply not worth the risk.

As for cameras, I have narrowed it down to my trusty old F3HP with two lenses and a DSLR with a few cards for disposable fun. The way I see it, I don't feel like risking my classic F2A or other irreplacable/expensive equipment. I can get the same shots with my less expensive Nikon glass than I would with my expensive pro glass stuff. If I bang up or lose my F3HP, there are plenty of replacements out there for a decent price.

The TSA employee who checked my carry on bag told me that the Xray machine would only damage exposed film of ISO 400 or higher. Luckily I only had exposed Kodachrome 64 with me so I am hoping there will be no damage.

 

[Gabe Racz]

I carried 4 cameras on my recent trip to Scotland, all in a carry-on: Yashicamat, Agfa MF folder, Canonet, and Minolta XD-11 w/3 lenses. Plus all my film. Oh, and a digital P&S for giggles. My rationale was that I wanted to be able to switch between color & bw in either MF or 35mm at any time.

Amusing story about this. Two of my cameras broke on the trip -- the Minolta's shutter release came apart but I was able to fix it without tools. The digital P&S refused to open its lens cover after a few days, and still doesn't work. Is there a lesson here? (Possibly that P&S should be read "POS" in this case). The other lesson is that it was good to have a couple cameras on hand (so I could wait til evening to fix the one with the problem).

 

[benjiboy]

2 -Canon FD bodies with 28, 50, and 70-150 zoom, I also carry a Minox 35mm compact in my pocket, I find this the best combination for me, that offers the best tradeoff between weight and usefulness, so that when I arrive at my destination I'm not to exhausted to use them, and if the whole lot gets lost ,stolen, or damaged it's not the end of the world, it wouldn't cost a fortune to replace.

 

[Black Dog]

If you have as much stuff as some APUGGERS, then you need an assistant or a WAG to help carry it all-presumably that was why AA said he always took the heaviest camera he could carry.

 

[Glenn Mathison]

Curious

stop watch,
Bill

Bill, what's the stopwatch for?

Glenn

 

[Woolliscroft]

Usually four:

OM-4ti with slide film
OM-4 with B&W
OM-2n with col neg
Leica MP

OMs with 21, 28 and 50mm lenses, Leica with 15 and 50mm lenses.

David.

 

[removed account4]

hi dan

i usually travel with a handful of lenses, a pentax k1000 and me super.
i don't travel all the time ( except random car drives ) out of the country at least - maybe 1 time every few years, mainly to visit family. besides 35mm, i have also been known to bring my pentax auto 110, and my wife brings her point/shoot. i think when we go this winter, i willjust bring a leica m3 and 50mm lens ... and lots of film ...

 

[CGross]

It sometimes depends on the trip. For day long adventures of most type, I carry either a Minolta X-700 with an auto winder or a Maxxum 9, and a couple of pime lenses, along with a Mamiya C330f in a nice little Tamrac backpack.
For those longer adventures I carry 3 X-700 bodies with motor drives, and lots of lenses, and all the accessories in a Tamrac Expedition backpack along with my Mamiya.
If going to an indoors event like a wedding, I have a nice Pelican case with a Minolta X-700, Power Grip II, flash, and all of the nice portrait lenses from 85mm to 135mm.
I think I will be moving into the Mamiya 7II setup over the winter. The more I shoot MF the more I am beginning to prefer it.
The wife has a...um...dare I say..digital P&S. But the film bug has been biting at her since I have begun to build the darkroom.
I just picked up a nice little Minolta Hi-Matic AFII camera for my little girl.
Funs stuff......

 

[Uncle Bill]

I generally prefer to travel light, OM-1 or OM-4 with 28, 50 and 75-150 Zoom or a Leica M3.

Bill

 

[butterflydream]

One leica M with a 35mm or 50mm lens, that's all.

 

[eddie gunks]

i usually spend 6 months in SE Asia. i started carrying a PS camera and have drastically moved up.
my last trip i carried
RB 67 and 3 lenses (50mm, 90mm, and 250mm)
nikon N90s with a 24mm, 35-70, and a 135. all f2.8
a handle mount flash, slaves and an SB26 flash.
tripod.
lots of film!

i was able to get all this stuff into two small bags (the film ran into my clothes bag). basically i try and have my gear packed so i can move ALL my bags at once. so thi smakes busses and taxis, and walking to the guest house easy.

i will leave again in about 2-3 months. this time i have purchased a nice crown graphics. so i will take it (it fits into a small camera bag with 9 holders very nicely.) and my RB67. my wife will take the 35mm set up. maybe she will let me shoot a few 35mm shots!

eddie

 

[Mycroft]

When the trip is above water, Minimum 2 bodies, plus lenses.

Below water, well, I don't have a second Nikonos V body yet.

I count about 14 cameras floating around here somewhere.

 

[roteague]

Mostly 2. A Toyo 45AII with 3 lenses, and a Nikon F5 with one lens.

 

[EdR]

Depends on whether photography is the primary reason for the trip or I need to leave some gear at home to make room for inconveniences such as my wife and/or children

Usually: Hasselblad body 3-5 optics, 3 backs, Lee filter system, spot meter, tripod. Sometimes: add Fuji GX617, 3 optics, and an appointment on return with my osteopath...

 

[mawz]

My lightweight kit is the DSLR, Pentax LX and 4 lenses (16-45 for the DSLR, 28/2, 50/2, 70-210 f4).

Heavy kit is the DSLR with 3 lenses (as above without the 28/2), 2 Nikon bodies, full set of Nikon lenses (19-35, 24, 35, 50, 55 Micro, 100, 70-150, 1.5x and 2x TC's, M2 ring) and either a RF (Canonet or Zorki) or a MF kit (Super Ricohflex or Mamiya M645 with 80/2.8).

Both setups tend to also get my Cokin filter kit and a tripod.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

When I went to Cambodia and only travelled with 35mm gear, it was 2 Contax 167MT bodies and the 35-70, 80-200, 85 f1.4, and Sigma 18-35 lenses. But more recently, it has been a split-system setup - on one trip, it was the Hassy kit (Superwide, 500C/M with 50, 80, 120 lenses, 4 backs, lots of film) and the Xpan, and the trip to Argentina was the Canham 5x7 and a Contax G1 with 28 and 45 lenses. All the film went in my one carryon bag, the cameras in the other. Empty film holders and the tripod went in my checked bag.

 

[roteague]

Oh yeah ... I have a Canon P&S digi that I carry. I use it as a digital notebook; taking pictures of signs, etc. Its about all that digital is worth to me.

 

[Yaronecek]

Hi Dan, good to see you here

I travel with ONE camera. ONE camera, THREE lenses, and that's it. On the average, one lens never get's used.

 

[ricksplace]

If I'm walking a lot, my Rolleiflex and a Retina3c. Driving -whatever fits in the camera bag at the time. mesuper with a few lenses, Pentacon6 with a few lenses, or the trusty pre-anny speed graphic with a bunch of barrel lenses and bag mags. Maybe a screw mount 35 with a bunch of old screw lenses.
It's nice to be able to choose. When I get to a good spot, I always wish I'd brought something that is still in the cabinet.

 

[FrankB]

For a week in Scotland earlier this year it was a Nikon F80 and Nikkors (28-105, 70-300, 50mm f1.8), Mamiya C330S (80mm, 55mm, 180mm), Rollei 35 Tessar, Pentax Spotmeter V, Westonmaster and a Manfrotto 055 ProB. Everything got used except for the fast fifty.

Via air... Yesssss, well...

I was going to France this year, then the insanity broke out. I simply refuse to put my cameras in checked baggage, so I cancelled the trip.

The channel-hoppers they use for those trips restrict you to 10 kilos anyway, so when I finally head over there I'll have to pick and choose.