On Wed, 19 Apr 2000, Michael S. Williamson wrote:
> Hello again everyone. My family and I are spending the last week of June
> and the first week of July on a (guided) tour of Italy and Greece.
Ohhh, sounds grand !
> My initial thought was to take my OM-4, a wide angle, a couple of zooms, and
> a 1.4. I planned to keep one of the zooms mounted and switch to the other
> lenses as needed. A second body would also make the trip. No flash (leave
> the T-32 at home). No tripod. I was out to travel relatively light
> (camera-wise). It's a vacation, not a photo-journal excursion. I
> definitely want to smell the roses. On the other hand, I don't want to kick
> myself for leaving lenses at home that I would have used a lot. (If a 500mm
> would have been perfect for one shot, I don't care. Don't have one.
> Wouldn't want to bring a big lens which would see little use.)
>
> My latest thought is to take three bodies.
Carrying three bodies, you won't be smelling roses.
I recommend a maximum of two, and at least one without
a winder.
> I'm thinking of keeping a
> different speed film in each (100, 400, 800).
I agree with that idea, although you could easily work
with one camera with slides, the other with faster print
film (do you really need 800 ? I would think there's plenty
of light where you're going. Though I would definitely pack
some ISO 800 for available darkness).
> I want to
> keep the shutter speed up so as to eliminate camera shake. I'm afraid that
> throws me to 400 or 800 speed films.
Not true.
> The three bodies I would take are OM-4, OM-2s, and OM-1n.
I would take the OM-4 & Om-2s
> Here are my Zuiko lens possibilities:
> 24mm f2.8
> 35mm f2.0
> 50mm 1.4 (two)
> 50mm 1.8 (three)
> 35-70mm, f3.5-4.5
> 35-70mm, f3.6 (assuming the blame f-stop coupling problem is fixed)
> 75-150mm (two)
I'd take: 24, 35-70 (the 3.6, if fixed) and 70-210 Tokina for its
compactness, the latter with a 52-55 step-up so you can share 55mm
filters with the 35-70. With people in tow, and in vacation-type
situations, zooms seem to be extra-useful. I would add a 50/1.4
for dark places. Magic glue two rear caps and stack the two short
lenses together in your bag, or combine one short & one long so
it all fits in two compartments without fear of scratching them
together.
> I would like to stick with just one lens for my daughter.
> Which one? 1.4? Let her use the 35-70?
Depends on her stamina, but if she can drag it along, I'd say the Series
1 28-105. (you can swap her a 35-70 if "needed" :-)
> What about the film? What are your current favorite 100, 400, & 800 speed
> print films?
Royal Gold 100, Portra 160, Royal 400, Fuji 800. I am also inordinately
fond of the PJ Kodak films.
(Let's restrict it to Kodak & Fuji.) Am I going overboard on
> the film? Should I stick with just two speeds (or even one)? Odds are that
> I'm just getting 4x5 or 4x6 prints. Any enlargements would not be over 8x10
> (and there might be no enlargements done).
You could probably live with just Portra 160 and Fuji 800.
> Do you have any other general advice?
Keep it as light as possible. Don't let the newness and beauty
overwhelm you, listen visually, retain your sense and vision.
Don't just duplicate the postcards (always pause and look at the
postcards, they're usually the biggest cliche's) or do the
"obligatory tourist snaps" (your daughter's task ! :-).
Look deeper, beyond all that. Ask locals about their favorite
sights, you'll often be amazed what lies just a few blocks
from the usual stuff. Do regard your family's interactions with the land
and people with the same reverence as the sights you'll be seeing. When in
doubt, shoot extra frames, variations in composition, and with print film,
bracket on the side of overexposure if you have any doubts.
Watch yourself so your image
making doesn't cause drag on the trip. Work fast, but be thorough.
Shoot the quiet moments in restaurants, in your room. When making
reservations, ascertain orientation of the hotel, and think about
getting views. ALWAYS ask to see the room before checking in, and
if you don't like it ask for another. Hoteliers routinely give the
lesser view rooms to those that don't seem to be concerned with the
issue.
End of travel rant,
*= Doris Fang =*
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