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| Lobster Pot Floats, Bernard, Maine (click to enlarge) X-T2, 16-55mm f/2.8 lens @ 27.4mm; 1/1500th sec. @ f/8; ISO 200 |
This was not the typical road trip my wife and I would take, which would include a lot of research to find subjects that lend themselves to photographic efforts, but a short road trip to just to get away for several days and visit relatives and friends. You know what this means? Not a lot of time for photography. So, what to take? What to leave? After all, I do want to be prepared to make some family and travel images.
First, the kit will be minimal. Even though we are traveling by car and, theoretically, I could take everything, that wouldn't make sense when photography is way down on the list of priorities for this journey. I won't be taking my laptop nor my portable USB bus powered hard drives for cataloging or backup. I will have to compensate for that.
So, here is what I will take so as to keep my kit as small and lightweight and mobile as possible, but to also be prepared for most situations that may present themselves.
Medium Ape Messenger Case (relatively small and doesn't really look like a camera bag)
Fuji X-T2 body
14mm f/2.8
18-55mm f/2.8-4
55-200mm f/3.5-4.8
2 spare batteries w/charger (no charger cord but an AC adapter that plugs right into the wall)
4 spare 64 gb SDXC cards (the plan is to never reformat a card while traveling plus setting the camera for the 2nd card to automatically backup the 1st)
Circular polarizer and variable ND filter with step-up rings
2 Lens cleaning cloths
Giottos Rocket Blower and Lenspen
Gitzo carbon fiber travel tripod
That is about it. That should cover most everything I will encounter. If something happens and I miss a photograph? So be it. I'll just hang the camera around my neck and enjoy.
Even though we were only gone for a few days, I won't have access to certain essential photographic paraphernalia so I needed to bring them along. A blower brush, lenspen, extra batteries, extra cards, etc. are essential items no matter how long you will be away.
Traveling and photographing doesn't have to be complicated. I like stress free travel!
Thanks for looking. Enjoy!
Dennis A. Mook
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I have reservations in Williamsburg, Virginia beginning the weekend after Thanksgiving. I have prepared a list of gear to take with me and it is very similar to the one that you came up with. I do not have the 14mm lens, but I do have the 10-24mm zoom. Due to the size and weight of this zoom, I am reluctant to pack it and I am considering taking the zooms you list and maybe the 23mm or 35mm prime lens. ( I noticed you mentioned the 18-55 over the new faster 16-55 zoom).
ReplyDeleteThe 14mm is attractively priced and I can still get it before I leave for my trip, but I have struggled with if I will see any real benefit over using my wide zoom. Do you find the prime lens optically superior? What are your thoughts?
Ben, I live about 20 minutes from Williamsburg and have photographed there probably a hundred times over the past forty years. Take the 10-24 if you are going to buy a ticket to visit the insides of the various 18th Century homes and businesses. If you are just going to walk around outdoors, you probably won't need it. You can compensate for the 1 stop loss of light/shutter speed between the 14 f/2.8 and the 10-24 f/4 by increasing you ISO by one stop. I don't think you will notice a major difference in the Fuji images. Also, you would want to stop down from wide open anyway in order to achieve the depth of filed you need to keep the interior scenes sharp.
DeleteThe kit I wrote about is the smallest I can carry and still be prepared for just about any image I may find. Since the 18-55 is smaller and has image stabilization, I chose that lens. I normally use the 16-55mm f/2.8 if I am doing tripod work and the 18-55 f/2.8-4 if I need small and am primarily just walking around. Both will produce professional quality images if you think while using them.
As far as primes versus zooms, I find both the Fuji primes and zooms will produce professional quality images and it is a matter of size, weight, convenience and preference as to which you might prefer. I am completely happy with both in my photography as is the stock agency to which I send my images.
Almost forgot, I would recommend taking the 23 f/1.4 just to have one semi-wide very fast les for those times when light is very low. I normally do but didn't for this particular trip. One of those "just in case" things.
I hope this helps and let me know if I can be of help in the future.
When I'm traveling light, with just the 18-55, and find myself in the situation where I need an ultra wide lens I simply turn the camera into portrait mode and shoot a 2 or 3 shot panorama.
DeleteI've even done this using an ND or IR filter. In fact this is a great method for overcoming the hot spot that the 18-55 produces when shooting IR.
This is not the perfect solution, of course, and will never be as good as using the right lens, but it's a pretty good compromise, and can be the difference between getting the shot and going away empty handed.