Trip Kit for Beijing

[levon_b]

<p>Hi All,<br>

I will be going to Beijing for 5 weeks this summer as part of a study abroad program, and am trying to "rationalize" my kit that I will take. I am looking to take 1 body + 2 or 3 lenses. I have a couple of questions. I found this thread:<br>

http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00Vjhi<br>

but it doesn't completely address what I had in mind.<br>

1. D200 or D700? I have never been to Beijing, but having used the D200 during previous travels, and having the desire to shoot in low light, I've found situations where the D200's performance at > ISO 800 are, well, unacceptable. Perhaps for someone who has been there before, but how much low light shooting will I really be doing?<br>

2. My "travel kit" with the D200 has always been 12-24 + 35mm (which last year became the 35mm 1.8). If I go with the D700, would it be worth it to pick up a 17-35 2.8 (along with the 50/1.4) or wait for the 16-35? I'd like some time to play with the lens before leaving (at the end of May), and I wonder how people will rate the 16-35 in that amount of time - Shun, have you gotten to use this?<br>

I don't think that I will be taking a telephoto; I tend to do lots of landscape, architectural, and people photography during travels. If anyone has been to Beijing and China generally, will I miss a tele?<br>

Thank you!<br>

Levon</p>

[levon_b]

<p>Hi all,<br>

Forgot to add, I will be taking an SB-600 with me as well.<br>

Thanks!<br>

Levon</p>

[ShunCheung]

<blockquote>

<p>I've found situations where the D200's performance at > ISO 800 are, well, unacceptable.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I think you have already answered your own question about which camera to bring.</p>

<p>The 16-35mm/f4 AF-S VR is scheduled to be released in March. Therefore, I am quite sure that there will be some reviews by May. The real question is how easy to find it that soon. Expect to pay full price or perhaps more.</p>

<p>I was actually born in Beijing, but I left when I was 3 years old so that it is not a place I know very well. As an adult, I have been there only once. At the time I was using a Nikon FE, and I found my 200mm lens quite useful. In fact, back then, tourists were not allowed to bring in lenses longer than 200mm and all film must be developed prior to leaving the country. That was, of course, a long long time ago.</p>

[levon_b]

<p>Thank you, Shun! I am really looking forward to this trip!</p>

<p>I also wanted to add, that I make medium-sized (16x20, rarely bigger) prints from my travel photos and have been very happy with the D200's behavior up to ISO 800.</p>

[bmm]

<p>Levon.</p>

<p>My 2c worth... and my constant position o nthese kinds of threads... take your best camera. There is only one thing more stupid than losing it or breaking it on a big once-in-a-lifetime adventure, and that is leaving it at home and not using it for what it was intended to do - take great images.</p>

<p>What FX lenses do you have by the way?</p>

<p>Having been to Beijing about 18 months ago you will need something fairly wide, and then one or two good option at the long end (for isolation of some of the wonderful details that you will see). And I agree that low light ability is good because there are some amazing things to be shot in tight dim streets and alleys, under archways, etc.</p>

<p>My own kit when I went (with only a humble D80 mind you) was an 18-200VR for general/bright use, and then the 35/2 and 85/1.4 for the higher quality and low-light stuff. I was pretty happy with that mix.</p>

[levon_b]

<p>Hi BM,</p>

<p>My bag currently contains:<br>

28/2.8AF (non-D)<br>

50/1.4AF-D (on the camera 90% of the time)<br>

85 1.4AIS<br>

105/1.8AIS<br>

80-200/2.8AF-D (push-pull)<br>

and a 24-85/3.5-4.5 AF-S which is always on my N80</p>

<p>I've been thinking of wide angle zoom options, and the price of the new 16-35/4 really puts the used price of the 17-35/2.8 into perspective.</p>

<p>Thank you!<br>

Levon</p>

[james_symington1]

<p>The first thing to know about Beijing in the summer is it is crucifyingly hot. I travel frequently to the Arabian Gulf, sometimes at the height of summer, but I seem to recall that my only trip to Beijing in July 2000 was worse even than that. I also vividly remember standing on the Great Wall and the wind blowing in from Mongolia was almost hair-dryer hot. The point being you want to keep your kit light as otherwise you'll want to throw it off the Wall.<br>

Given that you will probably need a wide angle lens a lot and a telephoto only a bit I would think that the 28mm, the 50mm and the 85mm would be ample. The 80-200mm gives you a lot of versatility but I think you would get quickly fed up of hauling that around.<br>

Definitely take the D700 though.</p>

[gglatz]

<p>I agree to take the best camera and it seems from your comment the D700 is the machine for your needs. <br>

As an important aside, make sure your carry-on makes the weight requirement. I was recently in Asia and the carrier I used (Cathay Pacific) was very strict about their 14 pound limit. It would be a shame to have set up a kit that you found out you couldn't fit on the plane after all the contemplation involved. Have a great trip.</p>

[ronald_olsen]

<p>I have spent 3+ years total time out of the last 11 in China, 29 trips total, and know Beijing very well. Yes, it is brutally hot in summer, but worse is the haze and smog that usually exists over the city. It can make photography difficult in general, and make telephoto lenses basically useless. The plains to the south and east can be nearly as bad. The areas to the north, in the mountains and along the Great Wall, are generally less hazy.</p>

<p>One thing happened to me in Xinjiang Province this winter, that you should know about. I went to collect my permit for photographing in an area that requires such, and they initially refused to give it to me, saying that they had received an anonymous telephone tip that I was actually a news journalist. I had to call my wife (at 3 am) and have her fax a copy of my nursing license before they were satisfied. If you are carrying a professional-looking bag of Nikon gear, it might be a good idea to have your university or high school issue you a student identification card and take it with you.</p>

[tri-x1]

<p>When we were in Beijing in fall 2008 I had my D300 and shot mostly with an 18-200 lens --with most of the shots at the wide end. Seldom used the telephoto end. Also used a 24mm f2.8. I tend to prefer landscapes. Experience in Europe and China convinces me that if I could only tak on lens on a trip--and it had to be a prime, it would either be my 24mm f/2.8 Nikkor or my 17mm f/3.5 Tokina--probably the 24mm.</p>

[paul_soohoo2]

<p>The first thing to know about Beijing in the summer is it is crucifyingly hot.</p>

<p>Could not agree more with that statement. I agree bring your best but also bring a secondary/backup (I used a Canon G10). Because of the tough conditions during the summer think hard about how much weigh you are willing to carry. I've heard people at this notion (e.g. you're a wimp). Depending on the type of day and what I anticipated shooting I either carried the G10 or my D300 with the 18 -200mm.<br /><br />Here's an example of what I mean. That don't call it the Great Wall for nothing. It is long, steep and crowded. Add to that a D700 with several lenses and water ( you are not going to find water vendors on the Great Wall every 100 yards ) and a fun and exciting vista becomes a miserable experience. So pack light but at the same time bring your best. Have fun. </p><div></div>

[prettygeeky]

<p>I visited Beijing a few months ago. The city is full of beautiful historic places. I took a D700, 35mm, 50mm and 85mm. The relatively lightweight and unobtrusive primes worked out well for me, but there were times I wish I had a wider lens. If you want an idea of the places you may be seeing (Great Wall, Summer Palace, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven), take a look at some of the photos I took: http://www.prettygeeky.com/2009/12/03/the-great-wall-of-china-photos/</p>

<p>Here are my other recommendations. As many have said, the summer heat will be unforgiving, I would make sure to bring comfortable gear. You will be doing A LOT of walking.</p>

<p>Things I would recommend are:<br>

1) lightweight camera backpack. For long walks/hikes, I find that backpacks distribute the overall weight of your gear much better than side/shoulder bags. It can hold your bottled water too.<br>

2) Shoulder strap for camera. Your neck will be raw after lugging around your camera all day. The black rapid R-straps worked great and was very comfortable for me. It distributes the weight of your camera across your body. With all the walking, there was never a time that I felt my camera was "in the way".<br>

3) There are multiple segments of the Great Wall you can visit. For better picture opps, I went to the less busy Mutianyu segment.<br>

4) Be prepared for the smog. I can't imagine how the air quality would be in the summer. =/</p>

[levon_b]

<p>Thank you all for the helpful advice! I will definitely be picking up a shoulder strap and backpack, and pack as light as possible! I will rent a 20-35, 17-35, and try to rent the 16-35 before I take the trip so that I can decide which wide angle lens (or zoom) to take along with the 50/1.4 and 85/1.4! I will also try to find out about the ID situation there before I get there! Can't take any photos if they don't let you, right?</p>

[tholte]

<p>I am going there next month and am only taking my D300 with a 17-55 and my old and trusty 80-200 push pull. I am tempted to only bring my 17-55 and travel as lightly as possible.</p>

[tomburden]

<p>Levon,<br>

I spent two weeks in China in April, and all I took was my D90 and the 18-200 VR. I was perfectly happy with the results. (See www.tomburdenphotography.com if interested in some examples.)<br>

The one thing that surprised me was how large the scale of everything in China is. Every site seemed further away and larger than I expected. I found the zoom came in very handy much of the time, while the wide end of the lens suited me well for landscapes, etc. Additionally, I didn't have to worry about dust when changing lenses.<br>

I own a set of Nikon 2.8 zooms (14-24, 24-70, and 70-200). In retrospect, I am happy I decided against taking them along. Factoring in the brutal summer heat and dust, the extensive walking, and the relative weights, simplicity wins over flexibility.<br>

Hope you enjoy the trip! </p>