People ask the question, “what’s the best camera gear for travelling?”
Some would say you need the absolute top of the line everything. Some would say all you need is a Lomo. Both would be right.
The truth is, gear matters far less than most people think. As long as you can make the camera do what you want it to do, that’s the camera for you. If you can’t make it sing, it’s not the camera’s fault. Now, if you only use 10% of all it’s megapixels, sensors and technology, than sorry, you wasted your money.
When I travel, I choose my gear based on what I plan to shoot. Every trip will present its own challenges, opportunities and results.
Light is dynamic and will never be perfect, until it is, at which point be ready for it.
If your sole purpose is to go somewhere to do landscape photography and all you bring is a long telephoto with no tripod, you didn’t bring the right gear.
My plan started simple enough: photograph Machu Picchu in a new and interesting way. Nothing worthwhile is ever simple.
Here’s what I brought (keep in mind this wasn’t all just for Machu Picchu – I spent about 10 days in other parts of Peru as well):
- Crumpler Keystone camera bag
- Nikon D300 camera body
- Sigma 10-20mm wide angle lens
- Nikon 35mm 1.8mm prime lens
- Nikon 50mm 1.8mm prime lens
- Nikon 70-300mm telephoto zoom lens
- Plenty of Cokin P-Series neutral density, gradients, polarizers and UV filters
- 3 memory cards: 1gb, 8gb and 16gb.
You might be wondering why I brought both a 35mm and a 50mm. The reason’s simple enough: I had enough room in my bag and each only weighs a few ounces, so why not? If it all fits in one bag and the bag doesn’t cripple you after walking 30 steps, go ahead and bring it. Plus, with prime lenses, you’re at the mercy of distance to subject and since Machu Picchu is built on a mountain top with sheer precipices dropping thousands of feet, I wanted the flexibility of being able to get closer/further without having to physically do so. The Nikon 24-70mm or even 17-55mm would have come in handy here but I don’t have either so I worked with what I have.