What am I Packing?
Isn’t this how you refer to a gun? I am sure I have heard the term “I am packing a xyz…” Strange way to say I have a gun!
Anyway, I am off the track like an out of control go kart… I was asked what I pack when heading out on a trip. The answer is “it depends”. If the trip is a business trip and I am taking my camera ‘just in case’ I get a change to shoot, I normally just have my D800, a 14-24mm lens and sometimes I will also pack my 24-70mm.
If I am heading on a trip away where the sole purpose is photography, I try to cover everything. For tomorrows trip to Tasmania, I have tried to cover all focal lengths as I just don’t know what to expect. I mean, I know I will be shooting ultra wide when I am places like Cradle Mountain but I want to be ready for anything, so I also have my 70-200mm zoom and a teleconverter too just in case!
To cover every every focal length is my goal… so I have a 14-24mm, a 24-70mm, a 70-200mm, a 1.7x Teleconverter that gives me from 120mm to 340mm when used with my zoom. I also take my 16-35mm wide angle lens because unlike the 14-24mm, it will take a 77mm threaded filter, so if needed I can use it for slow shutter speed shots with an ND Filter.
As for camera bodies, I will take my D800 and my Fuji X-E1 with the 35mm and 18mm lenses.
In addition to the main gear above, I have a set of screw on filters, Lee ND Grad filters, battery chargers, iphone and ipad, macbook, a WD 1TB backup drive and a whole bunch of other little bits and bobs.
Today’s iCandy – Grand Hotel
Why do hotels get names like this.. I mean, isn’t it a bit like bragging? When I was in Auckland it was around the Chinese New Year period and a lot of places were decorated to celebrate. Outside the Grand Hotel were these Chinese lanterns hanging over the road. I set up my tripod only to be told by security that I wasn’t allowed to take a photo, I replied by asking him why he had just let everyone else taking photo’s with their iPhones and point and shoot cameras, he said I looked like a professional and therefor was not allowed… I asked if he could go and get his supervisor so I could have a chat with him about it… whilst he was off getting his supervisor I happily got all the shots I wanted and by the time he returned I told him not to worry about it and moved on! What is this world coming too?
