Europe Trip Dec 11 2008

[Gengh]

Hi guys

I will be embarking on a Europe trip this coming Dec. It is a 16 days trip. The countries I will be going to are...

Italy (Rome, Vatican City, Florence, Pisa, Venice, Doges Palace)
Austria ( Innsbruck, Old Town Hall - Little Golden Roof)
Liechtenstein (Vaduz City)
Switzerland (Lucerne, Schaffhausen, Rhinefalls)
Germany (Black Forest, Cologne)
Holland ( Amsterdam, Canal Cruise, Dam Square)
Belgium (Brussels)
France (Paris, Ars De Triomphe, Eiffel Tower)
England( London, Trafalgar Sq, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace)

Anyone been to these countries? Able to share your experiences, photographs that you took etc?

In Switzerland, are the Rolex cheap? Would you go shopping there or take a trip up the Alps? : )

In Paris, would you suggest going to Disneyland? I've been to California's Disneyland and I feel it should be about the same.

Which lens would you suggest to be on my D80 most of the time?

I have the following lenses

Kit 18-135.
50mm f1.8
Tokina 12-24mm

This is one scary trip... :sweat:

Not sure what your transport arrangements are, but I'm guessing you'll be taking a lot of overnight trains to maximise time?

Anyway, to give my answers to your question. I'd choose Alps over shopping in Switzerland, as I think they're really beautiful when snow-covered. And Paris Disneyland is not worth visiting since you've been to the California one. Spend more time in the city. But these are just my opinions, and I assumed that you're just deciding for yourself, and as a photographer. If got wife/family, then everything's different...

In such a tight tour package, you can still have the flexibility to make these choices?

 

[Pokka]

ahh, tour groups tend to be amazing race sort of programme.. in any case.. have fun!

Thanks!

 

[Pokka]

You can try Flickr and Photobucket. Both allows hotlinking.

Thanks! Will try them out..

 

[Pokka]

Did not read this post. Thought u F&E. If on tour, they usually plan alot of place one. Haha. Btw how much is your tour package?

Super keen to go Europe again :cry:

Ya, Tour group usually alot of places. I paid $4800 for this 16 day trip at SA Tour.

Cheers!

 

[Pokka]

Hope u get a nice n watch. Since u r travelling with a tour group,i believe ur guide will bring u to the shops.

I don't whip my camera out instantly in winter cos the lens will fog up.. When i was in Europe,i was using a PnS so sometimes the battery will freeze up. What i do is to hide my camera inside my jacket for warmth.

Most impt is to have fun n take plenty of photos.

Hi bovine

I will be placing my camera & the other barang barang in my crumpler bag. Do you think when I take out the camera, it will fog?

Quite impossible to sling my bag inside my jacket as the crumpler bag is quite a size.

Will definitely take lots of pics!

Cheers!

 

[Pokka]

Actually wanted to go there to appreciate their culture and beautiful landscape. Planned to go for around 3 months, then back to SG then proceed with my 3 months China tour

Though I may like shopping, but their prices are:sweat:. Think at most will get myself a LV wallet and a handbag for my mum in France since my brother has friend there who can show me around.

Anyway, have started to read a bit of travel guides like lonely planet and DK's Eyewitness travel guide. Find them quite useful but a bit confusing as every place they mention in the book is stranger to me.:bsmilie:

Wah, envy you! No need to work? ;p

 

[night86mare]

Hi bovine

I will be placing my camera & the other barang barang in my crumpler bag. Do you think when I take out the camera, it will fog?

Quite impossible to sling my bag inside my jacket as the crumpler bag is quite a size.

Will definitely take lots of pics!

Cheers!

as long as you give it enough time to adjust to temperature differences, it should be sufficient.

e.g. when moving out from heated building, don't just whip out the camera right away. open your bag and let the cold enter - padding is as much of an insulation as it is protection.. before taking it out.

 

[Pokka]

This is one scary trip... :sweat:

Not sure what your transport arrangements are, but I'm guessing you'll be taking a lot of overnight trains to maximise time?

Anyway, to give my answers to your question. I'd choose Alps over shopping in Switzerland, as I think they're really beautiful when snow-covered. And Paris Disneyland is not worth visiting since you've been to the California one. Spend more time in the city. But these are just my opinions, and I assumed that you're just deciding for yourself, and as a photographer. If got wife/family, then everything's different...

In such a tight tour package, you can still have the flexibility to make these choices?

Hmm, have to check back with SA tour regarding the overnight train thingie. Im travelling with my gf, my sister and my brother-in-law. So I guess not that hard as in where to go when given the free and easy time. They're pretty easy-going. Thanks for your advice though.

Ultimately, as we're in a tour group, I guess most of the decision/suggestions on where to go will still come from the tour guide.

 

[Pokka]

as long as you give it enough time to adjust to temperature differences, it should be sufficient.

e.g. when moving out from heated building, don't just whip out the camera right away. open your bag and let the cold enter - padding is as much of an insulation as it is protection.. before taking it out.

Ic, thanks for your suggestion. I remembered when I stayed in a hotel and when I went out in the morning, my lens fogged and it took quite a while for them to de-fogged.

Anyways to make the fog go away faster?

Or the only way is to

-come out from hotel
- open up my bag to let the camera acclimatise to the coldness outside
- start shooting (which will almost take 10-15mins?)

 

[night86mare]

Ic, thanks for your suggestion. I remembered when I stayed in a hotel and when I went out in the morning, my lens fogged and it took quite a while for them to de-fogged.

Anyways to make the fog go away faster?

Or the only way is to

-come out from hotel
- open up my bag to let the camera acclimatise to the coldness outside
- start shooting (which will almost take 10-15mins?)

no, unless you set your camera on ice to cool it down first..

i usually get this problem when i'm on cruise by the way.. not really in london. or anywhere else in europe that i've been, but those temperatures are never sub zero.

if you have fog, you can try wiping it away but it will usually come back a few more times. usually only the front element will fog. if the rear element fogs, or worse still, fog is inside your lens.. then it will be a harder problem to resolve, not that it will damage your lens significantly.. but rather you risk missing out on photo opportunities unless you happen to fancy a fog rim around all of your photos.. which is why it is probably better to take precautionary measures

 

[Gengh]

Hmm, have to check back with SA tour regarding the overnight train thingie. Im travelling with my gf, my sister and my brother-in-law. So I guess not that hard as in where to go when given the free and easy time. They're pretty easy-going. Thanks for your advice though.

Given your hectic schedule, maybe you might want to just rest and take it easy during your free and easy time haha... Whatever you choose to do, I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

as long as you give it enough time to adjust to temperature differences, it should be sufficient.

e.g. when moving out from heated building, don't just whip out the camera right away. open your bag and let the cold enter - padding is as much of an insulation as it is protection.. before taking it out.

Erm, I think the fogging only occurs when you move from a cold place to a warmer and more humid one? So moving out from a heated building is fine, but moving back in may be a problem. Anyway, like you said, usually it's not an issue in Europe, I think the buildings are just not heated and humid enough in general. However, if you step from the winter night into a pub full of sweaty and warm bodies then things might be very different... :bsmilie:

 

[night86mare]

Erm, I think the fogging only occurs when you move from a cold place to a warmer and more humid one? So moving out from a heated building is fine, but moving back in may be a problem. Anyway, like you said, usually it's not an issue in Europe, I think the buildings are just not heated and humid enough in general. However, if you step from the winter night into a pub full of sweaty and warm bodies then things might be very different... :bsmilie:

hrm.

yes, sorry, got mixed up a little.

 

[Junye]

whack plenty of local breakfast and get plenty of rest before you go.

those european hotels give u bread, butter, scrambled eggs, cheese and cereal everyday. helps when u are not stayin in one hotel for too long.

all in 1 tour packages are damn sardine packed. try to get sleep when possible. i was waking up at 6am and sleeping at 1am everyday when i went for my italy/switzerland tour.
oh yeah. snap fast. lol. tours dun wait for no one.

Rolex cheapest one is like 5.7k SGD. well u do find limited edition watches for many brands.

lot of wide buildings in europe. before you get off the bus mount ya lens u wanna use next.
try to bring a flash along. it will help.

 

[Pokka]

no, unless you set your camera on ice to cool it down first..

i usually get this problem when i'm on cruise by the way.. not really in london. or anywhere else in europe that i've been, but those temperatures are never sub zero.

if you have fog, you can try wiping it away but it will usually come back a few more times. usually only the front element will fog. if the rear element fogs, or worse still, fog is inside your lens.. then it will be a harder problem to resolve, not that it will damage your lens significantly.. but rather you risk missing out on photo opportunities unless you happen to fancy a fog rim around all of your photos.. which is why it is probably better to take precautionary measures

Oh dear, how would you suggest that I tackle the fog problem then?

 

[Pokka]

Given your hectic schedule, maybe you might want to just rest and take it easy during your free and easy time haha... Whatever you choose to do, I'm sure you'll enjoy it!



Erm, I think the fogging only occurs when you move from a cold place to a warmer and more humid one? So moving out from a heated building is fine, but moving back in may be a problem. Anyway, like you said, usually it's not an issue in Europe, I think the buildings are just not heated and humid enough in general. However, if you step from the winter night into a pub full of sweaty and warm bodies then things might be very different... :bsmilie:

What about when you step out from an airconditioned hotel to the outside environment which is more warm than the hotel? Possible?

 

[Pokka]

whack plenty of local breakfast and get plenty of rest before you go.

those european hotels give u bread, butter, scrambled eggs, cheese and cereal everyday. helps when u are not stayin in one hotel for too long.

all in 1 tour packages are damn sardine packed. try to get sleep when possible. i was waking up at 6am and sleeping at 1am everyday when i went for my italy/switzerland tour.
oh yeah. snap fast. lol. tours dun wait for no one.

Rolex cheapest one is like 5.7k SGD. well u do find limited edition watches for many brands.

lot of wide buildings in europe. before you get off the bus mount ya lens u wanna use next.
try to bring a flash along. it will help.

I like western food so I guess the food there will be to my liking. : )

Hmm..thanks for the rolex pricing. Will try to look out there. Will bring a flash along. Thanks! : )

 

[night86mare]

Oh dear, how would you suggest that I tackle the fog problem then?

actually i have never experienced it before in europe

even during winter.. but you're going to some more temperate countries than i have been so..

 

[Gengh]

What about when you step out from an airconditioned hotel to the outside environment which is more warm than the hotel? Possible?

Oh yes, that's perfectly possible, happened to me a few times before. But that's like in Singapore and Malaysia. I don't foresee that happening in Europe during winter, so don't worry about it for this trip.

 

[Pokka]

Oh yes, that's perfectly possible, happened to me a few times before. But that's like in Singapore and Malaysia. I don't foresee that happening in Europe during winter, so don't worry about it for this trip.

Cheers! Thanks alot guys! : )

So when's the next outing?

 

[kelccm]

I don't find buying Swiss watches in Switzerland any much cheaper than buying in Singapore. But if you really want to buy a Rolex in Europe, buy them at Andorra, but too bad your itinery does not include there.