Gear for trip to Ireland? Packing list.

[SquarePeg]

Going to Ireland in a few weeks and just trying to figure out what to bring and what to leave home and also if I need to buy or rent anything to take along. I want to travel fairly light! Most of the photos I'll be taking will be landscape/outdoor nature stuff. I'll use my phone for any candids and I'm not really interested in taking any pics inside museums - I prefer to just look and enjoy when I'm somewhere like that.

What I'm thinking of bringing:
XT-2
18-55
50-230
14 f/2.8
mini tripod (good in a pinch if I can find something stable to rest it on)
circular polarize filter (all 3 lenses happen to be 58mm so this is an easy one)
4 batteries
charger
4 sd cards
ipad to download images

What I'm thinking of buying/renting:
*ND filter - I have a bunch of the square ones but with 3 lenses at 58mm should probably buy one - any recommendations? Not looking for top of the line... not sure I'll need it for this trip...
*2nd camera body - either another XT2 or the XT3 or an even smaller/lighter model
*12mm Samiyang - I shied away from this due to reviews about bad copies but I am not nuts about the 14mm and rarely use it so have been thinking about trading that one in for a 12mm. Would need to get a polarizer and possibly another ND for this is 67mm

What I'm leaving home but having doubts about:
35 f/2
Lensbaby Velvet 56 f/1.8
full size tripod (I don't think I'll be doing any night photos or long exposures)
flash

What am I forgetting? Thoughts and advice? TIA!

 

[Fujidave]

If it was me, then the XF35mm f2 would be in the bag plus maybe more memory cards. A second body would help a hell of a lot too.

 

[waday]

The two best suggestions I think I've ever gotten regarding travel items: (1) small travel power strip with outlets and USB ports and (2) Imodium.

I've used both on multiple trips, LOL. I never travel anywhere without the power strip now, which allows my phone, my wife's phone, my iPad, and my camera batteries all to be charged at the same time at the same location. No more moving furniture to find outlets.

 

[SquarePeg]

If it was me, then the XF35mm f2 would be in the bag plus maybe more memory cards. A second body would help a hell of a lot too.

It's a bit redundant with the 18-55 being very capable. I don't anticipate a lot of low light photos where I would need 35mm. But it's small and light so if it fits I may throw it in at the end of my packing.

 

[jcdeboever]

Personally, I would bring the 18-55 and 50-230. 14 is a great lens, you should force yourself to use it before dumping it. Bring or buy a variable ND with step rings. Rocket blower, clean micro fiber towels. Nice small kit. You have the 35 covered in the 18-55. You should probably bring you velvet, I can see you regretting that one.

 

[SquarePeg]

The two best suggestions I think I've ever gotten regarding travel items: (1) small travel power strip with outlets and USB ports and (2) Imodium.

I've used both on multiple trips, LOL. I never travel anywhere without the power strip now, which allows my phone, my wife's phone, my iPad, and my camera batteries all to be charged at the same time at the same location. No more moving furniture to find outlets.

I do usually bring a power strip but not sure about that for Europe? I have an outlet converter - can I then plug a power strip in to that? I don't want to cause an issue but I will Good tip! have phone, ipad, and battery pack to charge. Our first hotel is a Hilton and they usually have some USB ports at the desk.

 

[waday]

If it was me, then the XF35mm f2 would be in the bag plus maybe more memory cards. A second body would help a hell of a lot too.

It's a bit redundant with the 18-55 being very capable. I don't anticipate a lot of low light photos where I would need 35mm. But it's small and light so if it fits I may throw it in at the end of my packing.

Eh, I’d suggest not packing the 35 if you don’t think you’ll use it. When I went to Ecuador, I packed my 17 even though I had it covered elsewhere, and I never used it. It literally never left the bag.

 

[SquarePeg]

Personally, I would bring the 18-55 and 50-230. 14 is a great lens, you should force yourself to use it before dumping it. Bring or buy a variable ND with step rings. Rocket blower, clean micro fiber towels. Nice small kit. You have the 35 covered in the 18-55. You should probably bring you velvet, I can see you regretting that one.

Yes I'm sure the issue with the 14mm is me. I won't need step rings if I can find a reasonably priced ND for a 58mm filter thread it will fit the 18-55, the 50-230 and the 14! I have a gift card that I've had for over a year for Hunt's photo so going to pop in there this weekend and poke around and see what I can find.

 

[vintagesnaps]

Depends on how long the trip will be. Would you have time to go out and take pictures on your own enough during the trip to make it worth taking an ND filter, a tripod, 3-4 lenses, etc.? Depends I suppose on who you're traveling with and how much they'd want to go out and see the scenery. Would you have time to set up long enough to be changing lenses, filters, etc. at the same scene, then move on and set up, shoot with more than one lens, with a filter, without a filter... then do it all again...? If you're going out on your own maybe it would be worth it.

Since you already have lenses that are 58mm and filters that size, I'd forget the Samiyang and stay with what will all work together. Maybe a monopod would be an option, I just over time learned to use my elbow to prop and developed a stance to brace myself. I'd think about how much walking you could be doing carting along extra lenses, a tripod, etc. Maybe pack whatever camera bag you'd be taking and see how it feels with whatever equipment to figure out what you'd be carrying somewhere taking photos and how much to streamline.

 

[SquarePeg]

Depends on how long the trip will be. Would you have time to go out and take pictures on your own enough during the trip to make it worth taking an ND filter, a tripod, 3-4 lenses, etc.? Depends I suppose on who you're traveling with and how much they'd want to go out and see the scenery. Would you have time to set up long enough to be changing lenses, filters, etc. at the same scene, then move on and set up, shoot with more than one lens, with a filter, without a filter... then do it all again...? If you're going out on your own maybe it would be worth it.

Since you already have lenses that are 58mm and filters that size, I'd forget the Samiyang and stay with what will all work together. Maybe a monopod would be an option, I just over time learned to use my elbow to prop and developed a stance to brace myself. I'd think about how much walking you could be doing carting along extra lenses, a tripod, etc. Maybe pack whatever camera bag you'd be taking and see how it feels with whatever equipment to figure out what you'd be carrying somewhere taking photos and how much to streamline.

It is mostly touristy plans, not a photo specific trip but... I do hope to have some photo time. I will not be venturing out at sunrise or trying for a lot of long exposures. But since I was planning on buying the ND anyway - I may try to find one that fits the bill before I go. Good advice about keeping the 14 over the 12 for the filter compatibility. I'm a bit wobbly so a monopod might be helpful. I've gotten a bit better but I usually just bump up the shutter speed to compensate - however, sometimes that doesn't fit the shot.

 

[ac12]

2 weeks in Canada with a m4/3 kit (2x crop factor).

• 12-60 was my GP lens. It stayed on the camera 99.99% of the time.
• My other lenses were 17/1.8 and 40-150/4-5.6. Both of these lenses were used probably less than 15 times, in total. I think I may have used the 17 less than 5 times, and the 40-150 less than 6 times.
  • The ability to push the ISO up + IBIS, eliminated much of the need for the fast 17. But I was glad to have it for the few times that I did use it.

In your case

• I would lean to the faster 35/2 over the slower 14/2.8. But since you don't intend to shoot indoors low light, you might be able to pass on it.

• I would take the 14 only for the WIDER angle than the 18-55. But with "stitching" you might be able to stitch your 18mm shots for even wider coverage.

• If you use a monopod, practice with it first. I found that using one well, was not intuitive, for me.
  • A monopod only provides vertical stability, absolutely no aid for front/back and left/right movement. In fact, for me, if I did not use it properly, the F/B and L/R instability seemed worse than handholding.

• Tripod. Between a mini/tabletop and a light travel tripod; for me the main difference is height, and I would rather have height. Check the size, and how much space it will take up in the suitcase.
  
  • But with high ISO + IBIS, I did not use my tripod on the last trip, whereas I used it many times in the past when shooting ISO-100, 35mm film. The ability to just dial in a higher ISO is so cool compared to the film days when I was stuck with whatever I had in the camera.

 

[SquarePeg]

I picked up 2 58mm ND filters today (5 stops and 10). Nothing fancy or high end but they were rated well and they were on sale at my local camera store. Probably could have gotten them a bit cheaper on Amazon or from EBay but I like to browse my local store and I had a gift card.

Going to order a couple of extra sd cards and go with my original plan.

 

[ac12]

You have 4 batteries, but how many chargers? And how long does it take to charge a fully drained battery?
My battery only lasts me 4 hours of continuous shooting. I took 3 batteries on my last trip (I now have a 4th battery).
With 2 chargers, I charged 2 batteries at time, 2 before bed then 1 overnight. This let me start the day with 3 charged batteries.

 

[SquarePeg]

You have 4 batteries, but how many chargers? And how long does it take to charge a fully drained battery?
My battery only lasts me 4 hours of continuous shooting. I took 3 batteries on my last trip (I now have a 4th battery).
With 2 chargers, I charged 2 batteries at time, 2 before bed then 1 overnight. This let me start the day with 3 charged batteries.

Good point. I have a plug in charger and a usb charger so can charge 2 batteries at a time. I can charge two when we get back to the hotel before dinner and the other two over night. I also have a portable charger that I can use to charge on the go.

 

[ac12]

You have 4 batteries, but how many chargers? And how long does it take to charge a fully drained battery?
My battery only lasts me 4 hours of continuous shooting. I took 3 batteries on my last trip (I now have a 4th battery).
With 2 chargers, I charged 2 batteries at time, 2 before bed then 1 overnight. This let me start the day with 3 charged batteries.

Good point. I have a plug in charger and a usb charger so can charge 2 batteries at a time. I can charge two when we get back to the hotel before dinner and the other two over night. I also have a portable charger that I can use to charge on the go.

You are lucky with the portable and USB chargers.
My EM1 battery charger is line charge only, so I need an AC outlet to plug into. Luckily the train had an AC outlet next to the chair. But off the train, I had to wait till we got to the hotel.

 

[jaomul]

Umbrella, rain gear