2 Weeks in England / Scotland

[rafaeldelgado]

<p><strong>Joe: </strong>That is quite a load! Actually with that set up i'm sure I wouldn't miss a thing. I'm debating taking the 70-200 still but i'm not sure it would be that big of a deal if I did. I might be able to sneak this other small Kata bag I have over for daily walkabout use while I keep the gear i'm not using in the hotel room. We will see.</p>

<p><strong>Chris: </strong>Great Pic! And you're right. No riots in sight! hehehehe My trip to England / Scotland is actually on again. I'm booking hotels tomorrow as well as the train reservation up to Edinburgh. I really can't wait. I'll be sure to keep you guys posted on what I ultimately take and i'll be sure to post pics when I get back. What lens did you use for this London Eye pic if I can ask?</p>

[purplealien]

<p>That's great Rafael!</p>

<p>Pic was taken with the 18-105mm kit lens for my D90 (@ 28mm). Light weight, VR, decent IQ and zoom range - all I need when exploring!</p>

<p>Chris</p>

[Mankuthel]

<p>You got some good advice here!</p>

<p>I'd recommend it's worth bringing your tripod, even if its for a few shots! As David suggested, you can leave it in the hotel when you don't need it. I do a bit of 'urban landscape', as I like to call it and you definitely need a tripod for shots like this!</p>

<p>Btw, London's perfectly safe now!</p><div></div>

[colin carron]

<blockquote>

<p>Btw, London's perfectly safe now!</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I would rephrase that as '<em>London is a safe as it used to be before the recent short-lived outbreak of extreme shopping'.</em></p>

[simon_crofts]

<p>I just came back from a trip a couple of days ago, which was half work and second half for taking pictures for myself. I took with me:</p>

<p>Nikon D700 with 20mm, 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 105mm, and 185mm<br /> Mamiya 7 with 65mm and 43mm.<br /> Gitzo carbon tripod.<br /> Two sets of lights - tungsten and a Quantum flash system.<br /> Laptop and iPad.</p>

<p>I needed to take a fair amount of this for the job that I was doing. However the second part of the trip I was taking pictures for myself, and I decided that next time it would be much the most effective photographically speaking to leave most of it. After the job was over, the Nikon didn't get used at all. So I decided the optimum kit for me if I were photographing for my own purposes would be:</p>

<p>Mamiya 7 and 65mm lens, the tripod, and the iPad, and nothing else. In fact, one my job was over, that's all I used anyway.</p>

<p>I carried the Nikon around with me but only because I was scared of having it nicked if I left it with the hotel, I didn't use it at all. All pictures were taken only with the Mamiya and 65mm. Taking too much gear is just a worry from the security point of view, and exhausting to carry.</p>

<p>Clearly, that's not directly relevant as you have different gear, but, depending how you work, I'd recommend leaving everything except one standard lens. And enjoy yourself. The pictures will be better for it.</p>

[rafaeldelgado]

<p>Hello again everyone.</p>

<p><strong>Anish: </strong>Wow, that is one beautiful image. I can see how taking a tripod would be worth it even if I only got a couple of shots like yours. Given the weight though and the other activities I will be engaged in i'm deciding to leave it at home. However, I am debating buying a Joby Gorillapod. Their SLR Zoom model is just sturdy enough for my camera and a 70-200mm 2.8 lens. (It holds a maximum of 6.5 lbs) It is under 10 inches I will have a much easier time dealing with it than with a much larger tripod. Does anyone have any experience shooting with this Gorillapod? </p>

<p><strong>Simon: </strong>So you're saying less is more. I can definitely relate to that. What did the job consist of if I can ask? That is quite a bit of equipment to take.</p>

<p><strong>Update:</strong> Yesterday I went out and purchased a Thinktank Airport International V 2.0 rolling bag. I am highly impressed by both its design and build. I am now considering taking all of my lenses because of this bag. Basically I would leave behind my tripod, flash, and macro lens but take all the rest. I would also take a Kata shoulder bag to use for my daily exploring. It is small enough to pass through the airline as a 'handbag' so I shouldn't have a problem with that. The Thinktank roller bag has cable and lock system so I would feel much more comfortable locking it to to say the bed in the hotel room and then locking the contents as well. Whatever equipment stayed behind for the day should be safe enough. I feel that is a decent solution for both the weight and my equipment's safety. Any opinions on this? Thanks!</p>