jeff_delisio

December 20, 2013

Yet another vote for the Elan 7E. I did not use the eye tracking very much but really enjoyed that camera AND took it across India, Indonesia, Nepal, Bhutan and NW Africa - it held up well so don't be put off by any plastic-phobias. Hmmm, I did not have to worry about dust on the sensor either...

October 9, 2013

I am surprised no one has mentioned the canon 70-300 L IS. Agreed it is not cheap and may be more than the OP wants to spend since it is priced higher than the 70-200 f/4 IS, but it is a great lens.

I bought it on a recommendation from a friend even though I already have the 70-200 f/4 IS I have not regretted it and use it far more than I ever expected. It is heavier and a bit slower but the image quality is great and now I find that I use the 70-200 only when traveling/trekking where the weight really matters.

August 19, 2013

As always it often comes down to the type of shooting you do. I have both cameras and I strongly favor the 5DII for what I do. At home I mostly do landscapes, flowers, things... so I don't need the faster frame rate and I tend to do very simple focusing so don't need the improved system on the 7D.

I originally was going to take both when I travelled but have not done so and find that I still go with the 5DII even though I take a lot of market and candid people shots. I am not a pixel peeper but when I do process the photos in LR I seem to have more leeway in sharpening etc. with the 5D... YMMV but if you already like the 5D over your 7D you will certainly enjoy the 5DII even more so.

August 15, 2013

Although this thread is already much too long I have to second Mike's response. I have traveled in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam and have never had any trouble because I was American. Just the opposite in fact, regardless of being in cities or remote areas.

At this point I can only hope the OP is convinced that there is little to worry about and that some basic planning - extra batteries, maybe a car charger and just plain common sense will suffice for the photo equipment. Then start to appreciate what a wonderful adventure this can be.

June 26, 2013

Not to be crass, but $$$wise ...

London is one of the most expensive cities on the planet and their currency has held up relatively well. Spain is suffering through some harsh austerity and I would imagine that has made aspects of the visitor's life - like hotels, restaurants etc. much more affordable than ever.

You would certainly be helping out their economy while stretching out your funds.

May 20, 2013

There should be any number of travel services in Delhi to set this up ahead of time for you. You get a car and driver - even optional guide if so inclined. They book you a hotel and you are all set - the driver will take you anywhere you arrange and stop whenever you want for photos along the way. Price will vary the most based on hotel you choose and to a lesser degree the type of car. The old Ambassadors are pretty much gone and you'll no doubt get a nice ride.

Here is a company a few of us worked with in February for a pretty wide excursion, all went very well, but again there are several dozen you could work with, many of the pricey hotels will arrange for this type of travel as well -

Far Horizons Tours Pvt. Ltd.

B-209 Cr Park

New Delhi 110019

Phone: +91-129-40980000

A few points to consider -

<ul>

<li>Delhi in July will be incredibly HOT! Even the locals get edgy given the weather. Do not plan on too many activities outside. Make sure your car and hotel have good A/C. I cannot imagine what Chennai is going to be like. </li>

<li>If you have not traveled much on India's highways, and especially this stretch, be prepared for some thrills. As vehicles pull out to pass the long line of trucks in front of them, the same is happening in the other direction and you will experience many games of chicken on the drive. Your driver will be much more conservative than the buses etc. but sometimes things happen - notice the number of trucks overturned on their sides as you speed along. </li>

<li>Agra itself is a pretty dismal town. You might try and arrange to get there and visit the Taj in the evening, see it again in the early morning and then just get out of town.... As you have probably seen, interesting photos await if you go across the river behind and shoot from there. Pollution remains a real problem and there is no telling what the sky will be like when you are there. Do get there early, the Taj is a huge draw to Indians as well and it gets very crowded. </li>

</ul>

May 16, 2013

As others have mentioned Guilin is not the ideal place for what you are trying to do.

However you will probably pass through there - we were heading into the hills of Guizhou and had one evening there. One 'advantage' is that being a tourist town there is a fair amount of light at night and several fishermen plying the river there at that time - I have no idea if that is a normal practice, I suspect it is solely tourist driven. However they are catching fish and you may get some interesting shots and at least practice your technique.

Not a good shot but to illustrate -

<a href="http://4ntraveler.smugmug.com/Travel/Asia/China-Vietnam-2007-updated/17506119_qxCGb3#!i=1332400016&k=hkwSwFQ&lb=1&s=XL">http://4ntraveler.smugmug.com/Travel/Asia/China-Vietnam-2007-updated/17506119_qxCGb3#!i=1332400016&k=hkwSwFQ&lb=1&s=XL</a>

February 4, 2013

I will put in a plug for Prague based on the photos my friends put together in this terrific overview of the city -

<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/prague-a-photographic-guide/id546761289?mt=11">https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/prague-a-photographic-guide/id546761289?mt=11</a>

Unfortunately it requires an iPad to view and it is no longer free, but should you have access to an iPad you can view many of the photos and outline freely through the Apple Bookstore. It made me consider putting this city on my list and this is not an area I travel to at all.

January 24, 2013

I really want to second Dave's post, at least for some types of travel. I have stumbled upon markets in Asia and Africa that would contain a mix of ethnic groups and out of the corner of my eye see a type of dress I had never before seen - and I could not use my feet at the time being fairly hemmed in. Yes I often did not get a good shot but I have a few that worked and many occasions where I never saw another person attired that way.

On one occasion we were driving on a rather new 'high speed' road in Gujarat and saw a group of nomadic Rabari crossing. We had no time to change lenses and while we certainly did have to use our feet there was no way they were going to wait for us and I was quite glad I had the 24 - 105 Dave mentions. BTW - we spent another two weeks traveling around that area well off the track and while we saw a number of other interesting groups we never saw nomads from that same tribe again.

I like Mike Dixon's approach and try to strive for awareness and preparedness but I still remain too 'primed' for action and have had too many chances never repeat themselves...

November 27, 2012

I have both lens and I second the posting that the 70-300 L is an excellent performer.

I was not interested in it at first until a friend started raving about it. I find the results consistently impressive in spite of my abilities... I still have the 70-200/4 L IS and use it when I want something lighter to carry around or to keep the overseas travel kit light and simple, but I thoroughly enjoy the 70 - 300 L and prefer the output from it most of the time.

March 30, 2012

Purely subjective data point.

I have the 17-55 on a 7D and the 24 - 105 f/4 on the 5Dmkii - so not an exact match to the posters question, but I find when looking at my photos I am drawn much more to those coming off the 5D.

Some combination of the tone/color just appeals to me more. I am guessing, but I would say it is close to a 70/30 split towards that 5D combo even when I have shot similar scenes with both.

No numbers to back it up but for me there is a clear preference.

February 2, 2012

A lot depends on your style of trekking. If you will have a guide with either a porter, horse, yak, mule etc. you will be hiking with a day pack and (I would recommend) trekking poles (2).

What you will find is that you will see something to photo, go through the motions of pulling out camera, pack it away, hike around the corner and do it all over again and it will drive you crazy. Some bags allow easy access to a camera but even then it can be a pain. Look into 'Cotton Carrier' for a way to have the camera accessible. I keep a small dry bag around for when it is slightly wet or blowing sand etc.

I personally find that one camera and lens is all I want to carry during the day - you will have water, a little food, jackets etc. and it all adds up day after day. I pack an additional lens with the bag being hauled around - carefully wrapped and not crammed against the sidewall - a yak is not shy about smacking a bag against the rocks while navigating a narrow trail.

I take many, many batteries and cards. Wrapping them all in zip lock bags to keep out dust and moisture - your bag will either get snowed or rained on at least once on a long trip.

Once in camp I may switch lens (within the tent if possible) to walk around for specific shots. A polarizer is a good idea. The sun at altitude is harsh.

Enjoy

November 19, 2011

I have both lenses. Usually the 24-105 is on my 5D II and the 17 - 55 switches on and off the 7D so take what I say with the usual grain of salt... but I generally prefer the images I get with 24 - 105.

It has little to do with sharpness, though I am as fixated on that as most, but essentially the whole color balance and range is often more compelling for me. I have put the 24 - 105 on the 7D, but only on a few occasions, and it still seems to hold up for me eyes.

If you could swing it financially, why not buy the 17 -55 if you can't rent it, try them for awhile and sell the one you don't use. You'll probably lose less than the price of renting if you keep it for awhile and will really know for sure which one works best for you.

August 19, 2011

I second the post from Jos. I was there last in 2009 coming in from Singapore, no one could have cared less about the camera equipment I was bringing in or out of the airport. Even flying off to Lhasa the only concerns were weight, not camera and lens specifics.

June 3, 2011

I have used them for traveling with the 5D MKII when I needed many batteries while away from power for long periods of time. The MKII and 7D battery are quite dear in price from Canon. They worked well, they may have lasted a bit less between charges but gave me the extra options I needed for a tenth of the price. I even had a car charger with one that also was much less in price.

Not sure of the 50D, but with the 5D II third-party battery you cannot charge them with a Canon charger and vice-versa or even with a different third-party brand.

May 4, 2011

I am surprised you are not finding more on the web. Here are my sets (just photos)

from 2004

http://www.flickr.com/photos/4ntraveler/sets/294202/

and 2010

http://www.flickr.com/photos/4ntraveler/sets/72157624524454156/

You will find in Ladakh examples of Tibetan art that show some of the original Buddhist influences coming out of India - try to get to Alchi if you can, but the many gompas around Leh will give you plenty to see as well. Take a tripod and a fast wide lens - you cannot use flash but you can take pictures inside most of these temples. Sadly much of the art is crumbling, but you will see some vivid examples of works from the 17th and 18th centuries. While Buddhism was present there much earlier, disasters like fires and wars played their part in limiting the continuity.

Weather has changed there a lot in the past years and while once always very dry they periodically get floods now, having had a large one late last summer. Tourists don't arrive in large numbers until July but you will have pretty unpredictable weather in June. Last year late in June both roads were blocked by snow and the route from Manali stayed that way for some time - so flying as you plan will be the best option.

You won't be able to do any real treks but there are some walks if you get out of Leh. Leh itself has a few things to offer but get out of town early and often... there are scores of excursion and trek shops to arrange a trip out to the monasteries and beyond. Lamayuru gompa is well away but a pretty incredible spot as you suddenly see it appear in the mountains with nothing around it. The Hemis festival is one of the few festivals not in the winter. It is always jam packed on the first day and then very mellow on subsequent days.

The light is simply stunning there, nothing like being up with the clouds. So go see it and plant the seed for your return - try to give back to the community there as well. The last twenty years have wrought big changes on the population. There are a lot of cooperatives producing honey, dried peaches, herbals etc., help spread the wealth around and give to the monasteries too, these are really irreplaceable.

April 23, 2011

I won't say your chances are nil, but I would not pin the focus of my trip on snow leopards.

First of all Bhutan is actually not the place with a high concentration of them (not that anyplace is...). Actually it is around parts of Ladakh that seem to have the most confirmed sightings and trackings.

Second they are extremely solitary, elusive and blend in well. There was a great PBS show that you can pick up on DVD now called "Silent Roar" - that team spent four winters trying to film snow leopards and most of their success was from hidden remote cameras triggered by the animals tripping a photo sensor.

So enjoy Bhutan, it is as lovely and interesting as all the literature says (but changing quite a bit culturally) and be open to what it shows you and try not to get very hung up on the elusive Leopard. If any are around they will see you but it would be rare for you to see them.

April 23, 2011

My $0.02 in random order

I would not take a lens I was not familiar with

I have always taken zooms (eight trips to India) but maybe I lack creativity, still changing lenses when it is hot, dusty and you are the center of attention is not something that I find relaxing. The 24-105 on the 5DII has worked for me many times and the 70-210 f/4 does allow you to frame some nice portrait shots without getting in anyone's way.

Many of my best people shots were taken spontaneously - even when planned, and had a window of only a few seconds before the subject was swallowed by the crowd or turned away.

You will be conspicuous and candid shots are hard unless you are off in a doorway etc... and a white lens will make little difference in how much you stick out.

Even if you have a bad time you will have a great time and want to return.

February 10, 2011

I've done two+ weeks trekking in Ladakh, six days in Western Tibet (verrrry dusty) and several other cases of NOT having any access to power. I did not take a solar charger but simply carried a lot of batteries - seven to be exact but never went past needing five. I was careful when changing lenses - usually only in my tent, and had no real dust issues. When conditions were windy, dusty I kept my camera in a dry-sack, made for water - kayaking etc., which worked well but is a bit of a pain to keep opening and sealing.

There is simply no way I will go back to a film camera. If it really becomes hot, keep some shade on the camera when not in use because extreme heat can affect sensors.

As Mark mentioned there are a number of solar chargers that you might rig up on your pack while you are trekking (you need a long time in the sun) - but I believe those that can actually charge something more than a phone are a bit expensive which is why I just went with batteries. I have taken a charger that runs off a car cigarette lighter for times when you are still not on a power grid but are traveling by car.

I am really a fan of Cotton carriers - it is a brand, not a material. It allows you to safely and snugly have your camera readily available on your chest. The hard part in trekking is where to keep your camera. I would dig mine out of pack, shoot, pack up and two minutes later do it all over again. You can even use it with trekking poles. This gives you a good alternative and you could rig up some nylon or neoprene to cover at times if necessary.

Don't forget a polarizer filter and a lens hood. I kept my cards in small locking storage bags - I keep most everything in them and set up what I think I will need for the day in one that I keep handy.

Where are you headed in Ethiopia, will you be traveling SE to some of the tribal areas?

February 2, 2011

We also found Guilin to be a very over touristed spot, but you are in Guizhou at that point - head N. and W. and you have many beautiful villages, architecture, ethnic groups - Dong, Miao and almost no cement factories.

Some photos from that region - http://www.flickr.com/photos/4ntraveler/sets/72157600169353836/

January 14, 2011

You don't say where in India you will be headed or how many places you may try and visit or whether you think you'll travel by train or hire a car or fly... I have traveled to India on eight separate occasions over the last 30 years and visited a large sampling (not been in the far NE yet). I think the options are almost infinite for gear but I'll just give you my prejudices -

My leanings these days are to take two bodies, one with a longish tele and one with a somewhat wider range - the 17 - 55 you mention for example. (My kit is the 5D II with the 24 -105 and the 7D with the 70 -200). I have a pretty simple pattern - long tele for people shots and wider for architecture, city streets, temples etc. If I take both out for the day one is in an over the shoulder bag and the other in a small backpack with other gear.

First of all you will want telephoto - you will have very little control over your shooting other than architecture. You will not believe the number of shots in markets, villages, etc. that appear for just a few seconds and then vanish - you often will not be able to walk around choosing the right location. Were you to bring additional lenses you may wish to anticipate the days shooting and select for that, you will rarely feel like switching lens - either because of dust, crowds, and maybe sheer exhaustion.

I think your 17-55 and 55-250 is a fine choice, but I myself at this point lean towards the 70-200. Do NOT worry about the white lens - first of all you will stick out no matter what if you go anywhere outside main cities. No one will think a white lens any more strange than you already will be with a big old DSLR and any lens.

I have never had anything gone missing in India. That said I am very careful on trains and mindful when I am out in a crowd (90% of the time in India except out in the desert or trekking in the mtns). And these days I usually stay in pretty decent hotels but even in very simple lodging (dirt floor) it has not been an issue.

I'm sure it is a bad idea, but ever since leaving film I have only traveled with my CF cards and no other backup. I keep close tabs on them and have not lost a single shot anywhere in India, Nepal, Tibet, Burma.... YMMV but don't saddle yourself with too much electronics. There will be plenty of places where you can burn a card to DVD.

You already have the good intuition to go with an outfit you are fairly comfortable with, it is hard to adapt to new things when so much is happening in a place like India. And while you will no doubt miss a favorite lens, I believe you will find hauling too much around gets to be a pain the longer you are there - especially if you are going to do a lot of traveling while there - it does wear on you.

Again you did not say where you were going. Some of the well known spots are still very good bets - Rajasthan is very dramatic, Kerala will be accessible at this time. And the Taj really is spectacular even if filled with visitors and often clad in murky skies. I have no attachment to any of the large cities and they have only become harder to travel around in as private car ownership has gone crazy. There are some amazing tribal regions in Orissa but that may be too out of the way for a first visit. Ladakh is a treasure but it will be cold and snowy for some time as will Sikkim but some of the hill stations may still be OK. Still this is the time of year to be further south.Travel can be hard but sitting on the train yields countless stories. Flying is easy and less hassle at times than the States. Hiring a car and driver will be both a comfort and the closest you come to russian roulette...

If you take a mobile phone and want to get a local SIM card you need to all kinds of ID now - copy of passport, visa etc. You can certainly do Skype if you take a Netbook and there are a few million kiosks where you can call home for very low rates. you also now need a copy of your birth certificate to get an Indian visa - probably a mixture of terrorist fear and tit-for-tat for our restrictions on Indians getting visas for here.

I hope you have a great time and don't worry too much - you will not get it right no matter what you do, the scope of what you will want to photograph will overwhelm you. Next time bring an assistant to haul your gear for you... Remember to breathe deep, India has been changing and modernizing like crazy since the '90s but it will still knock you off your feet.

May 5, 2010

$0.02

Africa and the Middle East is a huge span of territory and I expect you will have many varieties of portrait photography during your trip. I would go with as versatile a lens as possible for such a long trip.

Although we all have our preferences about how to do portrait shots, I would certainly say from over twenty years of travel that you will not always be able to control your shot, so being able to use a longer focal length as someone is about to duck around a market stall etc. can be invaluable. So personally I lean towards lenses such as the 70 - 200 or the 24 - 105, I don't like changing lenses while someone is shooing a goat away or fanning a charcoal fire.

Finally it is also time for everyone to get over the 'white lens' phobia. The only people who feel these lenses make you stand out (other than by the size/length) are readers of forums like this or perhaps the folks who look at the photographers on the sports field. To everyone else anything other than a P&S (and in many places even that) makes you stand out - as no doubt will your clothes and appearance and demeanor and the fact that you don't seem to really live around here...

April 22, 2010

I used non-canon batteries on a trip to Tibet and had no problems. I was off the grid for extended periods and took (and needed) 7 batteries. 3 were Canon, 4 non-Canon off of Amazon.

I did this for price on two counts, the battery and getting a car-charger cheap. That was very expense from Canon as well and a pittance from the 3rd party. It worked, well at least when the vehicles electrical system worked, which was intermittent.

The batteries did not get stuck, yes they required a separate charger but it was light and gave me the car charging option, a little tape helped me keep them straight. No ill effects on the camera, the incompatibility is that you cannot see what the state of the charge is. I did not do any testing to see how the time between charge varied so cannot comment there. Batteries were subjected to sub-zero temperatures, dust and altitudes up to 20,000 ft.

I've not checked Canon prices recently but they really seemed out of line to me back in September.

All that said, when I am in the US I just use the Canons.....

April 13, 2010

As Tom mentioned there are trails that come down the mountain and put you at the back of Muir Woods - this is a lovely way to enter rather than jostling with lots more cars and buses at the main entrance. Get a map of the region and you will see one of the campgrounds/parking lots a little above and north of the woods.

One can hike out down to Stinson beach as well, have a bit of food and drink, there are trails above there that provide some excellent views. You eventually have to hike back up unless you'll have two cars, but you'll have some great hikes either way.

There is another lot further up near the outdoor theatre that will give you a fairy tail view of the city - many times if the fog is in you'll see bits of the golden gate and the taller buildings sticking out from the clouds like some Walt Disney castle.

Also the Pelican Inn is nearby - another nice place to have a bite to eat and an ale.

March 22, 2010

I have one in very good condition if you are hunting for a used one...

My only complaints with this lens is that it can hunt around a bit when you are trying to focus in certain situations - for example a market scene with people milling around. It has a bit of noise from the IS element as well but I never found that disconcerting. It is not a small lens but reasonable to work with even in a crowd.

Someone mentioned the 70 - 200 F/4 lenses, there are dozens upon dozens of posts around of people comparing and debating between this lens and the non-IS version of the 70 - 200 as they fall into a similar price range. Depending on how much you like to torture yourself you can read through those and bounce back and forth ad infinitum....

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Posts posted by jeff_delisio