Italy with Rollei

[triciaw]

Suggestions needed! I will be visiting Rome and Venice in August, walking, walking. Taking a medium format (Rollei), but I can't carry my enormous tripod. Does anyone have recommendations for a very compact, but useful, monopod or mini-tripod, (not expensive!) or, should I get used to hand-holding the camera? Secondly, I read on the tourism website that one may take 10 rolls of film per still camera (two cameras per person allowed). Is that strictly upheld? Buy film there? And, for walking around the city, going into museums, etc., will I need a smaller camera bag than the Lowepro mini trekker which I currently use? Is a backpack a good or bad idea? Thanks.

 

[Robert]

It's been a few years since I went to Italy-( Last I remember they didn't even wave on the way in. So unless things have changed that rule on the number of rolls of film wasn't being enforced. It's likely aimed at people bringing in grey market film to resell not your average tourist bringing in a suitcase full of film to use. OTOH if you've got the time I'd consider getting the film there. With all the stuff at the airports I wonder what it does to the film. I'd try the European website [Italian and German] and ask if they will ship to your hotel. It will end up a little more expensive then the cheapest US prices but you won't have to carry the stuff over.


Tripod? How often are you going to be allowed to use one inside? Rome and Venice to me means large tourist sites. Lots of people. Lots of guards. No tripods. Outdoors during the day you should be able to handhold it.

http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze2gkrc/Tripod-Test.html


Bags in tourist sites put you at risk of purse snachers. However it's spelled.

Also it's going to be warm that time of year. I'd also check if the places you really want to go to are open in August.

 

[Annemarieke]

You could also try Firstcall in the UK. They ship abroad (at least they do to Holland), and might not mind to send some film over to Italy for you.
I have never heard of film restrictions in Italy. If you do bring film from the US, make sure it is in your hand luggage, not in your hold luggage. The x-ray machines for suitcases are a lot worse than the hand luggage x-rays. I am always frightened stiff of x-raying my films, and always find a creative way to ship my film over to my photo locations, and back. Sometimes I am very lucky and can develop my mono film locally in somebody's darkroom.
Don't forget that even parcels are being x-rayed these days, before they put them on planes, so it might not make a huge difference whether you take them over yourself, or have a parcel sent over.
I wouldn't bet on buying film locally in Italy. Don't know what kind of camera you use, but if it is MF or larger, you might find it very hard to buy film in Italy. Also the film might have been badly stored (as in not cooled) and given the warm climate, it makes you think what that would do to your colour film.
Good luck with the preparations for your trip.

 

[Annemarieke]

......forgot to say that I went to Rome last November, loaded with film, nobody made any remarks at the airport, nor was my camera bag searched. However, they are very strict about not allowing a hand search of your film.
By the way, Rome is an amazing city for photographers. Must go back there one day....

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

A backpack is a bad idea in a city where you're a tourist, because you will probably look like a tourist, and it's easy to steal things from backpacks.

When I'm traveling in a foreign city, I often just carry my camera out on a strap, ready to use, and if I have extra accessories like lenses, film and such, I put them in my pockets or a combination of pockets and a belt pack of some sort.

 

[Eric Rose]

If you are taking a Rollie TLR then you will not have a ton of do-dads. Best to pocket filters etc. and the amount of film you think you will need for the day. Tripods are a definite no go these days. Silly really, what do they think they are, rocket launchers or something?

I do a ton of travelling and I never have them hand search my film. It goes as carry on and I've never had any film fogged.

Eric