Trip to India

[cmo]

The only good thing about long-distance business trips is that I can spend some time in interesting places. In this case, Mumbai, New Delhi and Chennai, I will stay for just one week (much too short), starting in two weeks, and I need a lot vaccination and a visum. Where is my passport? And why am I doing this...?

I have no clue about India - I guess it will be hot or very hot, maybe humid, with a lot of rain and thunderstorms and maybe some sunny moments during this time.

If this was your trip, what would you do and what equipment do you recommend? I am very much in street photography and similar styles, have a Leica M6 and some primes and an analog EOS with some "L" zooms.

 

[Robert Hall]

Your leica will rock! When in Chennai head south about 50km to Mahabalipuram. It is where the stone carvers live. Go look on my site at the India section.

 

[Pinholemaster]

Take the Leica. The smaller and lighter the better when traveling, especially that distance.

http://weather.iloveindia.com/

 

[Anupam Basu]

Here's my recent set from India. I'd take an M body and 2 lenses. Maybe a backup body just in case. Oh, and cover the red dot!

 

[cmo]

Here's my recent set from India. I'd take an M body and 2 lenses. Maybe a backup body just in case. Oh, and cover the red dot!

Why cover the red dot? My Leica is in fact married to me, we are a couple since more than 20 years, and the number of our children in albums and boxes is still growing

I just saw the weather report: monsun time, 28° Celsius, 79% humidity and lots of rain and thunderstorms. Sounds like weather for a Nikonos - is that really a good time and place for a Leica?

 

[Anupam Basu]

I shot in London a lot with a £15 camera raincoat. Fits in your pocket. I recommend that for light drizzle. Won't stop the Mumbai monsoon, though if you are planning to shoot in it. Raincoat and Nikonos would be my advice in that case. BTW, my advice about the red dot was serious. A little black tape converts your Leica that screams "steal me" into some old fashioned film camera that nobody wants.

 

[Matt5791]

Hi there,

I went to India last September / October and certainly the most amazing place I have ever been - you can not fail to soot good photographs there - just point your camera without even looking through the viewfinder and you'll get something interesting!

I took a lowpro backpack which doubled as my hand luggage on the plane containing: 2x Nikon FE2 bodies (one for colour transparancy, one for B&W) and the Hasselblad with three backs and 4 lenses + film. I was worried that this was too much stuff, but I was glad for it in the end because I had opportunities for landscapes etc which I prefer MF for.

As you say you are very much into street photography, you should find a Leica absolutely ideal.

Are you planning to travel by train at all? I would highly recommend it, and travel by the 2 / 3 tier type first class. Here you meet loads of intesting people and you can do loads of hanging out of the open doors - excellent for photography. Also train travel is very good value. Tip: In the stations, always hire a porter, even if you only have one bag (they are strictly regulated and have a red band on their arm with a number) as they can help navigate the stations etc. (and New Delhi is enourmous and quite daunting). Also be wary of people at stations who offer to show you where the ticket office is or other "helpful" services - they are almost invariably out to con you. You have to be quite forceful with them, and they go away.

Matt