So what’s in my bag? Well it depends on the bag, what I’m doing, where I’m going, who I’m going with, etc, etc. It really is a case of the right tools for the right job, rather than carrying everything all the time (that would get old fast).
Travel wise it depends whether I’m doing the trip purely as a work thing, or whether it’s a vacation.
Work-wise, this is generally what I will be carrying:
Bodies:
Nikon D300s – Currently the top-end Nikon DX body. At this stage of my career I can’t afford to switch to a full frame FX body and the change of lenses that would entail. Yes, I lose out on the low light performance (although the D300s isn’t bad), but then I get the extra range out of my longer lenses, and get to carry smaller lighter glass.
In the end its a very capable camera, fairly good low light performance, good resolution (more doesn’t always mean better), fast frame rate, weather sealed body (I have had it drenched while standing at the base of a waterfall, and it keeps on shooting), shoots video (if you are into that sort of thing – I barely use it). Only reason I would change it would be for the high ISOs of the FX bodies.
Nikon D200 – This is my second body, a generation and a half older than the D300s. Apart from the amount of noise at high ISOs, is not hugely different to the D300s.
Canon G10 – I like to carry a camera with me at all times, but sometimes the DSLRs just aren’t practical. This compact shoots RAW and has full manual control, but will fit in a jacket pocket. Only place it falls down is its low light (I know, scratched record much?) performance. It can be noisy as hell when you crank the ISO to even 400, this is rectified somewhat in the newer G11 which trades in a few megapixels for less noise.
As you can see, I keep mentioning low light performance. To me this is an area of significance, I don’t hugely care about megapixels, but for the type of work I do where a flash or tripod are not always possible or convenient, good low light performance can make or break an image.
Lenses
Nikon 17-55mm 2.8 – Sharp, fast, light (at least lighter than the FX equivalent 24-70mm), good range, good sturdy build. Whats not to like?
Sigma 70-200mm 2.8 – Again, sharp and fast. Definitely not light and lacking the VR of the Nikon, but is a well built workhorse of a lens for those without the readies to afford Nikons version.
Sigma 10-20 4.0-5.6 – Lots of distortion, lots of aberrations, not hugely fast, not a lens that I use a huge amount. Sometimes though, you just need to go wide. If you shoot a lot at these sort of angles, i would go with something else (Nikon’s 12-24 f4.0 on DX bodies and the 14-24mm f2.8 get good reviews), but for the occasional time I use this it’ll do.
Nikon 50mm 1.4 & Nikon 85mm 1.8 – Both of these lenses are great, very sharp, very fast, very light, great depth of field effects. I usually carry these as backups, although I will dig them out if I have a particular need for the wide aperture. On DX bodies, they make great low light portrait lenses.
Other Photographic Stuff
Nikon SB800 – I usually carry one or two if these, as sometimes a bit of fill flash or supplementary lighting is required. A great feature packed flash. Has been replaced by the SB900, another great flash, but larger and heavier so usually gets left at home in favor of the 800.
Various Flash Triggers – Radio, infrared or wired. Depending on the shots I’m looking to get or how I’m planning to work will dictate whether I shoot manual with radio triggers, or TTL with the Nikon SU-800 commander (or flash on camera as commander), or with the short range but reliable TTL cord.
Light modifiers – I don’t like to carry a huge amount of light modifiers, usually a few colour correction gels and a Lumiquest Softbox III. The Lumiquest is a 9″ x 8″ mini softbox that attaches to the flash head and can be handheld to soften the light a little for close in portraits.
Nikon MB-D10 Battery Grip – I don’t usually like things that add weight to my bag, but for my vertical grips i make an exception. The added shooting time between battery changes, more comfortable vertical shooting, and better balance between body and lens is worth it. I’m also shallow enough to like that it makes the camera look bigger which in some circumstances can make a difference. Being removable it gives me the versatility for when the larger camera is not a bonus.
Manfrotto 190MF4 Tripod – A 4 section magnesium and carbon fibre tripod. a good compromise between weight and stability. With the head attached (see below) it folds up short enough to fit snugly into my checked baggage.
Manfrotto 486 MGRC2 Hydrostatic ball head – A good solid head. I prefer ball heads for their speed and flexibility. Quick release plates add to the efficiency. The Hydrostatic part means that the head locks solid with a quick twist of the knob rather then trying to tighten and maybe striping the thread on a standard fastener (I’ve done this, and don’t relish having to carry a now useless tripod around for the remainder of the trip again)
Filters – I carry a mix of filters, both the slot type and screw in. I use Lee Filters neutral density grads of a range of strengths for controlling bright skys (or water, placing the filter upside down). I then use screw in poleriser and neutral density filter. I don’t find much use for anything else, apart from sometimes a Vaseline smeared skylight filter.
It should go without saying that all my lens have a protective filter on them.
Other bits and peices
Lens cloth, lens brush – For cleaning lenses obviously.
Storm Jacket – extra rain protection.
Non Photographic Stuff
Netbook – I used to use a Epson P2000 photo hard-drive to back up images on the road, but the 20GB hard-drive is a little small (and slow) these days. But when I looked into upgrading it was netbooks that caught my eye, rather than the newer current generation of photo hard-drives that Epson are putting out. Cheaper, more storage, more versatile. If needs be I can edit and process my images while on the road, I can check my Facebook, I can watch a movie, I can send emails. Yes, the netbook is bigger, but this is one of those situations were the versatility outweighs (forgive the pun) the added weight.
Gaffa Tape – Gaffa tape is handy when traveling, whether with a camera or not. It can make repairs, seal gaps from dust and moisture (CF card compartment is a good place for dust and water to creep in, even with a weather sealed body), help jury-rig a makeshift raincover, etc. Instead of carrying a whole roll which would take up valuble space, I have pre-cut strips of differing sizes wrapped around pens, memory card cases, lens hoods etc. If there is an empty space, it probably has gaffa tape on it
Multitool – I use a Leatherman Skeletool CX a good looking compromise of weight size and funtion. Whether making the aforementioned repairs, or just cutting up sandwiches, or making it clear to the creepy guy at the last washroom before you hit the desert that you really don’t want to be touched that way, its a handy thing to have close by.
Torch – Travel, and travel photography especially often involve early mornings and dark places, so a torch is worth carrying. I use a Petzl Zipka 2 headtorch for hands-free illumination.
Pens and notebook – For keeping track of things. You may think you can remember the name of that ruin, but 3 weeks and 10 ruins later you probably wont.
Bags
I have quite a bag fetish, I generally like bags and can usually find a good reason for a new bag, camera bag or otherwise.
The problem is, and I’m sure that any photographer or backpacker will agree with me, that there is no such thing as the perfect bag. Sometimes you will need bigger, sometimes want smaller, shoulder bag, backpack, again its all about the right tool for the job.
Currently I use the following bags, depending on the situation:
LowePro Flipside 400 – The Flipside range of backpacks is quite interesting, opening from the back (the side closest to your back) rather than the front. This is beneficial on two fronts; More security, as it cannot be opened while on your back, pickpockets (an occupational hazard while travelling) will have a hard job relieving you precious camera gear. Secondly, if you ever have to place your bag down in the mud to get to your gear, you will appreciate not having the dirt rubbed into your back when you pick it back up. On the downside it means you pretty much have to take your bag off to get inside, rather than asking a travel companion (my girlfriend usually) to grab it from off your back. All in all though this is a small price to pay.
One of the selling points of the Flipside series is the ability to twist the bag through 180 degrees with the waist belt still attached in order to access the main compartment. In reality though, its fairly awkward to the point that I find that it is easier to take the bag off instead.
The bag is well padded, carry-on allowance friendly (although mine is pushing 12kgs fully loaded, 2kgs more than alot of the cheap european airlines allow. Never been called on it yet though), and can carry a fair chunk. Mine easily carries everything mentioned so far, bar the tripod, and still has room for other bits and peices (Ipod, novel, sweets etc).
I use the Flipside 400 mainly when I am either going to be walking or hiking, or if I am going to be carrying a lot of gear. I also own the Flipside 300 for when I don’t need to carry so much gear – it holds the D300s plus 17-55, plus the 70-200 and that’s about it. I can probably squeeze another lens or a flash in there, but without a decent waist belt you don’t want to be lugging a huge pile in it anyway.
Domke F2 – My second bag is the classic Domke F2, a very lightweight canvas shoulder bag. For times when a backpack is not practical, such as wandering around cities where taking a backpack off and sitting it down to get access just wont cut it. Quick access is the name of the game here.
The bag has very little padding, meaning that you can’t abuse it as much as you may be able to with other bags, but this also means that you can cram in a lot more than would be possible with a more padded bag of the same footprint. As standard the bag comes with a 4 clot padded insert, and Domke sell a variety of dividers so that you can customize the insides to your heart’s content.
Again, I can pretty much fit all the above into the bag, although a little more snug than the Flipside. Being a shoulder bag though, I find that even though I can pack it with a couple of metric tonnes of kit, carrying it all is another matter altogether. I’m not a big guy, so after a few hours of full kit hanging from my shoulder I really start to feel the burn. Also, if I carry on refusing to swap shoulders i’m going to been feeding the local Chiropractor’s kids in a few years time.
This is a classic bag, and a favorite of photo-journalists the world over. It just looks so damn good, so sue me if that isn’t a reason to own it.
LowePro Topload Pro 75 – This is a shoulder holster, big enough to hold a pro-sized body with a 70-200mm lens. Sometimes you just want to carry the one camera, and this fits the bill. Small pockets on the outside are big enough to fit memory cards and batteries, even a flash or maybe a small prime lens or a set of filters. I often try my luck when flying taking this as my one permitted personal item in addition to my carry luggage. Not yet had a problem, but I can foresee somebody having a problem with it in future.
Sun-Sniper Steel camera strap – Obviously this isn’t a bag, but it’s worth mentioning. Instead of attaching to the usual lugs, this strap screws into the tripod socket on the bottom of the camera, and rather than the camera hanging around my neck it hangs at my side. I find it quicker and more convenient than a traditional strap. The steel version also has a steel cable running through it, which gives a little piece of mind in places where having a strap slashed and bag stolen isn’t unheard of. See my review for more details on the Sun Sniper.
Conclusion
This is my usual travel set-up. As I said at the start, the exact load-out changes depending on the situation, I wont carry as many lenses if I’m on holiday with the girlfriend. If I’m working within Ireland and have the car, then the kitchen sink is fair game, as are extra lights.
A lot of what I use wouldn’t be the top of the range, but at this stage in my career cash is tight, so I make do. I am currently mulling the change to an FX body, trading in the D200. This will also mean changing the 17-55 2.8 for the 24-70 2.8. The increase in low light performance is something that I really relish. Keeping the D300s for use with the 70-200 lets me keep the extra range of the crop sensor. Again it is all about versatility.
At the end of the day, I find that a large part of travel photography is the compromise between versatility, image quality and weight. Its all well and good carrying every lens for every possibility, but then if you have to turn back before you reach the top of the mountain because your bag is breaking your back, you have done yourself a disservice. Better to travel light and get the picture. Better to be there with a single body and lens, than be absent with a pile of gear and an appointment with the Chiropractor.