On travelling light...

[calsan]

Last time I went travelling, I took my K10, flash, Sigma 17-70 and a gorilla pod.  A fairly light set up, but I came home with 3 extra lenses - so I wasn't really travelling light any more.  (Luckily, my wife totally out-shopped me so I managed to get away with going a bit LBA.  ) I only used the gorilla pod once, so next time I would leave it.

Question: If you were required to travel light - what would you take?
Do you regard superzooms with suspicion?  Would you leave your flash behind?  A set of pancakes???

Maybe a superzoom for daytime and a fast normal for night?

[spyglass]

Calsan great post, great topic.

My next trip will be to Cuba (so I will keep an eye on this thread for ideas to see what others do)

For me
K20D body
16-50mm c/w hood
polarizer filter
Micro fibre cleaning cloth
360 Flash
*Trusty Scottish Hikers Tripod*    (see below for description)
Lowepro TLZ2 (Topload Zoom 2) camera bag -holster style, just big enough to carry everying listed above if I use a side add on "sliplock" pouch for the flash)


*1/4" eyelet bolt and string (great hikers trick)
Thread the 1/4" eyelet bolt into camera's threaded tripod mounting hole. Lay the string out on the ground (approx 4m). Stand on the center of the string. Move your feet apart to made a nice wide, but comfortable stance. Without shifting or moving your feet, bend down and pick up the ends of the string, Tie the two ends of the string together. Next pull the tied ends of the string trough the eyelet as you are standing up tall and looking through your camera, and have your elbows touching your chest (this ensures that you are set up for the right height). Tie the string in a knot (basically you have passed the string through the eyelet bolt and are tie the string back off against itself).
To give a simple mental picture you have just created a triangle of string, your feet spread out the base of the triangle and act as anchors, the top of the triangle is secured to your camera via the eyelet bolt. You can now pull up against the string for stability. Keep your elbow pulled in firmly against your chest, take a deep breath...... and Manfrotto shares just dropped 1/1000000 of a %  (all small enough to fit in your shirt or watch pocket). Plus you might be surprised at how handy it is to have string of that length on you - tie back a branch that is blocking a view or obscuring a plant. Could even hold your pants up if your belt breaks from too many trips to the buffet table.

Spyglass

[Sammy Sung]

most of the scottish hikers I know use silks or giottos >D if you tell them you can use string itl wipe out the tripod industry

good tip:with a bit of imagination  you will see that all the world is a tripod Ive balanced my camera on top of sticks on my knee

while sitting down or on my shoulder turned sideways on walls ,branches my grlfreinds head etc.

the absolute best method for me is to hold out your hand palm up balance your cam in the center of your palm

now press the heel of your hand up against your chin and rest the top of the cam against your eyebrow

you could call it a facepod it has worked for up to one seconds exposures for me many times

as for light travel i take the camera a 2x converter. sigma 10/20 ,a sigma 28/70 f2.8 and a handheld wireless flash it all fits into my ww2 gas mask bag which fits the bottom of my rucksack leaving lots of room for other carry on items as I never let my gear out of my site on planes

heres a rough photo of how to use your face for something besides getting you in to trouble
Rob

[pentaxnut]

traveling lite ....Hmmm thats hard to do....he goes...


K20D w/16-50 polirizer,uv,nd
50-135
no flash use on board
100 macro
fishy

thats about it. I'd rather have the extra glass than the flash...and even this is prolly heavier than i would like

Rick