big lens on plane

I think I'll be over the carry on limit for a trip to africa and will

have to put part of it in the hold. does anyone have advice for

getting big glass safly to another country.

 

All the best.

 

Harry.

I have travelled on the same flight as BBC film crews doing a

documentary on dinosaurs in Tunisia. The still photographer

carried almost as much equipment as the film crew and it was

all packed in professional quality foam filled cases with BBC in

very large letters on the outside. If they do it (and no-one does it

better IMO) then so can you! I have used lesser Rubbermaid

boxes to carry field equipment (not photographic) and with stout

padlocks they seem to be quite safe from damage and pilfering.

Even so, special insurance is not a bad idea! All the above

having been said, if you can carry it on, do so!

You didn't state how "big" your glass is?

 

I recently traveled back to South Africa with my LowePro "Phototrekker". I could fit 3 bodies, 24, 50 and 300mm f/4 lenses, 1,4 and 2x TC's, 35-70 and 80-400mm zooms and accessories such as round & square filters, 1 flash, cable release etc. in it. The outside pocket was loaded with slide film as it is very expensive here.

May be you ought to have a look at a Lowe pack that suits your gear?

You may have a problem when a pack gets too thick as the overhead bins, especially with South African Airline are smaller than usual.

I don´t entirely understand the question because I always carry most of my gear on the plane, and I can´t imagine anyone having more gear (without having a whole film crew in which case you´re fine too). The 600/4 goes in a long lens bag as one carry on, and my Lowe nature trekker with everything else important (which depends on the trip) goes on my back. The nature trekker is big enough to hold pretty much anything else I might need that absolutely can´t go in the hold. The tripod goes in the hold, as well as some filters/battery packs/etc. Make sure to have insurance for anything that goes in the hold (at least -- for everything is even better) because the airlines won´t reimburse you under any circumstances if it is lost/damaged.

I don't think there is a fixed answer to this question. Carry-on limits depend on the particular airline (e.g., generally speaking, US airlines have loser limits than European airlines; flights in the US have loser limits than international flights), how full a particular flight is, and the discretion of the airline employees in charge.

 

A year ago, I had a PhotoTrekker AW full of equipment on my way to Africa. At the Amsterdam airport a KLM employee complained that my bag was too havey for carry ons although it was within the size limit. Eventually we got into a pretty major argument and that person was very impolite to say the least. Eventually I asked for his name. He apparently got scared and immediately back off.

 

My suggestion is to be reasonable but firm. Don't try to carry on a 600mm/f4, a 500mm/f4, a 400mm/f2.8 and a couple of tripods. One big lens plus a body or two with some small lenses should be OK. Put your backup bodies and lenses in the checked baggage. My philosophy is that I carry on enough equipment so that in case all my checked baggages are lost, my trip won't be ruined.

 

(I should point out that my NorthWest/KLM ticket for that trip to Africa clearly states that the weight limit for carry-ons was 40lbs (20Kg), which was admittedly high, but I was well withint the weight and size limit according to the ticket. I think they were picking on people because the flight was very full.)

Taking photo equipment as hand luggage is getting more and more difficult. On my last trip (India last december) all handluggage was being weighted. The maximum limit being 7 kgs of 15 lbs. Anything over that weight had to be checked in. Also just one piece of handluggage was allowed. So taking a big lens and a seperate backpack was totally impossible.

 

My wife and I usually share the photo equipment between our hand luggage. But taking two bodies, a 500/4.5 and a 300/2.8 and some other lenses is just not possible anymore. My experience is that being firm to the staff at the airport will just get you into the wrong direction. You just get into a lot of trouble, as they do have the regulations on their side. What may help is to be very polite to the ground stewardess and try all of your charms and smiles. If the plane is fully booked, you are much more likely to get into trouble. When only halve the number of seats booked, you probably won't experience any problems.

 

My experience is based upon intercontinental flights from europe to (south) Africa and Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Maldives).

 

If you do have a case or backpack aboard that is over the maximum weigth, please DO NOT put it in the overhead compartments. This is truly very dangerous!!! Place it under the seat in front of you. I know it is very uncomfortable. I have travelled to and from south africa many times this way on 12 hours flights. So I do know it is a sacrifice. But one I am willing to make. During take off and landings, you might have your luggage placed in one of the toilets. I have asked the stewardesses to do so several times. If you are very friendly and gentle, they may do so. If you insist, they won't and they may even force you to still check it.

 

With regulations getting more and more tight, the only option in the future may be to check all your equipment. Put it in really strong solid cases and pay (lots) for the excess weigth. A good combination is to put all equipment into a well padded Lowepro backpack and then put this backpack (again padded) into a fitting Pelican case.

 

Hans

Visit <A HREF="http://www.kinesisgear.com/survey.html"> this link</A> at the Kinesis site for some specs on this issue.

While I've never done this on a transcontinental flight, I always put my 600/f4 in a suitcase when flying. Of course it's inside its trunk and well padded with tee-shirts, socks (unused), etc.. I've never had a problem. I wouldn't want to lug it around airports anyway. When or if I ever get to Africa again, I don't think I'd change my usual packing procedures. A bigger concern really is film. Make sure you carry all you'll need.

In response to Bob Royce's comments, all it takes is one lost checked luggage and you'll be reluctant to check in important items again.

 

So far I am quite fortunate that I haven't lost any checked luggage in my photo trips. Once years ago I flew from Hong Kong via San Francisco to Los Angeles. Both of my checked luggage arrived San Francisco and I went through customs, but only one of the two went on my short flight from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The other one somehow went to New York although the airline managed to locate it and shipped it to Los Angeles the following day.

 

But in our first international photo trip, a cruise to the Galapagos Islands, some fellow passangers' luggages were lost from the US to South America. Since it was a cruise, as soon as we boarded the boat, essentially there was no way for the luggage to catch up.

 

As I pointed out earlier, when I got on an internation photo trip, I assume that my checked luggage could be lost and I make sure that I hand carry the essential items so that I can still have a decent trip. In other words, my main camera body, lenses and film will be with me. If those 15-lb limits start becoming popular, I'll consider getting one of those 100-400mm (or 80-400) zoom.

 

Of course there are those stories that at some airports luggage handlers would break open suitcases and take the valuables. And not too long ago, there was some "horror video" that some luggage handlers in the US tossed suitcases into luggage carts like basketballs ....

I suppose that Shun does add some considerations. If you're going to Africa on a guided tour then maybe you should consider arriving a couple days before hand. If you're going on your own, you could probably use a day or two to deal with orienting yourself and getting supplies anyway. When I lived in Cape Town, I flew back and forth from Cleveland a few times and did have my luggage delayed by a day once (at JFK where it didn't make the connection).

 

As far as baggage handlers go, do you really think that airline baggage handlers are cut from a different cloth than the people that handle the shipping of lenses from factories to dealers to UPS agents to you? Just pack camera gear as well the factory or dealer did and it should be OK.

Well, I guess it must depend a lot on what airlines you fly. I'm really surprised to hear that other people have had trouble because I really do fly a lot (Continental Gold Elite for 8 years now, flew Singapore airlines to India last year and then Air Lanka, Air India, and Jet Airways within Sri Lanka and India, flew around Central America a lot last summer, including some very small planes (where I was more worried about the weight than the pilot!), three trips to Canada in the last year, and now I'm living in London for three months and just got off a plane from Munich this morning -- however I haven't travelled to Africa since 1995) and not once in the last four years have I had a complaint about my carry-ons, which are as described above.

 

My experience is that if you make sure that both bags fit within the guidelines, and that they don't greatly stand out, and you get on early, you shouldn't have trouble. If you are the last guy on the plane, good luck finding space. The newer planes have larger overhead compartments, and as a result, [my experience is that] carry-on hassles have gone significantly *down* over the last decade rather than up.

 

Another solution that would work for me (but maybe not you) would be to have my non-photographer wife carry a small bag to go along with my own. However, whatever you do, taking a big photo trip with your gear in the hold is a recipe for disaster! It could easily get lost or stolen, and then you not only lose your insurance deductible (or worse, the cost of the equipment), but you lose the whole trip, which would really suck. My advice: find a way to take enough on the plane to *more than* get by.

First, weight limits on gear without weight limits on passengers is absurd. At least Southwest Airlines in our area requires the really fat ones to pay for two seats, as they spill over into the seats of those next to them.

With the incidences of theft of expensive photo gear and other vulnerable items, making contact with the airline ahead of time to get a waiver might be in order. So might an extra rider on your insurance.

Other than that, pack in padded suitcases that don't look new and expensive, and don't scream PHOTO GEAR to the average baggage handler.

The whole weight/size issue literally stinks!

 

If one flies business, the weight limit is basically doubled to economy and "wide open" for first class passengers.

If you have ever seen one of these sheiks with their luggage...?!?

 

Anyway, my point is that the airlines today make the average (economy) traveller feel inferior! They treat one as if it was a honour to even make it onto the plane! Evenso you PAY for the ticket and the service...

I have experienced that (negative) behaviour especially with Lufthansa and United Airlines.

When I flew to South Africa, the weight limit was 30kg per person. I had 2 bags checked in as I was going to stay for a full year.

The 2nd bag contained shoes, and my tripod and monopod.

I managed to negociate with the counter clerk the weight down to 7kgs extra, which I ended up paying about US$230 for!

So far I had NO problems with South African Airlines yet, other that the seem to "kill" my suitcases...

 

I guess, we as customers have to complain more often and don't take anything from the airlines anymore. We must make use of available competion and select our services very carefully!

 

Photogs unite, stand up and fight!

Has anybody put together a table rating airlines and airports?

 

I see it like this:

Sort by domestic and international

Categories like luggage size, carry-on, damage, loss, etc.

 

I've had good luck with American Airlines. A few years ago, I took a footlocker with an electric bass guitar strapped to it, checked it, and got it back in excellent shape. (Don't ask about strapping the guitar. It was an emergency flight, and I was carrying my acoustic 6 string).

Here in Europe I always have to worry about my Tamrac 767. The most weird airline is British Airways. They are very strict on their weight limit and insist on weighing your hand lugguage. BUT it is okay to take out - let's say your EOS 1n with the 70-200 F2.8 lens attached- and have it weighed then. Afterwards you put it back in again... What kind of policy is that? BTW, the same happened to a collegue of mine with his laptop ("If you put it out of your case, it is fine...")

I found out that BA staff is more persistant in the UK than in other countries. I live in Germany and they do not seem to care.

Singapore Airlines, Qantas, KLM often insist on weighing so I hardly ever take my 300mm lens with me (in addition to the Tamrac) which is a pity. LTU, Air France, Garuda and Lufthansa do not seem to care.

Would it be an option to put a large lens around your neck while checking in and hide it under your coat? I am a woman, I would look rather pregnant... :-)

 

Sandra

Use <A HREF = http://www.lightwareinc.com>Lightware

cases</A> for checking the gear you have to check and make

sure your insurance will cover any losses. If you can afford this

kind of trip and "big" (let's assume you are talking about a lens in

the 400mm f/2.8, 600mm f/4 or 800mm f/5.6 class) glass you

can definitely afford both.

As Lanier pointed out earlier, you can buy all the insurance you want on your photo equipment, but if you are at a remote area and your equipment is lost, insurance won't solve the immediate problem. At least for a lot us, it is very costly to travel to those locations and the time spent is costly as well.

 

I once read a story that a participant of a photo group from the US dropped and damaged his(her?) F5 body during a trip to Kenya. While they managed to get in touch with a store back in the US willing to FedEx a replacement, import regulations in Kenya made it impossible to do so. I sure wouldn't want to go through an expensive 2, 3-week photo trip without the right equipment.

 

By the way, while I ran into a lot of problems with the weight of my carry on in Amsterdam, on my return trip from Tanzania on the same KLM flight and the same carry on, the KLM ground crew in Tanzania didn't give me any problem at all. Maybe the fact that the return flight wasn't completely full had something to do with it, but again some of the "regulations" aren't hard rules.

Harry,

 

You didn't say which country you were goint to visit. I made 2 trips to South Africa 2 years ago and there was no problem with South African Airlines.

 

I would suggest getting ahold of a manager on which ever airlines you will be flying. I found SAA's web site submittedmy inquiry. My bet is that you will have the most difficulty with any domestic (U.S.) carrier on which you may be taking as part of your trip.

 

Good luck.

I'll be emigrating to Oz via SIA next year and wondered how I would fare trying to take my Tamrac Expedition 8 on as hand luggage?

It's 56cm x 34cm x 33cm and weighs 7lb empty never mind with camera gear in it! (D200 body, 80-400VR, 12-24 tokina, 180 sigma macro, sb800) Do you think I'll get away with it? It looks huge to me but I believe their limit size wise is 55cm x 40cm x 20cm.

 

andy

<I>My bet is that you will have the most difficulty with any domestic (U.S.) carrier on

which you may be taking as part of your trip.</i><P>

 

Although the tendency is for US carriers to treat you like sheep, the weight limits for

check-in and carry-on luggage are FAR more reasonable than most non-US carriers -- at

least the ones I've dealt with. No US airline I've flown in the last decade (United, American,

Delta, Alaska, Southwest) has ever weighed carry-on and they routinely let folks board

planes with much bigger items than are technically permitted. <P>

 

<I>I'll be emigrating to Oz via SIA next year and wondered how I would fare trying to take

my Tamrac Expedition 8 on as hand luggage? It's 56cm x 34cm x 33cm and weighs 7lb

empty never mind with camera gear in it! (D200 body, 80-400VR, 12-24 tokina, 180

sigma macro, sb800) Do you think I'll get away with it?</i><P>

 

Not sure what SIA is, but from my experience, if you fly to Oz on United from the US, you

might get away with it (although that bag is bigger than the dimension limits specify). If

you fly on Qantas, forget it. Last time I used them they were weighing carryon and being

very nasty to anyone with more than one item, or if any item weighed over 7 kg.