Packing my camera bag

It’s always a diversion, thinking about what camera gear to take on a trip. So, what should I pack for our sabbatical in New Zealand?

It’s easy to set out the principle: Not too much, but not too little. Nice aphorism, but what does it mean in practice?

I have no doubt where to start. The newer of my two Canon F-1 bodies, built in April 1977. The F-1 is a climax in the evolution of the mechanical single lens reflex 35mm camera — robust, precise and modular. With a Nikkor 28mm PC (perspective correcting) lens and a gridded viewing screen, this is my first choice for taking pictures of buildings.

I’ll want some other wide angle lenses, wider and/or faster than the PC lens: Certainly the 24mm f/2, probably the 17mm f/4, and perhaps the 35mm f/2 — they all have their uses.

For pictures of people I prefer the Canon T90 body and some longer lenses — the 85mm/f1.8, say, and the 200mm/f2.8. And a 300TL speedlite, of course. And my lightest tripod — this is supposed to be a highly portable outfit.

And the film scanner, and the SCSI adapter for the laptop, and the cables, and the film holders, and the film filing stuff…

And I will take my digital point-and-shoot camera, so I can get pictures onto the web straight away….

[After thinking about all that, I went out and bought a Canon 300D digital SLR. I’ll pack one camera (not 3), one lens (not 6), and no scanner. It’s a rather flimsy plastic thing, but impressive in what it can do…]