Camera gear for Tokyo

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Chipper

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Linda
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We are heading to Tokyo in the autumn. We may get the bullet train out to Mount Fuji; otherwise we will be there for the almost week. IF you have been, please advise what kit you used in Tokyo and what you sort of images you were taking. Thanks
 
we did the tokyo trip the other year. Before talking about photos be aware of how precise and exact eveything is in Japan. Train times are exact and stop at the exact spot for your carriage and platform gate. as you can see your even told the exact spot you should be standing in on the platform
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KanGgqyv10M

meal times are the same get down late for a meal and you have missed it.
everyone bows and at the end of your holiday you will find yourself doing the same
this is how close we got to MT Fuji
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it was covered in cloud. check out the sulpher springs and the shop selling black eggs cooked in them

the peal diving demo is worth watching ,women do it because they can hold their breath longer than a man
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I have made a videos if you miss it

oh as for kit being able to video as well as stills would be my advice
 
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Ah this thread. One person talks about it.., the rest is useful about Sims etc. I would still like to hear what others used who have been.
 
I took a Nikon D750, Nikon 50mm f/1.8, Nikon 16 -35mm f/4, 300mm f/4PF and the x 1.4TC - plus a DP1M, (APS-C 19mm lens but say 35mm in normal FF terms - crop factor is x 1.5) and a DP3M, (50mm lens but say 75mm in normal terms ). - obviously plus chargers and batteries and a pair of Binos, x 8 if I remember correctly
not too much to carry around as obviously I only took the 300mm when I knew I would use it and the same for the 16mm 35mm

(but what you take depends on the type of photography that interests you?)

There is a lot you can take at night as in Tokyo the lights are always on

a few years ago but the above covered all my bases from close ups, Butterflies, flowers, to anything street and people and general scenes to birds and panos

I took maybe 750 shots in 5 days, could have been more .... depends how much sleep you get in the daytime - can be hard to resist at least an afternoon nap!! - remember you have breakfast when it's midnight in the UK - I went with my daughter who was working most of the day, plus I met up with a Japanese mate who I used to work with in Tokyo in the 80's and early 90's........... so it was more than a few beers each "evening"!!

TP_earthquake_2.jpg
 
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BillN_33 said:
(but what you take depends on the type of photography that interests you?)
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SO much this! I know some people like taking detail shots of things like the tops of telegraph/electricity poles and they'd prefer a telephoto while others like looking straight up at skyscrapers to get them looming over them and they'd like a wide angle (or even a fisheye!)

If you tell us what you have and where your interests lie, we can offer better advice - but even then, it'll probably be what WE would take rather than what YOU might need...
 
I am told Tokyo is amazing and like nowhere I have been before. Usually, it’s outdoors, the sea … so urban photography is not where I am experienced in knowing what I will need… I won’t be carrying a heavy telephoto lens for example.
 
the_accidental said:
Indeed, by contrast to the above kit list I took an X100 last time. That was it
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Having been to Tokyo at least 10 times, with various camera set ups (I worked for a Japanese company for 14 years), I would probably also only take my X100V next time I go.
 
Chipper said:
I am told Tokyo is amazing and like nowhere I have been before. Usually, it’s outdoors, the sea … so urban photography is not where I am experienced in knowing what I will need… I won’t be carrying a heavy telephoto lens for example.
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I have a ‘travel kit’ which isn’t perfect but suits most occasions.
R6
16mm 2.8
24-70 2.8
50mm 1.8
85mm f2

All fits in a bag that’ll count as a ‘personal item’ and go under the seat on a plane, but honestly I rarely take the 24-70 off the camera, and might be better ditching the other lenses and carrying the 135 f2 instead.

Generally if I want wider then 24, I’ll just use my phone, and if I want longer, is the 135 a much better option than the 85? Probably.
 
Linda, am I right in thinking you use either 4/3rds or MFT kit at the moment? What lenses do you have for it?

Is this a once-in-a-lifetime trip?
 
I have a Canon full frame system, an OM/Olympus system and a Fuji X100v.... I have decided that the Fuji is definitely coming along. I want to keep the weight down for walking around. I ponder my 24-105 f4 on the R5.... that's not heavy heavy but it is not light either. We are on a bucket list trip so unlikely to return as there are so many other places to see... my Oly set up includes a wide zoom f2.8 which I also love but taking two systems like that is the way to daily madness trying to figure out what to take out. I ponder the Canon zoom and getting the RF16mm 2.8. Hmmm.... the cabin allowance is only 7kg and they appear to forbid anything else...
 
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Since it's a once in a lifetime trip, I'd take whatever gives the best IQ - probably the R5. 24-105 gives a decent range for city and landscape use and f/4 is wide enough (IMO!) given modern cameras' high ISO performance - unless you're after shallow DoF. Of course, if you decide you NEED something else, I understand that there might be a few camera shops in Tokyo...
 
Nod said:
Since it's a once in a lifetime trip, I'd take whatever gives the best IQ - probably the R5. 24-105 gives a decent range for city and landscape use and f/4 is wide enough (IMO!) given modern cameras' high ISO performance - unless you're after shallow DoF. Of course, if you decide you NEED something else, I understand that there might be a few camera shops in Tokyo...
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I am wondering how it will perform at night, the R5 24-105. Hopefully we will feel safe enough to go out in the lights at night.
 
Get the exposure right and it should be fine. Some sort of support might help - a bean bag can be improvised using a sock and some (uncooked!) rice.
 
Chipper said:
I am wondering how it will perform at night, the R5 24-105. Hopefully we will feel safe enough to go out in the lights at night.
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It’s a very safe country, and feels very safe too - especially in the busy bright areas. I’m sure you’ll be fine.

Regarding camera support, a small pocket tripod just big enough to take a mirrorless is one of our souvenirs from Japan, plus a nice camera wrap, and a nice wrist strap.
 
Before I switched to Fuji Canon 5D and 24-105 was my go to for travel photography, and I took it to Japan many times. It is a good combination that covers a lot of bases for travel photography, but I found it too heavy to carry around all day, hence switching to Fuji.
 
It all depends on what photos you want to take. I’d start there and then decide. My preference for travel is GFX, a few primes and a light.
 
I went last October and took my Canon R3 and bought a RF24-70mm f2.8 L IS USM especially then promptly broke the lens just before travelling so I could only use 24mm and I thought it would be a problem but in the end it wasn't. I am not a confident street photographer and getting close to people but in reality it was not a problem at all. The locals are so use to cameras and in a strange way I'm glad the lens was broken as it forced me to use what I had. I came away with some of the best photographs I have ever taken.
Tokyo is such an amazing place with amazing polite helpful people. The only downside is then sensory overload with places like Shinjuku and Shibuya where everywhere is a photo opportunity. A lot of the city has hidden narrow alleyways which are photogenic like Omoide Yokocho, Golden Gai or some of the best ones are in Ginza where the 24mm excelled.
Just have a fantastic time.
 
TimHughes said:
It all depends on what photos you want to take. I’d start there and then decide. My preference for travel is GFX, a few primes and a light.
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Please read post 13... I would always usually say exactly that... I used some of my kit on a recent trip away - nothing like Tokyo, pretty much the opposite. I am still not sure that the OM system can handle the night photography v the R5... even though the 7-14 zoom was great in close quarters, inside a museum showing Lowry's coastal work.
 
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As per the other thread, I'd have liked wider than 20mm ff but didn’t have one and don’t think that it mattered so much. I'd have liked a zoom slightly greater than 60mm but didn’t have that either and don’t think it mattered so much so either. Full frame 20-60mm covered most of what I took. Shrines, lights, buildings etc and the 50mm 1.8 got used more at night. I am likely to take a 14-28, 28-200 and 50mm 1.8 next month. This is more down to weight but the first two were likely to be on my lens buy list anyway.

It is busy and there will be people everywhere in the busier parts such as Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku and especially around Senso-Ji. We got up and got going early and on some days either took a good break in a coffee shop or went back to the hotel for a couple of hours in the afternoon.

I went around my local town a few evenings as soon as it was getting darker just to try out iso settings with lights at dusk to find out how high an iso bothered me. I struggled at times with parts of the picture being over exposed and others under exposed. I don’t give myself time and that'll change next time. No one it Tokyo was bothered at all what we did and I think as long as you are respectful then all will be good. At no time - even in the raunchier areas at night - did we feel unsafe.

It seems to rain a lot in Tokyo so a decent waterproof bag will be useful. I bought a couple of power banks to recharge the phones during the day - it is likely you'll use google maps a lot. We bought travel cards rather than using their app as I don’t want to have my phone a single point of fail or drop it going through the turnstiles. Will do that again.
 
Tulipone said:
As per the other thread, I'd have liked wider than 20mm ff but didn’t have one and don’t think that it mattered so much. I'd have liked a zoom slightly greater than 60mm but didn’t have that either and don’t think it mattered so much so either. Full frame 20-60mm covered most of what I took. Shrines, lights, buildings etc and the 50mm 1.8 got used more at night. I am likely to take a 14-28, 28-200 and 50mm 1.8 next month. This is more down to weight but the first two were likely to be on my lens buy list anyway.

It is busy and there will be people everywhere in the busier parts such as Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku and especially around Senso-Ji. We got up and got going early and on some days either took a good break in a coffee shop or went back to the hotel for a couple of hours in the afternoon.

I went around my local town a few evenings as soon as it was getting darker just to try out iso settings with lights at dusk to find out how high an iso bothered me. I struggled at times with parts of the picture being over exposed and others under exposed. I don’t give myself time and that'll change next time. No one it Tokyo was bothered at all what we did and I think as long as you are respectful then all will be good. At no time - even in the raunchier areas at night - did we feel unsafe.

It seems to rain a lot in Tokyo so a decent waterproof bag will be useful. I bought a couple of power banks to recharge the phones during the day - it is likely you'll use google maps a lot. We bought travel cards rather than using their app as I don’t want to have my phone a single point of fail or drop it going through the turnstiles. Will do that again.
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Thanks for this. Could you link me to the images you took on a website ?
 
Just Tokyo itself and what you took there would be great.
 
Chipper said:
Just Tokyo itself and what you took there would be great.
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One of my favourite spots was at Asakusa Underground Station where there is a small shopping mall which hasn't been touched since the 1950's. It is grimy, run down but totally safe and amazing to photograph. I was shown it on a photo walk with Lee Chapman http://tokyotimes.org and he was brilliant and worth the day exploring the back streets with him. Some of my favourite places were the hidden alleys and small shrines away from all the crowds.
 
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