Travelling tips

[MFstooges]

Get an inexpensive speed light for the trip and put it in the checked luggage. Make sure to wrap clothing around it so that it will likely survive rough handling off the luggage. Leave your good speed light at home.

The problem now is not about rough handling, but the clearance for checked baggage

 

[MFstooges]

I worry that the battery may be suspected to be Lithium and increase the chances of my luggage being opened and inspected. I don't have any proof of that though.

I travel with film all the time and, like you, am limited not so much by size, but by weight, for carry-on. In my carry-on I usually carry my Rolleiflex, Nikon FE + 2 primes, and film needed for the trip, which is often 50-100 rolls, depending on how long I am travelling for. If I am only allowed one bag then my phone, iPad mini, noise-cancelling headphones, any and all batteries, and important documents/wallet also have to go in there too. I am almost always at 7-10kg with this basic set-up. I also now travel with a photographer's vest in case I need to off-load some gear (especially film, which is surprisingly heavy when you have a lot of it!), since many airlines are so strict with carry-on luggage weight. Since I can't fit anything else in my carry-on, I always have to travel with a checked bag, which will have my tripod, all other photo accessories (cable release, filters, etc), my Holga and/or pinhole camera, and very rarely a flash (without batteries). No batteries whatsoever in checked luggage, it doesn't matter what kind.

I think x-ray officer can only see battery regardless of type. On last leg of my flight I forgot to take out my Motorola smartphone pack from the carry-on and they frowned on me. I will try AA battery-less travel next time and maybe get separate small camera bag besides backpack.

 

[BradS]

The 7.5 kilogram weight limit for your carry on bag would not seem to be that big a problem - especially for a 35mm kit.

I’ve flown a bit in South America where similar weight restrictions are routinely enforced. Last time I had two Nikon fe bodies and three Nikon prime lenses, film etc. no issue. Other times I’ve taken a 4x5 crown graphic kit with two lenses and a Pentax spotmatic with 50mm f/1.8 lens...again, no problem. Come to think of it, My whole 4x5 field kit - camera, two or three lenses, light meter, dark cloth, shutter release cables and reading glasses in a Lowepro mini trekker only weighs 15lbs so, it would fly under the 7.5 kg limit too.

Me thinks you’re trying to take too much stuff.

 

[mooseontheloose]

The 7.5 kilogram weight limit for your carry on bag would not seem to be that big a problem - especially for a 35mm kit.

I’ve flown a bit in South America where similar weight restrictions are routinely enforced. Last time I had two Nikon fe bodies and three Nikon prime lenses, film etc. no issue. Other times I’ve taken a 4x5 crown graphic kit with two lenses and a Pentax spotmatic with 50mm f/1.8 lens...again, no problem. Come to think of it, My whole 4x5 field kit - camera, two or three lenses, light meter, dark cloth, shutter release cables and reading glasses in a Lowepro mini trekker only weighs 15lbs so, it would fly under the 7.5 kg limit too.

Me thinks you’re trying to take too much stuff.

I think you are assuming that people don't travel with other things in their carry-on, like laptops/tablets, headphones, batteries, medications, etc - the weight adds up pretty quickly. And film too - my film can weigh as much as the gear I'm taking when I'm travelling. I travel with a small camera bag (about 60% of the size of a regular carry-on bag) and it gets easily filled both space and weight-wise with just the essentials. (I know you are addressing the OP, but this is something I struggle with every time I travel, unless I bring one camera only (which is rare, since I always want a backup).)

 

[MFstooges]

I think you are assuming that people don't travel with other things in their carry-on, like laptops/tablets, headphones, batteries, medications, etc - the weight adds up pretty quickly. And film too - my film can weigh as much as the gear I'm taking when I'm travelling. I travel with a small camera bag (about 60% of the size of a regular carry-on bag) and it gets easily filled both space and weight-wise with just the essentials. (I know you are addressing the OP, but this is something I struggle with every time I travel, unless I bring one camera only (which is rare, since I always want a backup).)

This is my case as well

 

[BradS]

Mmmmm, yeah, I understand. For personal travel (as opposed to for work), I often carry a pair of small format bodies too and obviously, I also carry on more than just my camera gear (and film)....although, weight and size wise, not really much more. I can see where a laptop would tend to tip the scale. I don't take one when I travel.