Our Electronics Travel List
So what does a person blog about when they are about to leave on an extended travel. I see the same posts all the time. What to pack, how to take care of your finances, what is our itinerary. Will we be any different?
Not a Chance.
Each time we go away, we always get a little better at packing, organizing and planning an itinerary, so why not share our progress with you. As we learn, you can learn too!
What post do we start with first? Hmmm.
Well, let’s start of with electronics.
Dave is very excited about his new purchases and I am thrilled with just how organized we are. We have all our electronics them packed away snug and safe in our new bags and we are ready to go. Here is what we are taking this time during our travels to Asia.
Camera Gear
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Panasonic GH1 – If you have been following along for the past year and a half, you will know that last year we downsized our camera gear and bought a Panasonic GH1 with the 14-140mm lense. This micro four thirds camera is lightweight, small and got great reviews. It also can double as a video camera. While we are keeping our GH1, Dave has gone back to his traditional photography gear. I now get to play with the Panasonic.
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What did Dave Change to?
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The Canon 5D Mark II - Having always been a Canon guy, he is happy to be back to the full digital SLR camera body. Looking forward to testing out the video and the full image sensor which is a big change from his previous crop sensors of the Panasonic and his old Canon DSLR.
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Canon EF 16-35 mm f/2.8 L II USM – Dave has had it for a while but never had the benefit of using the full 16 mm wide angle as he used it on a crop sensor. This is a super sharp lens that is excellent for vast landscape photography.
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Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L II IS
This is a heavy lens, but Canons most reliable and widely used lenses by professional photographers. Dave has wanted this lens for years and we finally bit the bullet to invest in a quality lens that will be a part of his kit for years to come.
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Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II - After the huge investment in Camera body and a new lens, we opted for the cheaper version of the 50 mm as opposed to the 50 m 1.4. The 1.8 is only $139 and it is ultra light. It is actually Canons lightest and shortest lens that they offer. Next year we will up grade to the 1.4, but for now, this 50 mm lens will do the trick.
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Sanyo HD 2000 Video Camera - We will still use our Sanyo Xacti HD 2000 video camera that we bought last year, but the GH1 and Canon have incredible video quality also. We are concerned because the GH1 shoots in a different format than both the Canon and Sanyo making editing more difficult.
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Sony Stereo External Microphone for camcorder – Sound is the most important part of making a travel video for the Internet. People will forgive camera work that is not up to par, but if you have wind, crackling or can’t hear what the person is saying, people will easily click off your video. Picture quality has a lot more leeway because most of the time people are watching your video is a small box, but audio quality will not be forgiven. That is why we started travelling with a microphone.
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External Light - Our new Sanyo video camera doesn’t have night vision. We attach an external light for night time shots and dim lighting.
Point and Shoot – We are still using our cheap Vivitar camera that we bought in Namibia. This thing is as cheap as it gets, but it is a workhorse. It has survived the Holi Festival in India, deserts on two continents, humidity and other abuse, but it keeps on ticking. We haven’t had a need to buy another point and shoots and I guess we will keep on using this until it finally stops.
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Tarmac Camera Bag – The aero speed pack 75 dual access photo pack is another new purchase. We sold our older cumbersome lowepro photo bag and moved to this more aerodynamic camera/computer bag. It has the option of being a backpack or an over the shoulder bag and everything fits perfectly into it. It even has a large compartment to carry anything from a jacket to a wallet and passport. Oh, yeah, the Tarmac was an excellent purchase.
Messanger Bag – I will be using an over the shoulder messenger bag with computer sleeve. I decided to go for a larger shoulder bag to carry my Panasonic GH1, my computer, journal and the rest of my travel gear.
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Monopod - I wasn’t thrilled with the camera shake that happened when using the Sanyo. It’s grip wasn’t suited to stablization and I found that a lot of our footage from India, Nepal and Sri Lanka was un-useable. So we are hoping to fix the problem by using a monopod more often. We are also looking to add some weight to the bottom of the camera by attaching a handle grip. This should help reduce the shake.
Compact Tripod – We used this last year and loved it. It can easily be carried on treks and fit easily in a backpack or camera bag. A tripod is a must for travel photography especially for low light and night time shooting.
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The Rest of the List…
Computers - We will be bringing along two MacBook Pro’s
IPhone – we used this for the first time last year and loved our iphone. Each country that we go to, we buy a sim card with data plan and we can text, skype and surf the Internet. When we are at a cafe with free wifi, we can easily check email without having to lug along our computers.
Storage
- A 1 Terrabite Lacie Rugged Drive- it is lightweight, small and durable.
- A couple of thumbnail drives – to share documents and bring to the Internet Cafe if needed.
- 1 WD Passport – This is another lightweight and compact hard drive . We store our videos on this one.
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Belkin Mini Surge
Adapter Kit - You can’t travel to several countries without an adapter kit. Each destination is different and you need to have a good set because it is difficult to find them when you are in the country.
Power Bar - We use a power bar because many times the power outlets are in awkward locations on the wall. I don’t know why, but many times they are high on the wall. So the powerbar gives some length and something stable for the Belkin to plug into. The two work well together.
There you have it, the extent of our electronics while travelling. We carry more hardware than all our clothes combined.
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What software do you use for editing your videos? Any easy-to-use open source recommendations?
ps: Camera envy!
.-= Katrina´s last blog ..Nigel Tufnel on Stonehenge =-.
We use iMovie 6 it is the older version of iMovie, but we like it better than iMovie 9. It allows more creativity and flexibility than iMovie 9. I think Apple took away a lot of functions in iMovie 9 because they want people to have to buy Final Cut. I think Final Cut Express is reasonable to buy, but we are now using Final Cut Pro which is pricy. Hope this helps.
Thanx for sharing this! now I have a base if I want to expand my electronics for traveling.
The Belkins are our favorite…so much so we gave them to clients last year!
.-= Melanie´s last blog ..Nov 2- Keep them distracted =-.
Whew, that’s a lot of camera gear, but the amazing photos you guys capture make it worthwhile!
Interesting to see that you guys still bring a point and shoot…I am really pondering this since when I head to Syria I want to only do a carryon and don’t know if I need two cameras! But if you guys do…and holi is such a good point, there are times when you needs a cheaper one…
Yes, we still carry a point and shoot, but we haven’t bought a new one in a couple of years. We keep using our Vivitar because we can’t bring ourselves to buy a new one. Like you said, we mostly use our SLR’s. I wish that we could pack with a carry on, but I have to admit, we are still over packers after all these years. We just can’t scale down much more than we already do. Especially when we always seem to go to places that vary greatly in weather. Props to you for going carry on only.
Dave, I shot with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS over a shoot for the CBC, and even to a novice like me, the differences are amazing. I got beautiful shots, and as someone who has a hand-shake issue, the lens’ ability to compensate for that made it perfect.
Hoping to get the 5D and some lenses in the next year! Good luck with the trip and happy shooting – I’ll look forward to your updates!
Thanks Nicole. I rented it once to shoot a band and it handled great in the low light of the club.
I want it ALL!!!!!
.-= Andi´s last blog ..Cuba- Day 3 Part 1 =-.
Hey D & D,
Great post! I love reading about tech, so it was nice to see what others use while traveling. I especially like the use of external mic – good points about audio versus video for travel related videos – couldn’t agree more! Another less expensive alternative to the iphone would be the ipod touch – as long as you have wifi, you’re good to go, and you can even skype with it.
Instead of external drives (well, we do have a clunky 1TB drive), we use online backups, like dropbox for documents, and smugmug for photos. Less risk of losing our data while abroad, for little cost.
Cheers y’all!
Jack
.-= Jack´s last blog ..Travel Tech Video Blog 0001- Will your phone work overseas =-.
Yes, great points. We use dropbox and smugmug too. It is so important to have a safe place for data. Is there an online storage for raw video? We use our hard drive because shooting with a 21 megapixel camera would take too long on sketchy internet to upload to online storage, and I like to keep my raw files and have access to them whenever I want. But yes, online is an excellent suggestion.
Ipod touch is a great suggestion too, but we find that we make a lot of calls now to book guesthouses ahead of time. We look them up online or in our guidebook and give them a call before we reach the next destination. We found our cell phone invaluable in India. We could call someone from the train and have them waiting for us at the station. But, definitely, an iPod touch is an excellent alternative.
Great gear. The 5D Mark II will also satisfy your HD video needs.
Digging the telephoto…that’s nice glass. The wide is solid too.
The 50 will serve you well for night shots.
Nice to hear that audio is appreciated in any video recording.
Is your mic gonna cut it? Have you tested it in windy conditions?
You might need a wireless with a modified wind sock.
Like a wind sock used on a full shotgun… can be used on a smaller scale like a lavalier mic.
I’ve seen them used on other outdoor shows.
You are bang-on with adding weight to your camera to reduce shake(handle or even hand-held mono-pod will work).
Hi Dave, Thanks. It was your advice that turned us on to caring about sound. You are camera man extraordinaire and we are lucky to have friends like you to help us out. We have used this mic before and it does work well. We have a wind sock for it too. We would have loved to get a lavalier mic, but at this point we can’t afford to buy it. Next year we are going to invest in that. That was your advice about the weight too! I made sure to mention you in earlier posts. I think everyone knows that “Dave Hill” has given us some great advice. We even quoted you at a video presentation that we attended a couple of weeks ago. Thanks for all of your great advice, we take it all to heart.
Even when it comes to editing, we edit and then edit again and then edit it down again because that is what you and Bran suggested. Heck we added more video this year because that is what you suggested! That is on my to do list this weekend, edit the rest of our videos from the summer before we fly out.
I’m a Canon gal myself…and the 16-35 mm L and 70-200 mm L is on my wishlist!!! I need a sugar daddy! Just kidding!
.-= jen laceda´s last blog ..Trivia Thursdays- Where in the World =-.
They were on my wish list for years. I bought the 16-35 L 3 years ago and finally the 70 200 L IS this year. I still want to get a better 50 mm, but one thing at a time. The great thing about Canon lenses is that they hold their value, I will be able to sell my 50mm for $100 (I paid $129) next year and put it towards my 50mm F4. We tried to sell the Panasonic GH1 that we bought last year to put towards the gear, but it just doesn’t hold the value like a Canon. My old Canon 10 D still goes for $500 (I bought it in 2003) but the Panasonic that I only bought last year lost over half its value. We decided to keep it because it would be more like throwing money away then getting some in our pocket.
Don’t forget your travel insurance! There’s some serious $$$$$$ in gear there. Dave, I’m very envious of you getting the 70-200 2.8 Lll IS. I had to settle on the 70-200 F4 IS, and took it with me on my latest trip to Madagascar. I am very happy with the image quality, and i’m interested to see how you go carrying the extra weight of the 2.8. Can’t wait to see your next batch of images.
Thanks Jason. Yes, it’s a bit of an investment, but we have been building it over the years. It will be interesting going with the extra weight, I almost bought the smaller and lighter 70-200 F4 myself to save on weight, but I decided to go for the 2.8 L IS instead because I’ve always wanted it and I knew that i would just end up selling the F4 and buying the 2.8 L IS next year anyway. I have a habit of not buying what a want in the first place and then just having to buy it a year or two later anyway. Deb talked me into going for the 2.8 L IS She said if you really want it, get it now.
With where your heading with your photography, with tours and the like, I think you’ve made a great decission. From speaking to many others, the 2.8 is God’s Gift to lenses. I’ll be checking Picture The Planet for your first batch of Images. Enjoy mate…..
I want that Canon Mark II 5D… need to save..lol
.-= Sarah Wu´s last blog ..Photos – Tasty Salvadoran Cuisine In Queens =-.
I saved too. I wanted a better camera for a couple of years. It has been a slow process growing the equipment. One piece at a time is all we can afford. Plus, we sold our snowboards to help offset the price
Wow, that’s a lot of gizmo’s! Do you might letting us know how much it all weighs in? My carry on (with Macbook Pro, hard drive, small camera bag and dSLR only) weighs in at 7kg ish and I just have one lens (the Tamrom 18-270) in there.
It’s always interesting to see peoples baggage of what they carry. My electronics also outweighs my clothes by far.
.-= AdventureRob´s last blog ..Campervan Tips – How to Pick the Right Camper Van For Travel =-.
It’s heavy. Last year I scaled down to save weight, but was not satisfied with my camera. I have decided to go back to go back to my old system. I used to use a Tamron 28-300, but finally bit the bullet and bought my Canon 70-200. I already owned the 16-35. It will be the first time I am traveling with 3 lenses. Yes, our electronics outweigh our clothes by far, we carry very little when it comes to clothing and travel gear to compensate for the electronics! I really love my new camera bag though, it is very compact and everything fits perfectly into it. It looks like I am carrying less than when I am actually carrying more. My old lowepro was far more cumbersome. I haven’t weighed it yet, but when I do, I will come back and give you a reply.
i am a huge fan of the iphone, i would have started talking about the iphone first. great gear though
Haha, It is true. I sort of started with camera and worked my way from there, but we love our iPhone two. We have written older posts titled “We love our iPhone” It is a fantastic device.
Wow! That’s a lot of heavy gear to carry! But I’m like you, I’d much rather have all this equipment to capture memories than just rely on the experience itself.
I’m a Canon person too. Contemplating the 7D at present so a lot of what you’ve got is on my wish list!
.-= Corinne @ Gourmantic´s last blog ..A Foodie Guide to Sculpture by the Sea- Bondi 2010 =-.
Yes, it is a lot of gear. Luckily there is two of us and hey, we just cut down on clothes, first aid, toiletries and all that other stuff
A couple with lots of camera and electronic gadgets…right after my own heart! We recently purchased a similar 50 mm lens for our Nikon and really enjoy it, especially for portraits and market shots. We’re noticing that more and more people are using their DSLR cameras for video. Unfortunately, our D300 doesn’t have that option, but it may be a reason to upgrade sometime in the next year or so. Always something to think about!
.-= Audrey´s last blog ..Panorama of the Week- What Awaits You in Antarctica =-.
I have seen photos of your camera gear, you two have a great kit! We are definitely going to play around with the video. We now have 3 options. Dave tends to take more of the photos and I take the video, so I am totally going to use the Panasonic GH1 for videos. We just have to figure out the proper format for our editing software, but then again…I am planning on editing with Final Cut Pro this year (last year, I ran out of patience trying a new thing) so it won’t be a problem. It always takes me a while to try something new. I have enjoyed editing on iMovie 6 even though we have later versions and Final Cut. Sadly, I am slow to embrace change when it comes to electronics.
Interesting list, a bit similar on the camera side although I didn’t take an ultra zoom as I once had the 70-200 but it was far too heavy for my little hands – I know, so delicate eh
.-= ayngelina´s last blog ..Is Colombian El Corral better than McDonald’s =-.
Hi Dave and Deb: My initial reaction when I saw the title of your post was, “Well, there’s two of them, so they have an easier time than me…” Then I read your list. I am astonished at the amount of equipment you are carrying – TWO Macbook Pros. TWO cameras, THREE lenses. AND a video camera! And I thought I was bad. I am in awe. Actually, I’m using the Canon EOS Rebel T1i. It’s OK, but the video quality is bad in low lighting, so when I next hit the States I’m planning on switching over to the Canon 5D Mark II , just like you, as my camera gear experts tell me this is what most of the professional videographers are now using. Safe, happy travels. I’ll be following along!
.-= Barbara Weibel´s last blog ..Head-On Encounter with Wild Rhinos In Nepal’s Chitwan National Park =-.
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Thanks for sharing with us….! The 50 definitely will be fine for night shots. I really want to get it now.
We are getting our canon delivered from the US soon. We have been looking into external mikes as well as our outdoor travel videos do leave a lot to be desired with the audio quality!
James
Hey guys!
Any recommendations on underwater cameras for video? I know you were recently in the Galapagos and I’m heading there in two weeks! Trying to find a decent HD option that won’t cost me an arm and a leg
Hi Alicia, The Olympus Tough takes excellent underwater video in HD. We like it better than the gopro and it’s only about $199. You can check out the quality in these videos and see what you think.
http://theplanetd.com/galapagos-sharks-video/
http://theplanetd.com/marine-iguanas-feeding-underwater-amazing/
Cheers.