LF for 6 weeks in Europe... or not

[jon_piper]

I'll be embarking on a 6 week trip to Europe at the end of this week. 4 of those

weeks will be vacation, so I'll have as much time for making photos as my wife

will endure (and she's remarkably patient as long as she has our 20D in hand).

We'll spend a good while in Italy, some time in France, Germany, Switzerland,

Austria, Spain, the UK, Belgium, and perhaps Norway.

 

We'll be travelling as much by plane and train as possible, and won't often have

access to cars. As a result, we're trying to stay trim with our luggage, and

consequently my gear. She'll have the D-SLR and a few lenses, and I'm definitely

bringing my Mamiya 6 and lenses. My tripod - a Bogen 3021 - unfortunately takes

up a lot of room and a has a goodly heft to it, but it's the smallest one I

have, so it's coming with me.

 

I like shooting 4x5 and making big enlargements, so I know I'll miss it no

matter what - especially since I imagine many of my photos will be architectural

photos. That said, I know most of the places we'll be in Europe are mich more

crowded than the places I normally photograph (landscapes, etc), so I'm sure

shooting with the Mamiya 6 will be much nicer at times.

 

If I bring the 4x5, the kit will consist of a Tachihara camera, a 75/4.5

Grandagon, 121/8 Super Angulon (I could substitute a 100mm WF Ektar that has

some fungus and scratches to save some weight and space), and a 210/5.6 Fujinon

W. I shoot with Grafmatics, so the weight of the LF kit alone should be right

around 15 lbs.

 

Many days we'll be carting all of our luggage with us on trains, buses, and on

foot for a significant portion of the day as we travel between locations and

seek lodging for the night.

 

My questions:

1) How much will I kick myself if I leave my LF gear at home?

2) How often will I feel comfortable setting up my LF camera for a shot?

3) For church, castle, and other building interiors, how accepted is it to set

up for tripod photos?

4) Any chance if I leave my LF camera behind, I'd be able to get away with just

a monopod for my Mamiya 6?

 

I'd appreciate any insight anyone has. I need to make a decision by Friday.

 

Thanks for putting up with the long post.

- Jon

[michael_briggs2]

If you are trying to travel light, I think it is mistake to travel with complete setups of several formats. It might be OK to take one camera and lens of another format, but to take multiple formats with multiple lenses won't be light. Only you can judge whether your wife will understand the extra time that using your LF camera will take. Unless the primary purpose of the trip is photography, you should be reasonable about the amount of equipment.

 

I've used a 4x5 on a tripod outdoors in Rome and other smaller cities in Italy. I've never felt uncomfortable or been questioned. (Obviously theft is possible in any crowded tourist area worldwide.) Some government owned locations have signs banning "professional photography" -- at these places, a tripod would probably not be allowed without advance permission.

[johnmarkpainter]

I don't think you will kick yourself at all. I think it would be crazy to add a 4x5 kit under

those circumstances. Many of the places you are going won't allow tripods at all.

 

There are Monopods that can disguise themselves as "Walking Sticks" :)

 

Schlepping Camera gear on trains is no fun. Neither is trying to roll bags down

cobblestone streets. (yep...done it)

 

If you were going to ONE place for 4 weeks however...

[michaelging]

If you are a large format Photographer and that is what rings you bell then you will miss it. Europe for a architectural photographer is candy land.If you are not 22 yrs old and in great shape you may want to stick to the Mamiya. If you were traveling by car once you got there ,I would say you might want to bring the 4x5 kit. But since it seems that you will be taking public transportation, schlepping all that gear around Europe would be a nightmare. If it sounds like I do not have a definitive answer for you ,its because I don't .Only you can say if the pain of not shooting a photo in LF, will be less painful that bringing it all with you. If it was me, I would shoot the mamiya and bring a small table top tripod like a leitz with a ball head. I will be going to the UK and Prague in a month or so and I will be bringing enough cameras, lenses and film ,so I do not have to live with the pain of missing a photograph. I might have a higher tolerance to this kind of pain than you do.Have a great trip

[rkbrooks]

Leave it. I dragged a 4x5 around on my first vist and regretted it... There's too much to enjoy over there and it sounds like you have an ambitious schedule anyway.

 

Take some 35mm gear and enjoy (and photograph) the atmosphere. Europe isn't the American West. There's not a lot of room in many photogenic places to park a big tripod and view camera gear.

 

Also, trying to carry that amount of gear on public transport is a mistake. One small bag is best.

 

If you do take it, please check back in with this thread and let us know how many exposures you took.

[greg_pratt4]

Well I'll start the ball rolling here but unfortunatly the response will be as long as the question. The oportunities will prove limitless and therein lays the main problem. One finds just so much to capture that you may find the convenience of the 6 far exceeds the benifits of the 45. You will want some longer 45 lenses I would recon. But consider this, either be peeved for not taking your 45, and the 6 will offer top results, against cursing and swearing and risking being over baggaged. Also wherefor the sheet films. Take them home unprocessed, or what? Consider time.

 

First off you mentioned planes. Fair chance of stuff evaporizing so will need to carry on as much as possible. Trains, pretty good but you will probably find not much help with baggage handling. And the rush hour movements and change time available could prove stressfull with too much baggage . Whats more there is'nt much space for baggage by the seats, certainly in 2nd class and at rush hour. I found myself (and wife) standing in the space between carrages as the only option with baggage. Then it was ok.

 

Public transport would preclude 45 work I would think. driving is fine and fun I may add. - consider. Certainly in the northern mountain region where the vistas are out of this world for it could prove a tad tricky getting the buss to stop while you photo. Not at the speeds they travel anyway.

 

Most buildings of importance will require permits to photograph inside more so with tripods. The 6 will prove infinatly benifical here. Permits can be got, but how much time do you have? Use western logic and tripple it.

 

Yes you will kick yourself for not taking the 45 but also you may find the bother and stress of 45 for an unstructured, untargeted, visit too much. Maybe next visit when you will know where you will be going, i.e. Venice for instance and for no other purpose than shooting will the 45 be beneficial. Don't bother about the locals there are so many grapher's passing through that you'll only be one more.

 

Be prepared to hoof it a fair bit. Taxis are tending on the rich side while public transport is frequent and cheap. But note, Italian schedules are of good intentions at time of print only. My experience relate to northern Italy. The south could prove security doubling trying.

[mike_earussi1]

I would pare down even more, leave behind the 3021 and buy a 3001, which is all you'll need for the Mamiya.

[peter_black1]

Good answers so far. The main problem I see with the LF kit is that you will be stuck with it for the full 6 weeks, unless you take the risk (and expense) of shipping it back home. You may regret having it by the end of week 1, but by the end of week 2 you will really regret it and by the end of week 3 it will be a real pain. And still another 3 weeks to go!

 

While I can see the attraction of having it with you, I think it is more likely that you will come to hate it and it could put you off LF for good!

[paulh]

I'd stick to the 20D and Mamiya 6. You will of course long for your 4x5 at times when looking at some spectacular building or vista, but you won't regret not having to drag all that kit around with you. Not to mention the hassle of getting it on and off any smaller aircraft.

 

Use your Mamiya and really enjoy your time there. Get a good monopod or lighter travel tripod. Perhaps make a note of places where you wish you'd had the 4x5, and re-visit those places some time in the future.

 

Also, try not to visit too many places in the limited amount of time you have - you could easily spend your entire time in Italy alone. Slow down, visit the smaller, non-touristy places, enjoy yourself and the food!

[ronald_moravec1]

Stick with one system. You pick it.

 

If you think you can carry 4x5 on a bus, along with mf, try it on a bus here and keep up with all the stuff for a weekend. You won`t like it it you are doing significant travel without a car.

[armin_seeholzer]

How can I know what its for you the right desicion!

Be a man and take whats for you and your soul is the right tool!

Sorry but I have really problems with such questions.

Nobody can tell you what is the right thing for YOU!!!

[nicholas_rab1]

I just returned from 3 weeks in italy. I agree that without a car you really will find it a hassle dealing with the LF gear.

 

Your mamiya 6 is in my mind one of the most perfect cameras I could imagine for a trip like this. Consider shooting low contrast print film (I like the Fuji 160c and 400h) to deal with graduations in light that invariably exist with midday shooting in the old towns.

 

Have fun.

[jon_piper]

Thanks everyone for the replies.

 

I'm leaning even more strongly towards just bringing the Mamiya 6 and a monopod.

 

There is certainly the lingering suspicion that I could pack up the LF kit into our big rolling suitcase and not mind the extra weight. But there is a significant difference if I can get away with the MF without bringing the tripod. That should save me nearly 20 lbs. Unfortunately, we won't be particularly nimble in either case because of the large suitcase(s) anyway.

 

Well, thanks again for the input. It will be an incredible trip, and we're greatly looking forward to it.

 

- Jon

[Aoresteen]

Jon,

 

Sorry for the long reply!

 

My wife and I travel frequently to Europe, usally for 2 weeks at a time. I usally carry my Hasselblad with 50mm and 110mm lenses. My wife uses Olumpus OM-1 gear. In April this year we visited Greece and to save weight, I left the Hasselblad gear behind and I took an extra OM-1 body and shared lenses with her (24, 35, and 85). I also took my Leica IIIf with 15mm and 21mm VC lenses.

 

Now I wish I had hauled the Hasselblad gear with me. Once you are home and in the darkroom you want the larger negatives! Not that the OM-1 negatives are bad, the 6x6 negatives would have been better.

 

In 2004 I went to Nova Scotia and took my 6x9 Cambo (I left the 5x7 home!). I had a rental car and even then using the Cambo was not easy. At Peggy's Cove I could barely focus the Cambo due to the wind. After I was done, I realized I had become the subject as the other tourists were laughing at me and taking pictures of me under my dark cloth with the wind blowing hard! When I got home I bought the Cambo magnifier so I no longer need to use a dark cloth with the Cambo.

 

You need to make a choice between the Mamiya 6 or the 4x5. What lenses do you have for the Mamiya 6? Do NOT try to haul them both. Take one or the other.

 

If you are set on taking the 4x5, I would get a LIGHT weight 210mm - a Congo f/6.3 maybe and a light weight 135mm (WF Ektar maybe or an Optar 135mm). Another choice for a wide angle lens is the Fujinon 125mm. It is small and very good but very hard to find.

 

Your lenses are big and heavy (but great!). Two small lenses will do just fine. The Tachihara is a great travel 4x5. Take 4 4x5 SFH with you. If your Grafmatic fails all you have is 15 lbs of junk to carry around.

 

Get the Manfrotto Bogen / Manfrotto 3280 (AW-3280) 35" Padded Tripod Bag for your tripod (if you don't have it) and sew straps on it so you can strap it to your suitcase. This will make hauling the tripod around a LOT easier. I leave my Bogen 3040 tripod at home and take a Slik U2000 tripod in a custom cloth case that straps to my suitcase. It won't support a 4x5 properly so I guess you are stuck with the Bogen 3021.

 

 

When we visited Cordoba, no tripods were alowed in the Mezquita. It is VERY dark in the Mezquita so most of my handheld shots were a blur. I saw a chap using a table top tripod with his Canon SLR and no one bothered him. Clever! I was mad that I hadn't brought one along myself. It is a nice item to have!

 

My advice would be to leave the 4x5 and take the Mamiya 6, assuming you have the 50mm lens for it. Otherwise take the 4x5 but get two lighter lenses for it. Do not haul three sytems around. If you need a third camera system, get a Minox or a Minolta 16 for the 3rd system!

[donald_brewster]

Mamiya 6 with the 50mm lens is the ultimate travel machine. For architecture, I'd suggest a shift lens for the 20D. I realize this is maybe a once in a lifetime trip, but all that gear is going to get heavier every day. Keep it simple. And tripods are generally not looked upon with favor, particularly inside buildings. Have a great trip.