How much gear to lug on my (hopefully) upcoming vacation

perkeleellinen · Feb 24, 2023

I enjoy threads like this as I always imagine what I would do, mentally planning the trip myself. Here are some thoughts:

Seriously consider buying your film in Poland or mailorder it and have it posted to your friend in advance. Find a lab to dev it all or mail it back to yourself. I would not trust airport security one bit.

If this holiday is about friendship first and foremost then take an auto camera you can put in your pocket only. If your friend is into photography, take all the gear you can!

For 5-6 days, meeting a dear friend overseas, I would consider either a P&S with ten rolls of the same film or an Instax / Polaroid camera where you can give half of your shots away to your friend.

Pieter12 · Feb 24, 2023

TheGreatGasMaskMan said:
There's no rule that says I can't.

Given that you’ve stated the end result will be digital files, taking just a single digital camera would seem the best strategy.

Helge · Feb 24, 2023

Pieter12 said:
Given that you’ve stated the end result will be digital files, taking just a single digital camera would seem the best strategy.

He could just bring his IPhone.

TheGreatGasMaskMan · Feb 24, 2023

perkeleellinen said:
I enjoy threads like this as I always imagine what I would do, mentally planning the trip myself. Here are some thoughts:

Seriously consider buying your film in Poland or mailorder it and have it posted to your friend in advance. Find a lab to dev it all or mail it back to yourself. I would not trust airport security one bit.

If this holiday is about friendship first and foremost then take an auto camera you can put in your pocket only. If your friend is into photography, take all the gear you can!

For 5-6 days, meeting a dear friend overseas, I would consider either a P&S with ten rolls of the same film or an Instax / Polaroid camera where you can give half of your shots away to your friend.

this does give me an idea though... I could also bring a ps camera and some "short" (I'll explain below) rolls for him to use.
[by short roll I mean some 35mm rolls that I took three bracket shots at the beginning to see how they'd cross in e6, but only had that first exposed section developed, having the rest of the roll sent back to me].
Also, I had film survive domestic flights to Arizona. TSA was more concerned about the cameras than the actual film- like I had a disc camera fail an explosives test, but the screener let me take out the film to have the camera run through the scanner.

Pieter12 said:
Given that you’ve stated the end result will be digital files, taking just a single digital camera would seem the best strategy.

we're living in a digital world. as much as I want to do my own bw printing (just don't have adequate space to setup a darkroom) sharing stuff online is now the best way to get it out in the world. Also... there's also archivability. besides, film just looks better to me, and my friend might be genuinely fascinated with my Mamiya c220.

Helge said:
He could just bring his IPhone.

My phone is just going to be for sending immediate stuff to my online friends and parents so they know I'm not going to get murdered.

Craig · Feb 24, 2023

perkeleellinen said:
Find a lab to dev it all or mail it back to yourself. I would not trust airport security one bit.

Mail gets X rayed too, there is no guarantee that it's any less damaging than airport security.

Pieter12 · Feb 24, 2023

TheGreatGasMaskMan said:
My phone is just going to be for sending immediate stuff to my online friends and parents so they know I'm not going to get murdered.

You must be traveling in the U.S., then?

Alan Edward Klein · Feb 25, 2023

Craig said:
Mail gets X rayed too, there is no guarantee that it's any less damaging than airport security.

Does mail get x-rayed domestically in the usa?

Helge · Feb 25, 2023

TheGreatGasMaskMan said:
My phone is just going to be for sending immediate stuff to my online friends and parents so they know I'm not going to get murdered.

Didn’t really mean that.
“Bring digital” to someone interested in film is like saying “just eat cake”, when what you want is a big juicy steak.

TheGreatGasMaskMan · Feb 25, 2023

Alan Edward Klein said:
Does mail get x-rayed domestically in the usa?

domestically, they just scan mail, but internationally, it gets x-rayed.

Pieter12 said:
You must be traveling in the U.S., then?

well, I've still got to find out if my provider has international coverage.

Craig · Feb 25, 2023

Alan Edward Klein said:
Does mail get x-rayed domestically in the usa?

I don't know, but the OP was talking about international airmail and that will be X-rayed. I would expect that US customs would also X-ray incoming mail.

Sirius Glass · Feb 25, 2023

Helge said:
Didn’t really mean that.
“Bring digital” to someone interested in film is like saying “just eat cake”, when what you want is a big juicy steak.

Agulliver · Apr 11, 2023

Security bod at airport X-ray; "Why do you have six cameras in your cabin bag?"
Me: "Because I couldn't fit seven".

Recent trip to Majorca involved the Nikon D7100, two Praktica BX20S bodies, Zeiss-Ikon folder, Big Elmo super 8 camera that's half lens, and a generic Praktica branded digital compact....oh and a Vivitar Cruise Cam under water camera.

And yes, I used them all. On a regular holiday/vacation with no specific photographic locations visited. My trip to Lanzarote in February which did involve visiting a couple of specific locations involved seven cameras.

Perhaps I am a tad obsessive. And I certainly have strong arms.

What I tend to do though is have a good DSLR and various film cameras loaded with different films. The BX20S bodies - one had a slide film I wanted to finish off, and the other had colour negative film. The Zeiss-Ikon I was using for B&W film. The Elmo was a last minute thing when I realised I was going during Holy Week and there would be a big procession one evening and I had some frozen Ektachrome from the good old days that needed using up. The Vivitar was for while swimming in the sea, and the little compact was for when out and about and on the beach because I don't want to risk the better gear getting sand in it.

In reality I could shoot colour digitally and choose one camera for B&W film. But where's the fun in that?

TheGreatGasMaskMan · Apr 11, 2023

Agulliver said:
In reality I could shoot colour digitally and choose one camera for B&W film. But where's the fun in that?

case and point

Agulliver · Apr 13, 2023

22 years ago on my first trip to Las Vegas I think I lugged two SLR film bodies around and the huge Elmo super 110 super 8 camera around the strip, Fremont St and a trip to the Hoover dam. Think I shot 150 feet of Kodachrome and 100 feet of VNF 7240. Also 2x36 Kodachrome 200 slides and some 400ISO C41 film...if I recall Fuji Superia. I had the C41 processed there at a CVS pharmacy I think and the rest back home in England. Would I do it again? Possibly. Despite lugging stuff around in a regular duffel bag all the cameras survived and are in my possession to this day....indeed two went to Majorca with me last week. But these days I tend to take better care of cameras as I lug them around, in an actual camera bag. I am certainly glad I took that gear, lugged it around and got the photos and film that I did.

TheGreatGasMaskMan · Apr 20, 2023

leaving in two weeks now- here's the camera setup-
the 116 camera I ordered had damaged bellows, so save the ancient verichome for something else, and hopefully find a working camera
My Ricoh's light meter broke, so I'm going to have to substitute that with my Nikon ft3
still going to bring the c220- just need to order a few more bw rolls
going to bring my Yashica 44 and one roll of 1982 expired e64 as a side thing
I may end up bringing my d3300 because My friend mentioned bringing me to some museums.

TheGreatGasMaskMan · Apr 29, 2023

ok- the trip is looming, and I've got a random tsa related question-
so I'll be flying out of
A- O'hare, Chi, to Arlanda Stokholm, to Frederic Chopin WAW
returning via
Frederic Chopin WAW, Kastrup CPH, to O'hare.
was buying a metal carry case for my 120 film a bad idea...?

Craig · Apr 29, 2023

I expect it will get pulled for a secondary inspection. I don' know what that is like at those airports, but I do know that is something to be avoided at LHR, it can add up to 30min to your trip through security.

koraks · Apr 30, 2023

TheGreatGasMaskMan said:
was buying a metal carry case for my 120 film a bad idea...?

Won't make a difference in reality.

gbroadbridge · Apr 30, 2023

TheGreatGasMaskMan said:
ok- the trip is looming, and I've got a random tsa related question-
so I'll be flying out of
A- O'hare, Chi, to Arlanda Stokholm, to Frederic Chopin WAW
returning via
Frederic Chopin WAW, Kastrup CPH, to O'hare.
was buying a metal carry case for my 120 film a bad idea...?

If the metal case is going through a CT it won't make any difference.
You'd want it hand checked.

koraks · Apr 30, 2023

gbroadbridge said:
If the metal case is going through a CT it won't make any difference.

Even with xray it won't matter. Regular cabin luggage xray scanners scan right through a thin layer like this.

TheGreatGasMaskMan · May 16, 2023

well, it's been a great trip, but I'm afraid I made a mistake- putting my c220 and yeshiva 44 in my checked bag and now some of the dials on both are a bit stiff.

gbroadbridge · May 17, 2023

When travelling for a vacation, every possession is a burden that could get stolen.

i just chuck a Fuji XT-2 with a 23mm in the bag with a couple of batteries and make do.
That covers just about anything.

Andrew O'Neill · May 17, 2023

Two23 said:
My standard "general purpose" is my Nikon digital D850 with three lenses (20, 24-120, 300mm) and a small 35mm camera such as a Retina IIa. I only shoot b&w in the film cameras, usually FP4+. As for film, if 35mm allow one roll per day. Not sure if you'd be able to buy more film where you're going. It's getting harder to find in foreign countries and the cost is about double.

Kent in SD

That will pretty much be me this Summer in Japan. D850, and one film camera, which most likely will be my Holga Pan 120, several rolls of Rollei IR, and a very light light tripod. I don't want to be bogged down with gear (I always take way too much), as the heat and humidity over there is a killer.

Sirius Glass · May 17, 2023

gbroadbridge said:
When travelling for a vacation, every possession is a burden that could get stolen.

i just chuck a Fuji XT-2 with a 23mm in the bag with a couple of batteries and make do.
That covers just about anything.

If I worried about everything that could get stolen, I would enjoy nothing. I take wise precautions and enjoy life.

GregY · May 17, 2023

Sirius Glass said:
If I worried about everything that could get stolen, I would enjoy nothing. I take wise precautions and enjoy life.

Amen....

How much gear to lug on my (hopefully) upcoming vacation

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