What kit to bring to Japan?

[Rubber_Duck]

Like all CS member said..
Enjoy your trip and taking shot with your family with fun...

If not your wife will nag at you and telling you...

Wife : Why you didn't take care of our kid....just shotting pix here and there........
Yourself : I did what.?!??!?!.. sometime I do take care or look after him/Her. (Sorry your kid is boy or girl)
Wife : You keep carrying the camera and didn't carry him/her at all, I'm so tired and stress now.and sometime just walk away taking pix...!!!!
Yourself : Oh...Sorry... I didn't notice that...I 'm very sorry..!!!
Kid : Start crying...!!!! wah wah wah wah..!!!!

End of the day... both of you so stress out...!!!!

So remember to enjoy your trip with family not just enjoy taking pix by yourself...

Taking pix is not the most important things for this trip, having fun with your family is the most important thing....:bsmilie:

Hope to dont mind...
no offend just want to share my experience to you...
actually that happen to me quite sometime ago...:cry:

 

[gman23xx]

Bring combo 1 and when you're at Japan sell away the 55-250mm and get a 85mm prime. It would be true made in Japan lens. You can tell your wife, it's a souvenir from Japan. Haha.


Anyway, combo 1 should suffice. Have fun


gman

 

[tyho]

Ah? This thread is still alive?
Ok, I just upgraded my wife's A430 to a Ixus 860IS. So I won't need to carry my 550UZ. Have decided to carry the 17-50 and either the 24-105 or 55-250IS. Am running some tests on the 55-250 to see if I am happy enough with the IQ. Initial feeling is nope, the 24-105 will be a better bet. Some of the trip destinations have been changed too so I may not have to carry all the luggage around as much as I thought. Could not get the correct flights and may have to cut short by 2 days. So if I really can't decide, alamak bring all 3 lenses!

 

[Raied]

bring the wides, they are more important for travel

if have to choose just one - the 17-50 tammy

 

[championboxer]

hi hi...
i am heading Hokkaido/Tokyo on 8 Sep - 19 Sep
Day 1: Arrive into Asahikawa Airport / Pick up rental car and drive ard Biei / Farm Tomita / Stay at Furano for the night
Day 2: Train to Sapporo
Day 3: Train to Otaru / head back to Sapporo
Day 4: Train to Hakodate
Day 5: Head back to Tokyo

I am planning to bring the following gear:
40D
14L
24-70L
580EXII

Optional:
35L
15mm Fisheye
70-200L 2.8IS
135L

Should i bring any of the optional gear?

 

[charlesleong]

hi hi...
i am heading Hokkaido/Tokyo on 8 Sep - 19 Sep
Day 1: Arrive into Asahikawa Airport / Pick up rental car and drive ard Biei / Farm Tomita / Stay at Furano for the night
Day 2: Train to Sapporo
Day 3: Train to Otaru / head back to Sapporo
Day 4: Train to Hakodate
Day 5: Head back to Tokyo

I am planning to bring the following gear:
40D
14L
24-70L
580EXII

Optional:
35L - is covered by your 24-70
15mm Fisheye probably not essential.
70-200L 2.8IS HEAVY!!!!!!
135L is very specific for portraits. heavy also.

Should i bring any of the optional gear?

if you ask me, your gear is sufficient. maybe even the 580ex is surplus, unless you've tons of luggage space.

Of course, if this is a photography expedition, bring the whole kitchen sink, but if it isn't, you need understanding and sympathy from your tour-mates.

 

[calebk]

hi hi...
i am heading Hokkaido/Tokyo on 8 Sep - 19 Sep
Day 1: Arrive into Asahikawa Airport / Pick up rental car and drive ard Biei / Farm Tomita / Stay at Furano for the night
Day 2: Train to Sapporo
Day 3: Train to Otaru / head back to Sapporo
Day 4: Train to Hakodate
Day 5: Head back to Tokyo

I am planning to bring the following gear:
40D
14L
24-70L
580EXII

Optional:
35L
15mm Fisheye
70-200L 2.8IS
135L

Should i bring any of the optional gear?

if you ask me, your gear is sufficient. maybe even the 580ex is surplus, unless you've tons of luggage space.

Of course, if this is a photography expedition, bring the whole kitchen sink, but if it isn't, you need understanding and sympathy from your tour-mates.

I concur with charles for most of the part. However if you ask me,

40D (well you don't have much of a choice but to bring it)
14L (good for UWA applications, bring this)
24-70L (your general purpose zoom, so bring this)
580EXII (do you expect to be shooting in places where flash is allowed to begin with?)

Optional:
35L (I would bring this for the two stop advantage it has over your zoom. very handy)
15mm Fisheye (nope, not practical enough)
70-200L 2.8IS (heavy, definite no)
135L (definite no, not because of weight but because of its very specialised use)

 

[Twilo]

This will be my travel kit next i go for a trip. 40D, 11-16 F/2.8, 17-50 F2.8(mostly mounted on camera as walkaround) and 70-200F4 IS. Quite ok in a backpack. Sling bags i think will be quite heavy. Dont have a really bright lens yet, if i have a 50 F/1.4 i will probably bring it too and leave the flashgun at home. Flash too troublesome, gotta bring charger and my Maha charger is huge, need to bring bullets etc. If i have to fill i will use the pop up. If have to shoot low light and lens not fast enough, jackup the iso and burst. Too bad. Hehe.

P/S oh ya i wont forget my expodisc too.

 

[Ryany]

If you are on a limited backpack, 17-50 would do fine. Unless you are going to the zoo then I'd rec you bringing the 70-200 or 55-250 (iq is good enough). The tammy is wide enough and good for street shots also. Perhaps the small 50mm/1.8 for indoor lowlight shooting.

Expo disc not really necessary as you can tweak WB in photoshop/lightroom.... you wouldn't want to bother setting the custom wb everytime you shoot

 

[viper0419]

Hi all,

First of all, to the TS, sorry to hijack your thread, dun wanna start a new thread for this since discussion underway.

I just bought a 2nd hand 350D and am a newbie to DSLR.
I will be going to Japan in December and was wondering what to bring.

Currently, i just have the kit lens with me. Therefore if there is just one lens for me to buy and bring along (probably i will buy 2nd hand as well). What will it be.

As you know, the things you photograph in Japan is almost the same, the landscape, the city, the people and the food, etc. Therefore I was hoping to see if there is a lens that can be used to do all these or I should just stick to my kit lens?
Please be more specific to the lens that you are recommending (including brand, approx 2nd hand price, function, specifications). Sorry but I am really new to this and will not know what you are saying if it is not specific.

Thanks very much for all inputs in advance.

Cheers!

 

[Twilo]

If you are on a limited backpack, 17-50 would do fine. Unless you are going to the zoo then I'd rec you bringing the 70-200 or 55-250 (iq is good enough). The tammy is wide enough and good for street shots also. Perhaps the small 50mm/1.8 for indoor lowlight shooting.

Expo disc not really necessary as you can tweak WB in photoshop/lightroom.... you wouldn't want to bother setting the custom wb everytime you shoot

Its not necessary to change custom wb all the time. Only when lighting changes. I really do not mind doing that. PS/LR can tweak WB if you shoot raw, thing is...i shoot almost exclusively in jpeg.

 

[charlesleong]

Hi all,

I just bought a 2nd hand 350D and am a newbie to DSLR.
I will be going to Japan in December and was wondering what to bring.

As you know, the things you photograph in Japan is almost the same, the landscape, the city, the people and the food, etc. Therefore I was hoping to see if there is a lens that can be used to do all these or I should just stick to my kit lens?

if you really want to bring one lens, try a superzoom. it doesn't do everything exceptionally well, but it does everything.

however, the variable aperture means that the tele end may not be as useful when the lighting is limited.

Please be more specific to the lens that you are recommending (including brand, approx 2nd hand price, function, specifications). Sorry but I am really new to this and will not know what you are saying if it is not specific.

typical superzooms are 18-200 or 18-250. Currently there are only 3rd party superzooms (Sigma, Tamron), and Tamron is relasing a 18-270 soon (announced already).

It is rumoured that canon is also about to announce a EF-S 18-200 IS, but there's not much substance to that yet.

Secondhand prices for Sigma and Tamron are about $500 for the IS-equivalent versions, but you may want to wait (since you're going in december), you may want to hunt around in november, see what has been announced and see what secondhand bargains you can snap up.

A superzoom is quite useful for a starting photographer as it allows you to experiment with what your favourite focal lengths are and then get more specialised lenses to cater to these lengths.

Typical prices (new) are from $750+ though.

 

[jlpk007]

Like all CS member said..
Enjoy your trip and taking shot with your family with fun...

If not your wife will nag at you and telling you...

Wife : Why you didn't take care of our kid....just shotting pix here and there........
Yourself : I did what.?!??!?!.. sometime I do take care or look after him/Her. (Sorry your kid is boy or girl)
Wife : You keep carrying the camera and didn't carry him/her at all, I'm so tired and stress now.and sometime just walk away taking pix...!!!!
Yourself : Oh...Sorry... I didn't notice that...I 'm very sorry..!!!
Kid : Start crying...!!!! wah wah wah wah..!!!!

End of the day... both of you so stress out...!!!!

So remember to enjoy your trip with family not just enjoy taking pix by yourself...

Taking pix is not the most important things for this trip, having fun with your family is the most important thing....:bsmilie:

Hope to dont mind...
no offend just want to share my experience to you...
actually that happen to me quite sometime ago...:cry:

sound familiar leh...when i go oversea i like to take a lot of pictures...then my gf will nag me......

 

[Azrielsc]

Hi there,

Browsed through this thread cuz I am also planning to visit Hokkaido (Dec-Jan) with my family. I am more or less firm with my decision with lugging along my laptop, 40D, 17-55mm F2.8 IS and 70-200 F2.8L IS USM lens. The only thing that I am thinking is if I "need" to bring a flash along?

Wifey will carry a P&S whilst my brother can carry my luggage!

Thanks!

 

[Redsun]

Hi there,

Browsed through this thread cuz I am also planning to visit Hokkaido (Dec-Jan) with my family. I am more or less firm with my decision with lugging along my laptop, 40D, 17-55mm F2.8 IS and 70-200 F2.8L IS USM lens. The only thing that I am thinking is if I "need" to bring a flash along?

Wifey will carry a P&S whilst my brother can carry my luggage!

Thanks!

hmm i think 17-55 should be enuff
70-200 is pretty heavy
you have to consider if you want to carry that around:sweat:

 

[calebk]

Hi there,

Browsed through this thread cuz I am also planning to visit Hokkaido (Dec-Jan) with my family. I am more or less firm with my decision with lugging along my laptop, 40D, 17-55mm F2.8 IS and 70-200 F2.8L IS USM lens. The only thing that I am thinking is if I "need" to bring a flash along?

Wifey will carry a P&S whilst my brother can carry my luggage!

Thanks!

I don't really think you will need the 70-200 man...it's huge and heavy. Are you sure you'd want to lug that around, only to use it a few times?

 

[Azrielsc]

Honestly, the only reason for bringing the 70-200L is because it is my new lens and I am amazed at the photos that I took during the F1. So instead of keeping it in a dehumifier, I should bring it out to shoot more. I'll be carrying my fastpack 250 all the time as well.

Btw, is the 430EX flash an overkill as well?

 

[lennyl]

Btw, is the 430EX flash an overkill as well?

I'd bring it. Fill flash, indoors, or just when there's insufficient light - it's not too big and it can be very useful.

 

[calebk]

Honestly, the only reason for bringing the 70-200L is because it is my new lens and I am amazed at the photos that I took during the F1. So instead of keeping it in a dehumifier, I should bring it out to shoot more. I'll be carrying my fastpack 250 all the time as well.

Btw, is the 430EX flash an overkill as well?

Umm....I don't know about you, but for travelling (especially for travelling), the saying "bring what you need" could not be more true.

What difference would bringing it in your bag for a handful of shots, otherwise leaving it relatively unused, and leaving it in the dry cabinet make?

Of course, at the end of the day, the weight is on your shoulders.

Flash is good to have though, since your 430EX isn't very big and is rather lightweight, just bring it along.

 

[Redsun]

I'd bring it. Fill flash, indoors, or just when there's insufficient light - it's not too big and it can be very useful.

bring the flash
it'll be useful imho