What to bring - New Zealand

[audiorook]

Thank you all for all the tips!! If theres more, please do give me the feedback.

Currently, will be bringing the following:

D100
24-120mm VR
50mm
18-35mm
Tripod
Lowepro Mini Trekker
1 X 1Gb
1 X 512Mb
SB800

Looking at buying for the trip
Lowepro Stealth Reporter 300 or 400 AW
80-200 f2.8
1 X 1Gb
Compact drive to donwload (or can just download onto my notebook)

Am travelling with the family, so I am having to consider that my wife and myself also have to take care of a 3 yr old and a 9mth old. Aiya... miss those times when no kids to handle during travel....

 

[audiorook]

Oh, and forgot to state the obvious - if you bring your digicam/camera on to a jet boat (or any boat, actually), make sure it's securely strapped to your body on a short leash.

For sure... noted!!

 

[audiorook]

i bought a 20G Hard disk...its more than enough to store all pix. i went for 14 days and i took more than 1000+ pix

What is a good and reliable Compact disk to buy!?!? The one that Eastgear was selling at the IT SHOW!?

 

[eric69]

Thank you all for all the tips!! If theres more, please do give me the feedback.

Currently, will be bringing the following:

D100
24-120mm VR
50mm
18-35mm
Tripod
Lowepro Mini Trekker
1 X 1Gb
1 X 512Mb
SB800

Looking at buying for the trip
Lowepro Stealth Reporter 300 or 400 AW
80-200 f2.8
1 X 1Gb
Compact drive to donwload (or can just download onto my notebook)

Am travelling with the family, so I am having to consider that my wife and myself also have to take care of a 3 yr old and a 9mth old. Aiya... miss those times when no kids to handle during travel....

Suggest you skip the following:-
(a) 50mm Lens:- Is this necessary? You already have the zoom to cover that range.
(b) SB800:- Use your in-camera flash
(c) 512MB CF Card:- is this necessary since you are bringing your notebook?
(d) 80-200mm lens:- Need to buy? Do you need it AFTER the trip?
(e) Compact drive

You are there to enjoy your family life, not labour around carrying a heavy camera bag. Chances are you probably be carrying your 9mths old too. So travel light. You still are able to capture great travel photos with your limited gears. I doubt you will use the telephoto lens especially the 80-200.

You seem likely to buy more items eg bag.. Serious? After the trip, do you have use of it? Or end up in your cupboard till the next trip? NZ is a bloodly expensive place. I rather you spend the money on your family for a nice trip than to spend on the camera gears.

Else you are rich, I can't comment much. Cheers.

 

[Hewland]

Thank you all for all the tips!! If theres more, please do give me the feedback.

Currently, will be bringing the following:

D100
24-120mm VR
50mm
18-35mm
Tripod
Lowepro Mini Trekker
1 X 1Gb
1 X 512Mb
SB800

Looking at buying for the trip
Lowepro Stealth Reporter 300 or 400 AW
80-200 f2.8
1 X 1Gb
Compact drive to donwload (or can just download onto my notebook)

Am travelling with the family, so I am having to consider that my wife and myself also have to take care of a 3 yr old and a 9mth old. Aiya... miss those times when no kids to handle during travel....

Hi,

That's nice travelling with the family. Since you have kids to look after you prob won't be able to pay full attention to shooting, much less worry abt changing lenses, etc. In that case, I suggest bringing what you really need, cos am sure you'll have to carry the stroller, luggage, shopping, etc. Not to mention the wife will prob hurry you along cos the kids getting cranky or excited or need a diaper change.

Whenever my uncle visits Singapore from abroad with family in tow, I see him exhausted from running around, looking after the kids, etc. He dun have mood nor energy to shoot anymore.

Then again you're not my uncle so if you are up to carrying all that stuff, go ahead

I used both lenses in AKL just as much. I visited SYD after AKL but as I was using 160-speed film, I didn't use the 70-210 as much in SYD in spite of the sunny weather.

 

[eric69]

NZ is very boring in the night. Probably if you are bringing your notebook, you will have plenty of time to do your uploading and editing. Bring along a few CD-RW. Can download into CD-RW than buying another CF card.

If you do not intend to print beyond 4R, or maybe the occasion 8R, the 24-120 would be sufficent. The resolution to print in 4R and 8R is definitely sufficent for you to cnop your photos. Even if you take photos at 120mm, you can cnop it to look like 200mm zoom.

 

[audiorook]

Suggest you skip the following:-
(a) 50mm Lens:- Is this necessary? You already have the zoom to cover that range.
(b) SB800:- Use your in-camera flash
(c) 512MB CF Card:- is this necessary since you are bringing your notebook?
(d) 80-200mm lens:- Need to buy? Do you need it AFTER the trip?
(e) Compact drive

You are there to enjoy your family life, not labour around carrying a heavy camera bag. Chances are you probably be carrying your 9mths old too. So travel light. You still are able to capture great travel photos with your limited gears. I doubt you will use the telephoto lens especially the 80-200.

You seem likely to buy more items eg bag.. Serious? After the trip, do you have use of it? Or end up in your cupboard till the next trip? NZ is a bloodly expensive place. I rather you spend the money on your family for a nice trip than to spend on the camera gears.

Else you are rich, I can't comment much. Cheers.

Hi Eric,

Thank you for the advice. On the 50mm lens, I have found that very useful, especially on our frequent trips to Msia with the family.

For the notebook, am still comtemplating... as I only have about 15gb left on my notebook. Second hearts abt the notebook, it will be used for work also, but trying not to be bothered abt work during the holiday..... likely to bring.

80-200mm - am still trying to justify this purchase or non-purchase.. dun think i will buy in the end...

You seem likely to buy more items eg bag.. Serious? After the trip, do you have use of it? Or end up in your cupboard till the next trip? NZ is a bloodly expensive place. I rather you spend the money on your family for a nice trip than to spend on the camera gears.

Else you are rich, I can't comment much. Cheers.

Maybe i should explain on your comment. I DO NOT like to buy more items, and also i have spent quite a lot on the trip for NZ already. We are saving a bit on accommodation as we are staying at a friend's place for more than 10 days. Thats why I put up this thread, to get views and feedback, especially to get views from fellow experienced photographers.

On the Stealth reporter bag, thot of getting that so that it (might) be easier to take the gear out, than with a Mini Trekker, seeing that I would have two kids to take care of.

Just to clarify... no, I am NOT rich lah... thats why asking for opinions to stop me from spending...

 

[nikkie]

not sure about this time of the year, but beginning winter and end winter, the sunlight is very strong and shooting in places such as lake wanaka, the very high contrast scenes dictate the use of a Graduated filter. you should not miss lake matheson for the reflections, interesting forest, streams etc..

 

[audiorook]

not sure about this time of the year, but beginning winter and end winter, the sunlight is very strong and shooting in places such as lake wanaka, the very high contrast scenes dictate the use of a Graduated filter. you should not miss the lake matheson for the lake reflection, and interesting forest, streams etc..

noted. thank you.

 

[audiorook]

Hi Eric,

Thank you for the advice. On the 50mm lens, I have found that very useful, especially on our frequent trips to Msia with the family.

For the notebook, am still comtemplating... as I only have about 15gb left on my notebook. Second hearts abt the notebook, it will be used for work also, but trying not to be bothered abt work during the holiday..... likely to bring.

80-200mm - am still trying to justify this purchase or non-purchase.. dun think i will buy in the end...



Maybe i should explain on your comment. I DO NOT like to buy more items, and also i have spent quite a lot on the trip for NZ already. We are saving a bit on accommodation as we are staying at a friend's place for more than 10 days. Thats why I put up this thread, to get views and feedback, especially to get views from fellow experienced photographers.

On the Stealth reporter bag, thot of getting that so that it (might) be easier to take the gear out, than with a Mini Trekker, seeing that I would have two kids to take care of.

Just to clarify... no, I am NOT rich lah... thats why asking for opinions to stop me from spending...

Eric,

Pls dun get me wrong. Appreciate your comments very much!! Helps me wake up!!!

 

[eric69]

Helps me wake up!!!

Haha.. no problem lah. I just hope you enjoy your trip, and bother less about the camera equipment. The first time I went NZ, I brought along my F90X, full asernal of lens, from WA to telephotos, bags of films, tripod etc. The equipment was so damn heavy that movingaround was dreaded, especially when I went treking along the numerous national parks.

So for the 2nd trip I went just this January with my wife, I brought along my Oly C-5050Z digicam. I enjoyed it so much, prehaps becos my wife was with me. But the point is, comparing with the last trip, my 2nd sets of photos looked great. Then I realised that photos of your loved ones, instead of all these scenic images, are most valueable. Just don't be too engossed in taking photos, and neglect your loved ones ... becos trips like this are hard to come by.

I'm sure years to come, when you think of NZ, images of you & your kids laughing and enjoying in NZ, will come to mind, and not the scenic images of NZ.

Post your NZ photos when you are back! Cheers.

 

[audiorook]

Haha.. no problem lah. I just hope you enjoy your trip, and bother less about the camera equipment. The first time I went NZ, I brought along my F90X, full asernal of lens, from WA to telephotos, bags of films, tripod etc. The equipment was so damn heavy that movingaround was dreaded, especially when I went treking along the numerous national parks.

So for the 2nd trip I went just this January with my wife, I brought along my Oly C-5050Z digicam. I enjoyed it so much, prehaps becos my wife was with me. But the point is, comparing with the last trip, my 2nd sets of photos looked great. Then I realised that photos of your loved ones, instead of all these scenic images, are most valueable. Just don't be too engossed in taking photos, and neglect your loved ones ... becos trips like this are hard to come by.

I'm sure years to come, when you think of NZ, images of you & your kids laughing and enjoying in NZ, will come to mind, and not the scenic images of NZ.

Post your NZ photos when you are back! Cheers.

Hi Eric,

Point noted. Wifey was actually whinning about me carrying the Photo Bag to NZ, and having to take care of the whole family (obviously she is not too much in favour of this hobby).

And I do agree with you abt family photos rather than scenic images.....

My other camera is a Nikon Coolpix 775... hmmmm....... errrr.....