Travelling internationally with photographic equipment is getting harder and harder. Perversely it is made even harder if you use professional level bodies and lenses because the very thing that makes them professional - their amazing resilience to damage and abuse - also makes them very heavy.
As an illustration, a basic professional kit of 2 Nikon D3 bodies, a 70-200 VR, a 17-35 f2.8, a TC 17E and perhaps a 50 f1.4 will tip the scales at a mere 6kg (13lbs) and that is not allowing for the bag you are carrying it in!
Few photographers are willing to check in their equipment (although I have read of some in the USA who use FedEx to ship Pelican cases to location when they are travelling within the US) so that means you need it with you as carry on luggage. The carry on limit is usually 7kg, so in this scenario you cannot use any bag weighing more than 1 kg (2.2lbs) empty.
So, no rollers and pretty much no backpacks. The Think Tank Ultralight backpack might just get you by; fairly much all the other rollers and backpacks are in the region of 3 to 4 kg empty (about 7lbs).
Also, of course, you need to work at the other end and personally backpacks are no help to me for this. I simply don't want to put down the bag in the dirt, mud, dust - or worse - whilst I fiddle about getting whatever I wanted, only to decide a few minutes later that I actually wanted something else and have to do it all again....!
It is hard to find a space in the Souk to take your pack off, doing so risks the attention of thieves and pickpockets and at the same time you are exposing your kit to the dust, dirt, monsoon or whatever is happening where you are at the time.
So should I get a shoulder bag, I hear you wondering? Perhaps. That certainly gives you better working access and keeps the gear close. However, imagine you have arrived in Calcutta. It is 38 C (100F) and the heat is sapping your strength and patience. You set off to the market with 7kg (15lbs) hanging off one shoulder - not fun! Before long you will be lightening the bag by leaving things in your room and then miss shots because of it.
Maybe you will start to think of a smaller, lighter camera? A Canon G11? One of my dream solutions would be the Leica M9. However it is manual focus and my eyesight is not quite as good as it used to be - and the cost is very high for a system that won't be useful for 80% of my work.
There is a solution! Beltpacks. I use the Think Tank Speed series - usually the Speed Racer. They have the ability to hide the belt away and become shoulder bags for more urban travel and to accept an optional backpack harness. The gear is close at hand when working, the hip belts wide and comfortably padded. The belts also accept the Think Tank Modular and Skin system pouches to increase carrying capability. I usually have the water bottle pouch on one side and a lens pouch on the other.
Unless someone invents the ideal camera bag, photographers will continue to confound their significant others with an ever increasing collection of bags! I have 9 at last count.
As an illustration, a basic professional kit of 2 Nikon D3 bodies, a 70-200 VR, a 17-35 f2.8, a TC 17E and perhaps a 50 f1.4 will tip the scales at a mere 6kg (13lbs) and that is not allowing for the bag you are carrying it in!
Few photographers are willing to check in their equipment (although I have read of some in the USA who use FedEx to ship Pelican cases to location when they are travelling within the US) so that means you need it with you as carry on luggage. The carry on limit is usually 7kg, so in this scenario you cannot use any bag weighing more than 1 kg (2.2lbs) empty.
So, no rollers and pretty much no backpacks. The Think Tank Ultralight backpack might just get you by; fairly much all the other rollers and backpacks are in the region of 3 to 4 kg empty (about 7lbs).
Also, of course, you need to work at the other end and personally backpacks are no help to me for this. I simply don't want to put down the bag in the dirt, mud, dust - or worse - whilst I fiddle about getting whatever I wanted, only to decide a few minutes later that I actually wanted something else and have to do it all again....!
It is hard to find a space in the Souk to take your pack off, doing so risks the attention of thieves and pickpockets and at the same time you are exposing your kit to the dust, dirt, monsoon or whatever is happening where you are at the time.
So should I get a shoulder bag, I hear you wondering? Perhaps. That certainly gives you better working access and keeps the gear close. However, imagine you have arrived in Calcutta. It is 38 C (100F) and the heat is sapping your strength and patience. You set off to the market with 7kg (15lbs) hanging off one shoulder - not fun! Before long you will be lightening the bag by leaving things in your room and then miss shots because of it.
Maybe you will start to think of a smaller, lighter camera? A Canon G11? One of my dream solutions would be the Leica M9. However it is manual focus and my eyesight is not quite as good as it used to be - and the cost is very high for a system that won't be useful for 80% of my work.
There is a solution! Beltpacks. I use the Think Tank Speed series - usually the Speed Racer. They have the ability to hide the belt away and become shoulder bags for more urban travel and to accept an optional backpack harness. The gear is close at hand when working, the hip belts wide and comfortably padded. The belts also accept the Think Tank Modular and Skin system pouches to increase carrying capability. I usually have the water bottle pouch on one side and a lens pouch on the other.
Unless someone invents the ideal camera bag, photographers will continue to confound their significant others with an ever increasing collection of bags! I have 9 at last count.
