Still undecided about taking both...

[frank]

You can call me pious if you want, I'd just call myself wiser by experience. Maybe I'm too verbose for my own good, but the point of the story was that I tried hauling around tons of stuff to be ready for every eventuality. I ended up seeing fewer things, taking fewer pictures, and not enjoying myself as much. I'd rather be having fun with the one camera I do have than playing pack mule to a bunch of gear.

And my point is that not everyone is the same.

 

[Sirius Glass]

You can call me pious if you want, I'd just call myself wiser by experience. Maybe I'm too verbose for my own good, but the point of the story was that I tried hauling around tons of stuff to be ready for every eventuality. I ended up seeing fewer things, taking fewer pictures, and not enjoying myself as much. I'd rather be having fun with the one camera I do have than playing pack mule to a bunch of gear.

+1

 

[BrianShaw]

I've gone "all the way" recently and stopped bringing a camera on vacation. I've been seeing a lot more and having even more fun than I ever thought possible. I never thought that would be possible, but it is.

 

[Richard S. (rich815)]

And my point is that not everyone is the same.

Or the same at different stages or times of lives.

 

[frank]

I've gone "all the way" recently and stopped bringing a camera on vacation. I've been seeing a lot more and having even more fun than I ever thought possible. I never thought that would be possible, but it is.

Sincere: And that's a perfectly valid way to be for some as well.


Joke: For those that feel less is more, imagine how much more more is.

 

[Paul in Arizona]

This thread has taken an interesting deflection.
More often than not I see a choice to be made between being a photographer intent on recording what is around or in front of me and being a participant simply enjoying a situation. While I generally have a camera somewhere handy I have increasingly often chosen to not carry it and to be a participant. Every now and then I regret not having used a camera but that isn't very often and that doesn't last very long. There are times however when I choose to carry a camera with the primary goal of taking photos. The middle ground eludes me more now than it used to.

Having gone back exclusively to film may have influenced that thinking. That or simply getting old(er).

 

[dpurdy]

I guess you choose either to be a photographer or not. Hard to make prints from memories.

 

[BrianShaw]

For me it is WHEN to be or not be. Not a difficult issue to resolve, but like Paul I struggle a bit with that middle ground. Yes it is difficult to make prints from memory but I'm now wanting my memories to be more than just prints. I wasn't always like this but now I am.

 

[BrianShaw]

And just in case, I always have an iPhone in case I make a bad choice.

 

[film_man]

I'm favoring taking Rolleiflex T – Model K8 T3 along with my Leica M3. It takes striking sharp images. What do you think?
Todd

I think you need to tell your Mrs to randomly pick two of the three cameras, put them in the bag and that's that.


Edit: ooops I missed the bit about taking the Rollei and the Leica. Good stuff, you'll have lots of fun!

 

[film_man]

For me it is WHEN to be or not be. Not a difficult issue to resolve, but like Paul I struggle a bit with that middle ground. Yes it is difficult to make prints from memory but I'm now wanting my memories to be more than just prints. I wasn't always like this but now I am.

The main reason for me going back from digital to film was to find that middle ground. Not shooting 500 shots a day provides that peace and quiet and participation. I also on purpose limit how much film I take so it is 2 rolls/day (it doesn't matter what format) plus a couple of extra rolls. This way it keeps me from spending too much time shooting and the lab bill is in check as well.

In any case, it depends how you travel though. Some people are on a schedule so need to be there at 10am, lunch at 12, queue for the museum at 2 and so on. Taking any number of photos eats up into any little downtime you have in between. We never travel like that, we have a loose plan and list of things to see overall but if we want to spend more time somewhere we just sit there, enjoy it, take more pics and accept that we can't see nor photograph everything.

 

[bvy]

More often than not I see a choice to be made between being a photographer intent on recording what is around or in front of me and being a participant simply enjoying a situation.

I find that I'm more engaged as a participant when I have a camera...

 

[frank]

I find that I'm more engaged as a participant when I have a camera...

+1

Walking through life without a camera is too passive for some.

 

[BrianShaw]

I have found true enlightenment. Life is not about possession and possessing, whether gear or images. Stick with me Frank. Chant my mantra and you, too, can find true enlightenment. (Or, take my family on vacation just once and you'll be curbed of your current ways.)

 

[BrianShaw]

p.s. As an interesting (or maybe not) side note, last week was the last Little League baseball game of my youngest son's career. Early on I was the team photographer, and then scorekeeper. You'd think that I'd be involved in the game doing that but not really... it was a very distracted involvement. This season I sat on the bench eating burgers, wienies, and nachos instead. I actually got to watch the game and enjoy the excitement. The only downside was the sore hands from clapping and sore throat from cheering. But I was part of the game in a very different way than ever before. So now I carefully pick when I want to be a photographer versus a Dad versus a hedonistic rich American tourist. It's all good, just different.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I will not bring a camera to an event that I want to enjoy.

 

[Alan Gales]

p.s. As an interesting (or maybe not) side note, last week was the last Little League baseball game of my youngest son's career. Early on I was the team photographer, and then scorekeeper. You'd think that I'd be involved in the game doing that but not really... it was a very distracted involvement. This season I sat on the bench eating burgers, wienies, and nachos instead. I actually got to watch the game and enjoy the excitement. The only downside was the sore hands from clapping and sore throat from cheering. But I was part of the game in a very different way than ever before. So now I carefully pick when I want to be a photographer versus a Dad versus a hedonistic rich American tourist. It's all good, just different.

Brian, for 3 years I helped manage my daughter's select fast pitch softball team. I was also the team photographer. We traveled a little and played a lot of games. We would play 4-5 games per tournament on the weekends plus we had league play in two leagues. I mostly took photographs when we went out of town for special tournaments. Photographing every game would have been ridiculous.

When my daughter pitched for her high school team it was really hard to just sit back and enjoy the game after being so involved with a team but you just can't tell a high school coach how to coach!

 

[Jeff Bradford]

I take as many cameras as I can bring. I'm sure there is a maximum number that I would bring, but I can never reach that number because I have to bring lenses and some clothing.

On a recent trip to Manhattan, I limited myself to three film formats: 135, 645, and a 6x9 rangefinder. The 135 and 645 cameras are SLRs, so I had several lenses for each. I also brought a DSLR which could share lenses with the 135 SLR. It was four cameras, 10 lenses, one tripod, and a sack of miscellaneous film, filters, and accessories. For years I had dreamed of making this trip. I enjoyed every minute of it. I made this trip expressly for photography and I traveled alone, so no one felt ignored or dragged-along while I traipsed all over by foot and subway with two camera bags, a tripod, and a Kodak Medalist II around my neck. When I do it again, I may leave the DSLR at home (no memorable shots with it). If you're vacationing with your significant other, only bring one camera.

 

[Richard S. (rich815)]

I take as many cameras as I can bring. I'm sure there is a maximum number that I would bring, but I can never reach that number because I have to bring lenses and some clothing.

On a recent trip to Manhattan, I limited myself to three film formats: 135, 645, and a 6x9 rangefinder. The 135 and 645 cameras are SLRs, so I had several lenses for each. I also brought a DSLR which could share lenses with the 135 SLR. It was four cameras, 10 lenses, one tripod, and a sack of miscellaneous film, filters, and accessories. For years I had dreamed of making this trip. I enjoyed every minute of it. I made this trip expressly for photography and I traveled alone, so no one felt ignored or dragged-along while I traipsed all over by foot and subway with two camera bags, a tripod, and a Kodak Medalist II around my neck. When I do it again, I may leave the DSLR at home (no memorable shots with it). If you're vacationing with your significant other, only bring one camera.

Sounds like a fun trip. Any photos to share from it?

 

[frank]

Sounds like a fun trip. Any photos to share from it?

Ha, ha! I know where your headed. I hope Jeff replies with a tonne of killer shots!

 

[Richard S. (rich815)]

Ha, ha! I know where your headed. I hope Jeff replies with a tonne of killer shots!

Me too. With a wife and two kids with me now my days of 100% focusing on photography are long gone for most of my trips.

 

[phil0]

How long is a piece of string?
What you take depends. On a recent trip to London and Paris I took a Leica 240 with 50 Summicron, Contax zoom, Nikkor 20mm and-wait for it-my Hasselblad 500C/M with an 80 and a 250.
It was too much.
Now I carry my 240/Summicron, a 90 Elmarit, the 20 Nikkor (my Super Angulon doesn't really work on the 240) and
My Rollei 3.5E, sometimes with a 1.5 Mutar.
Much easier to carry.

 

[Paul Howell]

Depends, if I am driving my SUV and will take a 4X5, three lens set a 6X9 4 lens set, and 2 35mm SLRs 6 lens set and a fixed lens rangefinder. If on a photo trip without family I will also darkroom equipment including a stow a way enlarger for proofing. If I am driving in my sedan I will take my 6X9 or 6X6 with 2 35mm SLRs. If I'm flying just a 35mm and a DSLR and 3 to 4 lens.

 

[Sirius Glass]

How long is a piece of string?
What you take depends. On a recent trip to London and Paris I took a Leica 240 with 50 Summicron, Contax zoom, Nikkor 20mm and-wait for it-my Hasselblad 500C/M with an 80 and a 250.
It was too much.
Now I carry my 240/Summicron, a 90 Elmarit, the 20 Nikkor (my Super Angulon doesn't really work on the 240) and
My Rollei 3.5E, sometimes with a 1.5 Mutar.
Much easier to carry.

I have rarely needed a longer than normal lens when vacationing in Europe. I would leave the 250mm lens home.