Travelling With Your Camera Gear
Travelling internationally with photographic equipment is getting harder and harder. Perversely it is made even harder if you use professional level bodies and lenses because the very thing that makes them professional – their amazing resilience to damage and abuse – also makes them very heavy.
For example, a kit of 2 Nikon D3 bodies, a 17-35 f2.8, a 50 f1.4, a 70-200 f2.8 VR and a TC 17E weighs in at around 6kg (approximately 13lbs for the non metrics!) if you include the charger and say 3 batteries. Not including the bag.
Few photographers are willing to check in their equipment (although I have read of some in the USA who use FedEx to ship Pelican cases to location when they are travelling within the US) so that means you need it with you as carry on luggage. The carry on limit is usually 7kg, so in this scenario you cannot use any bag weighing more than 1 kg (2.2lbs) empty.
Out, then, go all the rollers and most of the backpacks! You might – just – squeak by with a Think Tank Airport Ultralight, especially if the battery charger and odds and sods get put in your checked case. Most other rollers and backpacks are around the 3 to 4 Kg mark (6-8 lbs) empty.
Also, of course, you need to work at the other end and personally backpacks are no help to me for this. I simply don’t want to put down the bag in the dirt, mud, dust – or worse – whilst I fiddle about getting whatever I wanted, only to decide a few minutes later that I actually wanted something else and have to do it all again….! It exposes your gear to view which can be unwise, it exposes it to the elements and it is awkward in many places to find space to actually do it.
Ah, you say – a shoulder bag is the answer! Well, yes. And no. It solves the access problem but gives you another. Have you ever tried walking around a hot city like, say, Calcutta, with about 7Kg (15lbs) hanging off one shoulder all day?! Not fun. Eventually, it will become a huge chore and that is when you start leaving stuff behind or just not bringing it at all – and miss shots as a result.
I have even contemplated doing whole trips with just a Canon G11 or something and leaving everything else at home! Of course, a Leica M9 would save a lot of hassle, but at NZ$10,000 just for the body – and manual focus only, which my eyes are not really good enough for these days – it’s not a viable option really because for so many other assignments, a DSLR is a better tool so I’d need to invest in two systems.
My answer? Beltpacks. I use a Think Tank Speed Racer. It will carry only one body, but has attachment loops for Think Tank Modular components on the belt, so I can add space for another body if need be. I usually add a water bottle pouch on one side – very useful. The belt is wide and can be tucked away to make a handy shoulder bag – and there is a harness that quickly attaches to make it a light duty backpack for swift hands-free carrying in airports etc. It is by no means perfect, but it’s a good compromise.
Until the ideal bag is invented (impossible!) I will just have an expanding collection – 9, at the last count, much to the exasperation of my wife!
About the Author
I am a working professional photographer here in NZ. I also create, organise and guide photography tours for photographers who want to travel to New Zealand.
Tours can be any duration and we have a great deal of knowledge about places to visit and things to see that you won’t find in a guide book! We take care of all arrangements so that you can sit back and relax, concentrating on your passion.
I work as a commercial photographer, covering events, sports and providing in house training for companies with art departments.
As I move forward on my journey I am going to do more humanitarian photography.
Wellington City, NZ – “Reset” Mute Math – Canon XH-A1
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