Travelling with DSLR

iant79

iant79

Messages
173
Name
Ian
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi All,

I'm taking my DSLR on it's first trip overseas next week. I take it my camera will be OK to go through airport scanners if taken on as hand luggage? Should I remove CF card/ battery?

Also - I don't want to be overloaded with camera equipment, but I'm thinking take the kit lens and maybe the nifty fifty - will this be enough, or will I be missing out on any fantastic photo opportunities in Paris if I don't take a long zoom too?
 
It will be fine going through security. I've never had any problems but remember a discussion on the forum where people said they had been asked to take the camera out of the bag. No need to remove CF or battery though.

What range does your kit lens cover?
 
Hi Ian, as Julie said, no problems with cameras, cards or batteries through the scanners. I've been asked a few times just to take the lens off so they can see its a real body, but other than that no worries.

As for your lens question, really depends on what type of photography your into and also do you want to be weighed down whilst walking around this great city. I tend to travel light with either my 17-40 on camera and my 24-105 in a small pouch. This combination normally works well, especially the 17-40, when your faced with narrow streets and the like
 
Took my camera to Paris and never took the 24-70 off it (on a D700).
Paris was great but |TBH, I preferred Edinburgh when we visited last year at the same sort of time.
 
Thanks All,

Glad to hear security won't be a problem - I thought they'd be used to people carrying a lot more camera gear than me.

The kit lens is 18-55. I think that'll probably be fine for just wandering around (I'm going as a tourist, rather than with any kind of photography in mind), I'm just quite attached to my Nifty Fifty!

Nod - you're right about Edinburgh, it'll make a change for me to photograph a different city. :)
 
iant79 said:
Hi All,

I'm taking my DSLR on it's first trip overseas next week. I take it my camera will be OK to go through airport scanners if taken on as hand luggage? Should I remove CF card/ battery?

Also - I don't want to be overloaded with camera equipment, but I'm thinking take the kit lens and maybe the nifty fifty - will this be enough, or will I be missing out on any fantastic photo opportunities in Paris if I don't take a long zoom too?
Click to expand...

Just be careful airport security don't think it's some kind of bomb, what with toner cartridges and all that. they do gat carrid away.

Merc:shrug:
 
I had no problems going with quite a bit of kit to Turkey 2 years back. The 18-55 covered a lot, 55-200 for some extra points. Had a 10-20 sigma which came second in most used (after the 18-55). Didn't bring the 50, and probably wouldn't have had enough time to use it as I feel prime's require a bit more attention in a travel situation.

No problem with airport security or anything.
 
I took a shed load with me to America, (~13kg in hand luggage). Make sure your bag fits in the recommended sizes.
I usually open the back panel of the bag, before putting it into the scanner, and I usually do not have a lens on the body (in case the bag gets hit hard in the airport, less chance of a break, I feel)
I have taken through the 100-400 without any problems, no comments. I once had someone look around the side to see what it was that just went through I think, they saw it was camera stuff and carried on.
There is talk however of restricting how many batteries you can take through the security gates, specified in grams of lithium. If you have 1 normal, and 1 spare, no probs whatsoever.
I think the limit is somewhere around 8 canon batteries, when I last looked into it.
 
Coming back from Poland one year in some tiny airport, the security woman gestured for me to open my camera pack up, as she scanned the items with her eyes, I saw her face drop and a look of panic come over her. She called a colegue over and then pointed to something in my bag. In broken English the woman asked what it was...

I spent the next 15 minutes trying to convince them my Giottos Rocket blower was not a hand grenade.
 
Just had 3 weeks travelling around China/Hong Kong - where air tyravel security was actually tighter than it appears here in the UK - no issues whatsoever.

Lens wise I used my 12-24 90% of the time, brilliant for architecture which Paris is full of, 2nd most used was my 50-300

Have a great time, Paris is a fantastic place

Simon
 
Just a thought, but doubt it would be a problem with taking your DSLR on a flight but security might be beefed up abit now with the recent happenings with them finding a bomb on a flight. Probaby won't effect you though.
 
Took mine to America last month. Kit 18-135mm + 70-300mm in hand luggage. Went straight through the scanners at both end.

70-300 didn't get used once though, waste of time.
 
TCR4x4 said:
Coming back from Poland one year in some tiny airport, the security woman gestured for me to open my camera pack up, as she scanned the items with her eyes, I saw her face drop and a look of panic come over her. She called a colegue over and then pointed to something in my bag. In broken English the woman asked what it was...

I spent the next 15 minutes trying to convince them my Giottos Rocket blower was not a hand grenade.
Click to expand...

Oh those Polish women...:D
 
As others have said, you shouldn't have any trouble at the airport apart from maybe being asked to open the bag and show them what's inside after it's been through the x-ray machine.

In Paris this summer I took the 24-70mm and 16-35mm for my D700 and got most use out of the WA zoom and the wider end of the 24-70. You shouldn't need anything longer unless you were planning on candids etc, which it sounds as though you're not. It's a great place - have fun!
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top