mjgwi

I have an upcoming trip to Europe (my first), and I'm looking for a new camera bag and deciding what equipment to bring. My equipment:

Nikon D80 w/ grip
18-135 kit
80-200
50 mm f1.8
SB-800 flash

I also have a Lowepro Fastpack 250, ipad and an older MBP. What I'm thinking for ease of transport is to just bring the D80 with the 18-135, and ipad, then bring a bunch of memory cards, hoping I don't lose any. I think I want to get a new bag to hold my camera, ipad, kindle, guide book and kindle. Any recommendations?

Any and all input is much appreciated.

ND Sol

First, it does depend on your shooting style and the interests you want to capture.

The D80 with the 18-135 is probably your best combination. Not sure about taking the vertical grip, but ensure you have spare batteries and your charger.

I would certainly consider taking the 50 for its low light capability that you will probably need. In fact, with an APS-C camera, I would consider buying a wider prime low-light, such as a 35mm f/1.8, and taking it instead of the 50.

I am not a big fan of taking the flash. Many places flash is prohibited and for the amount of probable use, I would consider lightening your load.

Why are you planning on taking your iPad? Unless you are downloading to it or are using Eye-Fi cards, I am unsure of its photography use.

I have the Lowepro Slingshot, which I find very comfortable to carry and access, but I'm not sure what you are looking for. I also have a Lowepro Urban Photo Sling, which holds more equipment and has a convenient sleeve for your tablet; however, I don't find it to be quite as comfortable.

As for memory cards, bring plenty and shoot with one for one or two days and then store it away. It would be great if you are able to back up your cards during the trip, but I don't see that you will have the equipment to do so.

I have a DIY "monopod". It is a metal washer attached to a string that on the other end has a thumbscrew, which attaches to the camera's tripod mount. The washer goes under my shoe and keeps the string taut to help stabilize the camera. Not on the same level as a true monopod, but it is cheap, light and small.

Kate_Canuck

I'm not sure if you want a larger bag (backpack style or similar) or something a little more discreet. If the latter, you might like the new Tamrac Aria 6:

http://www.tamrac.com/5426.htm

It has a padded sleeve for an iPad, with room for a camera with lens attached, a second lens, flash (or a third lens), plus some extra internal and external pockets. If it is like my smaller Aria 3 (which I use for my NEX 5R), the zippered front pocket will hold some (but not all) of the following: spare battery, memory cards, a filter or two, basic lens cleaning supplies, very skinny wallet, hotel key card. The side pockets probably are big enough to hold a medium-large (but not super-size) phone. They just fit my Droid Razr HD (and probably would fit an iPhone but not the recent large Samsung. I tuck my keys in the other side pocket. There is an open pocket in the back which can hold a skinny book (but probably isn't big enough for a thick guidebook). And it probably isn't big enough to carry an iPad and a Kindle. (Why would you want both?)

I just got the smaller Aria 3 to hold my NEX 5R. It's large enough for my camera with the 18-55 lens attached (center section), a zoom lens (left), my 50 mm lens and flash (stacked in the right). It also has a zippered interior pocket (which might be replaced by the padded iPad sleeve in the 6) that I use to hold a skinny wallet more securely than putting it in an external pocket. The outside pocket is big enough for my Google Nexus 7" tablet, although I don't always carry it that way because it's not the most secure way to carry it. The material is smooth on the outside (so it doesn't rub against clothes) and silver on the inside, making it easy to see stuff.

glennaa11

I agree it depends somewhat on what you plan to photograph an so on.

I find that for my general travel photography (when shooting APS-C) that a lens like 18-135 would fit the vast majority of things I shoot. I have a Tamron 18-270 that has served me quite well. But when I looked at the data from my photos I seldom used the supertele end very much.

I also agree that having a faster lens for low light is worthwhile if you plan to shoot much in those conditions. And I also agree that 50mm might be a little too tight in most places and something wider might be a better choice.

What is it about your current bag that you don't like?

You might consider a portable back up device for your memory cards just in case depending on how critical the photos are. I have an older HyperDrive Album that I use. It takes SD and CF cards among others. But I also travel with a laptop or netbook and backup to an external HDD as well so I have two copies in separate devices. Once I am sure the pictures are backed up I usually just reformat the card and use it again.

I have a lightweight travel tripod from Benro that I take along.

I'm headed to Germany for two weeks this summer and have decided to go m43 for this trip. I recently got a refurbished Olympus OM-D with the 12-50mm kit lens and some other lenses and stuff. It's a MUCH smaller package to carry around. After spending weeks in Asia the last several years with a D90 and then a D7000 and various lenses I was really looking to lighten my load.

WillCAD

The first question I'd ask: Are you going to Europe to vacation, and want to take some great photos while you're there, or are you going to Europe specifically to take photos?

If you're going specifically to take photos, if that is the primary and overriding purpose of the trip, then take everything and carry it all around with you. Make a plan of what you want to shoot and when, and you can equip your camera bag with the appropriate gear to get the shot before leaving your hotel each day/night.

However, if you're going to Europe on vacation, to see the sights, meet the people, tast the food, and take some photos along the way, then you'll need different gear.

Everyone wants every picture to come out as a masterpiece. But realistically, that only happens when you're devoting every moment of your time and every bit of your attention to creating the shot. If you're on vacation and photography is just one aspect of many, you don't need to take all of your gear, and you certainly don't need to carry all of what you have at all times.

I find that I accomplish vacation shooting best with a single superzoom lens. My current walkaround is a Cannon 18-200IS; it's a mid-range lens that delivers sharp images with very little distortion or chromatic abboration. It's biggest drawback is, of course, aperture; at 3.5-5.6, it's not really designed for low light photography without flash, although the IS system does give me a bit of leeway when shooting indoors or at dusk.

Your 18-135 kit lens will probably be an adequate walkaround lens for you, delivering both indoor and outdoor shots, within some limitations. But for a 3-week trip to Europe, I imagine that you'll probably have need of a longer focal length than 135mm. You could carry your 80-200 with you and change lenses often, but that's a major pain. I especially dislike changing lenses outdoors, because I dislike getting dust, hair, pollen, etc. inside my camera body; that's why I chose an 18-200 as my walkaround lens.

You have another option - rent (or buy, if you can afford it) a longer superzoom. It may cost you a bit, but you can step up in quality from the basic kit lens while also increasing your available range of focal lengths and eliminating the need to carry multiple lenses everywhere you go. One body, one lens, a good carry system (I highly recommend either a quality padded cross-body strap or a harness to save your neck and shoulders for all-day carry), and you're golden. My spare batteries and memory cards, and a good lens cloth, go in a pocket-size carrier, and I'm not a filter user, so I don't even bother carrying a camera bag with me.

As for the battery grip, I leave mine in the bag, back in my hotel, when on vacation. For all-day carry on vacation, it's a lot of weight that I can do without. I'm not a heavy shooter; I can easily get through a typical vacation day on a single battery charge and memory card, though I carry spares of both, so I don't really need the extra power of the battery grip. And while I miss the vertical controls a little, I can live without them to save weight; 8 to 12 hours carrying a heavy camera for up to 3 weeks will make you appreciate every milligram of weight savings.

Less gear also means less weight in my carry-on when I fly. So I've got that goin' for me, which is nice...

abmj-jr

Agree with several above. When I travel for vacation by air, the battery grip and flashes stay home and the 18-135 goes, along with a little 35 mm fast prime for indoor shooting. If my read of proposed locations suggests the need for a longer reach, then I'll toss in the 55-300 but I usually leave it home as well. I take a small laptop to dump each day's take onto and to quick-edit a few images for e-mail blogging but normally leave serious editing for after I get home. I also take enough memory cards so I do not have to delete any images until after I get home. That way, the cards and the laptop serve as duplicate storage. Two card wallets, one to carry and another for "used" cards. Extra batteries, charger, circular polarizer and ND filters and some cleaning stuff and that is about it. It all fits into a Krumpler Haven bag insert inside my laptop backpack with room for other stuff.

I used to take a Benro travel tripod but recently have lightened the load even more by replacing that with a little Really Right Stuff tabletop tripod and lightweight ball head. I can set it on fence posts or railings or even hold it solidly sideways against a wall or tree to get very stable shots when necessary.

I find that the lighter the load, the more enjoyable the trip.

mjgwi

Thanks for the input everyone. The trip is vacation which I plan on taking some photos on. My goal is to have a single bag (for camera etc) and a suitcase. I just ordered a think tank retrospective 7 which appears to have a good bit of room. What I'm thinking is to bring camera with 18-135, probably with the grip because I like the vertical controls, depending on fit in the bag. Maybe the 50mm. I just picked up three 16 gb cards to add to my handful of smaller ones. I'm just going to shoot on these and hope they don't get lost/stolen before I get home. I think I should have plenty of room in the bag for iPad, kindle (yes I like having both), guidebook, mifi, chargers, and journal.

I'm not sure if I really need a "camera" bag for what I'm bringing but, we'll see how I like the think tank when it arrives.

NurseRatched

Chiming in late here -

I took my D80 to Europe 2 years ago, with a 3rd party 18-200 zoom. The crop factor did some in handy for outdoor shots and whenever I needed the 300mm reach (think gargoyles, clock towers, etc.) but when it came to inside museums and magnificent old churches, I regretted not having a fast prime. The D80 has limitations if you try to push the ISO, and if you're trying for hand-held shots at night with slow glass and that camera body, you will be disappointed with the results unless you have either a tripod (which has its own set of issues in Europe) or doing a long exposure shot (use a beanbag or a Gorillapod.)

Sigma's new 18-35 f/1.8 zoom (designed for APS-C sensors!) isn't on sale quite yet, but their 30mm f/1.4 (A) is worth looking at (or renting). If it's half as good as their magic 35mm f/1.4, it should be spectacularly good.

I came back from a London/Italy/Munich trip a month ago - that 35mm stayed glued to my D700 the whole time, even though I took other lenses with me. When you're in a European city, fast and wide are your friends.

Good luck and have fun!

benjifrank

I think all necessary things you already kept with you, this is enough.

cronin85

I have a 3 weeks trip coming up in July as well and I'm thinking of just taking my Canon S95 or possibly getting Sony RX100. My DSLR is Canon T3i so it's nothing fancy, but I have 18-55 kit lens, 50-250mm and a nifty fifty. I'm going backpacking so reducing weight and saving space in my somewhat small 55L backpack is pretty crucial. Do you guys take your DSLRs on backpacking trips? How big are your packs?

WillCAD

Cronin, why would you take a camera with you and leave it in your pack? To paraphrase the old Verizon commercial, A camera is no good, if it's wrapped up in your dirty underwear.

I don't backpack, but I have been on plenty of dayhikes and I vacation at Disney World every year. I never carry my camera in a bag; I'd miss all sorts of cool photo ops.

abmj-jr

Back in my film days I did but I was MUCH younger and in far better shape. I don't backpack or climb anymore but for real go-light trips I own and carry a little Sony NEX 5R. With a couple of accessory lenses and basic kit, the whole thing weighs in at less than a quarter of my DSLR kit and probably has 85-90% of the capability. It is extra money tied up in cameras I only use part-time but my back has been thanking me since I got it.

traveller001

OP may regret not taking the 50mm prime lens for low light indoor shots w/o flash.

My 50 ended up being my most used lens. I cropped a lot of stuff where I would have used a longer lens.

Long Zhiren

Am I the only person in the world that loves to pack a neutral gradient filter? I'm always shooting at something partly well lit, and something partly not-so-well lit.

abmj-jr

No, not at all. It is just that most of us consider that to be part of the "basic kit," always in the bag along with a circular polarizer, extra batteries and cards, lens cleaner, etc.