Equipment advice for the backpacker!

Eddzz!!

Eddzz!!

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Eddy
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Hey guys,

I'm doing the typical post-graduate thing in August and going backpacking around Europe ;) Of course I shall be taking whatever gear I can fit in. I have recently upgraded to a Canon 7D, so I shall be taking that along. I know, it's heavy, but I figure if my mate can haul his 5D MK II with him around Europe (he did last year) then I can manage the 7D. The only two lenses I have at the moment are the 24-105mm f/4 and the 50mm f/1.8. I'm thinking that I could do with a UWA for a trip like this and there are tons of options. Recently I've been impressed by the Samyang 14mm - it's razor sharp and the colours are great. There's less flexibility with it however as it's a prime.

What would the general recommendation be? :)
 
Eddy I would highly suggest looking at something like the Olympus OMD-EM5. Lugging a 7D around is fine but trust me you will curse it after a few days of travelling. A small M4/3 camera like the OMD will fit in your pocket which means you will almost certainly start taking more pictures that you would with the 7D.

If you are just taking the shots for yourself/the web etc rather than commercially then I can't really see any better travel camera than the OMD at the moment.
 
EMA747 said:
Eddy I would highly suggest looking at something like the Olympus OMD-EM5. Lugging a 7D around is fine but trust me you will curse it after a few days of travelling. A small M4/3 camera like the OMD will fit in your pocket which means you will almost certainly start taking more pictures that you would with the 7D.

If you are just taking the shots for yourself/the web etc rather than commercially then I can't really see any better travel camera than the OMD at the moment.
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Thanks for the advice! Appreciated, but there's no way I can invest in a new system. I've already put too much time and money into my 7D not to take it with me!
 
Sorry I kind of misread your post. You are just asking about lenses rather than which overall kit is best for backpacking.

Though not a UWA lens I was pretty impressed with the 17-40 I had when I had a 7D. Used it when travelling quite a bit because it was a decent focal length for me and fairly small as L lenses go. Plus it's one of the more affordable L lenses. Canon 10-22 is supposed to be pretty good too. Or the Sigma equivalent is also good by all accounts.
 
Canon 10-22 every time. Fits in perfectly with your 24-105 and is great for wide angles. I've seen the second hand for £300-350. Really light lens as well, so it's always in my bag.
 
I've not seen Canon 10-22s go cheap anywhere :( there's one on here but the guy wants over £400 for it. There's also a tokina 11-16 going for £360
 
Lots of used gear seems to be really expensive at the moment. It might just be that the going rate is higher right now than it was a few months ago.
 
Eddzz!! said:
I've not seen Canon 10-22s go cheap anywhere :( there's one on here but the guy wants over £400 for it. There's also a tokina 11-16 going for £360
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You'll really find the same with with pretty much all ASPC UWA's unlikely you'll get anything for less than £250 even used.

All depends on the kinds of pics your taking I spose, personally an UWA zoom would be my #1 priority in your position but I love landscape and archiecture shots.

The Canon 10-22mm does link in with your 24-105mm very well and its pretty light at 380g. Ontop of covering the range I personally like having the ability to shoot UWA and a 35mm equivilent in a single lens for quick people shooting.
 
Nikon P7100 with UW lens attachment. The Nikon UW lens for the compact is utterly fabulous - I use it professionally and it takes a 77mm polariser (which is handy as I have several for the SLR lenses as they are all 77mm too. The lens range i equiv 28 - 200. The UW lens turns it into a 21mm (do not zoom with the wide conv attached!)

Otherwise, invest in a full size wide zoom.
Do you shoot long lenses much for isolating details? Best apiring then would be 24-70 and a 70-200, add a fixed wide like your Samyang and you're done.

Don't forget a tripod, or other method of stabilising for long exposures.
 
I ended up picking up a 10-22 here for £390 in the end :) That plus my 24-105 should compliment each other nicely! Yes, all I need now is a compact and sturdy tripod...
 
will69 said:
I would not recommend taking your 7d, weight and security. Why not pick up a second hand rebel size dslr?
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People travel the world with their dSLRs every day. If I adopted your attitude, I would never take my camera out of my house! Besides, I don't have the money to be investing in an old rebel - I spent the remainder of my camera budget on the 10-22. I have to save every penny I have for the trip.
 
Im traveling Asia, Australasia and India on an eight month trip and brought along three lenses with me. The tripod got sent home as did many filters. The weight v use thing came into play and some days it really is a love hate relationship carrying the kit around is 40+ degree heat and 80% humidity.

I have my Nikon D7000,
Sigma 10-20mm
Nikon 50mm
Nikon 18-200mm.

I have greatly missed my 8mm fisheye but would not take more than three lenses on a trip my length, it would be swapped for the 10-20. The prime is wonderful for its size, low light performance and the bokeh. The 18-200 is perfectly acceptable and covers a fantastic range but really regret not purchasing a 24-70 f2.8 before leaving (figured it would be cheaper with the countries I was visiting).

Traveling Europe, I would have no hesitation in bringing everything along. Yes there is an inherent security risk but as you say, why have the kit if you dont use it? ***Just be smart and keep your wits about you. If you dont feel safe, dont go whipping it out. I travel with a leather travel bag with a camera insert from a Lowepro Compudaypack, it fits perfectly and is very discrete, you would not know that the camera was inside.

You have not mentioned how long your trip is, this could be a factor if you are away a great deal of time for editing/storage. If its short, stock up on cards would be my advice. Endless places to burn DVD's to ship home as security.

I do miss the tripod, filters and lenses but it is not solely a camera trip. To carry my whole kit would ruin me for so long. I have been in temperatures of -25 to +45 so had to accommodate warmer clothing etc (obviously not an issue in summer europe)

Most of all, enjoy it! Dont over pack, you can buy anything you need on the road (take medication-although available easier from the uk). Im reasonably well traveled so feel free to PM and if I can help I will (though internet is rather temperamental here in cambodia).



*** I would recommend insurance though for peace of mind.
 
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3 lenses (wide zoom, fast mid prime and 70-200ish) is about right from my experience.
 
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