[TOUGEFC]

Tougefc- man you are way too minimilist. I think I would have a form of buyers remorse if I left all those beautiful primes behind. I mean, why buy them if not to take them to the most picturesque places? I appreciate your line of thinking though, and it would certainly solve the weight connundrum. If I had your talent as a photographer it would make me more confident about a minimilist kit.

Lol! I recomended the minimilist kit for a couple reasons, to save weight and to save lens changing, which really isnt something you want to do when traveling alot.

On second thought for a prime only kit I would take your 15/31/77 and maybe 100 just for WR.

If it was me going with my lenses, I'd take 15/30/55/77 and a basic strobist kit.

Thanks for the compliment too

[twitch]

DA15, DA12-24, FA31, FA77. 12-24 is a necessary evil unfortunately. If you had to had to have a long tele zoom I'd bring a 55-300. That's my 2c. Sounds like a great trip!

[chickenandavocado]

15 + 31 + 77 + 100

if it was me on a trip like this, no need to take so many lenses, u will spend more time thinking about photography than enjoying the trip, might as well be more minimalist and take only the best IQ with a few primes

id only take the 100 on days requirnig something longer or flowers

[hoanpham]

15, 31, 50, 100 + k5 + k7 + 18-250 for two shooters.
lots of memory cards.
macro is for sure - there are lots of botanical gardens there, esp national orchid garden in singapore.

Seems like this is the first time you are travelling - ever try to walk 8 hrs/day in 7 days with 5 kg gear in your backpack?
You should enjoy the trip, not being a slave

[Laurentiu Cristofor]

I would do something crazy and either only bring the 31 or the 21.

I did that a few years ago and I did it again this year. Works very well to have just one fast normal lens.

[wizofoz]

Thanks for the help and suggestion guys. I guess its a nice problem to have, given my collection of lenses. (Some of you are very guilty of inflaming my LBA!)

I'm starting to lean to - 12 24 (maybe), 60-250, 15, 21, 43 (or 31??), 77, 100, the TC's, a flash, travel tripod, and the CP's, ND's and 9 stopper (and maybe some gels, for the strobists out there...)
I'll con the missus into carting the 18-55 as another WR option, along with her 18-250

I think this combo covers all possibilities, gives me something nice to take pics at the engagement party we are attending (21, 43 and 77) and, if the weather is damp, I can have a range between 18-250 in WR housings, with a bonus 100 prime/macro.

The only doubt is whether or not to take my 12-24, to get me wider....and whether to take the K-7 as a 2nd body. The K-x is nice and all that, but I prefer the k-7/k-5 body and the syncronicity of the control setup.

Sheesh, just when I get the weight down, I use that as an excuse to add more stuff!!

Gotta learn Wayne... less is more..

[wizofoz]

Seems like this is the first time you are travelling - ever try to walk 8 hrs/day in 7 days with 5 kg gear in your backpack?

G'day Hoan, thanks for chipping in. No, not my first trip by a long stretch, I just have more and more gear as every year rolls around. I have done lots of trips with 5kg+ on my broad back. Not fun after 8 hrs or so of Chatatchuk market, for example, (where I struggle to navigate without a backpack, given that I'm not the smallest individual on the face of the planet.) With a camera bag on my back I have to be very careful not to incur the wrath of stall holders, and a rather large damages bill.

In the past ten years I have been to - in no particular order - Bangkok, Hong Kong, KL, San Fransisco, South Island of NZ, Bali, possibly other places I am not bringing to mind.

The point of the thread was more along the lines of 'I have collected some nice gear over the past few years, I wonder what other, experienced travellers and photographers would take in my situation.'

Forgive me, but I cannot scroll back far enough at the moment to find who it was who asked, but..this is a trip for my partnerr and I to experience more of the world, wit photography as a second priority, not a photography trip, with travelling as a secondary experience. Thanks for the question, I can understand why you would ask. I think the implied point is well made. Am I really going on a photo shoot, or an adventure? I think the answer is, 'I'm going on an adventure, andI want to be able to document it as well as possible.' If I just wanted to take some 'been there' snaps, I'd take a P&S.

[wizofoz]

DA15, DA12-24, FA31, FA77. 12-24 is a necessary evil unfortunately. If you had to had to have a long tele zoom I'd bring a 55-300. That's my 2c. Sounds like a great trip!

Twitch, given that you are my favourite documenter of the cityscape we share, I'll take your advice about the WA zoom very much to heart. I think a long(ish) tele zoom is important if we end up at wildlife type places, or even to pick out details in the landscape, or architecture. I think the ancient boyscout in me just wants to 'be prepared'. Unfortunately I dont own the 55-300, and bought the 60-250 as a travel lens. (I'm very impressed with the IQ of it stopped down a little BTW, but it's a large and heavy -Canon like- lens)

I'm pretty much decided there will not be a 'walk around' zoom, (except for the kit I'll con the missus to stash in the suitcase). So that means I'll be forced to zoom with my feet, and hope that I become better at 'seeing' with my lenses, like you can see with the DA 15.

[wizofoz]

Thanks for the compliment too

well deserved

[hoanpham]

I'm going on an adventure, and I want to be able to document it as well as possible

then you have your priority clear.

Too many lenses, too many options, and you will be distracted from the 'moment of experience'. I have gone with one prime lens on long vacation.
In my experience, it is more important to be aware of what's happening around - aware of what can be a good situation - as we are into a totally new environment, senses can be overwhelmed.
You are 2 shooters, it should be easier to work together for the best shots.
Have fun, and keep the time schedule for each place

[Lowell Goudge]

Thanks for the help and suggestion guys. I guess its a nice problem to have, given my collection of lenses. (Some of you are very guilty of inflaming my LBA!)

I'm starting to lean to - 12 24 (maybe), 60-250, 15, 21, 43 (or 31??), 77, 100, the TC's, a flash, travel tripod, and the CP's, ND's and 9 stopper (and maybe some gels, for the strobists out there...)
I'll con the missus into carting the 18-55 as another WR option, along with her 18-250

I think this combo covers all possibilities, gives me something nice to take pics at the engagement party we are attending (21, 43 and 77) and, if the weather is damp, I can have a range between 18-250 in WR housings, with a bonus 100 prime/macro.

The only doubt is whether or not to take my 12-24, to get me wider....and whether to take the K-7 as a 2nd body. The K-x is nice and all that, but I prefer the k-7/k-5 body and the syncronicity of the control setup.

Sheesh, just when I get the weight down, I use that as an excuse to add more stuff!!

Gotta learn Wayne... less is more..

If I look at my last trip, I took K7, K10, sigma 10-20, tamron 28-75, samyang 8mm, 14mm, &85mm plus Pentax 1.7x AF TC (for the 85mm to get some reach) All this fit in a lowepro microtrekker 200 pack. To go on your trip, I would add the Sigma 70-200F2.8 and the 1.4x and 2x TCs. I would take a slightly larger backpack (they seem to be multiplying like bunnies any way) the lowepro computrekker AW, and put my IPAD into the computer slot along with all my chargers, GPS, etc.

It still is a managable pack out, although I wish the harness on the computrekker was more ergonomic.

This is something to really consider with backpacks. I find most backpacks, except really really good ones, do not have an adjustable harness, that lets you change the way the pack is carried. aside from the two packs above, I also have a lowepro phototrekker AW, which has the volume of my two smaller packs combined, and a proper interlaly framed backpack (not a photo pack) these latter two have a proper harness, that allows the backpack to be low, with the bottom alligned comfortably with where the hip belt should ride, and still have the shoulder straps and chest strap comfortablely placed. the two smaller packs lack this adjustment so you either have the hip belt across your stomach (or not used) or the chest strap around your neck, because you can;t adjust the pack for th elength of your torso. with the two big packs I have, I can fill them with gear, and pack a total load of easily 15-20 kilos all day long with no pain, but 5-10 kilos in either small pack really begins to hurt after 2-3 hours.

[Yamakasi]

Yamakasi - thanks for chipping in. I may even PM you with a few questions about Singapore and places to shoot/see if you don't mind. I would love to be able to tag along on one of the Singapore Pentax group's get togethers. I don't think I mentioned we are getting the train from Singapore all the way to Bangkok, vial KL and Penang. Do you have any advice or experience for this trip?

sure..just pm me if you need any help about Singapore places to shoot and see

The Singapore Pentax community should have a gathering on 17 Dec so it will be good if you can join..you can also check with Frank from pentax forum here..he is the main Pentax guy in Singapore

sorry but i never took the train from Singapore to Bangkok before so cant help you here

[regor]

If it were me: 15, 21, 31, 77.

My normal kit is: 15, 24, 40, 70.

[Wompa]

Hi.

Insteed of starting a new thread may I borrow this for a while? It would be good for people to maybe have a big thread with all the infos and cons/pros

Im going to Thailand next year and I have a Pentax K5 with Kit.

3lenses do I think I need to bring...

One wide, one zoom and maybe one tele?

And a flash, the 540 ofcourse

Can anyone say what lenses I should get? Im looking at the 35/2.4 because its cheap, very nice and light.

And the zoom, I was looking at the 16-50 because of the f2.8.

Someone that can fill in the blanks in this? I dont want to miss a second on my travel, thats why im asking!

[Laurentiu Cristofor]

Can anyone say what lenses I should get? Im looking at the 35/2.4 because its cheap, very nice and light.

And the zoom, I was looking at the 16-50 because of the f2.8.

If you're getting a 2.8 zoom, the 35 is rather redundant.