Going to Eygpt with canon :)


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myloplex

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May 27, 2003
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Going with my 20D and some L lenses
Any advice. Isit very dusty? How to protect it?
 

Firstly u have to prevent theft.

2nd if still wanna bring ya 20D and L lenses u have to house ya cam in clear plastic bag and shoot from there.
 

jeff49er said:
Firstly u have to prevent theft.

2nd if still wanna bring ya 20D and L lenses u have to house ya cam in clear plastic bag and shoot from there.


You been there ? Sure or not so extreme ? Shoot from plastic bag? Whyz?
 

myloplex said:
You been there ? Sure or not so extreme ? Shoot from plastic bag? Whyz?

Sand, not those kind of sand you find in Singapore beaches. It's pure sand in powder-form. You'll find your lenses filled with it. With the wind blowing, there is NO way you can avoid it. Bring an el-cheapo camera that you won't cry if it's filled up to the brim with brown-powder :)
 

Xaler said:
Sand, not those kind of sand you find in Singapore beaches. It's pure sand in powder-form. You'll find your lenses filled with it. With the wind blowing, there is NO way you can avoid it. Bring an el-cheapo camera that you won't cry if it's filled up to the brim with brown-powder :)


serious? dun scare me.... really want to take nice pics
 

Remember to post your photos when you are back!

Buy insurance for your camera and lenses. You may want to consider cutting down on your equipment. The more things you have, the more attention you have to expend to keep an eye on them. And also make you a more inviting target. Good luck!
 

myloplex said:
serious? dun scare me.... really want to take nice pics

Okay... I'm exaggerating :bsmilie: Egypt isn't that bad. Of course if you're going to trek the desert (Pyramids are in the desert area I think), do take extra care of your equipment. Put on filters at all time and, as mentioned, wrap plastic around it. Leave only the end of the lens exposed to the environment (e.g. plastic bag w rubber band - be creative) :)
 

I went to Egypt a few years back and had a great time. I was using a Dynax 505i then and the sand did not pose any problem. My view is that you should use your 20D and so long as you are careful, you should not be too worried about it. Egypt is a place where the photo opportunities are wonderful. Sure it is a dry and sandy place but you would regret greatly if you do not bring your best cam there. But you might want to bring a smaller backup, just in case. But you must be careful of pick pockets etc. particularly in the tourist areas. When you want to take a picture, the locals usually demand a tip ( "bak-shi"). Sometimes, when you are taking a pic of your friend, a guy might just pop his head in and demand a tip after that. Just be sensible and be situationally aware of your environment. But have no fear if you are careful and you will greatly enjoy your trip ( and I hope it includes the Nile cruise!).

I post below a scanned pix of the Aga Khan Mausoleum along the Nile. Hope you like it.


Cheers

470.jpg
 

dun worry lah.. Just go and shoot.
 

Sand can be quite a problem, cos you can't avoid it when there's a wind blowing. Some things to note from my experience with sandstorms in Beijing.

1.Put on filters for your lens. Sand tends to swirl around the edges of the lens producing an abrasive effect.

2.Dun change lens when the wind is blowing. You can't see it, but there will definitely be wind-borned sand.

3.If you are using the newer Canon L-lens, they are weather-sealed to a certain extent. If you are using any lenses with extendable sections, such as the Tamrons or Sigmas, you have to be careful with sand being pushed into lenses when you are extending/retracting the lenses. What you can do is buy those Nike wristbands, and put them over your lenses.
 

myloplex said:
You been there ? Sure or not so extreme ? Shoot from plastic bag? Whyz?


As someone said about the sand, desert sand is super fine like powder. To protect the L lens n cam, u must have plastic bag.

Next u hav to be wary of snatch thieves. I have not been there to be honest but you have to watch Nat Geo to know all these stuff
 

can also use gaffer. I went to Phuket once with my 300D and I gafferred all potential gaps, including the junction between the body and lens ;p
 

So which is more important:
A. Take great photos in Egypt
B. Protect the camera from theft
C. Enjoy the holiday without worry abt photos or camera theft
 

Astin said:
So which is more important:
A. Take great photos in Egypt
B. Protect the camera from theft
C. Enjoy the holiday without worry abt photos or camera theft

D. All the above :bsmilie:
 

Astin said:
So which is more important:
A. Take great photos in Egypt
B. Protect the camera from theft
C. Enjoy the holiday without worry abt photos or camera theft

I been there in April for 20 days, I can said that the crime rate in Egypt is simply very low. Although they're poor, but theft is not yet part of their culture. Take reasonable precaution, but no need to over do it. Enjoy your holiday.
 

Thanks all for the advice. :)
But shooting from a plastic bag abit weird yar. Ha Ha
 

myloplex said:
Going with my 20D and some L lenses
Any advice. Isit very dusty? How to protect it?

Hi Myloplex,

when are you going?!

I'm planning to go Eygpt as well. Would be travelling around Eygpt from 18th Dec till 8th Jan (23 days).

I'm a pretty seasoned travel photographer even though this would be the first time I'm shooting @ a desert-ous area.

I believe the Canon professional equipments will be able to handle the desert conditions, it is afterall a professional equipment. I can't imagine if the professionals realize that they have paid so much for a piece of glass that can't even handle what nature can throw at them.

Of course, you must also take care of the equipments. As some of the members have pointed out:

(1) Have a filter on (if possible)
(2) Dun change lens in the open
(3) Dust off sand every night.

I don't really think it is necessary to wrap your camera with plastic bag or gaffer tap. It's abit 'over-kill' and it will just attract more attention to yourself.

Personally, I'm not so worried about the sand. I am more worried if I will have enough batteries, storage space or camera failure.

*By the way, I'm using the Nikon Pro system and I have full confidence in them. I will be spending 3 days camping in the desert & 4 days on board a felucca down the Nile.
 

Hi Myoplex,

I was in Eygpt last year around Oct. Very beautiful place and tons of photo opportunities. One thing to note is that it is very common practise for pple to ask for money after you take a picture of them….. I wanted to take a picture of the camels with the pyramids in the background, but then I saw another tourist doing that, he was pestered by the owner of the camel for money…. He refused to pay and it just got nasty after that. After that, I either take pictures of pple when they are not looking or I will just pay them a small sum of money. I gave anything from S$0.50 to US$1 each time.

At the pyramids, it IS very very sandy. I was using my newly bought Canon 300D with the kit lens. I did not cover with plastic bag or anything. My lens had a filter on, which I feel was essential. I remember having to brush off all the sand almost every night coz a lot of the attractions are in the desert. So, only change lens when you are on the bus or in the hotel. In the city is fine too, although the city has other pollutants other than sand. My camera and lens are still working fine until now after the 10days trip…. (although I’m using the 17-40L now, should have bought it before the trip!!!). Do bring your polariser along, the sky is a beautiful blue most of the time and the sunrises and sunsets are amazing especially along the Nile

Are you doing a cruise along the Nile? I did a couple of days cruise as a lot of attractions are actually near the Nile

In Cairo, the museum is enormous… I feel its not possible to finish in one day. You can take pictures in the museum except in this room where they house real mummies(very eerie) … You have to leave your camera outside and also pay additional money to get in. There is another room where they display treasures found in a grave and you cannot use flash… That’s where I whipped out my 50mm 1.8 and put it to good use……

There is another place where I recommend you to go in Cairo is Khan Al-Khalili. It is a open air bazaar which many locals gather at night. It was extremely crowded when I went there at night as it was Ramadan… I was worried about theft so to avoid drawing attention to my camera, I initially hid my camera in my jacket in front of me and kept the zip up. A few of the locals saw that and started teasing me, shouting, ‘ Excuse me sir, are you pregnant?’ it in fact attracted more attention. After that, I just sling my camera over my shoulder… nobody even looked at it after that…. I asked my tour guide and he mentioned that the only thing to worry about is the occasional pick pocket… snatch theft are almost unheard off.

The locals there are quite loud and rowdy, but are actually quite friendly. Just show them respect and practice the same caution as you would when traveling to other touristy spots in the world.

BTW, if you are wondering what equipment I brought for the trip. I brought my Canon 300D (then only about 1 month old), 18-55mm lens, 50mm 1.8 lens, 70-300mm Tamron lens. I also brought along my X-drive portable storage. I only brought one 256 CF card and a 32 CF card. I ended up using about 5gig worth of storage space in the X-drive and about 2000 to 3000 plus pictures. If you like, I can post some of my pics…. Although I was still quite a amateur then.. (maybe even now!!!)

WAH!! I didn’t realise I wrote so much…. All in all, I must say it was quite a enjoyable and memorable trip.
 

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