Other Areas China, what setup shall I bring?

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E__WOK

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I'm posting in in this section as I'd rather not have it visible in a google search or viewable to anyone without logging in.




My current kit consists of:

M6
Ricoh GRD4

WATE with frankenfinder
35mm Summicron ASPH
90mm Elmarit


The M6 will be used with HP5.

I'd rather have as little stuff to carry as possible as I prefer not to swap lenses.

What would you bring if you had the same setup?
 
In order to keep things small,light and versatile would take the GRD IV, M6, 35 and 90.

I have the Frankenfinder, so know that it is good, but does effect camera handling : i.e. not something you want to keep on the camera full time ( and the M6 rewind rubs against the finder :mad: slowing things down ).

As a stand in for the WATE, I would stitch two shots from the GRD ( the built in 3 axis level really helps )
 
Well, since you don't want to change lenses: your GRD4 and nothing else.

But I would bring the best stuff I've got for this kind of trip. That means the 35mm Summicron and the 90mm with your M6 and swap lenses as being appropiate. You could bring both bodies with different films but I wouldn't bother. Just one body with your favorite film and swap lenses if necessary, that is what I would do.
Gee, I would even consider a 24/25mm as it will be usefull in some circumstances.

But whatever you do, make sure you enjoy yourself and you get better pictures as well!
 
I would have said the GRD and M6 with a 50 but I see there isn't one. GRD and M6/35 Cron is my vote, light and high quality.
 
Jeez, I'm more confused now than when I started this thread. :confused: :bang:

Well, the Hexar/2.5 ain't happening so it will just be the M6.

I think I will only use the HP5 and scratch the color film.

The GRD will come along no matter what.

The 90mm has been used the least out of the three lenses.

What I love about the WATE is that I can set focus to 2 meters and have DOF from about 1 meter out to infinity regardless of the aperture setting.
 
I spent six months in China last year with just the GRD3. It was great, but I missed having a 50mm lens for detail shots as the 28mm would sometimes include/distort too much.

Why are you concerned about someone stumbling upon this from Google? It's not "bad" to share information.
 
E__WOK said:
Jeez, I'm more confused now than when I started this thread. :confused: :bang:
Click to expand...

Only you know what you like to photograph and where you will be traveling - and which lenses best match that.
The WATE, a princely investment, suggests you really like wide shots.

A good few years ago I went backpacking in New Zealand ( so weight and size really mattered ) with a GRD2, M6, 28mm and 50mm then bought a Zeiss 18mm on route.
I took the majority of keepers with the GRD2 ( including a lot of stitched shots ). The M6 was used less than I expected and mainly with the 18 and 50.

When I went to Iceland with the 18 and 50, I sorely missed a 90 as it was more open country than the wooded landscape of NZ.

A few years before the NZ and Iceland holidays, I spend two weeks working in China taking just a 50mm '0' series - on that trip I wished I had also taken the 28mm GR1.
 
I have trouble with 'what to take' questions, because there are really two sub-questions: (1) are you a tourist-photographer who wants to record everything seen? Take bags full of lenses. (2) Are you an artist-photographer with a style of your own? Take what that style depends on.
 
thompsonks said:
I have trouble with 'what to take' questions, because there are really two sub-questions: (1) are you a tourist-photographer who wants to record everything seen? Take bags full of lenses. (2) Are you an artist-photographer with a style of your own? Take what that style depends on.
Click to expand...

I like this answer.
M6 + one lens you are most comfortable with
+ GRD.
That's plenty to shoot with.
 
Sometimes, depending on how the folks at China's border control feel, they will X-ray all of your bags entering the country, as well as when you leave.

And try not to make eye contact with the security people. They'll pull you aside and hassle you.

That was based on my personal experience.

When I wanted to shoot really fast film, I respooled it onto plastic spools and carried the rolls in my pants pockets.
 
this is where the less gear one has the easier the decision...
in thinking about my own upcoming trip i have been playing around with different possible combos based mostly on 'what ifs'...but really, i have a very steady style of shooting and mostly use the same lenses no matter...i have a very wide and a somewhat long lens but they are not my go to lenses for just walking around and that is what i'll be doing mostly...i also thought about taking an extra/back up p&s...another just in case something happens to my main gear scenerio...nothing has ever happened to my main kit, ever, so why would i think this time will be different. plus, i'll be in nyc and i can pick up another camera/body there if absolutely needed.
so for me it will be the x-pro body with 18/35 lenses...small light and covers pretty much everything i do.
 
I'm glad I brought just the one lens and the GRD and could've made the trip with just the GRD. Of the 30 rolls of film I brought, I only ended up using 3 rolls as I was on the road in a tour bus most of the time and maybe had 3 hours at most by myself on foot.
 
thompsonks said:
I have trouble with 'what to take' questions, because there are really two sub-questions: (1) are you a tourist-photographer who wants to record everything seen? Take bags full of lenses. (2) Are you an artist-photographer with a style of your own? Take what that style depends on.
Click to expand...
Brilliant! A superb analysis of, and answer to, the perennial 'What should I take' questions.

Cheers,

R.
 
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