What an amazing assortment of gear we have and use in our traveling. We are truly lucky to be photographing in this day and age.
I have lived for my travels since the '60s. Back then I explored Canada, the USA and Mexico with a a Yashica D (long gone, given away), then a Rolleiflex 3.5E2 (still have it, still used). Thousands of B&W negs still exist,many to be printed next year for the first time ever. Slides have largely faded. Curses to Anscochrome and Agfachrome CT films...
I went to 35 in the '70s, bought a Mamiya, then Pentax, finally Nikon (Nikkormats), which still owned and occasionally used. Europe,the Pacific, Asia (three months in Bali, the same in Malaysia, worked in Bangkok for a year, Australia (where I've lived since 1976). The Rollei as a backup. I shot Bali in 1970 with the TLR and sold almost all the images I took, travel stock was lucrative in those long ago days. Nowadays just try giving away a photo of Bali, however good... times have changed.
'80s and '90s were my busiest period. Many many trips to Southeast Asia, I was still young and had lots of energy, so took along everything but the darkroom sink. In 1986 I had two Nikkormats and four lenses, the Rollei, and a Linhof 6x9 with threelenses and two film backs. Famous last quote, "never, ever again!" to which I have more or less faithfully adhered, with one or two lapses.
'90s, I changed professions from photojournalism to architecture. Photographing office interiors didn't appeal, so I traveled more to Asia. Minimalism became my way to go. A Nikkormat and three lenses. A Rollei. Late'90s, a Contax G1 kit (28, 45, 90).Tens of thousands of memorable images, mostly color neg.
With the new century I went even more minimal. A health-related year off work in 2006 took me mostly to Indonesia, Malaysia, Sarawak and Brunei. The Contax, a then new Fuji GA645i, sometimes ultra light with a Voigtlander Perkeo I, lens hood, yellow green filter and a few films in a soft bag in my backpack. 120 forced a new discipline on me, which I had missed out on in my wild youth.
Since 2009, overlooking the D gear, I've traveled every year to Asia to shoot colonial architecture. Sometimes a Hasselblad 500CM with 50 and 80 lenses (recently sold as little used nowadays), the Fuji, Nikkormats, the Contax.
As a self-employed design architect with anoffice and staff, and specialising in government contracts, for two and a half decades I was in the odd situation of either having a lot of income but no time to go anywhere, or the opposite. Finally I retired last year, and now find I have more time, and oddly, more disposable income to travel, than I ever did. A blessing, this. To my regret, I didn't "do" Australia when the going was good (= cheap), and now find it too expensive. I did New Zealand last year, lovely scenery, nice people and all, but I didn't relate to the culture and my images reflected this apathy, postcard shots and Velveeta landscapes.
This year I've been mostly in Indonesia, out of Surabaya, an amazing city,not for your everyday tourist. Forthe first time I'm into travel as a lifestyle... a Nikon F65 with D lenses (20, 24, 28, 60, 85), hoods, UVs, yellow and orange filters, and 50+ rolls of mostly outdated B&W film from my freezer, in two plastic food containers. The D lenses do double duty with a Nikon of the sort we don't discuss here. Very convenient both ways. Film B&W blows anything from D out of the sky. I have a small tank and buy chemistry (they don't sell film) from an OL outfit in Jakarta, so I can see my negs a day or so after my shoots. It's an ideal situation for an old film bloke.
Mid year the GA645i broke down in Sarawak and I bought a Fuji GS645w to replace it out of Singapore. Alas, it didn't suit me, and I've just sold it. The GA645i is out for repairs and will be returned in January. For MF, I think it's the ideal camera.
At 68 (69 later this week) I can still walk and carry packs but not as much weight as I did even at 60. I now find one camera and at most one or two lenses (usually 28-85, 20-60 or 24-85 depending on my mood and what I want to shoot) suit me best.
I'll be in Malaysia for ten days next month, and I'll use the F65 with either the 24 or 28 to shoot colonial buildings in Perak. I still have 200+ frozen 120 roll at home and I plan to give the Rollei or the GA645 a good workout next year,and use up that stock.
I would love to go OS with just a Canonet and a small bag of film. In my next avatar I plan on not spending up big as I have this time around, for cameras. I'll try it then...
Lovely images, pentaxpete and omre. You know how to capture the essence of what you see, be it candids or the more fleeting visual essence...
It took me years to figure out the journey isn't about the gear but what I see and want to photograph. A few decades ago it was all adventure stuff, beaches, sports, bars, night scenes, markets. Now it's botanical gardens and colonial architecture.
And I intend to be buried with the Rollei, my lifelong love...