Questions about camera equipment and vacations

[BrentC]

One of the reason I go into photography a year ago was because the wife and I are going on a month vacation to the Azores and mainland Portugal. I wanted to learn how to take good pics. Of course everything exploded from there and I am now burdened with very expensive equipment. Here is my quandary and my questions:

1. The gear. I have expensive camera and glass is there insurance you can get for your gear when on vacation?

2. I can fit all my gear in a camera backpack. In the Azores I have no problem always carrying it with me. But on the mainland there are going to be some nights or even time during the day, especially in the cities where I only want to take the camera and one lens. What the hell do I do with the rest of my gear? I don't want to just leave it in the room I am staying in. What do you guys do? Just take your gear everywhere? I do have lesser expensive camera and cheaper lenses but I really would like to bring the best for this trip. Especially not having my 300mm for wildlife will make me want to cry.

3. Maybe I am trying to bring everything and the kitchen sink and just having a hard time to leave something behind. Here is what I would like to bring (not what I should):

Option 1:
Small backpack.
EM1 MkII
12-100mm f4 IS Pro
40-150 f2.8 Pro
300mm f4 IS Pro
60mm f2.8 macro
17mm f1.8,
MC-14
FL600R
Small foldable diffuser
Tripod
"13 laptop

**EM5 MkII
- for my wife to use and carry also as a backup camera

Option 2:
If I leave the good stuff behind I can go with a messenger bag.
EM5 MkII
14-150mm f4-5.6 II
75-300mm f4.8-6.7 II
60mm f2.8 macro
17mm f1.8
FL600R
Small foldable diffuser
"13 laptop

My big worry, as stated earlier, is for those times I want to go out and about with just one camera and lens, going out to a nice dinner or a romantic walk at night where I don't want to drag all my equipment around. Going with option #2 will alleviate much of that since I can take a light messenger bag.

I am sure I am not the only one who has dealt with these question before going on vacation. What did you do?

Also if anybody has any recommendation for places to visit in Portugal, anywhere between Porto and Lisbon, please let me know.

 

[ac12]

I either carry it ALL, or leave the lenses I don't take in the hotel safe deposit box. By hotel safe deposit box, I mean at the front desk, not the dinky safes they put into some rooms.
I NEVER leave expensive stuff in the hotel room.

 

[Braineack]

option #3:
EM5 MkII
14-150mm f4-5.6 II

 

[BrentC]

option #3:
EM5 MkII
14-150mm f4-5.6 II

But.. but.. how do I do my macro, bif's, wildlife, night shots. I am mostly a wildlife and macro shooter right now. It what I enjoy most. And to be able to go to another country and shoot insects, animals and birds that I don't find here is what this vacation is to me.

 

[waday]

How much is your wife into photography?

What about an Option 4?

• EM5.2 with 17mm, for your wife to carry?
• EM1.2
• 12-100
• 75-300
• FL600R
• "13 laptop

I'd personally leave the macro at home, but you take many more macro shots than I do.

It really depends on how much you're doing, and what your wife will be ok with to take shots.

We went on a two week trip around Ecuador early last year, and I only took two lenses: 12-40 and 14-150. The 14-150 was on my camera for most of the time. BUT, again, that's based on how I travel and photograph.

 

[BananaRepublic]

I recently went to Cologne and had the same thought before hand, well actually I didn't.

What I brought was a camera 1 lens 24/70 2.8 and a travel tripod in a backpack.( This was carry on)

My issue was weight to be carrying but with mirrorless that may not be of consequence.

Ask yourself this:
What types of photos are you looking to take ( you probably know already), I wanted to take nightscape city images.
Will you be in the city or countryside?,
Will the same lenses fit on the both cameras


I would take the most versatile option a way of doing this might be to eliminate things from your list based on what use may be got from them.

I don't think you'll be short of light in the Azores/Portugal so drop that flash + diffuser.
I wouldn't use the macro on holiday so drop that.
Will your wife really want a camera or would a smart phone be just as good.

 

[BrentC]

I either carry it ALL, or leave the lenses I don't take in the hotel safe deposit box. By hotel safe deposit box, I mean at the front desk, not the dinky safes they put into some rooms.
I NEVER leave expensive stuff in the hotel room.

Hotel safety deposit may be an option, a little inconvenient, but a good option.

 

[BrentC]

How much is your wife into photography?

What about an Option 4?

• EM5.2 with 17mm, for your wife to carry?
• EM1.2
• 12-100
• 75-300
• FL600R
• "13 laptop

I'd personally leave the macro at home, but you take many more macro shots than I do.

It really depends on how much you're doing, and what your wife will be ok with to take shots.

We went on a two week trip around Ecuador early last year, and I only took two lenses: 12-40 and 14-150. The 14-150 was on my camera for most of the time. BUT, again, that's based on how I travel and photograph.

I recently went to Cologne and had the same thought before hand, well actually I didn't.

What I brought was a camera 1 lens 24/70 2.8 and a travel tripod in a backpack.( This was carry on)

My issue was weight to be carrying but with mirrorless that may not be of consequence.

Ask yourself this:
What types of photos are you looking to take ( you probably know already), I wanted to take nightscape city images.
Will you be in the city or countryside?,
Will the same lenses fit on the both cameras


I would take the most versatile option a way of doing this might be to eliminate things from your list based on what use may be got from them.

I don't think you'll be short of light in the Azores/Portugal so drop that flash + diffuser.
I wouldn't use the macro on holiday so drop that.
Will your wife really want a camera or would a smart phone be just as good.

We are going to be visiting countryside and city. The islands are definitely countryside and we plan on renting a car in Lisbon and travelling to Porto, making stops along the way. I don't know how often we are going to have vacations like this so I want to make the most of it. Like I mentioned earlier wildlife photography is my main passion and I would hate to let this opportunity slip. As much as this is a vacation for us this is also a great photography opportunity for me and having my best equipment would be nice.

I might be able to do without the macro and diffuser and use the small flash instead of the speedlight if I bring my 300mm since that does pretty good macro.

The wife could easily do with her phone for pics but having the extra camera just in case makes me feel a little better.

It will be a hard decision but maybe I should just bring my lower end camera and lenses.

em5mkii
14-150mm (use my Raynox DCR-250 with this for macro)
75-300mm (sacrifice bif's)
17mm for street and low light

That would cover most situations but I will definitely miss by better equipment. I really need to think hard on it.

Can I get insurance for my equipment just for the vacation?

 

[waday]

Can I get insurance for my equipment just for the vacation?

I added my camera/lenses to a personal articles policy at the same company as my car/home insurance. I specifically asked if it covered international travel, and they said it did.

 

[BrentC]

Can I get insurance for my equipment just for the vacation?

I added my camera/lenses to a personal articles policy at the same company as my car/home insurance. I specifically asked if it covered international travel, and they said it did.

Thanks, I'll look into that. I guess it makes sense to have insurance all they time and not just for vacation.

 

[waday]

Can I get insurance for my equipment just for the vacation?

I added my camera/lenses to a personal articles policy at the same company as my car/home insurance. I specifically asked if it covered international travel, and they said it did.

Thanks, I'll look into that. I guess it makes sense to have insurance all they time and not just for vacation.

I already had a policy, so I think it costed me an extra $30 or so per year to add the camera equipment. I can’t afford to buy new equipment if stolen/broken/etc; the extra little bit a year is worth it.

 

[Dave442]

I grew up taking trips one or two times a year with my grandparents, my grandfather was an avid photographer and the trips were for taking pictures with a slide presentation when back home and if really lucky a new print on the wall. I think my travel bag follows what I learned from him - and zoom lenses make things a bit easier than having mostly primes.

My macro lens is sort of my extra lens, but I like it for travel as a stroll in the park is a great place to take such a lens. So I usually do three lenses for trips closer to home or where I may get back to in a year or so. For longer trips or one-off trips then four lenses a flash and tripod.

In your case I think what wayday noted was a good option and I would consider throwing in the 300mm as the fourth lens, but something you probably don't want to carry around with you every day.

Have insurance. I expect there is a bigger chance your camera bag could disappear from right in front of you than one lens being stolen from your hotel room.

 

[stk]

Where I'm from alle travel insurances will cover your gear up to a certain amount, and you can pay a little extra if you have values exceeding this amount. I'll be surprised if this is not common practice in most countries.

 

[SquarePeg]

If this is a photo centric vacation, don’t leave your good gear at home - you’ll regret it. If you’re staying at a hotel they should be able to accommodate you. If this is a family vacation where you hope to take some cool photos - keep it small and light.

 

[BananaRepublic]

Can I get insurance for my equipment just for the vacation?

I added my camera/lenses to a personal articles policy at the same company as my car/home insurance. I specifically asked if it covered international travel, and they said it did.

Thanks, I'll look into that. I guess it makes sense to have insurance all they time and not just for vacation.

I have looked into insurance before. I my experience you want to name the camera and auxilary equipment on the policy for it to mean anything. many companies will cover the loss or damage of property in general, that covers your phone and cash and the sort but your unlikely to get the value of a camera and lenses unless there named specifically. Plus if it is stolen for example they are likely to demand a police report, good look with that in countries that dont have english as there main language, unless you speak fluently of coarse.