1 Month trip ahead- thoughts on photo storage, tripod, and other gear

[Mckenzie]

Well I will be traveling to Greece and Turkey for a month in Sept. and needed some opinions. I will be packing:

1-7D canon with a 16G memory card
2- 18-200 mm lens with UV and CP filter
3- 16-35 L lens with UV filter
4- 50mm prime
5- 2 extra batteries
6- Canon Rebel XSI for backup
7- Cleaning supplies

I was also curious if anyone has had experience with these portable storage devices. I could really care less about the camera getting lost or stolen, but want to ensure my images return unscathed. I found this list here:

http://photodoto.com/portable-photo-storage-buyers-guide/

Also, is there anything else you would recommend I take with me for the trip? portable tripod?

Thanks!

[Mitsu3000gt]

Your kit seems pretty good. You could probably even just take the 18-200 if you really wanted to travel light. 16-35 would be nice for inside churches or whatever though.

Anyways, for portable storage I use a Hyperdrive Colorspace. Reviews are great, and mine has been 100% reliable over the last 2-3 years I've had it. Mine is 120GB but you can get them in various sizes. They accept any memory card, so you can back up your friend's pictures too or people you meet.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/538204-REG/Sanho_SAHDCS250_250GB_HyperDrive_COLORSPACE.html

They have newer ones now with bigger screens, but I find they are not fast enough to make looking through your pictures on them worth it anyways.

The other option is to buy something like this, but only if you will have a laptop or something with you:

http://www.lacie.com/products/product.htm?pid=11509

They are designed for that exact purpose.

I would bring a Gorilla pod "SLR Zoom" or "Focus" if you don't want to lug around a tripod. It's strong enough to hold your camera and any of the lenses you're bringing, plus you can attach it to poles or whatever. That is what I'm bringing with me on my upcoming trip to Sardinia/Germany.

http://joby.com/gorillapod/slrzoom/


As for other stuff to bring, I would recommend a lens pen or two, to quickly get anything off your lens elements without having to carry around spray solution and a cloth. Especially if you are near the ocean or on boats. Salt can build up on the lens a bit.

Make sure you have the plug adapters you need for wherever your going, and the voltage works with your charger. Your camera charger will be 120/240 so you should be OK there though.

If you only have one 16GB card, unload it often so all your eggs aren't in one basket if something does happen to it.

If you don't already know, maybe check to see if your camera is covered in your home contents insurance when you travel for theft, damage, etc. Mine is, and it is nice to not have to worry too much about that sort of thing.

Make sure you have a comfortable camera bag as well, if you are going to be lugging it around everywhere. Also make sure it conforms to airline carry-on standards if you are traveling on some smaller airlines within Europe or anything like that.

Other than that, just common sense and I think you should be good to go. Enjoy your trip!

[ottamania]

I would buy the tripod Turkey. Which city you gonna visit. I was in istanbul couple weeks ago. Tons of places to take pics there.

Tripod is a must if you takin pics of the bosphorus. Night time shots of maiden tower and galata tower is very nice. Go to a place called Dogu Bank - where you can find good deals on tripods. They have good deals on lenses as well.

[blitz]

Make sure you've got a comfortable bag (or bags depending on the type of trip). For longer trips I take a backpack and a shoulder style bag so I have the option on what to use (shoulder bag in cities and short trips, backpack for hiking).

I'm using Thinktank products right now and love them (Urban Disguise 40 and Streetwalker Pro).

[Mckenzie]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
Your kit seems pretty good. You could probably even just take the 18-200 if you really wanted to travel light. 16-35 would be nice for inside churches or whatever though.

Anyways, for portable storage I use a Hyperdrive Colorspace. Reviews are great, and mine has been 100% reliable over the last 2-3 years I've had it. Mine is 120GB but you can get them in various sizes. They accept any memory card, so you can back up your friend's pictures too or people you meet.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/538204-REG/Sanho_SAHDCS250_250GB_HyperDrive_COLORSPACE.html

They have newer ones now with bigger screens, but I find they are not fast enough to make looking through your pictures on them worth it anyways.

The other option is to buy something like this, but only if you will have a laptop or something with you:

http://www.lacie.com/products/product.htm?pid=11509

They are designed for that exact purpose.

I would bring a Gorilla pod "SLR Zoom" or "Focus" if you don't want to lug around a tripod. It's strong enough to hold your camera and any of the lenses you're bringing, plus you can attach it to poles or whatever. That is what I'm bringing with me on my upcoming trip to Sardinia/Germany.

http://joby.com/gorillapod/slrzoom/


As for other stuff to bring, I would recommend a lens pen or two, to quickly get anything off your lens elements without having to carry around spray solution and a cloth. Especially if you are near the ocean or on boats. Salt can build up on the lens a bit.

Make sure you have the plug adapters you need for wherever your going, and the voltage works with your charger. Your camera charger will be 120/240 so you should be OK there though.

If you only have one 16GB card, unload it often so all your eggs aren't in one basket if something does happen to it.

If you don't already know, maybe check to see if your camera is covered in your home contents insurance when you travel for theft, damage, etc. Mine is, and it is nice to not have to worry too much about that sort of thing.

Make sure you have a comfortable camera bag as well, if you are going to be lugging it around everywhere. Also make sure it conforms to airline carry-on standards if you are traveling on some smaller airlines within Europe or anything like that.

Other than that, just common sense and I think you should be good to go. Enjoy your trip!

Awesome post thanks! I will look into the portable drive. Do you know if it does movies too? The 7d takes video clips as well. I don't want to bring a camera bag as I don't want to attract attention to me carrying around $3k worth of gear either so I'm going to see if they have one of those small cases that just fits the body and lens. I do have a lens pen, which are awesome.

I would like to bring the 16-35 as it takes incredible landscape shots, esp in lower light. However I've realized that the 18-200 is a really dope lens so it will be my go to lens most of the time.



Originally posted by ottamania
I would buy the tripod Turkey. Which city you gonna visit. I was in istanbul couple weeks ago. Tons of places to take pics there.

Tripod is a must if you takin pics of the bosphorus. Night time shots of maiden tower and galata tower is very nice. Go to a place called Dogu Bank - where you can find good deals on tripods. They have good deals on lenses as well.

Thanks- I will add these places to my itinerary. So far I know I'm flying out of Istanbul on Oct 13....if you have any suggestions for Turkey please let me know.


Originally posted by blitz
Make sure you've got a comfortable bag (or bags depending on the type of trip). For longer trips I take a backpack and a shoulder style bag so I have the option on what to use (shoulder bag in cities and short trips, backpack for hiking).

I'm using Thinktank products right now and love them (Urban Disguise 40 and Streetwalker Pro).

I will check these out. I want to either just throw my camera in a small case into my daypack, or find a day pack that doesn't look too camera baggish as to not attract attention to me. I'd prefer to be rolling with the least amount of rob my i've got gear advertising as possible. I'm picking up the 7D at Camera Store tomorrow so maybe I'll see what they have.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by Mckenzie


Awesome post thanks! I will look into the portable drive. Do you know if it does movies too? The 7d takes video clips as well. I don't want to bring a camera bag as I don't want to attract attention to me carrying around $3k worth of gear either so I'm going to see if they have one of those small cases that just fits the body and lens. I do have a lens pen, which are awesome.

I would like to bring the 16-35 as it takes incredible landscape shots, esp in lower light. However I've realized that the 18-200 is a really dope lens so it will be my go to lens most of the time.


Yes, the portable drives do movies too. It will read data off the card even if it can't display it on it's little screen. They also can display RAW files, are UDMA compatible for the really fast CF memory cards, confirm when the data is verified on the device, and has recovery tools just in case. They can also repair bad sectors on your memory cards. My 4GB UDMA cards unload in under 2 min which is pretty good. They are invaluable when traveling IMO, just make sure you bring the charger for it too haha. As I was saying before though, I wouldn't spend your money on the ones with the big color screens, unless you buy the super expensive ones, it takes forever for them to load a RAW file and display it for you on it's tiny screen. Just get a regular one and save the viewing for your computer or the back of your camera if you really want to.

If you think you will be using the 18-200 90% of the time, I wouldn't bother bringing the 16-35 unless you are OK with carrying it around all the time as dead weight. Maybe leave that at home and bring the 50mm instead so you at least have one fast lens with you. Totally up to you though, of course. I know I'm bad for lugging around way more than I need all the time while on vacation.

A discrete black camera bag probably won't draw too much attention, but you never know. The less gear you bring the smaller bag/case you can get away with too. I figure no matter what bag you have, as soon as you pull out a giant DSLR, everyone will know it's in whatever bag you are carrying anyways. You can also get camera bags that are half backpack and half camera bag, which you might like. If you like that idea, I would start looking at a Kata 3n1 bag.

[ottamania]

Originally posted by Mckenzie


Thanks- I will add these places to my itinerary. So far I know I'm flying out of Istanbul on Oct 13....if you have any suggestions for Turkey please let me know.




How long are you gonna stay in Istanbul?

Hagia sofia is must to see along with blue mosque. I took lot of pics of those places.

Also go see Topkapi Palace. You can rent the ipod looking thing and it explains the place as you go thru it. They wont let u use a camera in some places but u can still take sneaky shots. take the picture of the 86 carrat diamond.

Go see the grand bazaar as well. if u try to buy something, bargain the fuk out of them. if they say 40 - you offer 20! dont get ripped off.

[blitz]

What about a wide angle? i.e. a 11-16mm instead of the 16-35mm.

[The_Rural_Juror]

I would bring at least one or two more memory cards in case that one craps out.

[Mckenzie]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt


Yes, the portable drives do movies too. It will read data off the card even if it can't display it on it's little screen. They also can display RAW files, are UDMA compatible for the really fast CF memory cards, confirm when the data is verified on the device, and has recovery tools just in case. They can also repair bad sectors on your memory cards. My 4GB UDMA cards unload in under 2 min which is pretty good. They are invaluable when traveling IMO, just make sure you bring the charger for it too haha. As I was saying before though, I wouldn't spend your money on the ones with the big color screens, unless you buy the super expensive ones, it takes forever for them to load a RAW file and display it for you on it's tiny screen. Just get a regular one and save the viewing for your computer or the back of your camera if you really want to.

If you think you will be using the 18-200 90% of the time, I wouldn't bother bringing the 16-35 unless you are OK with carrying it around all the time as dead weight. Maybe leave that at home and bring the 50mm instead so you at least have one fast lens with you. Totally up to you though, of course. I know I'm bad for lugging around way more than I need all the time while on vacation.

A discrete black camera bag probably won't draw too much attention, but you never know. The less gear you bring the smaller bag/case you can get away with too. I figure no matter what bag you have, as soon as you pull out a giant DSLR, everyone will know it's in whatever bag you are carrying anyways. You can also get camera bags that are half backpack and half camera bag, which you might like. If you like that idea, I would start looking at a Kata 3n1 bag.

OK great- I will have to order one of these guys from EBAY before I go. I have a 16G memory card that likely wont do the trick for more than a week at a time. I'm not sure I am going to bring the 50mm now as I dont really use it for much other than close ups. I think a 10-22 might be a better bet.


Originally posted by ottamania



How long are you gonna stay in Istanbul?

Hagia sofia is must to see along with blue mosque. I took lot of pics of those places.

Also go see Topkapi Palace. You can rent the ipod looking thing and it explains the place as you go thru it. They wont let u use a camera in some places but u can still take sneaky shots. take the picture of the 86 carrat diamond.

Go see the grand bazaar as well. if u try to buy something, bargain the fuk out of them. if they say 40 - you offer 20! dont get ripped off.

I'm not sure about Istanbul yet....I just know I fly out on the 14th but need to start booking some Turkey itinerary things. Blue Mosque has been mentioned a few times now so will likely be a stop. I'll add the other palace too.


Originally posted by blitz
What about a wide angle? i.e. a 11-16mm instead of the 16-35mm.

I was just thinking of swapping the 16-35 for my step dads 10-22 over the past few days and think I may do that. That way I would have 1 wide angle and 1 normal use lens.

I don't want to have a whole bunch of lenses....I may even leave the 50mm at home as I dont use it very much.


Originally posted by The_Rural_Juror
I would bring at least one or two more memory cards in case that one craps out.


Yah I have one 16G san disk extreme and I may grab another one before I go. I guess I have to use the high speed cards now with the HD video...

[Mckenzie]

On the topic of mobile photo storage, I was thinking of maybe buying a really cheap tiny laptop computer with WIFI so I could upload them to a remote photohosting site. I think I have seen them for around $300 which is the same price as one of those photo backup harddrives.

Does anyone know where to purchase a small, cheap laptop for around $300? Like 7-10" screen? Computertrends?

Edit- I guess they are called netbooks: http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/acer-acer-aspire-10-1-intel-atom-n450-1-66ghz-netbook-ao532h-2807-blue-ao532h-2807/10137973.aspx?path=100b77f08d14d4443879eb4d5dc3ea9den02&lid=fp-10137973-enCA-en

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by Mckenzie
On the topic of mobile photo storage, I was thinking of maybe buying a really cheap tiny laptop computer with WIFI so I could upload them to a remote photohosting site. I think I have seen them for around $300 which is the same price as one of those photo backup harddrives.

Does anyone know where to purchase a small, cheap laptop for around $300? Like 7-10" screen? Computertrends?

Edit- I guess they are called netbooks: http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/acer-acer-aspire-10-1-intel-atom-n450-1-66ghz-netbook-ao532h-2807-blue-ao532h-2807/10137973.aspx?path=100b77f08d14d4443879eb4d5dc3ea9den02&lid=fp-10137973-enCA-en

Keep in mind the lower end netbooks are really only good for surfing the net and checking e-mail. They are really quite slow and can't run much else unless you buy a higher end netbook or small laptop ($500 range). Also, the keyboards are so small that typing for any length of time is not very pleasant unless you have tiny hands. The good news is that you could combine it with a USB travel hard drive for even more backup space or redundancy if you wanted. That might be exactly what you want though, and in that case there are a bunch of 10" netbooks to choose from.

Another thing I just read while searching for my own trip, is that inter-Europe airlines such as Ryanair only allow one carry on bag, so I am going to be buying a camera backpack that has a place for my netbook as well rather than the separate case I carry it in now. Not sure if that affects you or not.

As for where to buy, Memory Express and tigerdirect.ca is where I would start based on the one's I've looked at. Lots of places carry them though, so you can keep your eye out for deals at future shop, best buy, staples, visions, etc.

[Mckenzie]

^Yah to be honest I'd only want to download the pics onto the computer and then upload them right away to a flickr account or something just to get them stored remotely. I have a macbook so I'd likely just end up selling it when I'm done anyways. Can you upload RAW files to a remote site? I guess I would need some sort of RAW software on the computer as well.

I think I need to look more into a hybrid notebook / camera / daypack for the trip. It would be nice to have some functionality as a camera bag but also some functionality for normal carry-on type stuff. I'm not sure I will be flying Ryanair or anywhere else for that matter.

[lint]

think about how many photos you plan on taking before going the online upload route. That could get really time consuming and costly depending on what kind of connectivity you can find. Might be better to invest in a more robust backup strategy, get a few more Cf cards etc. +1 on the hyperdrive. You don't need to review your photos during the trip, just shoot and backup and sort it out when you get back. And this way you don't have to carry another piece of gear with you. If you had planned on using the netbook to blog about your trip already, then it would make sense to bring it along and use it for backup as well.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by Mckenzie
^Yah to be honest I'd only want to download the pics onto the computer and then upload them right away to a flickr account or something just to get them stored remotely. I have a macbook so I'd likely just end up selling it when I'm done anyways. Can you upload RAW files to a remote site? I guess I would need some sort of RAW software on the computer as well.

I think I need to look more into a hybrid notebook / camera / daypack for the trip. It would be nice to have some functionality as a camera bag but also some functionality for normal carry-on type stuff. I'm not sure I will be flying Ryanair or anywhere else for that matter.

As far as I know none of the free websites let you upload RAW. I have a sugmug account, and I believe only the "pro" members can upload RAW images. That is one of the reasons I have both my netbook and my hyperdrive with me, so I have two different storage places. If you were planning on having any sort of RAW viewing or converting software on the cheap netbooks it will probably barely even run. Maybe you could try it out at the store first to see if it was OK for you. I use FSviewer (free) for viewing/culling my RAW photos, I find it to be the best program for that. Also keep in mind uploading large files takes a LONG time.

If you really want a netbook and are just going to sell it anyways, why not buy something slightly better? I use the predecessor to this netbook: http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX29519%28ME%29.aspx and it is nearly the same spec-wise by the looks of things. It is very small still, but has a 12.1" 720p screen and a full sized laptop keyboard. Runs windows 7 and starts up in less than a minute. It has no problem running RAW viewing software, or anything like that. It can even stream full 1080p via HDMI flawlessly. It's great on the plane too. I couldn't be happier with mine and it's extremely portable.

Personally, I like culling photos while waiting in airports or on flights, so I like having a computer with me. It also makes it easier to keep in contact with home. If you don't care about that sort of thing, if I were you, I would just grab a Hyperdrive and another 4GB or 8GB memory card and be done with it. The less stuff you have to carry the better unless you are going to get a lot of use out of it.

[Mckenzie]

^Yah the more I look into it the more it looks like a laptop would just be another thing to worry about. The connection speeds will be slow and the RAW images will be a PITA to upload somewhere. I contacted smugmug and this is what they wrote back:

Thanks for contacting SmugMug.
You'll find details on supported formats here: http://www.smugmug.com/help/upload-photos
And if you wish to load unsupported formats, such as RAW or PDF, you might be interested in SmugVault: http://www.smugmug.com/help/smugvault
Now, some advice - having traveled extensively, it's unlikely you'll find adequate upload speeds for your standard jpg files, let alone RAW.
That said - I'd recommend traveling with the laptop - and depending on your available space, an external hard drive - or a few spare memory cards -
This really is the most secure option -
If I didn't explain enough or you have additional questions, please let us know. We're always glad to help.
All the best,

[Mitsu3000gt]

Just bring a good back-up device like the Hyperdrive and be done with it then. You will have plenty of time to look at photos when you return, and if you need to keep in touch with your family there's always internet cafes.

I have a habit of never traveling light, and I always seem to bring stuff I don't use that I could have left at home.

[Mckenzie]

^ OK well coming up to 3 weeks until blast off and I think I'm just going to go the hyperdrive / extra card route instead of lugging a laptop around.

So- question: Where do you buy these things for a reasonable price in Calgary? They seem really tough to find.

I found a list of them here: http://www.digitalphotographywebsite.com/photoviewerreviews.html

[blitz]

Best bet if probably to get one from Adorama or BHPhoto. If you use their UPS Worldwide Express/Saver option, the brokerage fee is included, you'll just pay GST on the value. Shows up in 2-3 business days too.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by Mckenzie
^ OK well coming up to 3 weeks until blast off and I think I'm just going to go the hyperdrive / extra card route instead of lugging a laptop around.

So- question: Where do you buy these things for a reasonable price in Calgary? They seem really tough to find.

I found a list of them here: http://www.digitalphotographywebsite.com/photoviewerreviews.html

I bought mine at B&H, prices are awesome, dollar is strong, and 2 day shipping is $30 so if you have anything else you need (like that memory card) you might as well throw it on the same order. UPS Worldwide Saver is the shipping method you will want to select, they have a deal with UPS. There are no brokerage or duty fees, you just need to pay GST when it's delivered.

This is the exact one I have, and it looks you can get the same thing but with a slightly larger hard drive for a bit more money but 120GB is a ton of space. I haven't formatted mine since I bought it 2-3 years ago... I am getting close now though.

It also supports UDMA cards, so in about 1min30sec I can empty a 4GB card onto it, which is pretty good.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/524058-REG/Sanho_SAHDCS120_120GB_HyperDrive_COLORSPACE.html

Viewing RAW pictures on these things is useless and slow anyways so if I were you I wouldn't bother with the more expensive ones with the bigger screens and such.

[Mckenzie]

Bah BH and Adorama are sold out of them or backordered or something.

Any other suggestions from what is available on these sites?

I'm looking at this one here now: http://www.adorama.com/MEKU120SV.html

[Mitsu3000gt]

This one is in stock and only $20 more:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/594346-REG/Sanho_SAHDCSUDMA120.html

Same thing, just has the larger screen and is the newer model.

The single review for it is positive as well:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/594346-REG/Sanho_SAHDCSUDMA120.html#reviews

[Mckenzie]

^Thanks. I went with this one here today plus a nice 82mm B+W Kaesman MRC CP Filter for my 16-35 II lens. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=NavBar&A=getItemDetail&Q=&sku=656391&is=REG&si=rev#anchorToReadReviews

Now...need to learn how to use the 7D. :angel: