What do you carry in the parks?

[pdmedic]

I'm sure there are already threads like this but my search-fu is weak at the moment.

I'm planning to take a dslr to Disney for the first time this year and have really enjoyed the photos I'm seeing here so am curious what do you carry in the park?

The trip will be with my wife and son so there will be a lot of pictures of them as well as other pictures and we will have 10 days. I'm just not sure what equipment I should plan on taking or may need / want to get. I don't want to overload myself in the park since we will be there the last couple of days of August and first part of September.

Anyway mainly wondering what do YOU pack with you for a trip to WDW photography wise.

Thanks
Travis ::cop:

 

[annnewjerz]

So I hope this post is okay. It's more of a "what I plan to bring" instead of a "what I do bring" This December will be my first trip with a dSLR and I obviously do not intend to carry all of this around everyday, this is just what I'll bring to FL with me. I plan to bring the following as of right now:

1. Most importantly, my camera.
2. Telephoto lens, especially for use around AK
3. Fast lens (probably my 50 f/1.8 and renting the Sigma 30 f/1.4) for attempting shots on indoor low-light rides like PoTC, etc.
4. Two filters. My ND400 (thanks Justin!) to try to replicate some of those shots of the "ghosts" on Main St. during the day and my ND8 for whatever other day shots I want to take with slower shutter speeds (i.e. moving monorail, attempts at panning at the Indy Speedway, etc.)
5. All of my other lenses, however many I may have by then, although I don't think I'll actually lug them all around everyday all-day
6. A bag to carry everything in
7. Lots of memory cards and a card reader
8. A tripod, which I will probably only bring out at night
9. A gorillapod/monopod that I will use for extra stability during the day if I need to
10. A laptop to download to each night (or every few nights)
11. A cleaning pen and rocket blower
12. Remote shutter release

Wow...I hadn't listed all of it until now. I feel like that's a lot of stuff to be bringing, but to make myself feel better about it, I can always bring up the picture of Groucho's gear that he just lugged down there

 

[oogieboogieman]

So I hope this post is okay. It's more of a "what I plan to bring" instead of a "what I do bring" This December will be my first trip with a dSLR and I obviously do not intend to carry all of this around everyday, this is just what I'll bring to FL with me. I plan to bring the following as of right now:

1. Most importantly, my camera.
2. Telephoto lens, especially for use around AK
3. Fast lens (probably my 50 f/1.8 and renting the Sigma 30 f/1.4) for attempting shots on indoor low-light rides like PoTC, etc.
4. Two filters. My ND400 (thanks Justin!) to try to replicate some of those shots of the "ghosts" on Main St. during the day and my ND8 for whatever other day shots I want to take with slower shutter speeds (i.e. moving monorail, attempts at panning at the Indy Speedway, etc.)
5. All of my other lenses, however many I may have by then, although I don't think I'll actually lug them all around everyday all-day
6. A bag to carry everything in
7. Lots of memory cards and a card reader
8. A tripod, which I will probably only bring out at night
9. A gorillapod/monopod that I will use for extra stability during the day if I need to
10. A laptop to download to each night (or every few nights)
11. A cleaning pen and rocket blower
12. Remote shutter release

Wow...I hadn't listed all of it until now. I feel like that's a lot of stuff to be bringing, but to make myself feel better about it, I can always bring up the picture of Groucho's gear that he just lugged down there

It sounds like you are going to be taking a lot of photos! I would carry an extra battery or two. Just in case you won't be going back to the hotel.

 

[annnewjerz]

It sounds like you are going to be taking a lot of photos! I would carry an extra battery or two. Just in case you won't be going back to the hotel.

I knew I forgot SOMETHING. I do have an extra battery, and I would guess I should add my charger to the list as well. I think I should be okay with one battery per day. I have been able to take 500+ photos over an 8 hour period in a given day of shooting without an extra, although why even risk it?

 

[oogieboogieman]

For the past 3 years we have traveled to WDW every August for at least 1 week. It has rained everyday we were there. Plan on some type of rain gear/bag for your camera. There were days this last trip that it was beautiful at the hotel only to get to the parks and it pours rain for hours.
I usually take my DSLR with lens attached, maybe a telephoto or a wide angle lens, perhaps a flash, 1 extra memory card, spare battery, lens cloth, and gorillapod/tripod. I carry this in a sling type bag.
Every year my bag tends to get lighter as the trip gets longer.

 

[Suburbanmom]

I carry my camera with lens (24-70mm f/2.8) attached. My dear husband carries everything else. rincess:

70-300mm
50mm f/1.8
18-35mm
SB-800 speedlight
extra battery(ies)
lens cloth
xtra memory cards
gorilla pod
chapstick

 

[ukcatfan]

What do you carry in the parks?

Everything my DW tells me to carry

Seriously though, I carry my K100D, 18-55mm, 50mm f/1.4, 50-200mm, and flash. Other items include filters, a p&s (or two), batteries, Giottos Rocket Blower, micro fiber cloth, yada yada yada.

 

[Chikabowa]

I don't actually carry much... we have a stroller!

Here is what I carried with me, everyday, all day, for 12 days on our vacation in October. I've never been in August/September, so I can't comment on the weather then.

1) Camera (Nikon D3) w/attached lens - 24-70 f2.8 lens.
2) 50mm f1.4
3) 70-200 f2.8
then at night.. I would remove the 70-200 and carry...
4) SB-800 speedlight
5) 2 pocket wizards
6) tripod

I didn't carry any extra memory cards and/or batteries because 1) battery could make it for at least 2-3 days without charging and 2) I have dual card slots and knew I had enough room to shoot before going back to the hotel.

 

[jpmom97]

This will be my first time bringing my DSLR and I am taking my only 2 lenses 28-135 and my 50mm 1.4. I have been hinting to my DH to get me a 70-200 so maybe I will have that too.

 

[boBQuincy]

I take a lot of equipment to WDW but when I leave for the parks I keep it light. The camera, walkaround (usually 24-105), either 70-200 or 10-22 (rarely both), and the usual assortment of memory cards, battery, filters, monopod, etc.

Stuff that sometimes makes the cut: small flash, 50mm, water bottle, light jacket, rain poncho or umbrella, Flip Ultra, GorillaPod.

All of this (except the camera and whatever lens it has on) fits in or on a Crumpler $4M bag. If it doesn't fit then I am carrying too much and something needs to go.

At night I occasionally carry a 3 lb tripod, don't like the extra baggage but it's the only way to get those night images.

 

[JR6ooo4]

What do you carry in the parks?

a hefty line of credit on the room key!!!

Mikeeee

 

[photobob]

Photographs at WDW for me are secondary. While I really want to have nice photos to document our trip it is not the focus(like the pun?) of the trip. I am a professional photographer so I really don't want my trip to be about photography. I do take nice photos from the trip, but I really don't concentrate much on it. All the above to say I usually just take my DSLR with a 24-70 lens on it and nothing else except a gallon size baggie to use as a camera condom for wet rides or rain. I do occasionally take my 70-200 for shots of LMA at DHS or the safari ride at AK.

 

[Groucho]

You can see what I carry in the links in my signatures, I start my trip reports with a shot of what I'm hauling with me.

As it turns out, I rarely used my filters (my filter wallet was overfull and was smudging the edges of the actual filters, requiring cleaning each time which I quickly got bored of doing), I never wore down my battery, and only one day did I use up one of my 8g cards (shooting raw) and I had three at any given time (not counting some smaller ones in the camera bag!)

Having a stroller is handy, I'd hang the camera bag off the bag when we were pushing it. I very rarely had any issues with soreness. I also use a soft belt-mounted lens pouch and have 1-2 lenses in there. Most of the time, I had 6-7 lenses with me (why have a DSLR if you only use one lens???), flash, etc. I considered bringing the wireless Cactus but I really only need those if running two external flashes (since I only have one P-TTL flash) and I just couldn't see a situation where I'd logistically be able to pull off a two-flash shot.

We saw no rain during our ten days (though it did rain during the night twice.) I was actually a little disappointed, as I've now got both wide and telephoto weathersealed zooms and it's fun to shoot in the rain! Most of the time, I had a prime on the camera though.

 

[WVDisGeek]

The past December trip was my first to the parks with a DSLR. I carried a Tamrac Adventure 7 with my Pentax K200D, almost always mounted with the 18-250mm. I had an old 50mm/f2.0 (to be replaced by the 50mm/f1.4 next trip), and old Albinar 28mm.f2.8 for close-up work, the usual sd card cases, extra batteries, lens cloth, rocket blower, manual for the camera (I am still learning), a small notebook with shot wish list and tips from these boards and other daily "stuff" in the top half of the backpack. I love the backpack for hiking and landscape shooting, but I think I will need to find something else for the next trip as the location/entrance for the camera almost always requires removing the backpack and that did slow me down at times.