Gear suggestions for a trip to India

[lorenzo_ward1]

<p>You are right to go to India; it is a photographer's paradise...and much more. I have travelled for years and shot in many different countries. My suggestion is to limit the amount of gear you take along. I would be so bold as to suggest to only take 2 prime lenses: a 28 to 35mm and a short telephoto 85 to 135mm. My suggestion is that you will need to travel light and a camera bag is not a clever way to advertize you bounty. I have found that i use the wide angle 70% of the time and the tele the rest. So the short tele rests in my pocket of a kind of safari jacket. You have to understand that people with fancy gear bags tend to attract the wrong type of attention; with a simple camera around your neck you can walk up to people or situation in a friendly casual way and get the shot you need. Once you start opeining a gear bag and switching lenses, the magic is lost. Finally, beware: the trip to India is an eye opener on more fronts that images and, we photographers, have a tendency to carve images out of our surrounding by hunting all the time for subjects. A real trip is usually a way to open up to the unexpected and a camera tends to detract from that. I used to travel with a Leica M6 years ago and would pull it out of my pocket when needed. It worked becasue it looked to people like a natural tool of a tourist. A gear bag looks professional and peole will assume you are one and their attitude will be different. Enjoy your trip.</p>

[jim_haberman]

<p>Dear Yakim,<br>

I just got back from my second trip to India in two years. You are going to have a wonderful time! Each person has to decide what is important, but I would rethink bringing the 5DII if you are thinking about making large prints. This is such a beautiful camera I can't imagine not taking it, using it as your main camera, and taking the 7D as your backup. Also, I suggest taking as little as possible. Having a choice of so many lenses only confuses you, makes you slower to respond (You will see so many things in India to photograph, you'll want to be ready to shoot instantly), and weighs you down. I took a Sigma 28-300 and a Sigma 12-24 and never felt that I was missing anything (I know some people are going to doubt the lens choices, but I have been doing this for 35 years and know what is necessary to achieve excellent results). As far as storage goes, I used a laptop only as an interface between a card reader and two 500GB miniature hard drives (I used Transcend drives, though there are a lot of different choices). It worked beautifully, allowing me to shoot as freely as I wanted and have everything backed up. Make sure to have enough plug adapters to accommodate your needs.<br>

It looks like you may be there for Holi, September 19-20. I envy you this opportunity; be sure to take something to protect your camera from all the brightly colored powders that are thrown in fun by anyone on the street. Have a great time and good luck! </p>

<div></div>

[dfperrault]

<p>Hi Yakim,<br>

Congradulations! You will forget you ever had a job, and question ever needing one again after a traveling a week in India. My main suggestion I have for you, is to have an open ended ticket. Consider traveling 3-6months if not longer. Then continue on to see the rest of Asia. Be sure to travel based on the weather you enjoy. The extremes hot, cold, wet for any prolonged period of time can really burn you out. Be prepared to have significant GI problems for 3-4 days, you will feel like going home, but stick throughout it. I get sick every time I am there, and always go back.<br>

I have been to India 3-4 times times for a total of 6-7 months, including a 4 month Bike trip from Shimla to Ladakh across the Himalayas. The key to enjoying travel in India is to travel as light as possible. It allows me to hop on the top or hang off of the back of buses with ease.<br>

<strong>Safety</strong><br>

<strong> </strong>I make sure I don't look like a photographer. I carry all of my gear in zing cases hidden a normal dungy looking day pack. I wear a loose, light, long sleeved shirt, unbuttoned in the front, and wear my camera underneath the shirt.<br>

I carry about 5 dollars in my pants pocet, 50 dollars in my waist belt hidden under my pants, and the rest - $1k cash, passport, plane tickets in an underarm pouch. Most places I go are too remote and don't accept traveler checks. <br>

Photo copies of everything are kept in my large backpack. I stay in low budget guest houses and don't trust the motel safe, although it is probably OK. <br>

I don't carry my gear at night in the big cities. I have never been robbed or felt unsafe following these rules.You can find the story online about how N.G. photographer, Steve McCurry was with a guide, and still robbed of all of his camera gear in Varanasi. N. G. sent him overnight.<br>

<strong>Gear</strong><br>

I carry 5 items a body, 28-80 mm f/4.0, and 70-200mm zoom, and a 50mm 1.4 lens for low light shots, and a point and shoot + filters. To be honest, my best portraits are with the point and shoot, it is unobtrusive and spontaneous. I always get addresses, and sent photos.<br>

Take the 55-250 and the 17-55, leave the other lens at home. Plus a point and shoot. Life changes too fast to get caught up in changing lens all of the time. The flexibility of zooms in creating spontaneous compositions is more important than prime IQ, IMHO</p>

<p>Here are some of my photos at www.dphoton.org</p>

[philippartridge]

<p>Hi Yakim, I want to focus on some other matters. My first India/Nepal trip was in 1978, when Lonely Planet had just two books published...I used Across Asia on the Cheap, it did from Burma to Europe in 300 pages or so. I think I am up to 11-12 visits since then, it adds up to over 2 years in all. The changes are now stupendous, and accelerating. India is now a major tourist destination and that is half the problem. Go with a good idea what you want to shoot, work through this carefully, look at other work, and let that and that alone determine your gear choice. Minimal is best. Light is best. Small is best.<br>

I think the best for a Canon person is the 5D and a 24-105. Lower cost, great colour, and less nervousness for theft/damage. Excellent IQ, good enough everything else stated above. 24mm is wide enough for most subjects and 105mm is a great top end for a walk around lens. AF for speed.<br>

Long lens - useful but a zoom is best for framing. I would look into the 70-200/4IS if affordable to you. Good enough for a crop if need more than 200mm, which is rare. Another 5D for backup. No PCs, just enough CF cards, which are quite cheap. That way, you either shoot wide to normal tele, or longish, with few lens changes.<br>

Trip details: if you want non-modern India, stay away from the tourist trail, which is very well-trodden into a deep rut these days and whose subjects redefine the term 'cliche' in photography...for a first time visit in this surprisingly giant country (as big as Western Australia) I suggest what many others do, but with some twists:<br>

Rajasthan is a must see...more for the people, and ancient cities than the brochure images. The further away the town the better. Look into: Jaisalmer out at the edge of the Thar desert, Pushkar, Jodhpur and surrounds, Udaipur and surrounds, and the animal sanctuaries. The countryside and out of the way forts and religious sites are fabulous, and the tribal societies still quite intact. India is still predominantly rural, remember, despite the bustling cities. Avoid Golden Triangle 'attractions' like Jaipur, a smelly filthy overcrowded hole with few appealing (and even then over-hyped) sights. All the decent guidebooks detail the better out of the way places.<br>

Varanasi/Benares - fantastic and photogenic ancient Hindu city, narrow back streets, the Ganges, festivals, fine eateries, the ghats, great atmosphere and an authentic experience even today.<br>

Sadly, Kerala and Tamil Nadu are sorely overrated. Most Indians are clueless about garbage, and it is everpresent, as are rats and sewers. It can get you down, seeing old colonial masterpieces like Pondicherry or Fort Cochin dying in front of your eyes. The major towns are now tourist traps, and nasty ones at that, full of gormless Europeans, who arrrive by charter flights. Cultural attractions here are thin on the ground, but there are some charming towns in the hinterlands, and the robust wildlife is doing quite well. The beaches are horrible even by Israeli standards, and all tout-infested.<br>

Many regions of interest near to Bombay (yes, many Indians call it that still) incl Gujarat state and of course the beautiful old Portuguese state of Goa, especially the old ruins and old quarters of Fontainhas. The beaches are overrun with partying English fly-in/fly-out types looking for all night rave parties. The beaches look tired and dirty, with a few coconut palms thrown in for photo interest.<br>

Even in winter, Himachal is worth a trip, a short trip it is from Delhi, to places like McLeod Ganj, Simla, etc. Very pretty countryside. If you feel like a once in a lifetime experience, fly to Leh for 4-5 days. 50 short minutes in a 737 over the Himal range, into the Tibetan buddhist mountain paradise, one of the best mountain flights anywhere, apart from Pakistan.<br>

Agra - two major sights that no one should miss: the Taj, better than anyone expects, perhaps the best thing humankind ever made, and the Red Fort, which has fine views back down the river. For non-cliche shot of the Taj, head to the other side of the river. Try to see the Taj very early or late. Nice cheap GHs in Agra also, which make great retreats from this noisy, polluted, nasty industrial city. Fatehpur Sikri if you have a spare half day. <br>

Other: learn how to deal with touts. Be firm with them, and hold onto your gear. Learn a few choice Hindi phrases. Take a decent padlock, a mid-size Master is what we use, and use it religiously. If the GH or hotel is OK, you have nothing much to worry about. The markets, like say in Old Delhi, are places to take care. Pay attention as you waltz around, always check your wallet pocket and gear bag when you have a meal or coffee. We use clips or even safety pins for trouser pockets. Use a small pouch around the neck for passport, cash and contact info. Make a copy of all main paperwork and lock it in a pocket of your backpack. The water is horrible, even bottled water, you can buy it in large bottles in the big cities. Food is great and safe everywhere but where tourists are (!) Eat where Indians do, but be careful of street food unless an Indian advises it. Learn how to pronounce English with an Indian accent - Indians are less good at English than 20 years ago, sadly.<br>

Trains are great ways to get around on main routes, sleep on your gear bag as a pillow. Train food is safe. Planes are cheap, but book ahead if possible. Long distance taxis are also a great way to see far away places, and meet local people. Good GHs are wonderful, and can arrange everything for you these days - so use them. For auto rickshaw rides, ask any local how much to pay drivers.<br>

Buying - markets are good for bags, buy fabrics from highend places that funnel money back to villagers, like Fab India. India has cheap books also, many that are simply unavailable elsewhere.<br>

Resources - my favourite is IndiaMike.com, and the Thorn Tree run by LP.<br>

Nepal - great for a break if/when India oppresses you - and a good time of year if you want a short trek or even a drive around. KTM is easy to reach by both plane and bus, from say Varanasi. It is crowwed and these days, another tourist trap, but the countryside! You can take flights to Lukla or Jomson (from Pokhara) or even drive up towards the Tibet border.</p>

<p> </p>

[yakim_peled1]

<p>I thank you all for your posts but sadly, I won't be using them anytime soon. My work was just prolonged to May 1st. That is good because I'll earn more money in the meantime but that is bad as I'll have to postpone the trip till October. I don't know what to think or feel. I want to cry and laugh at the same time....<br>

<br /> Happy shooting,<br /> Yakim.</p>

[manan_shah]

<p>Hello,<br>

you can always consider renting the required gears when in that country/city. For one of my trips, i rented few lenses from bragpacker.com in Mumbai. and i must say that it was a good deal and very convenient as well.</p>