Shooting in the Philipines and in China...

cmr164

I will be going to Shenzhen and Chongqing by way of the Philipines at the end of September. I will spend a few days in Manilla, fly to Hongkong and take the airport bus to Shenzhen, spend 2 days in Shenzhen and then fly to Chongqing (3 gorges area). I will spend one week in Chongqing then repeat the journey in reverse except the Ph part will be spent in either Cebu, Batuan, or Quezon (TBD).

I will carry with me my Canon 1D Mark II, and the following lenses and kit.
17-35 2.8L, 24-70 2.8L, 85 f1.2L, 70-200 2.8L IS, 100-400 f4-5.6L IS.
Extension tubes, circular polarizer, EX420 flash, one 4G card and 2 iG card.

Undecided whether to bring my 17" powerbook or to invest in a more portable notebook or 40G card storage device. (remote drive that can directly read CF cards and which may have a display)

Advice on equipment, on photo ops to not miss and any and sundry other bits of advice are welcome. I will be staying in hotels but I will have a native speaker to help me out at each location.

Am I carrying too much gear? I'll have a chance to test that when I do a cruise to the Bahamas mid September.

dkapp

If you looking to travel light and leave the PB at home, I've read good reviews on a digital wallet by CompactDrive. It claims to be the fastest external solution available, downloading 1gb of pictures in under 4 minutes.

Link to review:
http://www.jaldigital.com.au/pd7xreview.html

Link to mydigitaldiscount:
http://www.mydigitaldiscount.com/s.nl/c.ACCT139057/category.386/it.A/id.518/.f

I've been waiting on the Nikon Coolwalker before making my decision.

Dave

cmr164

dkapp wrote:

If you looking to travel light and leave the PB at home, I've read good reviews on a digital wallet by CompactDrive. It claims to be the fastest external solution available, downloading 1gb of pictures in under 4 minutes.

Link to review:
http://www.jaldigital.com.au/pd7xreview.html

Link to mydigitaldiscount:
http://www.mydigitaldiscount.com/s.nl/c.ACCT139057/category.386/it.A/id.518/.f

I've been waiting on the Nikon Coolwalker before making my decision.

Dave

This is very very cool but it seems to only support CF/microdrives up to 1G and I am using 4G.

dkapp

cmr164 wrote:

This is very very cool but it seems to only support CF/microdrives up to 1G and I am using 4G.

On the review, they say a firmware update will be released soon to address cards larger than 2gb. I'm not sure what the manufacturer considers "soon" but my guess would probably be weeks to months out. I'm going to keep watching this product as it matures. I'll let you know when 4gb is possible if your still interested.

Dave

cmr164

dkapp wrote:

On the review, they say a firmware update will be released soon to address cards larger than 2gb. I'm not sure what the manufacturer considers "soon" but my guess would probably be weeks to months out. I'm going to keep watching this product as it matures. I'll let you know when 4gb is possible if your still interested.

Dave

Thanks. This does seem to be the right product for the niche.

dkapp

Looking at your equipment list again, that is a lot of weight to be hauling around. What kind of photography will you focus on?

Will you be able to pick the gear on a day to day basis & have a safe place to keep what you will not use?

When I go downtown for street photography, I take my 12" PB, D70 & 2 lenses that weight about 1lb each. After 4+ hours walking around, my feet & legs are sore. I consider myself to be in above average shape. My setup is very light, designed for long hikes with minimal fatigue.

What kind of bag will you use? I have a few bags from crumpler (www.crumplerusa.com) & they are great. Good quality construction & they don't look anything like a camera bag. I feel safer knowing I'm blending in.

Dave

DavidTO

cmr164 wrote:

Thanks. This does seem to be the right product for the niche.

Get yourself an iPod with the Belkin media reader. Not the cheapest alternative, but you can bring music with you on your trip. And store all the photos you need.

wxwax

Hate to say it, but too much gear IMHO. Unless you haul it all around with you, there's a good chance many lenses will go unused. I'm about to spend a week on and around Mt. St. Helens, and I'm considering taking three lenses, no flash, and a bunch of CF cards. No prime lenses, and the 300 stays home too.

I'm thinking I'll take the 16-35 for landscape, the 24-70 for general use, and the 70-200 for people. Plus the camera body, tripod, compact flash cards, and lens cleaner. It should all fit in/on a backpack. If I ditched one, it would be the 70-200.

DavidTO

wxwax wrote:

Hate to say it, but too much gear IMHO. Unless you haul it all around with you, there's a good chance many lenses will go unused. I'm about to spend a week on and around Mt. St. Helens, and I'm considering taking three lenses, no flash, and a bunch of CF cards. No prime lenses, and the 300 stays home too.

I'm thinking I'll take the 16-35 for landscape, the 24-70 for general use, and the 70-200 for people. Plus the camera body, tripod, compact flash cards, and lens cleaner. It should all fit in/on a backpack. If I ditched one, it would be the 70-200.

I have the Lowepro Micro Trekker 100 for my only camera bag. I have the body, 70-200 lens, the kit lens, a flash and my new and underused Holga in it. Plenty of room for cards, of course.

Love this bag. I would buy this bag and put in whatever fits. You might possibly move up to the 200 series bag, but I would think that anything bigger would be too big.

damonff

Hey Charles and everyone else. Well, China...hmmmm. I never made it doen south so I can't help you with Shenzhen or HK. However, there are a few things to remember when traveling to China. Never, EVER use a Chinese tour guide. They cut deals with restaurants and tourist traps and take you places that seem like huge Chinese amusement parks. You can't get a decent tour there because the Chinese don't really value what we value or think things are cool that we think are cool. For example, no one in China thought that the pictures I took were of any value. Their take is, "why would he want to take a picture of that alley or that market or that man; why doen't he take a picture of the Pearl Tower?" Well, as Andy said a while ago, if you want pictures of tourist spots, buy a post card book and focus on shots that you CAN'T buy. OK. Also, Chinese people love to be photographed. People photography will be a joy for you over there; they especially like you to snal their children since they're so proud of them because most of them have only one. The public bathrooms have no TP so bring your own or use western establishments like McDonald's or Pizza Hut. Bring hand sanitizer...hmmmm. Thinking. Questions? Please ask...

cmr164 wrote:

I will be going to Shenzhen and Chongqing by way of the Philipines at the end of September. I will spend a few days in Manilla, fly to Hongkong and take the airport bus to Shenzhen, spend 2 days in Shenzhen and then fly to Chongqing (3 gorges area). I will spend one week in Chongqing then repeat the journey in reverse except the Ph part will be spent in either Cebu, Batuan, or Quezon (TBD).

I will carry with me my Canon 1D Mark II, and the following lenses and kit.
17-35 2.8L, 24-70 2.8L, 85 f1.2L, 70-200 2.8L IS, 100-400 f4-5.6L IS.
Extension tubes, circular polarizer, EX420 flash, one 4G card and 2 iG card.

Undecided whether to bring my 17" powerbook or to invest in a more portable notebook or 40G card storage device. (remote drive that can directly read CF cards and which may have a display)

Advice on equipment, on photo ops to not miss and any and sundry other bits of advice are welcome. I will be staying in hotels but I will have a native speaker to help me out at each location.

Am I carrying too much gear? I'll have a chance to test that when I do a cruise to the Bahamas mid September.

damonff

Oh yeah, as far as the lenses, I'd travel lightly because there's plenty of walking in China. Maybe bring a 70-200 and a 50. That's it. You'll be so tired of lugging that stuff and the stuff you leave behind could be lifted...you never know. There's hardly any crime, but a westerner with a big expensive camera definitely gets attention. And, I'd bring my Powerbook. I went everywhere with mine inside of my Lowepro stealth reporter. It holds my powerbook, my 828, my Canon film slr and my cards, and other accessories. Really a cool bag.

damonff wrote:

Hey Charles and everyone else. Well, China...hmmmm. I never made it doen south so I can't help you with Shenzhen or HK. However, there are a few things to remember when traveling to China. Never, EVER use a Chinese tour guide. They cut deals with restaurants and tourist traps and take you places that seem like huge Chinese amusement parks. You can't get a decent tour there because the Chinese don't really value what we value or think things are cool that we think are cool. For example, no one in China thought that the pictures I took were of any value. Their take is, "why would he want to take a picture of that alley or that market or that man; why doen't he take a picture of the Pearl Tower?" Well, as Andy said a while ago, if you want pictures of tourist spots, buy a post card book and focus on shots that you CAN'T buy. OK. Also, Chinese people love to be photographed. People photography will be a joy for you over there; they especially like you to snal their children since they're so proud of them because most of them have only one. The public bathrooms have no TP so bring your own or use western establishments like McDonald's or Pizza Hut. Bring hand sanitizer...hmmmm. Thinking. Questions? Please ask...

cmr164

damonff wrote:

Hey Charles and everyone else. Well, China...hmmmm. I never made it doen south so I can't help you with Shenzhen or HK. However, there are a few things to remember when traveling to China. Never, EVER use a Chinese tour guide. They cut deals with restaurants and tourist traps and take you places that seem like huge Chinese amusement parks.

My guide will be a personal friend and sometimes her teenage son. So I won't have to worry about the kickbacks or tourist traps. I expect to pretty much avoid all of that.

damonff wrote:

You can't get a decent tour there because the Chinese don't really value what we value or think things are cool that we think are cool. For example, no one in China thought that the pictures I took were of any value. Their take is, "why would he want to take a picture of that alley or that market or that man; why doen't he take a picture of the Pearl Tower?" Well, as Andy said a while ago, if you want pictures of tourist spots, buy a post card book and focus on shots that you CAN'T buy. OK. Also, Chinese people love to be photographed. People photography will be a joy for you over there; they especially like you to snal their children since they're so proud of them because most of them have only one.

Hopefully my friend will have some clue of what I want to photograph. At least I know she is interested in my thinking and wants to take me to places i will enjoy.

damonff wrote:

The public bathrooms have no TP so bring your own or use western establishments like McDonald's or Pizza Hut. Bring hand sanitizer...hmmmm. Thinking. Questions? Please ask...

Those 2 are good tips! I have a bunch of tissue travel packets that I never thought I would use and I'll make a point of buying some baby wipes.

damonff wrote:

Oh yeah, as far as the lenses, I'd travel lightly because there's plenty of walking in China. Maybe bring a 70-200 and a 50. That's it. You'll be so tired of lugging that stuff and the stuff you leave behind could be lifted...you never know. There's hardly any crime, but a westerner with a big expensive camera definitely gets attention. And, I'd bring my Powerbook. I went everywhere with mine inside of my Lowepro stealth reporter. It holds my powerbook, my 828, my Canon film slr and my cards, and other accessories. Really a cool bag.

Even though I will be staying in a hotel, I figure on being able to stash some gear at my friends apartment. If I do cut back, I'll drop the 100-400 IS L and/or the very heavy 85 f1.2L . The latter is one of the nicest low light lenses ever made. I usually pack all my camera and computer gear in a hard sided carry-on. For walking around I use a generic black cloth bag that easily holds 2 of the 3 17-35/24-70/85 and the Canon case for the 100-400 or the 70-200. Figure with a lens on the camera I have 4 lenses out of the 5 that can be with me at any given time. I also have an older model trekker but I do not much use it and will not bring it. I do sometimes use the OutPack oversize waist/fanny bag that can hold 3 of the medium size lenses. The funny thing is that for a fat (120k) old (52) crippled (smashed knee, MI, bypass) guy who can not even run, I can tote 15K of gear and walk all day long. With the knee, mountains and hills are an issue loaded down or not.

cmr164

wxwax wrote:

Hate to say it, but too much gear IMHO. Unless you haul it all around with you, there's a good chance many lenses will go unused. I'm about to spend a week on and around Mt. St. Helens, and I'm considering taking three lenses, no flash, and a bunch of CF cards. No prime lenses, and the 300 stays home too.

I'm thinking I'll take the 16-35 for landscape, the 24-70 for general use, and the 70-200 for people. Plus the camera body, tripod, compact flash cards, and lens cleaner. It should all fit in/on a backpack. If I ditched one, it would be the 70-200.

Daytime carry around kit; 17-35, 24-70, 100-400
Nighttime carry around kit: 17-35, 24-70, 70-200, either the 85 f1.2 or the flash

If I skip the 85 f1.2 and the 100-400 then all the reamaing gear gets carried day or night except the flash which only gets carried for inside and even then probably skipped most of the time.

damonff

Beer
Beer is very cheap if you buy it at a stand (about 20 cents) and not at a restaurant (about 5 dollars). Ask for cold (beendah).

cmr164 wrote:

My guide will be a personal friend and sometimes her teenage son. So I won't have to worry about the kickbacks or tourist traps. I expect to pretty much avoid all of that.
Hopefully my friend will have some clue of what I want to photograph. At least I know she is interested in my thinking and wants to take me to places i will enjoy.
Those 2 are good tips! I have a bunch of tissue travel packets that I never thought I would use and I'll make a point of buying some baby wipes.

Even though I will be staying in a hotel, I figure on being able to stash some gear at my friends apartment. If I do cut back, I'll drop the 100-400 IS L and/or the very heavy 85 f1.2L . The latter is one of the nicest low light lenses ever made. I usually pack all my camera and computer gear in a hard sided carry-on. For walking around I use a generic black cloth bag that easily holds 2 of the 3 17-35/24-70/85 and the Canon case for the 100-400 or the 70-200. Figure with a lens on the camera I have 4 lenses out of the 5 that can be with me at any given time. I also have an older model trekker but I do not much use it and will not bring it. I do sometimes use the OutPack oversize waist/fanny bag that can hold 3 of the medium size lenses. The funny thing is that for a fat (120k) old (52) crippled (smashed knee, MI, bypass) guy who can not even run, I can tote 15K of gear and walk all day long. With the knee, mountains and hills are an issue loaded down or not.

cmr164

dkapp wrote:

On the review, they say a firmware update will be released soon to address cards larger than 2gb. I'm not sure what the manufacturer considers "soon" but my guess would probably be weeks to months out. I'm going to keep watching this product as it matures. I'll let you know when 4gb is possible if your still interested.

Dave

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