Venice long weekend..

lawrenceots

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So, been treated to a Venice weekend by the babe for my birthday.. On top of everything. Else, what gear to take?

I'm swayed to my Panasonic FZ200 and Leica x1. Or Canon 700D and 18-135 and Leica X1.

Don't want loads, and I suspect it will be majorly shortish lens used.. But maybe that's where the Panasonic comes in?

Anyway, suggestions please - only hand luggage for this long weekend!

Kit to choose is:

Panasonic fZ200, Leica V Lux 1, Leica V lux 30 (compact high zoom but no raw)

Canon 700D and 18-135 IS

Suggestion ladies and gents! iPhone SE is with me too!
 
I would take something with a bit of reach because the Grand Canal is quite wide in places and the best views are always on the other side.
 
Went there last year, took my Olly EM5-II with 12-40 f2.8 (24-80mm eq) and 40-150mm (80-300mm eq. Only used the 12-40mm, didn't need the 40-150mm.
 
Take mozzie repellant, I got eaten alive by the little bleeders when I went to Venice
 
take a 10 stop filter, and get up at stupid o'clock to get places without tourists!
 
Fwiw on one trip of a week we did a few years ago I hired 10-22mm zoom for my 7D

In many ways it was the perfect lens.
 
I used a 24-105mm on my 5d the whole time we were there and it served me well most of the shots were at the wider end but a few of my favourites are at the longer end taken from higher up places like St Marks bell tower (well worth a trip on a clear day)
 
I would take something with a bit of reach because the Grand Canal is quite wide in places and the best views are always on the other side.

Nope - easy to get to the other side - you don't need long at all. I shot everything on a Canon 5D 3 wth the 24-105. Either cross the bridges or use the water busses. I'd travel light - there's a lot of walking to do :)
Do some research, there's some great places off the beaten track and sometimes it's easy to get lost(ish) wandering the narrow streets. Waste of time taking a long lens, just a walkabout is fine.

Do about an hours walking, stop for coffee, another hour, stop for beer, another, stop for lunch etc. Or plenty of places have these nibbles you can buy

Amazing what you can shoot just in shops
160038157.jpg


Murano's ok, Burano is better, very colourful. Around the Jewish quarter and to the north of there is very good for food, drinks.
 
Thanks for the replies people! Righty ho, I think it will be the canon and 18-135 lens then and x1. If space, might pack the fz200 for its 24mm.. But I suppose that's the weakest of the bunch! Yes, I get a feeling it's going to be very very expensive.. Just hope it's all inclusive at the hotel haha
 
take a 10 stop filter, and get up at stupid o'clock to get places without tourists!

Or take several shots on a tripod and stack them in photoshop using meridian to remove objects that move - the people.
 
Snacks are cicheti - think tapas that you buy as takeaway. Easy to buy, really tasty, then go out to eat in the evening. Plenty of nice, cheap restaurants around without being expensive. Buy nothing around St Peters square!

Where are you staying? I've been twice now, stayed once on the Lido, and the other time just north of Campo di Ghetto Nuovo.

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/italy/venice/travel-tips-and-articles/76025
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/feb/13/venice-bar-snacks-cicheti-wine
 
If you avoid anything right on San Marco it's not too bad price wise for food and drink, certainly one of the more reasonable prices cities in Europe if you avoid the tourist traps!!

Stunning city though, been twice in 3 years and might take a photo-trip on my own in October.
 
I found food and drink etc to be very reasonable last year, but we were sensible. We didn't have coffee at the cafe in St Mark's square with the orchestra playing as that was 20euro for a coffee or something, instead we went 50 yards away and paid £3. Likewise with meals, we stayed away from the restaurants around St Marks and the Rialto bridge (barring one meal) and paid £40 for a two course meal with drinks for two (not each). They were still very nice meals in nice restaurants. In fact the worst meal we had was our anniversary meal where we pushed the boat out and went to a restaurant on the grand canal by the Rialto Bridge. Cost £75 and the food quality was awful and service appalling.
 
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All good stuff! @chris @snerkler - yeah hopefully will avoid all the top tourist things at that time, and go to the cheaper places!
@Byker28i looking forward to these snacks!

Found an old 55-250 IS, so might squeeze that into the bag too... I'm undecided though between the canon and those lens or just the z200 (which isn't at all bad!) and leica for size.. too much choice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I've been 5 times to Venice and used a 16-85mm lens on a Nikon D300S, and found it almost perfect 95% of the time. :) The only reason I take my other lens, a 70-300mm, is because I have it. :rolleyes: I've used it a few times, but there were a couple of trips that I never used it at all. The streets and canals (Grand Canal aside and the channel between the main islands and Guidecca) are so narrow anything too telephoto will be a waste of time imho if one doesn't want to carry around loads of gear.

My usual tips for Venice is walk to see as much as possible. Buy a travel ticket, though expensive, when you find yourself lost, feet aching and on the far side from where you want to be/thought you were, a Vaporetto is a godsend. Getting lost is part of the fun though. You think you have a pretty good sense of direction until you start walking around Venice. :LOL: I like going on the Vaporetto too, some great views, and very relaxing. Try to get the seats at the front or at the back (depending on the design of the boats) by getting on at the start of a route.

Try not to spend money near St Mark's Square or Rialto Bridge. ;) A few minutes walk away and prices can be quite reasonable. I always stock up on drinks for walking at the supermarkets for a fraction of the prices in the small café's and shops around the city. Drink a lot because it will be scorchio. It was still hot when I have been in April and October, so should be a lot hotter now.

Great views from the bell towers in St Mark's Square and San Giorgio Maggiore.

I always go to Burano at least once a trip, as it is so colourful and photogenic. And though a bit long of a trip, it's a relaxing ride there and back. :)

I had planned to go there next week, but a broken camera has robbed me of my photo Mojo atm. :( I will hopefully go there again when my new camera is repaired, and I have the money again. ;)

If there is anything specific you'd like to know, ask, and if I can answer I will. Or someone else will I'm sure.

Bon Voyage. :)

Btw, I looked on a webcam the other day and noticed that they haven't finished the restoration of the Rialto Bridge. Looks good without the hundreds of tourists who seem to spend all day on it, but there looks like a little bit of scaffold on the central arch at the top of the bridge. Hopefully they take that down pretty quickly.

Please let us know how it went.
 

Yep, that's the one I linked to. ;)

Btw, as I have been looking at these webcams for Venice today, there didn't seem to be as many tourists as when I have visited in April and October in previous years. :thinking: I also looked at Rome and there seemed to be far fewer tourists than last year when I went in April on some of the webcams I looked at. :thinking: I wonder if that is it was just a quiet day, or tourist numbers are down. Weather looked very good at both places.
 
Can only echo comments above, had several great breaks in Venice (including one when the canals were flooding and siren sounding at every high tide!) and didn't need long lens
Highly recommend a 'travel card' for hopping on and off the vaporattos and getting to Burano - my favourite and surpringly quiet. Lots of walking - look out for 'hidden' squares.
Bus no.5 will get you from airport to bus station easily if you are not splashing out on the boat service.
Look out for the market beside Rialto - plenty of colour and amazing fish.
Enjoy!
 
Water Taxi from the airport was expensive but soo cool!!!!
Last time I went I treated myself to the Alilaguna boat from Marco Polo airport. More expensive than the coach, but nowhere near the cost of a Water Taxi. :eek: Not as cool as a Water Taxi though, but it was good to leave and arrive at the airport by boat. And the Alilaguna boat stopped at the Vaporetto stop on the Grand Canal where I was staying too, which was nice. :)
 
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One camera, one lens, one comfy pair of shoes. All you ever need in my opinion. I had a 1D and 24-70 in Venice - would've preferred something smaller.

Assume your partner will be wanting to spend some time with you, so any more camera gear is just going to be a distraction. Unless they're staying home and just getting rid of you for the weekend, in which case may as well take all the kit you can.
 
Some cracking pics there mate!

Thanks mate! Theres certainly a few I'm very proud of!

One camera, one lens, one comfy pair of shoes. All you ever need in my opinion. I had a 1D and 24-70 in Venice - would've preferred something smaller.

Assume your partner will be wanting to spend some time with you, so any more camera gear is just going to be a distraction. Unless they're staying home and just getting rid of you for the weekend, in which case may as well take all the kit you can.

D600 and a 35mm f1.4 was all I took in 2014 with an 85mm left in the hotel, was the perfect kit really!
 
Love this pictures @chri!

Inspiration right there! So the 700d lens has been commandeered by the other half leaving with the Leica or LUMIX. Easy choice! Cracking weather here, it's stunning!
 
Just got back two weeks ago and the Rialto bridge is still scaffold covered.
I used a 16-35 for the first half of 5 days and then the 100-400 for the second half.
Certainly glad I took the longer reach lens.
If I had only one to take knowing what I do now it would be my very old but still working 28-135
Have fun, even getting up at 5.30am for St marks square there are people even one wedding tog with the B&G smack in the middle for 30 minutes.
Take the water taxi and get your long zoom out as you'll get plenty of shots going through the canals.
You might feel a wide is the best but for me if I didn't have a mid zoom I certainly would be torn between wide and zoom if I could only take one.
 
First evening out.... I NEED A BLOODY TRIPOD!! Any suggestions people. At night it's incredible and long exposures would be amazing... Trying with my X1 on re floor but tricky! Anyone know any places here where you won't get ripped off for one? Just a cheap light one I need!
 
Go here Marco Missiaja's Pro Photo Italia at 1805 Ramo dei Fuseri
I went in and very good place with a knowledgeable owner.
Plus small travel tripods in stock would weeks ago when I was there!
 
I paid €10 for a Gorillapod copy whilst walking from St Mark's Square, down by the water, to Giardini along the water from a street vendor. I didn't mean to buy a tripod, I was just looking at what small tripods the chap was selling. He saw me looking at said €25, I said 'No thanks, just looking'. He then said €20, I said again, 'No thanks' I said the same for €15, but when he got to €10, I said 'OK then'. ;) :) There may be very cheap tripods to be had if they are still there.

I used the tripod to wrap around a bar at the front of a Vaporetto along the Grand Canal with a Canon S95 attached to get a video from one end to the other. Two videos, because it takes longer than 30 mins.

I think there is at least another one camera shop in Venice, than in the link above, as I bought a LensPen there, and if I can find it, I'll post the link or where it is.
 
Perfect advice!! Hopefully I will bump into one of these cheap sellers, if not I will head to the camera store and see what they have.. Kicking myself as I've got a gorilla pod and x2 manfrotto 190 at home but never thought of it!
 
just get another gorilla pod (or ripoff)? I'm sure I saw some there.
I took my Manfrotto Befree
 
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