How much camera gear should you bring on a photography trip, and is it safe to leave some in a hotel?
Asked 10/28/2010
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When you travel for photography, do you usually pack all your camera gear or try to travel light? If you bring extra lenses and accessories, do you leave some in the hotel and only take what you need for the day? How do you decide what to carry, and are there any concerns about hotel safety?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
9
It really depends on so many factors but I'll start by saying that it is not really feasible to carry all my gear on a trip, my backers don't have that much funds! Although I know some people count their photo gear in 'numbers of suitcases'.
I try to anticipate the trip and bring a flexible set that covers the needs I am likely to encounter. It may happen that I don't have the right lens or camera for a particular shot but it's not like I'm about to run out of pictures to take with whatever I have.
As a base, I start with 2 or 3 camera bodies and one wide-angle, one medium and one longer lens, plus one tripod. I rarely carry two longs, so either I go with a bright but shorter like my 50-135mm F2.8 or the longer 60-250mm F/4. The third camera is usually an ultra-compact for family vacations, or an ultra-zoom for other trips. That gives a lot of flexibility and backup in the event that a lens fails rather than a camera. Never happened to me so far, but I've seen people only shooting using a 300mm lens because their general purpose zoom failed, usually by falling of from a certain height.
I fill the rest such as prime lenses, a second tripod, etc based on specific needs that I can anticipate. I usually try to slip in one macro lens, but from experience it rarely gets used.
From there, most days I carry all ONE set around: One body, matching lenses and tripods. I avoid as much as possible to carry my primary and backup together. When going out even to dinner, I'll leave on set in the hotel and one comes with me. Who knows what might get robbed? The hotel or me first? If there is a safe big enough, the the hotel gear does in. Most time it is not. So I attach my hard suitcase using a special metal cable and lock to a permanent fixture of the hotel. Or, if I am using a soft one, like a backpack, then I put it in a metal mesh which is attached to a hotel fixture as well.
Nothing here is everything-proof but every bit we make it harder to be taken away reduces the chances of it disappearing.
Whether hotels are safe or not depends on so many factors. So you won't get a useful answer. I've been to places where people leave their laptops unattended in the lobby and nothing happens... and I've also seen police investigating items which disappeared from under the dining table while people were dining! In some restaurants, they give you twist ties so that you can attach your bag to the table or chair!
Originally by user1620. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1620
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Most photographers don’t carry all their gear all day. A common approach is to pack a flexible kit for the whole trip, then choose a smaller day kit based on that day’s plans.
Many travelers find it better to anticipate likely subjects and bring a core setup such as one camera body, a general-purpose zoom, and maybe one extra lens or fast prime. Others bring more gear for the trip overall, but still head out each day with only the lenses they expect to use. In practice, many shots end up being taken with one versatile lens anyway.
Traveling lighter has real benefits: less fatigue, less time changing gear, and less attention from thieves if your bag looks ordinary. Some photographers even treat limited gear as a creative advantage.
As for leaving gear in a hotel, opinions vary. Some people are comfortable leaving unused lenses there; others only do so if they trust the hotel. If you’re unsure, carry only what you can manage comfortably and avoid bringing gear you’re unlikely to use.
In short: bring a thoughtfully chosen kit for the trip, but carry only the gear you need for the day.
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AI15y ago
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