hensil Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 Hi friends, Next week I am going on a 10 days tour to Paris and Switzerland. I have two questions to ask 1) Which lenses should I carry? (20-35 f/2.8, 35-70 f/2.8, 70-210 f/4- 5.6 and 50 f/1.8) body F 100 2) I'll be shooting slides (50-400 ISO Fuji). Is it advisible to buy the slide and develop them in Paris or can I buy them in my country and carry them with me? If I have to buy and develop in Paris, can any one tell me the name of the shop? Thank you everyone in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 1) Whichever you use most often and to the weight you want to carry around with you (or take them all and leave one or two each day in the hotel safe). Why not ditch the 35-70/2.8? The 50's so light it doesn't count, and I'm sure you don't need every mortal focal length between 20 and 210. If you feel a gap between 35 and 50, or 50 and 70, well, maybe you do need to take it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2yellowdogs Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 Couldn't agree with Ian more. If you're like me, you'll probably shoot the 20-35 80% of the time. Take the 70-210 for long stuff and the 50mm for a faster lens. Leave the 35-70. You've basically got that covered with the 50mm, so why drag the extra weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olivier_reichenbach Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 I don't know what «your country» is, but of course you can buy all the slide films you want in Paris and have them processed there as well. It IS Paris, after all. And you'll avoid the dreaded X-ray problem at airports. Ar for the «name of the shop», again, we're talking Paris. As you know, Paris is the capital of France. It is a huge city (and the most beautiful in the world, IMHO), with millions of people... and hundreds, if not thousands, of photo «shops» which can process slides. So, your question does not really make sense, unless you meant «the name of A shop». I suggest you find a FNAC (book, audio, photo and video superstores) closest to your neighborhood and do everything there. Otherwise, just any photo shop will do. 35-70 f:2.8 would be real nice, but I'm afraid you will want to have something a little wider from time to time, like a 24 or even a 20. So the 20-35 sounds good, but then you will miss the longer end of focals. If I had no choice but wide angle OR short tele, I'd go for the wide angle. Maybe 20-35 plus 50 would be okay. Or get a nice 28-105, and keep it at that, if you don't need faster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 I have no doubt that you can easily find and develop slide film at a major city such as Paris, but unless you are familiar with the stores there, why spend time looking for film there and get it developed when you should be sight seeing and photographing? What happens if there is some delay; your slides are not ready and you need to move onto Switzerland? As far as airport X ray goes, before my trip to Australia last year, I bought a lot of film, including 3 rolls of ISO 400 Provia. In that trip I took a total of 11 flights in 3 weeks going all over the place in Australia, but I only used 1 of those 3 rolls (as I use ISO 400 only if necessary). Last month I brought those 2 rolls to Norway through 6 more flights and finally used them. Those ISO 400 film must have been X-rayed 15 times or so (a couple of times I managed to get hand check but when you enter the US, there is exit X-ray also). The end result: there is no trace of X ray damage at all. As far as what to bring, can you bring all 4 lenses? I agree that if it were me, I would use the 20-35 most. But what happens if it is broken during the trip? If you have the 35-70, at least you have some sort of wide angle as a backup. Along that same line I would bring a 2nd body if possible. You don't have to carry everything all the time. Some of the backup stuff can stay in the hotel for the most part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry_ Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 Or, keeping the 62mm filter size constant, you could locate a AF 24-50mm f3.5~4.5 Nikkor for the trip. The 24-50mm, along with the 70-210mm lens would be lighter, cover most of your range, and both lenses use the same size filters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jemini_joseph Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 <html><body>Henry<br><br> I've visited paris last year. I would take films with me. Even if you can buy it from there, it can be expensive. From my experience the most usefull lens would be 20-35/2.8. I've noticed 75% of pictures were taken with 28mm prime. I'm sure you want to take eiffel tower. THere's a spot near to eiffel tower where you can see it's beauty. 50mm was the perfect lens for that shot.<br><img src="http://www.color-pictures.com/images/image-display.jpg"><br>Good luck</body></html> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrick smith Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 I would have to agree with those who recommend the 20-35. I recently took a similar trip, and I found myself wanting to go wide more than tele. The architecture is outstanding in Paris, the only real competition comes from Indianapolis, and you'll certainly want to capture as much as possible on film. If you feel the need to go long, take the 70-210, but at least the 20-35 and the 50. As for slide film, I took a few rolls of Kodachrome 200 and the repeated x-rayings didn't seem to really do anything. Enjoy your trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregory_gardner Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 I know you said that you'll be bringing slide film, but I'd strongly recommend also shooting black & white. There's something about Paris which makes anyone using B&W a photographic superhero. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klix Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 If you can bring all your lenses, do it; if you have to leave one or two behind, leave the 70-210 and the 50... I was in Paris in mid-July, for Bastille Day. It is a city best shot from a wide perspective, to give what you're shooting some context... I'd even argue that you'd need an add'l prime lens wider than the 20mm. The long end of the 70-210 isn't going to do this fair city any justice. As for films/slides, yes, you can get it and have it processed anywhere in Paris, but they will cost you more, compared to the US (although I don't know what country/continent you're from), plus the fact that the Euro is very strong compared to the USD. Also, Paris comes alive after the sun goes down, so I'd also consider bringing along a tripod and cable release.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ci_p Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 All of them. There are lots of things there from graveyard cats to underground skeleton collections. Take your film with you because that way you don't have to talk so much to french people who can be rude to americans, sometimes, even if they have expensive photographic equipment. Same goes for d&p, especially if your photos are not very good. If you are on a coach and keeping some glass between you and france, remember to clean the window before you get on, and put the lens up against the window when taking shots to reduce reflections. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nedevermac.com Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 I know I'm basically echoing everyone else but take the 20-35 and 70-210. Personally I wouldn't bother with the 35-70 or 50 but I don't much care for normal focal lengths. Plus a 20 f/2.8 is more effective for hand held low light than a 50 f/1.8. When I went to Paris I shot probably more than 80% with my 20 f/2.8 and only about 15% with my 180 f/2.8 and had a much lower success ratio with the longer lens. Unless you want the shoot Elitechrome or Sensia, slide film is going to be more than $10 a roll in Paris. On the other hand, developing is really cheap. I used Photo Station which can be found just about anywhere and despite not being a pro lab, did a first class job complete with plastic mounts for a mere 3.80 euros a roll of 36.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maury_cohen Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 I agree with the first two responses; take the 20-35, 50 and 70-210. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Stone Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 First, I want to say that I've no desire to argue with those that have been there. BUT, one of my sons was in Ireland during the 9/11/2001 disaster, and tried to bring all of his film back to the US unprocessed. He lost EVERYTHING due to xrays. The invasiveness of xrays can be increased at will, and can result in ruining film. Right now, there is an elevated threat of terrorist activity by Muslim extremists, so I would not chance my film being spoiled. What happened before the current threat level is NO indicator of what may happen now. Even worse, as of last week, photo equipment is being specifically targeted for scrutiny, as it has been alluded that terrorists have talked about using photo gear to hide bombs and/or weapons. You can bet you sweet butt, that xray levels are going to be very high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ky2 Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 <p><i>"...the only real competition comes from Indianapolis"</i></p> <p>No offense people, I mean, I have nothing against indianapolis, but honestly, it's not even in the same league as Paris. <u>To the point</u>: When I make a trip to one of those cities that do belong in the top-10 [Prague, Paris, Budapest, Vienna, Rome, etc.], I generally use my 35 and 50. For indoors, I shoot wider, but very rarely I use a 20 outdoors. I'd also take a longer lens to isolate items and people. A 105 or a 180. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 Carl, sorry that I have to disagree with you once more. You are simply scaring people for absolutely no reason at all. Did your son put his film in the <B>checked luggage</B>? If so, you are out of luck. They do use high-dose X ray to scan checked luggage. However, for hand carried stuffs and as long as you are in first-world countries, there are no worries. I spoked with several people at US airport security checks. As long as your film is below ISO 800, there shouldn't be any problems. My ISO 400 film just went thru 15 scans with no problems. What better example do you need?<P>If you are already familiar with Paris, that is one thing. Otherwise, if you are trying to get your film developed in an unfamiliar city and if you also don't speak the local language, IMO you are simply creating a new problem by trying to solve a non-existing problem.<P>I don't know where Henry is from. In the US, you can still ask for hand checks. I usually don't bother any more because it just creates more hassle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrick smith Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 Yeah, I know Indianapolis is nothing special. It's OK if you want to have something against Indy, I know I do. Indianapolis is a fine midwestern city. But it's just that. The National Opera in Paris is more impressive than the architectural highlights of Indy added up. I was only making a feeble attempt at deadpan humor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rana_dayal Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 Congratulations: Paris is a photographer's paradise.... given your equipment, I'd take the following lenses: 20-35 for most tight shots round Montmarte, the lati quarter and just the lovely streets. 50 for the museums... 70-210 for details of buildings, monuments (gargoyles etc) Also remember to take a tripod (or at least a sturdy tabletop). I second the suggestion of a few rolls of B&W. Slap on the 50 and just walk around. If your trip is mainly for photographic purposes, do your homework beforehand and figure out where you want to go and at what time of day. Plan your time carefully, becuse it is the most precious thing you have. Film is readily available but expensive. I suggest carrying it in transparent zip-lock bags. Since you are not travelling to/from the US, don't worry too much about hassles at the airport. The French are very polite and cultured people, and just like anyone else are averse to boorish behaviour. I have been to Paris many times so if you want advice on shooting, time management, whatever drop me a line... Enjoy ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hensil Posted August 6, 2003 Author Share Posted August 6, 2003 Thankyou all. Sorry I did not mention my country of departure. I am in Abu Dhabi (UAE). My main purpose of this tour is photography, so according to all the suggestion received I'll carry all my lenses and leave them in the hotel room if not required. I asked about the films because someone told me that they cost a lot in Paris. Since its not a problem with the x-rays I'll carry film from Abu Dhabi and develop them in Abu Dhabi because as suggested I'll have a language problem and also I may get stuck if the rolls are not developed on time. I was thinking of not carrying the tripod but now I'll carry one at least a lighter one. Thanks once again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Stone Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 Shun, you can certainly disagree, but that doesn't make you entirely correct. Here's the latest news on the matter, <http://www.msnbc.com/news/948269.asp>. Henry didn't say where he was traveling from, and security here in the US is going to get much stronger very soon with relation to photography equipment, and that includes the metal surrounding film. It's not much different from a box cutter, and it won't take a genius to realize that. As for scaring folks, that's ridiculous. All I advocate is that one should be aware of the current circumstances, and how that MAY effect their film. Forewarned is forearmed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 Carl, we can agree to disagree, but I am still wondering how your son's film got damaged by X-ray. Did he put his film in his checked luggage? I hope we all know that is a major no no for us photographers. Finally, I was the one who suggested leaving some backup equipment in the hotel room. Well, hotel rooms are not always safe either. I sure hope that Henry or whoever travels will use proper judgment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jemini_joseph Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 <html> <body> Most of the people travel in train and bus keep their bag in front. I mean a back pack can be used as 'front pack'. I'm not sure this is true or not. But people in the hotel told us to be carefull about pick pocketers and I've noticed that many poeple keep their bag in front. Coming from India and Travelled around the world this was nothing new for me.:) I had NO bad experience there at all. But it'll be better to be carefull and carry less things. <br> <br> I was scared about the language problem there. If you heard that most of the people don't speak english, that's wrong. I found most of them can manage english very well. </body> </html> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Stone Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 The next time I talk to my son I'll ask him, he lives in California, and I'm in Arizona. It's my guess that he did indeed put his film in the checked baggage, and I don't think he'll do that again. The new emphasis is on cary on items, and any security person can require them to be scanned, without any explanation to the traveler. We cannot rely on xray levels staying low for any carry on items in light of the new security info. One may travel over Hell's half acre without any troubles at all. On the other side of that, there is an increased risk that one will lose film to increased xray or forfeiture. The real issue is security, and not the convenience of the traveler, or his film. At the very least, cameras should not be loaded with film while negotiating airports. Since everyone is perfectly free to do as they please, they are equally free to ignore the new scrutiny. Bon Voyage! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olivier_reichenbach Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 One thing to keep in mind, Henry, when buying anything in France (including films, I guess) is that prices are high because there is a huge hidden sales tax (called TVA, or VAT in Great Britain) in the order of 21%, BUT... I'm pretty sure you can be refunded at the airport upon leaving to go back to your country. Just make sure to ask the merchants for the form to fill and present at the airport when you leave. Enjoy. Paris is overwhelmingly beautiful. I should know. I come from Paris, and living abroad now, I miss it a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_n._wall Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 Paris is a wonderful place for photography. I would recommend taking all your lenses. The 35-70 is not all that heavy and it is sharp as a tack. They always say with travel photography that everything you what to shoot is either too close (take a wideangle) or too far away (take a telephoto), but sometimes the middle range is what is just right. The only debatable lens is the 50mm but you might as well have it since it doesn't weigh much and it wil give you one stop over the 35-70 which can be a good thing when the light is low. The deal with film is simple. If it is cheaper in Paris, buy it there. If it is cheaper at home, buy it there and take it with you. The same is true with processing. But the most important thing is to take your unexposed or exposed but unprocessed film with you on the plane. NEVER put it in a bag that you will check. Once film is exposed and processed, you can put it into your checked luggage, BUT NEVER BEFORE it is processed. Also, some people report having problems with theft of camera gear and wallets in subways and in the streets in Paris. In my trips to Paris, I have never had a problem, but others report gangs of young people who approach, distract, and plunder. It is worth being careful. I think the major thing is to avoid carrying so much gear at one time that you are burdened with it; make sure you keep your money in an inside pocket and have your hands on your gear at all times. Some people like to keep gear in a bag with a strap that crosses the chest, rather than just hanging on one shoulder, to keep people from running by and grabbing the strap on the run. My wife and I just got back from some time abroad; I usually carried one camera body with a 24 mm on the body around my neck and with a 50 mm and an 85 mm and spare film in a small pack around my waist. We had no problems in London, Paris, Venice, Florence, Nice, and Barcelona. Someone tried to lift my wallet in Oslo, but I felt the move and caught it in time. I agree that Paris is great after dark; consider good technique and a monopod instead of a tripod because you do not want to get burdened with too much gear. Or, perhaps, a mini-tripod. You will also want to visit the photography museum in Paris -- great work! And there are some big photo shows up in other Paris museums right now. So much to see! Enjoy your trip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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