Rate my kit, please

[lhermiston]

Fellow photogs,

I'll be heading to WDW in May '14. While not the sole focus of the trip (it's really about time with my DW & DDs), I am planning on taking a lot of photos. I know each photographer is different and this is all about personal preference, but I was hoping you could rate my kit to let me know if I'm missing anything really important.

Bag: Amazon Basics camera backpack.
Body: Nikon D5100
Tripod: lightweight travel tripod (for Wishes, long exposure)
Cards: two 8g SD cards (I'm thinking about buying a 16g)
Wired remote
Two batteries, w/charger
Lenses:
- 18-55mm; walk-around lens for general shooting
- 55-300mm; for the safari and as needed
- 50mm; night time, dark rides, detail shots and portraits

Everything fits in the bag and I have some additional space. I could probably get more if I rearranged.

So, that's my bag. Thoughts?

 

[Tink78]

Your kit list looks a lot like mine , except I don't have a decent zoom yet but my main focus will be my kids and also close up's of details with my 50mm.

What are you taking the wired remote for? Just curious?
Wondering if I need one?

 

[Snappy in OK]

The remote (wired or wireless) can & should be used for long exposures, etc, where you don't want to move/shake the camera by pressing the shutter.

 

[Jn3va3]

Pretty much covers it. I assume you've checked to make sure the travel tripod will support the weight with the zoom, and it will be tall enough to extend above the crowd. I'd also take larger SD cards if you are shooting RAW.

The only other things I can think of are a lens pen and a $1 Walmart poncho in case of rain.

 

[nbaresejr]

That sounds a lot like what I used on my 1st trip with a dslr.

I would suggest getting a bigger sd card if shooting in RAW. Also when I was there I found myself wanting to go wider so maybe think about adding a wide angle. A downside to the wide angle is that it's is usually a vacation only lense for me.

 

[Tink78]

The remote (wired or wireless) can & should be used for long exposures, etc, where you don't want to move/shake the camera by pressing the shutter.

Cool, thank you.
So for fireworks maybe?

 

[jcb]

I second what others have said. A lightweight travel tripod might not provide the stability for fireworks photos if you, like me, take exposures lasting several seconds.

While a poncho is certainly handy, I used a rain cover/sleeve for my camera. Fortunately, I didn't need it all that often (it was great to have on Splash Mountain), but it was reassuring to have just in case.

I would definitely get higher capacity SD cards. Unless you are going to transfer images off the cards each night (and back those up), you will welcome not having to worry about enough storage space.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Will you be downloading your pictures nightly?

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

I have only two comments. First, just be aware that the 50 may be a little tight for the dark rides. And second, have you thought about an external flash?

 

[photo_chick]

The only thing I don't see listed is a comfy camera strap. For me that's a necessity. My personal favorite is the Crumpler Industry Disgrace.

And at least twice as much memory as you're planning.

 

[Jn3va3]

>> While a poncho is certainly handy, I used a rain cover/sleeve for my camera

Rain cover- I have one of those too, but so far have only used it photographing lightning. I like the poncho since it can cover my bag and me for the downpours and keep everything dry.

 

[jcb]

>> While a poncho is certainly handy, I used a rain cover/sleeve for my camera

Rain cover- I have one of those too, but so far have only used it photographing lightning. I like the poncho since it can cover my bag and me for the downpours and keep everything dry.

My real objection is to the poncho because I'm not really built for them. I keep a rain jacket in a bag hooked to my belt, though, honestly, I don't mind being a little wet as long as the electrics are dry.

That reminds me to suggest carrying a good cleaning/drying cloth and a few zip lock bags.

 

[mom2rtk]

I keep one of these in my bag. For a long time it barely got used, typically only on Splash Mountain. Then we visited Florida in early June, just as a tropical storm was coming ashore. It got a real workout and was really worth the small price.

I second the idea of an external flash. This comes in very handy for character shots. Not only is the light better, but it runs on external batteries so the camera recycles much faster.

And absolutely on the comfy neck strap idea. Definitely welcome on a long trip to Disney.

 

[lhermiston]

Cool, thank you.
So for fireworks maybe?

Exactly. Or just some long exposure stuff at night. Like the carousel or the lights of Tomorrowland.

 

[lhermiston]

I keep one of these in my bag. For a long time it barely got used, typically only on Splash Mountain. Then we visited Florida in early June, just as a tropical storm was coming ashore. It got a real workout and was really worth the small price.

I second the idea of an external flash. This comes in very handy for character shots. Not only is the light better, but it runs on external batteries so the camera recycles much faster.

And absolutely on the comfy neck strap idea. Definitely welcome on a long trip to Disney.

I have zero experience working with an external flash, so that wasn't something I had considered. I guess I have 10 months to learn...

Thanks for the tip.

 

[cobright]

Two things stand out for me:

Tripod: lightweight travel tripod (for Wishes, long exposure)
Cards: two 8g SD cards (I'm thinking about buying a 16g)

Something to backup your SD card every day. I had a heartbreaker last trip when the chip with the first three days of photos got lost.

How old is your kiddo? If you will be using a stroller, consider a camera mount for that instead of a tripod. Alternatively, camera mount clamps and a chairback or fence-rail would be a better choice than a tripod. If there is any chance of shooting from a crowd, crowds hate tripods. they will kick them and trip over them. Yet they go out of their way to avoid bumping into strollers. Even if my kid was too old to need the stroller I would be inclined to bring one anyway to stow my camera bag in under a baby blanket.

I rolled into WDW last year with a dslr and loved having it. I'm a pack-mule by nature so packing large was no big deal for me. Even so, camera gear weight adds up. I did 99.9% of my shooting with a 28-200 tamron. This year it's the only lens I bring.

 

[Boo Bear]

I'd take an external flash if you have room in your bag. You can pivot it and change the direction to fill in some shadow areas. Also, the 50mm fixed might not be entirely necessary. It's tighter than you may expect, especially with a cropped sensor. Other than that I think what you have looks good. If you aren't backing your images up nightly, I'd get those higher capacity cards. Are you doing a lot of editing? If so, you will either want to convert the images to PSD or tiff before you do anything. If you can shoot in RAW thats even better you but will absolutely need higher capacity SD cards than 8GB if you do that.