Traveling Advice

[bioanarchism]

I am going overseas for about a week long, and wanna bring my Nikon D40 out.

I am new to photography, in particular with DSLRs. Do I need to worry about custom inspections, or rather the damage posed by X-ray scanning?

I am also trying to work up a list of items to purchase:

1) Sling bag -- **removed**
2) Extra memory cards - **purchased**
3) Lens hood - **purchased**
4) Lens filter - **purchased**
5) LCD protector
6) Cleaning fluid and cloth - **removed**
7) Waist-mounted bags

Is my list too absurd? Some advice from the pros around here will always be good. Thanks!

 

[eosdigital]

Do not worry about CF issues with x ray machines..long before when dSLR were in infacy stages, CompactFlash cards were already tested and found to be free from interference in x ray machine

 

[bioanarchism]

Do not worry about CF issues with x ray machines..long before when dSLR were in infacy stages, CompactFlash cards were already tested and found to be free from interference in x ray machine

That's very re-assuring. Thanks!

 

[Ryvaleus]

X-ray doesn't have any effect whatsoever on your equipment. Don't worry. I haven't had any bad experience with customs with regards to my camera equipment (but then again, I haven't really been to many places yet since I delved into photography).

I'd skip the cleaning fluid and just bring a blower and lenspen if you have one. If not, the cloth would do. If you're planning on long treks on foot, a backpack might be a better choice instead of a sling bag because carrying all that weight on one shoulder sucks the enjoyment out of the trek.

Oh and I'd suggest a spare battery if you don't already have one.

 

[bioanarchism]

X-ray doesn't have any effect whatsoever on your equipment. Don't worry. I haven't had any bad experience with customs with regards to my camera equipment (but then again, I haven't really been to many places yet since I delved into photography).

I'd skip the cleaning fluid and just bring a blower and lenspen if you have one. If not, the cloth would do. If you're planning on long treks on foot, a backpack might be a better choice instead of a sling bag because carrying all that weight on one shoulder sucks the enjoyment out of the trek.

Oh and I'd suggest a spare battery if you don't already have one.

Thanks for the tip! Added spare battery my handwritten list.

I have a blower and cleaning cloth in my dry cabinet. Will explore the options for a backpack too.

 

[deklan]

do u really need the extra stuff u dont usually shoot with? especially when ure travelling, cause it really stinks to be carrying around heavy gear while travelling.
besides memory cards, i dont really bring anything extra, maybe a battery if its gonna be cold.
And, i think backpacks which can contain a dslr and ur other neccessities are more suited for those long days...

 

[kynoe]

see http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=317424

 

[LynneSaur]

hmm... not sure what size your cleaning fluid is, but if you do want to bring it along (there's no actual need...) you'd have to make sure it's in a container no bigger than 100mls and kept in a 1ltr zip-lock bag

 

[bioanarchism]

see http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=317424

That is very helpful! Thanks!

 

[bioanarchism]

do u really need the extra stuff u dont usually shoot with? especially when ure travelling, cause it really stinks to be carrying around heavy gear while travelling.
besides memory cards, i dont really bring anything extra, maybe a battery if its gonna be cold.
And, i think backpacks which can contain a dslr and ur other neccessities are more suited for those long days...

I am still looking for a suitable bag to put in my shopping purchases during the trip.

An extra battery definitely makes a lot of sense. Definitely won't wanna run into a dead battery situation.

 

[bioanarchism]

hmm... not sure what size your cleaning fluid is, but if you do want to bring it along (there's no actual need...) you'd have to make sure it's in a container no bigger than 100mls and kept in a 1ltr zip-lock bag

Noted. I think I will keep the cleaning fluid in my check-in luggage instead.

 

[Randius]

I am still looking for a suitable bag to put in my shopping purchases during the trip.

An extra battery definitely makes a lot of sense. Definitely won't wanna run into a dead battery situation.

If you want a bag to put your shopping purchases, get a seperate backpack to store more stuffs. Store your camera in a waistpack for easier access. A shoulder/sling bag will only get more uncomfortable as you carry it for long period of time. The disadvantages of waistpack are its smaller capacity and you will find it difficult to run as the waistpack keeps bouncing.

Spare batteries are a must, you may be too tired after a day to remember charging the battery. The day won't go well if you have to survive on 10% power...

 

[Xross.Fire]

since your camera is rather small, and i assume you are only bringing one lens, why not the thinktank digital holster 20?

It can fit my 40d with 17-55 and the lens hood attached. there's a zip at the bottom to extend the bag. Has slots for cf cards, filter & battery. but no space for the blower though.

 

[Randius]

Regarding the Urban Disguise 20, you can extend the bottom and use the divider provided to create a partition for the blower etc. If anyone need one, I've got one to sell

 

[bioanarchism]

If you want a bag to put your shopping purchases, get a seperate backpack to store more stuffs. Store your camera in a waistpack for easier access. A shoulder/sling bag will only get more uncomfortable as you carry it for long period of time. The disadvantages of waistpack are its smaller capacity and you will find it difficult to run as the waistpack keeps bouncing.

Spare batteries are a must, you may be too tired after a day to remember charging the battery. The day won't go well if you have to survive on 10% power...

I have ran along the same train of thought as you have mentioned - to seperate my shopping stuff away from my camera.

However, it didn't occur to me of getting a waist pouch. I made a trip to a shop and saw a Tamrac (looks remotely like the Tamrac Adventure Zoom series) but gave it a pass because of the uneven distribution of weight. If I were to get it, I will probably have to sling it on top of my existing backpack for shopping stuff.

I am sure there are some models that will allow conversion between shoulder sling and waist-mounted straps but I will just keep on looking.

I am getting the spare batteries tomorrow. However, I also did came across third-party models, albeit with a shorter operating time and lifespan. Are they worth getting? If I am scared jeeby-jeebers, I would probably take the safe route and go with the original models.

I really appreciate the tip! Thanks!

 

[bioanarchism]

since your camera is rather small, and i assume you are only bringing one lens, why not the thinktank digital holster 20?

It can fit my 40d with 17-55 and the lens hood attached. there's a zip at the bottom to extend the bag. Has slots for cf cards, filter & battery. but no space for the blower though.

I have looked through the DH 20 and find it to be interesting. It has a belt buckle, which makes it more viable for it to be mounted on the waist. I will keep this on a lookout.

 

[lennyl]

Noted. I think I will keep the cleaning fluid in my check-in luggage instead.

I don't know what are the current regulations on flammable liquids in checked in luggage, but I would recommend you keep that at home to avoid any trouble. Are lighters allowed in checked in luggage now? The rules keep changing, I've lost track. If they're not, I don't think cleaning fluid would be allowed either.

 

[bioanarchism]

I don't know what are the current regulations on flammable liquids in checked in luggage, but I would recommend you keep that at home to avoid any trouble. Are lighters allowed in checked in luggage now? The rules keep changing, I've lost track. If they're not, I don't think cleaning fluid would be allowed either.

I am equally confused, and luckily for a gentle reminder from you - I found a link on Changi Airport's website that highlights the airport safety regulations. I think there are other similar documentation presented on the websites of the respective airline carriers. A quick example would be SIA (that's the first airline that popped up in my mind).

 

[Randius]

I have looked through the DH 20 and find it to be interesting. It has a belt buckle, which makes it more viable for it to be mounted on the waist. I will keep this on a lookout.

Not too sure if you have mistaken the DH20 comes with a belt but it doesn't. The Pro Speed belt is more suitable to be used with the DH20.

For waistpack, I recommend the TTP Change Up as it takes quite a lot of stuff despite of its size and has wider waist strap for both comfort and sturdiness. I had written a review on the CU, you can read about it here.

 

[rookie86]

why not try Lowepro Inverse 200?? it's super big~~ i'm using the Inverse 100 now.. and i'm loving it!