Minimum photo gear for motorcycle vacation?

Grainbelt · August 15, 2009

My last motorcycle vacation involved a little olympus point and shoot.

I now have two film bodies, a digital body, 8 lenses and two flashes. :huh

I'm headed to the interior of British Columbia on a motorcycle vacation, and I can't decide how much of my limited space to devote to camera gear.

I have available to me:

Pentax K200D and battery grip
Sigma 10-20
kit 18-55
FA 50 1.4
Tamron 90mm 2.8 Macro
FGZ360 flash
manfrotto 190XPROB w/ 488RC2 ballhead
manfrotto monopod with little ballhead

then the film stuff, a superprogram with 30, 40, 50, and 100mm manual focus lenses.

I'm thinking of taking the 10-20, the 90mm macro, the big tripod, the flash, and the superprogram with the 40mm pancake. The K200D can meter and work with the 40mm lens in manual focus.

I could always throw the 50mm 1.4 in as it is quite small and would work on both bodies. I'm not sure I'll end up using the flash but I hate not having one with me, especially since the body can control it wirelessly...

Any seasoned travelers care to share their wisdom? Will I regret leaving the 18-55 at home? I just ordered the 10-20 and will have very little time to get used to it before I go.

cletus · August 15, 2009

If you're going to have the 10-20 and 50 then you can get by without the 18-55... usually. When you'll regret leaving the 18-55 at home will be those times when you want to have a minimal amount of gear to lug around. Say you find a little town that you can safely leave the bike with most of your gear on it while you walk around to see the town. Thats when a lens like the 18-55 is the lens to have.

Sounds like you've got the important items covered, ultra-wide, normal (if you take the 50 and/or the 18-55), short-tele macro, flash, and tripod. With that you can cover most of what you'll want to shoot. Only thing you'd be missing is a mid to long tele.... but if you don't have one I would not worry about it.

MooreDriven · August 16, 2009

What are you using to carry the camera(s) and lenses?

You didn't say what type of bike your riding, so it's difficult to know what set up you have to work with.

I use a ThinkTank Streetwalker HardDrive bag, then place it into my top box. It's a perfect fit for my bag and keeps it protected from the elements. Here's a photo of the bike with top box. The bag is hidden away from curious eyes. If you don't have a top box, then use the bags waterproof cover in case of rain.

The Streetwalker allows me to carry all of my gear needed, and would work well for you. Once you reach your location, you can carry the entire bag or just pull out what you need for the shot.

If I take the tripod, then I strap in across the bike, just below the top box. I highly recommend RokStraps for securing your gear on the bike.

As far as what camera gear to take, that's depends on what you plan to shoot. I would take as much as you can. On a bike trip, you just never know what you'll run across.

Good luck and safe travels.

InsuredDisaster · August 16, 2009

Don't underestimate just how much space any SLR setup will take. I have a massive Pelican 1620, and just 2-3 lenses, tripod, and camera in its bag takes up almost half the case. In some ways, once you make the decision to take the SLR, you've got so much space taken up, its inconsequential to add another lens to the setup.

So I'd start with the Wide angle and the 18-55. I find Zooms are very nice for travel and quick stuff. This for me would deal with most of the shots I take. I'd leave the monopod. A tripod can be used as a monopod, but not the otherway around. Consider leaving the battery grip. Unless you really want the extra handling advantages, its pretty big, and flashy. You'll scream pro, and this might have its own benefits and disadvantages too. But you probably already know these.

I'd leave the film, unless you've got a good reason to take them. If you are using the Digital to meter with, then you've already got the shot right? Why put the digital down and pick up the film?

Flash is probably a good idea. You can do a lot with it. But at the same time, it might be less effective with general landscape shots.

One thing I'd probably want is a good telephoto for wildlife you might see. Not sure the the 90mm would fit the bill.

This, and a smaller, lighter backup PnS camera. I use the Oly 1030SW. Expensive I guess, but I leave it around my neck on a lanyard and can shoot shots while riding or when I don't feel like pulling out all of the other stuff. Its rugged, but a bit lacking on the manual controls.

I'd include the 50 if you have room, but I'd probably pick the zoom over the 50. I find that jumping from the 20mm to the 50mm range is a big jump for me.

Grainbelt · August 16, 2009

I have a Ninja 650R with Givi V35 side cases and E470 topcase. Then I throw on a cortech tailbag and tankbag. Ends up like this - pretty clean given all the space I have:

I have a smallish lowepro bag I can fit the DSLR and two or so lenses in. It will likely ride in the top box. Tripod fits lengthwise in the tailbag with the ballhead removed. My little olympus probably in the tank bag.

I think I'll leave the film stuff at home. As much fun as I've had playing with it, it will just eat up too much space. Agree that the grip is overkill - far better balanced feel with the 90mm, but if I'm shooting macro it is on the tripod anyway.

I generally shoot almost entirely landscapes, and am picking up the macro bug pretty hard. I somewhat despise the kit lens, it underexposes by nearly a stop, vignettes at bit at the wide end and can't touch the sharpness of the 50 1.4 at the long end. I feel I'm better served by my 36-120mm equiv olympus for those shots, and avoid changing lenses on the fly. The flash is nice, but I prefer natural lighting and faster lenses, and the 50 will take care of that nicely.

I think I'm set.

K200D
10-20
50 1.4
90 2.8
tripod
olympus D600

The 50mm 1.4 is a tiny lens, the other two somewhat larger, but don't take up too much space. Now that I have a netbook rather than a laptop, I'll still have room for other items in the top box.

I appreciate the suggestions of a telephoto for wildlife, but having just bought the 10-20 it simply isn't in the budget right now.

Thanks all for the suggestions!

InsuredDisaster · August 16, 2009

I think you made the right call, especially if you despise the kit lens. Nice bike by the way!

Grainbelt · August 19, 2009

Sigma 10-20 cleared customs Sunday the 16th but has not yet arrived.

I leave at sunrise on Friday. :uhoh

InsuredDisaster · August 19, 2009

You know, it might be possible to have someone send the lens ahead of you if you are going to be in some place for a bit. You'll have to pay a bit more on shipping, but if you are not in a rush to get to the middle of nowhere, it might work. You'll just be without the lens for a few days.

Hope you get it quickly though!

Grainbelt · August 19, 2009

InsuredDisaster wrote:

Hope you get it quickly though!

Currently being held hostage within a kilometer of my house by a Canada Post office whose computers are down for a system conversion.

They claim I can pick up tomorrow.

Mike K · August 20, 2009

got to be frustrating

Grainbelt · August 21, 2009

Mike K wrote:

got to be frustrating

Yes, but as it turns out, completely worth it. Fit and finish looks great, the few quick samples I took look great, and it fits my shooting style quite nicely!

Alright, I gotta hit the road. Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone. I'll post up in Journeys when I get back.

--Mike

Ed Michaels · August 21, 2009

Grainbelt wrote:

Yes, but as it turns out, completely worth it. Fit and finish looks great, the few quick samples I took look great, and it fits my shooting style quite nicely!

Alright, I gotta hit the road. Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone. I'll post up in Journeys when I get back.

--Mike

In order to facilitate the added size and weight of my D700 as my road trip camera verus the comparative "compact" size of one of my old D70 bodies as a road trip body, I am going pro in focal length but amateur in speed, construction and weight to facilitate the full frame camera body. The D700 ability to provide excellent captures up through ISO 3200 without any post processing will make my slow/variable aperture lenses more than adequate. The lenses are:

18-35/3.5-4.5 AFD Nikkor 2001 purchase
24-85/3.5-4.5 AFS Nikkor 2003 purchase
70-300/4.5-5.6 AFS VRII Nikkor 2006 purchase
50/1.8 AF (pre D chip) Nikkor just in case ISO 6400 plus is not enough. 1989 purchase

All lenses have Hoya Digital Pro UV filters mounted as protection.
1 each 52, 67 and 77mm Heliopan circular polarizers plus a Heliopan graduated 77MM ND.

6 4GB Delkin Pro UDMA CF Cards plus reader

3 EN-EL3e batteries plus 1 MH18a charger

1 ACER Netbook with 6 hour battery and AC adapter plus Sprint USB broadband.

Leatherman WAVE

LED penlight

1 VX6B mil spec WT with 2 batteries, ac charger, belt case and antenna.

1 Verizon Boulder Casio Gzone mil spec cell phone with AC charger and HD battery.

Tripp Lite PV 150 12volt input 120VAC output single socket power inverter in case no AC available to charge batteries for camera/netbook/cellphone & Amateur radio walkie talkie.

Ed Michaels
KC2MWI

7

Grainbelt · August 22, 2009

Ed - that is a strong setup! Very nicely done.

I recently picked up an HP netbook and have it with me as well (it facilitated this post).

My camera is really only usable to ISO 800, so the 50/1.4 and 90/2.8 are necessities. I'm finding the 10-22 more than adequate for daytime landscapes, but the roads here are so good that I seem to forget to stop to take pictures.

InsuredDisaster · August 23, 2009

That happens! I keep a compact around my neck for those shots I want when I'm not really interested in stopping.

Internet on the road? What would Lewis and Clark have said?

(I've had a Verizon connectiong myself.)

Minimum photo gear for motorcycle vacation?

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