One Camera Setup Around the World? What would you bring?

TheFlyingCamera · Jul 30, 2014

analoguey said:
Not quite imaginative enough.
Money no object, I would have the film transported to all the places I'd visit to, ahead of me, as well as the holders
Even get the processing bit made in.

But not every place is accessible with a LF, I think.
(one of the reasons I was thinking an f5 is a better bet)

Have you seen Kenro Izu's book, Sacred Places, taken with a 14x20? If he can get those places with that camera, there's virtually nowhere that you can't get to with LF - it just takes some more imaginative transportation efforts and more patience. But most of the places I'd go, with the exception of my originally described Silk Road adventure, would be urban areas so camera transport would not be a problem.

jonasfj · Jul 30, 2014

I like low weight and to be able to carry my spare lenses in my pockets. Right now this is my 'bag':

Nikon FA - light weight with a matrix metering a lot more capable than widely recognized

28/2.8ais - I would prefer a few mm shorter like 24mm, but I'll trade that for the close focusing distance of this lens

50/1.2ais - perhaps slightly less sharp and a little heavier than the f/1.4 or f/1.8 versions, but it looks better and I love the look of out of focus point lights, especially in night cityscapes

105/2.5ais - supersharp and very nice bokeh

FoidPoosening · Jul 30, 2014

Jesper said:
Not cheap, I know, but the OP said "money is no object" so I allowed myself to dream a little. I got everything except the 30mm (ofcourse) and it is what I travel with (with a Widelux instead of 30mm).

You travel with a widelux? Do tell

johnha · Jul 30, 2014

When we consider our 'must have' gear, let's not forget the pioneers who traveled with plate cameras, glass plates and portable darkrooms - and thought little of it. I'm in awe of the photographers who went to the Antarctic, where simply surviving was hard enough, to operate a plate camera/darkroom in those conditions must have been horrendous.

Frank Hurley's photos from the Endurance expedition show what you could do with just a Vest Pocket Kodak and a handful of rolls of film - whilst floating on an ice floe with no hope of rescue. Compared to that, carrying two Pentax 6x7 bodies, four lenses and plenty of film on/off aeroplanes/trains/buses seems easy in comparison...

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Jul 31, 2014

Money no object , A Mack truck with a dolly loaded with Panavision Camera. Or an Mitchell.

Jesper · Jul 31, 2014

FoidPoosening said:
You travel with a widelux? Do tell

A Widelux is not that big. It fits in a large pocket if needs be. I pack a Widelux, Xpan with 45 and 90 in a medium sized Billingham Hadley together with film, filters and meter. Peopla travel with bigger stuff.

FoidPoosening · May 27, 2015

Jesper said:
A Widelux is not that big. It fits in a large pocket if needs be. I pack a Widelux, Xpan with 45 and 90 in a medium sized Billingham Hadley together with film, filters and meter. Peopla travel with bigger stuff.

I'd love to see examples of some of your results! And true, I've seen the cases that some of the Hasselblad outfits require to be carried around safely--those can get quite large.

TheFlyingCamera · May 27, 2015

Foid-

an Xpan is just an overly wide Leica in form factor. It's not a Linhof Technorama or even a Hasselblad 500C/M.

FoidPoosening · May 27, 2015

TheFlyingCamera said:
Foid-

an Xpan is just an overly wide Leica in form factor. It's not a Linhof Technorama or even a Hasselblad 500C/M.

That I know, I was just referring to the size/weight of the camera setup itself? Nevermind.

TheFlyingCamera · May 27, 2015

FoidPoosening said:
That I know, I was just referring to the size/weight of the camera setup itself? Nevermind.

Xpan:

Camera body: Length 51 mm (2.04"), Width 166 mm (6.64"), Height 82 mm (3.28").
Weight: Body 720 g (25.2 oz) (without batteries).

Leica M:

Width:138.0 mm x height 77.0 mm x length 38.0 mm weight: 585 g

In other words, about an inch in size and a half a pound different.

cuthbert · May 27, 2015

Probably a Pentax LX with 50 mm f1.2, a 100 mm f2.8 and a 24 mm f.2.8.

Or a Canon F1 with 50mm f1.2.

Or a Nikon F2AS with a sharp 50mm

macfred · May 27, 2015

I am modest

Bronica RF645 - Zenzanon-RF 45, 60 and 100mm

--

If i would have to go tomorrow, I would take my FUJI GA645 (FUJINON 60mm) and my FUJI GA645Wi (FUJINON 45mm)

tessar · May 28, 2015

The outfit I've been traveling with for years, compact and reliable:
-- Leica M4-P
-- 35/2 Summicron
-- 90/2.8 Tele-Elmarit
-- 21/4 CV + viewfinder

fotch · May 28, 2015

Nikon F3HP, Nikon lens: 50mm F1.2, 135mm F2.8, 24mm F2.8. Back up body F2

f/16 · May 29, 2015

I'd have to say my Nikon F2AS that was serviced by Sover Wong. For lenses,(all Nikon)28-70 3.5-4.5 AF-D, 75-150 Series E, and 50 1.4K AI'd, and 85 1.8 AF-D.

Slixtiesix · May 29, 2015

A Hasselblad SWC and a Rollei TLR, preferably a 2.8 FX. Unfortunately I own neither of them!

mooseontheloose · May 29, 2015

For 35mm I would have my Nikon FE (or possible upgrade to the FM3A and use the FE as backup), plus 20mm 2.8, 28mm 2.8, 50mm 1.2, and 105mm 2.5 lenses (I own all of these lengths but would upgrade some of them to better glass than what I have now).

However, I am trying to wean myself off the Nikons and fully commit to medium format (which I will once all my HIE is gone), so in that case it would be the Mamiya 6 and its three lenses, plus my Minolta Autocord for backup (I have a Rolleiflex but it does not handle as nicely as the Autocord) and a Holga for fun.

film_man · May 29, 2015

From what I have: Leica R8 + 50/2, Nikonos V + 35/2.5. The Leica shoots everything, the NikV for when I really want a bit wider, acts as a backup plus if I'm going around the world for a year or two I'm bound to end up by a beach somewhere.

From what I'd love to have: there are far too many permutations for this...

Ricardo Miranda · May 29, 2015

MattKing said:
Do we get to bring an assistant to carry stuff as well?

For me, I'd bring an OM2n, with 24mm f/2.8, 35mm f/2 and 85mm f/2 lenses - all Zuiko, of course.

And an OM1 body as a backup.

All of which will fit in a small bag - I could even add a T32 flash!

ciniframe said:
Ok, I'll play.

Olympus OM-1n with 1-10 screen
24mm f2.8 Zuiko
35mm f2.8 Zuiko
85mm f2 Zuiko

Big bag of film.

Ricardo Miranda said:
I'll take a Nikon EM and 28-50-100 or 135mm lenses. That's normally what I take.

baachitraka said:
Why? Mechanics can fail too...

In revisiting this thread, I've noticed the answers above, including my own.

These days I'll agree with baachitraka. A mechanical camera can fail.

For a year around the world with just one camera, it is a bit unrealistic not to take another camera in case the first one develops a problem.
There are many stories of cameras failing when you most need them. It can happen even with the most rugged camera, be it a Nikon F, a Nikkormat or any Leica.
For myself, I will always remember the time I was using a Canon EOS-1N on the Golden Jubilee weekend: one morning, loading the -1N with fresh film on the Mall, the PB-E1 motor drive failed and won't advance the film. Fortunately I had a EOS-3 with me and it was Saturday. As the PB-E1 was new to me and under warranty, it got swapped for another one.
I was saved by having a backup with me.

I would swap the EM for a FG or a FE or take both the EM and the FG.

Although I am using an OM outfit as well as now, I have concerns about the mechanical reliability of the -1 and -2. They can develop a problem with frame spacing and the interlock. I have seen samples of both problems.
One word of caution: if you can't press the shutter button, never force it as a small piece can brake and the only solution is to find a donor body with that piece still intact.

Still for a OM setup, I would take:

OM-1N and/or -2N
28mm /2.8
35mm /2.8
50mm /1.8
That is what I use 95% of the time, particularly the 35mm.

I've noticed that both the answers above refer a 24mm and the 85mm.
Myself, I find the 24mm a bit too wide and a 85mm not to be as tight as I would like.

For a dream OM outfit, here it goes:

OM-3TI
28mm /2
35mm /2
50mm /1.2 or 100mm /2
That would do nicely.

removed account4 · May 29, 2015

i would bring a bag of 35mm film, a pen ft with the 28mm lens,
nothing stinks more than having 20 lenses and a body
and what lens should i use paralysis

either that or a 3a folder and a bunch of spools of 122 paper

TenSpeed · May 29, 2015

A Mamiya 7ii system with a ton of film

RalphLambrecht · May 29, 2015

FoidPoosening said:
If you could bring one camera setup with you around the entire world in a year or two, what camera would it be? You can also bring three lenses. In this scenario, money is no object.

State your reasons why too.

Me? At this point in time (if I could afford it) I'd bring:

-Leica M3
--Leica 35mm summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH Floating Element
--Leica 50mm summicron-M
--Leica 90mm f/2.8 Tele-elmarit-M

My reason is simply because I've heard it's the best. If I was realistically doing this I'd bring a canon ae1 program and some top canon FD L lenses as it'd be more affordable and I'm more familiar with the camera itself, but what the hell.

What's your setup? GO!

I would bring one bag with my Hasselblad 501c and the following lenses
80mmf/2.8
50mmf/4
150mmf/4
reasons:
fits all into one bag
reliable and best quality
no batteries to worry about
I'm most familiar with it

Paul Howell · May 29, 2015

As the thread is in 35mm and cost not a factor

Nikon F6 still in production and repairable

Nikkor 50MM 1.4
28mm 1.8
105mm 2.8
180mm 2.8
Flash

MartinCrabtree · May 29, 2015

FM2n,Nikkor 24MM 2.8 AI,50-135 f3.5 AI-S,SB-28,Weston Master II and a bunch of Delta 400.

Hatchetman · May 29, 2015

Spotmatic & 55mm f1.8 because I take my best photos with it. I don't need anything else.

One Camera Setup Around the World? What would you bring?

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