What all to carry

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

I was thrilled to get a Cannon Digital Rebel XT for my birthday. Now I can use all my SLR lenses to take digital pictures. The problem is, with my new digital body, my old EOS body, my wide angle lens, other lenses... not to mention the camcorder, flash, remote, old digital camera, etc... the camera bag weighs a ton. I'll look like the hunchback if I try to lug it around all week at the parks.

What do you carry with you? I'll probably take the full bag and leave it in a locker. I'm debating between carring a second smaller bag (so I can at least change between wide angle and normal) or just carrying the camera around my neck with a hard cover.

This is about the time I wish I had kids, so I'd have a stroller to hang the camera bag on.

Last year, I just took a little Cannon PowerShot that I could wear on my belt. It's a nice little digital camera, but I'm looking for a wider range of options. (I'd also show up as a "death at Disney World" statistic if I don't take the new camera I've been begging for for so long.)

Any suggestions? What have others done?

 

[OCSurfCity]

Carry ONLY your DSLR camera. You will need a short wide angle zoom (EF28-105 and a EF75-300 or EF100-400 lens.

What types of images are you planning on taking? If you want wide panoramic images, then stick with a wide angle lens and if you are going to shoot a few distance images, choose the 100-400mm range lens.

Always carry 2-3 extra battery packs and for the flash an extra set of batteries. For a typical day at Disneyland, you will probably only need one 1GB compact flash card. But take an extra one just in case.

I take a Lowepro backpack camera case that fits my EOS 30D body, an EF16-40, EF24-70L and a EF100-400IS lens with a 580EX flash. There is sufficent compartments for your accessories in this back pack.

 

[Mellie0119]

My plan is to carry my Rebel XT with the 28-135 IS lens on it, carry the 18-55, an extra battery, my "toy" camera (Olympus Camedia 4.0 mgp- this is my back up camera, it's the size of a cell phone, so it's negligable), and an extra CF card (probably will be a 1Gig as I have a 4 Gig microdrive in the camera). I have a speedlite that I'm not planning on carrying in the parks, I'll have it in the room, so if I find I *need* it, I can always add it the next day. I'm going to use this bag- I've got 2 little ones so I need the extra space for their gear anyway. (BTW, I won't be lugging my laptop into the parks )

I'm planning on keeping my camera on my neck except during meals, wet rides and places where photography is not allowed.

 

[TwoOldPoohs]

I was thrilled to get a Cannon Digital Rebel XT for my birthday. Now I can use all my SLR lenses to take digital pictures. The problem is, with my new digital body, my old EOS body, my wide angle lens, other lenses... not to mention the camcorder, flash, remote, old digital camera, etc... the camera bag weighs a ton. I'll look like the hunchback if I try to lug it around all week at the parks.

Don't try to carry it all. Choose one or two lenses that will cover the range you think you'll need, and leave the rest at home. Personally, I'd also leave the flash at home.

What do you carry with you? I'll probably take the full bag and leave it in a locker. I'm debating between carring a second smaller bag (so I can at least change between wide angle and normal) or just carrying the camera around my neck with a hard cover.

Any suggestions? What have others done?

I travel to WDW with both my 20D and my 300D (in case there's a problem with the 20D), a few lenses, and two bags. All the gear comes with me on the plane in my backpack. The 300D stays behind in the room. I only take to the parks the lens or lenses I think I'll need that day. If I want to travel a little lighter on any given day, I'll take the 20D and one lens in the second bag -- a smaller shoulder bag -- and leave the backpack behind.

Congratulations on your new camera - and have fun with it!

 

[handicap18]

I used 3 lenses on my last trip to WDW with my D50. I really only needed 2 though. I kept my 18-70mm on most of the time. I also used the 70-300mm for closeups of the castle and also for a lot of pics at Animal Kingdom. Did use it a bit here and there for other things, but mostly the 18-70mm. I also took some pics with the 50mm f/1.8. I really only took it because I had just gotten it and wanted to test it out a few times. It works great on the indoor rides that don't allow flash (GMR, IASM, Pirates, etc...) bump the ISO to 1600 and you can get some really good shots. Its a little to tight for some pics because of the crop factor, but if you pay attention and have a decent seat it works great.

If we do go again next year I'm seriously considering getting the Sigma 18-125mm lens. For me and a lot of others, this range will cover the majority of shots. Combine it with a good 70-300mm and you really wont need any other lenses.

Don't forget you do have the pop-up flash to use as fill and to use if you have any character pictures. Unless you really really need it, I'd leave the speedlight flash in the room or not bring it at all. Myself, I'd probably only use it for the character meals (which we usually do 2 or 3 of on a week trip). Otherwise the pop-up should be adequate.

 

[mhutchinson]

On my last trip to WDW I carried my Canon 20D w/ 28-135mm IS lens attached, an extra battery (left the charger in the room), 8 GB of cards, circular polorizer, and my fast 24mm ...all squeezed in a Nova 1 AW from LowePro. Besides that I brought my 20-35mm in a seperate case the day I went to Epcot (which I hardly used). This seemed to cover most all of the needs I had for my style of shooting. I had also brought with me my travel tripod with the intentions of storing it in the locker until the Wishes show, but changed my mind on that for the trip.

Mike

 

[JR6ooo4]

I bring the XT, with the 28-135 and the 70-300. 2- 2gig cards ( i love to shoot raw) and one extra battery. All in a medium size Lowepro bag that can go over one shlulder or two or around the waist.

Mikeeee

But of course the 50mm 1.8 for spectro magic parade.

 

[Kelly Grannell]

carry it all. I carried 300D + battery grip + full-sized Manfrotto tripod + Sony D8 camcorder (full sized, about 10" in length) + The Kelly lens + Canon A95 + Fuji A345 + the corresponding batteries and extra batteries, of course. Oh, plus snacks and water.

 

[MICKEY88]

carry it all....I personally find a vest works best, everything I need fits in the pockets, and I'm so used to it that I don't even realize it's there...no need to remember to pick up a back or figure out where to sit it to take pics...,

if you have a flash, use it, after all you bought it to get the best posible pics....right....???


and never, ever hang a camera bag or camcorder on the back of a stroller, or on the canopy of the stroller, when I worked at Ritz camera we saw more repair work because of people doing that and the kids climbing out of the stroller and the stroller tipping..

 

[manning]

And when you get back, take a vacation!!

 

[blackjackdelta]

carry it all. I carried 300D + battery grip + full-sized Manfrotto tripod + Sony D8 camcorder (full sized, about 10" in length) + The Kelly lens + Canon A95 + Fuji A345 + the corresponding batteries and extra batteries, of course. Oh, plus snacks and water.

WOW

Jack

 

[Kelly Grannell]

And when you get back, take a vacation!!

damn straight!

 

[boBQuincy]

I carry the camera with lens in a Crumpler $4M bag on the plane, the rest of the camera gear is in my carry on bag.

Once at the parks the camera comes out, wrapped around my wrist all day. In the $4M bag is a 70-200 f/4, sometimes a 50 or 16, and all the batteries, CF cards, monopod, etc.

It's a fair amount of equipment but not so much I can't carry it all day.

 

[vertigo235]

I have 2 bags, one small and one large, both backpacks. The AW Trekker and the Mini Trekker I believe.

I can't decide if I'll want to carry my big L Zooms at all (70-200 2.8 or the 100-400), that's what will probably make me need the bigger bag. I know at Animal Kingdom I'll definetly need the 100-400. I don't think I'll need the 70-200 at all (it doesn't have IS by the way).

What I have left is 17-35 2.8-4 (tamron), canon 28-105 3.5-4.0, and 50mm 1.8 mII. This could all easily fit in the smaller bag.

Anyone think I'll really need the 100-400 or 70-200 anyhwhere?

 

[vertigo235]

Crumpler $4M bag

What is this bag? I can't find any information on it.

 

[vertigo235]

Also, I plan to keep the camera arround my neck the whole time this trip, I purchased a new Optech Pro Loop strap to hopefully make it comfortable enough.

 

[boBQuincy]

What is this bag? I can't find any information on it.

http://www.crumplerbags.com/home.php

 

[vertigo235]

http://www.crumplerbags.com/home.php

Interesting website, and bags.

 

[YEKCIM]

I'm not a dSLR-er (yet!) but used to shoot film SLR's. Plenty of room for extra lenses, film, batt's, and so on. Nowadays, I use a Fuji S5200. On our recent WDW visit, I carried it and my Canon camcorder, along with water bottle, snacks, park maps, monopod, extra batteries and media for both cam's, basic OTC med's, rain ponchos, and a smallish baby grand piano, all tucked neatly into the various pockets. Among the most useful of the pockets are three velcroed "mesh" pockets (above the zippered pocket on the left, in the pic above) in which I carried my park tix, room key card, memory cards, and lip balm.

~YEKCIM

 

[geetey]

On our recent WDW visit, I carried it and my Canon camcorder, along with water bottle, snacks, park maps, monopod, extra batteries and media for both cam's, basic OTC med's, rain ponchos, and a smallish baby grand piano, all tucked neatly into the various pockets.

LOL! And which pocket holds that smallish baby grand, YEKCIM?