Should I take it?

[happy.family.of.6]

Hi,
Im new to photography, but love it. I have a Canon Rebel Xti. Here is my dilemma. We are leaving on Saturday to WDW. I would love to take my camera but i have a couple of concern. First let me start by saying there will be 10 of us. DH and I have 4 kids, and my mom and three neices will be going. My concerns are-will it be too much of a burden to carry it around and physically stop to take the photos I would like? what do you do when you want to ride a ride? Do they let you take it on? If they don't, where do you put it so it does not get stolen/damaged? I would like to take at least 2, but really 3 of my lenses.....Is that going to be a pain? Where would I keep my bag on rides? I really dont want to take my tripod either. What do you guys think? Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Amanda

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

Do you visit WDW often? If you don't, I would take the camera. I'm assuming you GOT the camera because you enjoy good quality pictures. Personally, I could never travel to WDW w/o mine (that being said, I only have 1 child )

In terms of rides, I take my camera on. I either hold the the bag or use the storage compartments in the ride. I would never leave my bag somewhere with my camera in it. I also put my camera/lenses in ziploc bags (in my bag) for water rides, just in case.

I do think ahead and only bring the lenses that I know I will need. For instance, I only bring my telephoto lens to AK because it's the only place I tend to use it.

I only bring a tripod at night. Luckily we still travel with a stroller. That I do leave on the stroller when I'm not using it (covered with a sweatshirt or something). Nobody has ever touched it.

 

[annnewjerz]

Hi,
Im new to photography, but love it. I have a Canon Rebel Xti. Here is my dilemma. We are leaving on Saturday to WDW. I would love to take my camera but i have a couple of concern. First let me start by saying there will be 10 of us. DH and I have 4 kids, and my mom and three neices will be going. My concerns are-will it be too much of a burden to carry it around and physically stop to take the photos I would like? what do you do when you want to ride a ride? Do they let you take it on? If they don't, where do you put it so it does not get stolen/damaged? I would like to take at least 2, but really 3 of my lenses.....Is that going to be a pain? Where would I keep my bag on rides? I really dont want to take my tripod either. What do you guys think? Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Amanda

First - Yes. I would take it. Do you have a p&s also? If so, I'd bring both and this way if you feel weighed down or burdened by the dslr, you have a small back-up camera to use. IMO it's a lot better to take the XTi and leave it behind because you don't want to use it, rather than leaving it behind and wanting to use it and kick yourself for not bringing it.

Second - Yes, you can bring the camera on the rides. For wet rides, most people suggest bringing a gallon-sized ziploc or waterproof bag. If you aren't on a wet ride, I'd think you'd want to keep the camera out for pictures. If you want to put it away, just stick it in your bag and hold it on your lap or by your feet.

Third - Whether 2 or 3 lenses will be a pain is really dependent on who you are asking. I think a lot of people would think that's the perfect amount, while others like to travel extremely light and only use one lens at any given time. If you plan on taking mid-day breaks, you could always bring 1 or 2 lenses for the morning and swap out during your afternoon break.

Fourth - Depending on the size of your tripod and whether night/fireworks shots are important to you, I'd bring it. You can keep it at the hotel during the day and just take it at night, or keep it in a locker if you don't plan on taking a break. OR, if the tripod is just too big and you don't want to lug it around, consider something like the Gorillapod that you can stick on top of a trashcan for fireworks and get pretty good results with.

Good luck, hope this helps and enjoy your trip to The World. We're leaving Saturday too!!

Ann

 

[happy.family.of.6]

Yes, thank you. It helps a lot. I think you are right. Im going to take it. Im going to try to buy a less bulky bag though before we go. Also, I will need the cap attachment things-ive already lost one cap because someone bumped into me and it popped off and they stepped on it

Do they allow you to take your camera and bag on ALL rides? Isn't there like Space Mountain and Rockin Rollercoaster (or whatever it's called) that are really fast? Are their any upside down rides you definately dont want to take?

Sorry, I havent been for many many years, I havent had time to really research much, and it is my family's first trip

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

Yes, thank you. It helps a lot. I think you are right. Im going to take it. Im going to try to buy a less bulky bag though before we go. Also, I will need the cap attachment things-ive already lost one cap because someone bumped into me and it popped off and they stepped on it

Do they allow you to take your camera and bag on ALL rides? Isn't there like Space Mountain and Rockin Rollercoaster (or whatever it's called) that are really fast? Are their any upside down rides you definately dont want to take?

Sorry, I havent been for many many years, I havent had time to really research much, and it is my family's first trip

you can take it on both of those rides. Some of the rides have netted pockets to put them in. I've taken my camera on both of those rides. I just hold on really tight

 

[annnewjerz]

Yes, thank you. It helps a lot. I think you are right. Im going to take it. Im going to try to buy a less bulky bag though before we go. Also, I will need the cap attachment things-ive already lost one cap because someone bumped into me and it popped off and they stepped on it

Do they allow you to take your camera and bag on ALL rides? Isn't there like Space Mountain and Rockin Rollercoaster (or whatever it's called) that are really fast? Are their any upside down rides you definately dont want to take?

Sorry, I havent been for many many years, I havent had time to really research much, and it is my family's first trip

I believe you are allowed to bring your camera on every ride, however there are roller coasters/more bumpy rides that you will want to make sure to hold onto your bag for (i.e. Expedition Everest, Rock n Rollercoaster, Tower of Terror, etc.) If you loop the strap over your arm or leg, it shouldn't go anywhere. On Soarin if the bag won't fit in the netting, you will leave it on the floor while you are up in the air. Everyone else is up in the air though, so it shouldn't be of any concern.

I definitely wouldn't leave my bag in a stroller or anything else while I am on a ride. Basic rule of thumb regarding theft applies here just like anywhere else, if you don't want something stolen, don't give someone the opportunity to steal it.

 

[happy.family.of.6]

yay! Im so excited. Thank you so much for the help! I'm going to go shop for a less bulky bag today after work and keep my eye out for a decent travel tripod that doesnt cost much. Mine would be a pain, but could be doable if I cant find one i trust at the cost i need right now.

Now if only i had a more wide angle lens

The three lens' im planning on taking are a 50mm/f 1.8, 35-70mm/f4.5 (im pretty sure), and a 70-300mm/f4.5 (im thinking too)

Do you think those will be sufficient? I do not own a wider angle lens yet

 

[NLD]

Yep, took my D60 on Rock 'n' Rollercoaster and it was fine... just hang on tight!

Sounds like you're in a similar position as I was... family's first trip, only my second (and the first for me was years ago). No, I didn't take as many pics as I'd have liked, what with parental responsibilities and just not feeling comfortable knowing how to get places. It IS a little overwhelming, IMO. (And yes, I studied maps before we went, but being in the thick of it was always different.)

That said, I still snapped the shutter on that D60 about 1200 times over the course of the week, and came back with some keepers that wouldn't have been possible with just a point-and-shoot. So IMO, it was definitely worth bringing the camera.

Good luck!

 

[happy.family.of.6]

That is great news! Yes, I am worried. Im still new to photography in the first place, so I am nervous.

On your first family trip, did you end up using manual settings the whole time, or did you end up often using auto settings because of time constraints, etc. I'm hoping i can get most pics done in manual settings, but that may not be possible all the time with our large group and how quickly i may need the picture. I do plan on bringing my wireless remote for fireworks and stuff though

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

yay! Im so excited. Thank you so much for the help! I'm going to go shop for a less bulky bag today after work and keep my eye out for a decent travel tripod that doesnt cost much. Mine would be a pain, but could be doable if I cant find one i trust at the cost i need right now.

Now if only i had a more wide angle lens

The three lens' im planning on taking are a 50mm/f 1.8, 35-70mm/f4.5 (im pretty sure), and a 70-300mm/f4.5 (im thinking too)

Do you think those will be sufficient? I do not own a wider angle lens yet

I know you are leaving soon so this won't work for this trip but you can always rent a UWA lens! I'm renting the Tokina for this trip

 

[skr8pn]

Do they allow you to take your camera and bag on ALL rides?

Allow?! Wait until I get home and find some pictures I've taken during rides. Most of the time my hand on the barrel of the lens is enough to keep control of the camera. I find myself wearing my neck strap across my body and under my right arm (until I get the rapid strap). You pretty well have full control at that point. For my .02, ditch the cap while in the park, mine never stays on, I just give up after a while. I found it better to get me a Mickey lense cleaning thing and hang it off the camera. I just clean it frequently. I second the ziplock bag. Also if you forget just ask the closest gift shop, they'll give you a bag and gift shops are fairly easy to find at WDW.

Don't get caught up in "I must take pictures" so much as I enjoying being there AND taking pictures. When all else fails, I give up, flip it to auto and hope for the best. A fuzzy snapshot at least recalls the memories later and thats what I like best. I'll just admire everybody elses photos on this board. They are far better than I can ever achieve.

Don't forget to take a pic of the pictures they take on the rides, those are always fun. (Shutter speed 1/30th, ISO 400 works everytime for those).

 

[Evad]

yay! Im so excited. Thank you so much for the help! I'm going to go shop for a less bulky bag today after work and keep my eye out for a decent travel tripod that doesnt cost much. Mine would be a pain, but could be doable if I cant find one i trust at the cost i need right now.

Now if only i had a more wide angle lens

The three lens' im planning on taking are a 50mm/f 1.8, 35-70mm/f4.5 (im pretty sure), and a 70-300mm/f4.5 (im thinking too)

Do you think those will be sufficient? I do not own a wider angle lens yet

Those lenses are all good to take along. It really depends if you like to shoot wide shots or not. Me personally my 18 - 70mm is my most used lens. I like the option of taking the shot wide if needed. I often wish I had something wider. Guess I will just have to go out and buy another lens. Will this madness ever stop.....

 

[happy.family.of.6]

Those lenses are all good to take along. It really depends if you like to shoot wide shots or not. Me personally my 18 - 70mm is my most used lens. I like the option of taking the shot wide if needed. I often wish I something wider. Guess I will have just have to go out buy another lens. Will this madness ever stop.....

I do like to take wide shots, but unfortunately, ive been saving for this trip instead of buying more lens' I just like to have the option of doing it if i want to, but since i dont, ill have to deal with that!

Again, thank you all for all your suggestions! I'm even more excited now!

 

[boBQuincy]

On your first family trip, did you end up using manual settings the whole time, or did you end up often using auto settings because of time constraints, etc. I'm hoping i can get most pics done in manual settings, but that may not be possible all the time with our large group and how quickly i may need the picture. I do plan on bringing my wireless remote for fireworks and stuff though

Didn't use manual on the first trip nor on the next 30! Why bother? Apart from fireworks and a few *very* rare occasions manual settings do not gain us anything. The camera on program or even auto will usually give the same exposure that manual will.
Auto often does not allow raw captures so it is not a good choice in that regard. Stick with raw for best quality unless you just don't have enough memory cards. Then buy more!

 

[NLD]

On your first family trip, did you end up using manual settings the whole time, or did you end up often using auto settings because of time constraints, etc.

I am also fairly new to photography, so... to me, I saw no shame in program mode for the times when I didn't want to be thinking TOO hard about settings and instead wanted to just experience what was around me.I used a mixture of aperture priority, program mode, and manual. (The manual just for a few night shots.)

Don't sweat it... have FUN! We were there Sept 19-25, six days in the parks, and honestly it still wasn't enough time--not to JUST see the parks and not to JUST take as many photos as I'd have liked--so mixing photography with the sightseeing, well, we did miss attractions and I did miss many shots.

But it was an absolute blast. Like skr8pn said, just try to get a balance of photo taking with sight-seeing... and accept that you can't do everything and you can't get every picture, and concentrate on the magic of being there.

One of my best memories of the trip has no photographic evidence--first night there, walking down Main Street on the way out of the park at closing, and dd (5 years) stopping dead in her tracks as they did the Kiss Goodnight for the castle and very seriously making a wish. She was glowing. Does a part of me wish I had the camera out and ready to go just then? Yes. But another part of me is glad to have seen that look on her face and experienced that moment with her without a camera between us, too... glad to have been fully present in the moment with her.

Conversely, it was also thrilling to come home and see my first ever attempts at a long-exposure night shot, in bulb, result in some pretty pictures of the Sorcerer's Hat at DHS.

So... go for it, get some of both experiences--with and without camera--and have FUN!

 

[happy.family.of.6]

You are right NLD. Thank you so much! I will be sure to mix the two. I'm not even going to expect much, because we are such a large group, I know it will be hard anyway. I'm just excited to get to use it on a trip.

Thank you again for all your help!