I like this list, but I'd make a couple of changes. I'd leave the primes home -- they're only slightly faster than the zooms, and with the noise levels of the K-5, totally unnecessary -- and I'd bring the DA* 60-250. I'd be lost without long glass in some situations. I do like Bob's suggestion of the Pelican 1550. That's my standard small-kit case, and replacing the fozm with clothes makes good sense. Paul
On May 16, 2011, at 7:41 PM, Stan Halpin wrote: > > On May 16, 2011, at 4:16 PM, John Sessoms wrote: > >> This is, for now, only a thought experiment, but it might provide a basis >> for something I will try to do in the future if I can work out the financing. >> >> Parameters are that you would be on the road for a minimum of thirty days >> for a photo safari. The goal of the trip is to produce photography suitable >> to illustrate a travel article you could sell to a newspaper or magazine >> along with the photography. It is important to be able to represent both the >> people and the scenery of the locale being visited. >> . . . >> I would appreciate some thoughts on what constitutes the *essential* kit. >> What will you need to carry to get the job done? >> . . . on my most recent trip. I had too much baggage and it was, at times, >> unwieldy. And I found I did not have all the equipment I needed while I was >> carrying other equipment I did not need at all. >> >> > > Some small variations on the suggestions offered by Bob W.: > > a. Clothing. > Wear the following > - mid-weight mid-height hiking boots > - socks > - underwear (optional) > - short-sleeve shirt > - long-sleeve shirt > - light jacket > - money belt > Pack the following in your camera-oriented backpack > - spare pair of socks > - spare underwear (optional) > - toothbrush etc. > - roll of TP > > b. Camera gear. > In your hand, over the shoulder, or in a Domke-type shoulder bag. > - Primary body with battery grip > - Mid-range zoom (e.g., 16-50/2.8) > - Longer zoom (e.g., 50-135/2.8) > - monopod/walking stick > - credit cards > - passport > In your camera-oriented backpack > - Back-up camera body > - Moderate wide-angle (e.g., 21mm) > - Moderate long lens (e.g., 77mm) > - 3 spare batteries + charger > - 6-10 memory cards @16gb > - smallish laptop, charger > - card reader > - 1TB external disk drive > > c. Optional > - photo vest > - hat, bandana and/or DoRag for sun protection > - macro lens > - flip flops for wear in really grungy showers > - swim suit > - medical kit with medicines (and appropriate prescriptions for > documentation) for stomach upset, etc. > - 2x tele-extender compatible with the 50-135 zoom > > The two zoom lenses will be all you need. The two primes are for lower-light, > less obtrusive strolls when you can leave most of your gear in a secure > location. They also provide backup if both of the zooms should fail for > whatever reasons. In fact, if I were trying to travel really light, I would > take just the 50-135 and the 21; these two would cover 95% of the likely > scenes. If you have a credit card and some cash, there is really no reason to > take spare clothing or a huge toiletry kit. > > Back when I was doing a lot of backpacking and then bicycle touring I found > many resources with suggestions on minimal-gear travel. The truly dedicated > will, for example, reduce the weight and size of their toothbrush by > judicious drilling and filing of the handle. Check sites catering to those > through-hiking the Appalachian Trail or doing a multi-month bike trip. You > could also check the web sites for those who run photo safaris in Africa > where there are often severe weight and size restrictions on the gear that > can be transported via small plane from one spot to another; their packing > lists might be useful. > > stan > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > [email protected] > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow > the directions. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
