For the last couple of trips, I’ve routinely remarked on how much camera equipment I tend to over pack. For our upcoming Taiwan 2018 trip starting later this week, I’m now in the same dilemma. Despite the detailed notes I’ve made before about what not to bring the next trip, I find myself having re-thinking: what if I don’t bring and end up wishing that I had?!
Unlike the last three trips though, our luggage limits this time are well beyond what we can practically bring anyway – one of the nice perks about flying on full-priced airlines. Moreover, excepting the last three days where we’ll be relying on Taipei’s public transportation network to get us from point to point, the other nine days of our Taiwan trip will be with private drivers to bring us around. So, in a sense, I could just as well bring several camera bodies, the heavy duty Manfrotto CF tripod, grips and all my lenses in the dry cabinet – and think
?nothing of it haha.
But still, from the last trip to Bali, what’s certainly coming at this point are:
The Sony A73. I seriously miss the lightness of m4/3 bodies and lenses, but now that I’ve sampled the forbidden full-frame fruit, there’s no going back. Being able to shoot at ISO6,400 without a second thought, the kind of detail, shadows and highlights I can recover from a full-frame RAW file makes lugging around the bulk and weight of full frame bodies and glass worth it – just almost!
Sony 24-105mm f4. I initially thought that this general multi-purpose lens will really be only used on vacations and I’d be favoring primes at home and normal shooting. But the 24-105mm focal length is just so useful even at home that 90% of the pictures I’ve taken in since June has been using this really versatile lens. I’ve dealt with the fairly pedestrian f4 aperture by running up the ISO – something that would have resulted in quick image degradation on the old m4/3.
Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 + MC-11. I still haven’t stopped kicking myself for bringing this heavy lens over to Bali for our last trip… and left the Sigma MC-11 adapter for it at home, basically making the Tamron unusable. So, I have reminders to bring the MC-11 this time round plastered all over my packing notes to make sure I don’t goof a second time! This will – finally – be my first real intensive usage test of the Tamron. Though honestly, I’m still struggling to think how I’m going to be using this lens on the actual trip itself: we won’t be visiting zoos or nature parks this trip, and the far end of the lens – 200mm – is too limiting for birding. We have one or two children parks listed in the Taipei which would be a great opportunity to stress this lens out – the last day of our two kids playing at the Flagstaff Gardens @ Melbourne made provided some really memorable pictures using the E-M1 + 40-150mm f2.8.
Canon G7X Mark II. I bought this 1″ compact just over a year ago and largely for casual use, but this little camera has proven to be an incredibly convenient tool when traveling. Simply, it’s a lot easier to fish this out of a jacket pocket to take the quick street shot, then fish out a large ILC and intimidate everyone haha.
But beyond which:
Meike Battery Grip for the A73. As useful as the grip is – especially for vertical portraiture and/or when using long lenses like the Tamron – it just adds way too much bulk to an already beefy full-frame camera. And a single battery on the A73 can easily last for a full day of shooting, so I’m not going to get any benefits out of the second battery a grip can hold.
Circular Polarizers and ND Filters. Every trip I bring these along, and end up typically not using them at all. But they’re coming along yet again – and this time I’m gonna make doubly-sure I use them! And ND filters too: because where there are mountains, there will be waterfalls and chances aplenty for long exposure photography.
Sony 16-35mm f4. Now whether to bring this one or not is becoming a really hard decision to make! I promised myself not to bring it next trip when writing my post-Bali notes this year, but that trip was relatively scarce on scenery, while this Taiwan one will be very heavy on it: the tall bamboo trees @ Xitou Nature Reserve, Taroko Gorge, the mountainous range surrounding Cingjing, Mt. Hehuan, and Yangmingshan coming to mind where a very wide-angle will be really useful, though I’m really dreading having to do lens changes in the cold if this wide-angle comes along to play. If Sony ever releases a cheap entry-level full-frame body in 2019, I’m gonna snap it up right away – if nothing else just so that I don’t have to change lenses!
As for the other accessories that will be coming along, they include the BlackRapid Breathe Curve Camera Strap – which has already proven its chops last trip, the A73’s base cage – not that expect to be driving a 4WD buggy through jungle this trip but my heart can’t stomach the A73 paintwork getting scrapped off again haha – the Sirui T-024X tripod/CF head in case I get some cloudless nights to do some night photography like how I got lucky during our Western Australia trip last year, and the requisite remote controllers to do off camera shooting.
The bane of my existence insofar as travel is concerned: packing and transporting my camera, lenses, and accessories. And yet I do it anyway, knowing full well the anxiety from the logistical planning alone takes weeks if not months off my lifespan. One of these days I’m going to just buy a small Leica and take it with me everywhere. I doubt I’d even shoot with it, but the traveling would be a breeze!
You’ll be taking the Samsung Gear 360 with you, too, right?
Ah… thanks for the reminder, bud! I’ve completely forgotten about the Gear 360. Let me dig it right out and set it up again to bring it over too. :)
Have you used it since your Australia trip? LOL
Haha! I haven’t I’m afraid. The Phuket and Bali trips were fairly scarce on scenery, but this Taiwan trip is gonna be different – hopefully!