Francis Alviar asked:
> Have you ever brought two different camera systems on
> vacation? Specifically I am referring to a Pentax
> K-mount system with 2 bodies, 4 lenses plus an M42 to
> K-mount adapter plus a Pentax screwmount body with two
> lenses.
It depends on how you define "vacation". For the last couple of
Pennsic Wars I took along all my K-mount gear and all my M42
gear, and last year I even brought along a Konica with two
lenses and a 2X teleconverter as a last-ditch emergency backup.
But I didn't carry all of that everywhere I went, and as much as
Pennsic is vacation-ish to me, I don't exactly spend the week
goofing off -- I try to sell photos, this year I spent a lot of
time selling CDs, I perform, I network, I might attend some
classes, and I consider it a time I should be working on
photography as an art, not just taking vacation snapshots. All
of those _can_ be construed as work, though I spend a lot more
time hanging out and socializing and shopping than I do the rest
of the year, and I don't do any _computer_ work while I'm there.
Whether I call Pennsic a vacation varies from day to day.
*shrug*
Of course, I figure most of us on this list consider vacations
a chance to spend time on the art of photography, and some
(besides myself) consider a vacation an excuse or framework for
a shooting expedition, so that detail alone doesn't make Pennsic
a non-vacation.
Now the way Pennsic works is that I arrive, set up camp, and
leave my tent in one place the whole time. So dragging a whole
lot of stuff up there makes sense, since I won't have to worry
about packing it all up again until it's time to go home. In
camp I've got the cooler of film, the bodies and lenses I'm not
using at the moment, the emergency backup bodies and flashes,
etc. I can load up with 64000 ASA film for nighttime, and if I
don't get to the end of the roll by dawn, I can throw that
camera in the tent and grab another to load with 100 or 400 to
use until evening rolls around again. I expect to shoot
everything from macro to landscapes, still life to sports
(battle photos), portraits, and architecture, so I come prepared
for everything. (I got hired to shoot engagement pictures while
I was there this year, BTW.)
On the other hand, what I _do_ typically carry around with me is
three bodies (four if I'm shooting IR), and anywhere from one to
four lenses in addition to the ones mounted on the cameras.
That's the size of the entire kit you're talking about taking
with you, so you won't be carrying any more gear than I walk
around with.
On the gripping hand, that _is_ a lot of weight and it will get
tiring to lug around all day. I'm not saying don't do it -- I
do, after all -- but just be aware that what's easy for an hour
gets pretty tiring after four or six hours. The question to ask
yourself is how much is this a goofing-off vacation, how much is
it a "do these various things on my list of fun things"
vacation, and how much is it, "Oh goody, I get to go photograph
that city now!" shooting expedition in the context of a
vacation.
And how long afterwards will you kick yourself if you see a shot
you can't get the way you want because you're not carrying the
extra gear you thought about and didn't bring. If that's an
"oops, oh well" moment for you and the trip isn't really an
excuse for a photo safari, go with a lighter pack for walking
around. If you'll spend the next five years telling people, "I
can't believe I wasn't prepared for that shot!", either drag the
whole kit around (my solution) or get therapy. ;-)
-- Glenn
