Going abroad with your kit

Julie1979

Julie1979

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I'm hoping to go away for a fortnight, possibly to Ibiza and want to take my camera kit but weight is a "bit" of an issue.

I dive so my dive kit will definitely be coming too. It weighs 16kg in my lightweight bag. I just weighed my D2X and the lenses i'd want to take with me = 6.5kg, that's before I consider which tripod to take.

The kit I would want to take is D2X, 18-70mm, 80-400mm, 90mm macro, speedlight and charger.

OR

I could leave the kit behind and make do with the Canon G10 which is our dive camera. It's a great wee point and shoot but really not the same!

Just wondering what everyone takes away with them, i'm trying to save as much as possible as i'll be starting college in August so excess baggage would be a killer. Do I leave the 80-400 which weighs an absolute ton but is the lens i'm likely to use a lot? Or do I just make do with the G10 :bang:
 
If I fly on business or scheduled flights they don't tend to weigh hand luggage so I tend to be carrying heavier gear. Usually on business i also have a laptop and external hard drive plus confidential documents etc. an ipod, two phones, bits and bobs! heavy!

On most package holidays they weigh in the hand luggage so it is a nightmare but i usually buy an extra 5 or 10 kg in advance for me and other half. D300/18-70/70-300 last time but this time it will replace 70-300 with 55 to 200 and add a 10-20. That would be about it with my other holiday bits, they limit bags to about 5kg I think. don't forget the weight of the bag too, usually 1-2 kg for a good bag.

Depends on what you plan doing. G10 would probably be fine but you are right, it's not the same.
 
I tend to take my camera gear as my hand luggage.

Last year my camera and lenses went in the cabin with me. My tripod was in my hold luggage. But I didn't have 16kg of dive gear to worry about. Just my mask and snorkel!
 
BlackCloud said:
If I fly on business or scheduled flights they don't tend to weigh hand luggage so I tend to be carrying heavier gear. Usually on business i also have a laptop and external hard drive plus confidential documents etc. an ipod, two phones, bits and bobs! heavy!

On most package holidays they weigh in the hand luggage so it is a nightmare but i usually buy an extra 5 or 10 kg in advance for me and other half. D300/18-70/70-300 last time but this time it will replace 70-300 with 55 to 200 and add a 10-20. That would be about it with my other holiday bits, they limit bags to about 5kg I think. don't forget the weight of the bag too, usually 1-2 kg for a good bag.

Depends on what you plan doing. G10 would probably be fine but you are right, it's not the same.
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Mostly landscape i'd imagine. The bag is included in the 6.5kg so that would be my hand luggage.
 
I'd take the camera kit as hand luggage as other have said. I just managed to get what I needed to take under the limit last year, and they didn't even bother to weight it!

Nightmare going through the machines though - they made me unpack and show them each lens working :(
 
Julie1979 said:
I'm hoping to go away for a fortnight, possibly to Ibiza and want to take my camera kit but weight is a "bit" of an issue.

I dive so my dive kit will definitely be coming too. It weighs 16kg in my lightweight bag. I just weighed my D2X and the lenses i'd want to take with me = 6.5kg, that's before I consider which tripod to take.

The kit I would want to take is D2X, 18-70mm, 80-400mm, 90mm macro, speedlight and charger.
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Not sure quite what to suggest with your kit - but just for information when I'm packing dive gear and cameras, my regs and D700/lens for the trip come as hand bagage and the dive camera and housing/strobes go well wrapped in all the dive kit in the hold.

Cheers

Hugh
 
We don't very often take much kit abroad but will be in October.
Our Mini Trekker fits nicely in our roller hand luggage case.
We'll just cram in what we can:lol:
This means my wifes D90 + 18-200VR and probably 70-300VR, 10.5 fisheye.
My D700 (when it arrives), 17-35, SB400, 24-85 or 28-200.
Oh, and probably our new sammy NC10.
Heavy man:gag:
 
I was thinking of taking just the 75-300 with a x2 converter rather than taking the Sigma 50-500 as it weighs too much. Hand luggage is definite - they didnt weigh it last year, but I did have to open the bag and show them what was in it. I dont like doing that with camera gear as it doesnt just get shown to the security guy; all the concourse is watching too! Might make the airline feel safe, but I didnt feel so safe after announcing to the world that I had a lot of gear with me.

Anyway, kit list for this year:
a700
16-105mm
75-300
x2 converter

tripod and head will go in hold luggage - might take the less heavy one (the one I have just replaced because the 50-500 is too heavy for it)
 
Camera as hand luggage, body and a flexible lens like your 18-70, along with a light weight treking tripod, that's it!

I've just taken up diving so would be interested in hearing how you get on travelling with both sets of kit.
 
Phobic said:
I've just taken up diving so would be interested in hearing how you get on travelling with both sets of kit.
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just to take it OT - you get extra baggage allowance from some airlines & BAA if you show a valid PADI or BSAC card
 
Definitely won't put camera gear in the hold unless you have a specific carry case for it like a storm case or Peli case which is solid and you can secure.

Best advice is check handluggage size first off and weight restrictions. Ibiza flight will be a standard charter flight, so there will be restrictions on main and hand luggage sizes and weights unless you pay extra and room onboard the aircraft for hand luggage shortage will also be limited as its a short haul flight.

I used a Kata R102 with a camera body and several lenses, when I went to OZ a few years back, but that was at the height of the restrictions period, put my tripod in main luggage, might be able to get away with my Lowpro phototrekker next time around.
 
Looks like we can buy an extra 4kg each on Thomson hols which will help.

I think i'll just take the 18-70 with the 2x converter.

The downside of having 2 heavy hobbies...
 
I use a LowePro MiniTrekker and take it as hand baggage. I wouldn't be happy letting the baggage handlers anywhere near my kit! There's enough space in the MiniTrekker for what I want to take as well as a couple of changes of kex and socks should the hold baggage go missing. Touch wood, the hand baggage hasn't ever been weighed - I think it's probably close to twice what it's supposed to be! If necessary, I could always stick some lenses in pockets to get the bag underweight for the scales then put them back in the bag for the flight.
 
I think if you confidently lift your hand baggage and make it look light as a feather then they don't weigh it so fingers crossed!
 
True! I try to keep the bag dangling nonchelantly from a little finger but that hurts after a couple of minutes!
 
Julie1979 said:
Looks like we can buy an extra 4kg each on Thomson hols which will help.

I think i'll just take the 18-70 with the 2x converter.

The downside of having 2 heavy hobbies...
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That's good to know. I'm flying with Thompson later this year and am looking to take my camera with 24-70 and 10-20 lenses as well as a flashgun and a laptop + a smaller body and 18-250 lens (For the missus), all as hand luggage. This comes to a total of 8kg including the bag, which would just get me under the additional increase. Do you know how much the extra 4kg is?
 
Julie1979 said:
Looks like we can buy an extra 4kg each on Thomson hols which will help.

I think i'll just take the 18-70 with the 2x converter.

The downside of having 2 heavy hobbies...
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Check the extra 10kg with a Dive card & Thompson - when we flew with them in December we got this with them
 
fabs said:
That's good to know. I'm flying with Thompson later this year and am looking to take my camera with 24-70 and 10-20 lenses as well as a flashgun and a laptop + a smaller body and 18-250 lens (For the missus), all as hand luggage. This comes to a total of 8kg including the bag, which would just get me under the additional increase. Do you know how much the extra 4kg is?
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£17 and I just checked, it's actually 5kg! What i'm not sure of is whether or not it's per flight or £17 for there and back. This is for booking in advance so if you're already booked then it would be worth calling or going back to your agent.
 
Julie1979 said:
£17 and I just checked, it's actually 5kg! What i'm not sure of is whether or not it's per flight or £17 for there and back. This is for booking in advance so if you're already booked then it would be worth calling or going back to your agent.
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Thanks Julie. I checked with the travel agent but they seemed a bit clueless so I'll give Thompson a ring. :thumbs:
 
Last trip I took a Crumpler Pretty Boy XXXL(40D+grip,3 lenses,speedlite etc) as hand luggage slung over shoulder---and just as on previous trips with a Lowepro Nova they never bothered to weigh it.You should be fine with your Nikon outfit.:thumbs:
 
I've had hand luggage weighed before now.
First time, packed light and they didn't weigh hand luggage, next time I put some more in there and they blinkin' weighed it!
Seems to depend what mood they're in.
 
Do they really ask to look at all your camera gear when you go through? If so...why is that? *dumb question*

We're going to Kenya on safari in September and I was going to take with me my D40x and a hired lens, and my laptop in hand luggage, I shouldn't think it'd weigh too much but I'm gonna need to buy a new camera bag with a laptop pocket in it too.[taking laptop so I can back up pics while I'm away - straight onto HD - and cos it's gonna be a lonnnnnnnng flight]
 
Shorty said:
Do they really ask to look at all your camera gear when you go through? If so...why is that? *dumb question*

We're going to Kenya on safari in September and I was going to take with me my D40x and a hired lens, and my laptop in hand luggage, I shouldn't think it'd weigh too much but I'm gonna need to buy a new camera bag with a laptop pocket in it too.[taking laptop so I can back up pics while I'm away - straight onto HD - and cos it's gonna be a lonnnnnnnng flight]
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It's amazing how much all this stuff weighs. I'm taking my wifes smaller laptop and put it on the scales and it came up as 3kg! :eek:
 
fabs said:
It's amazing how much all this stuff weighs. I'm taking my wifes smaller laptop and put it on the scales and it came up as 3kg! :eek:
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Is the std hand luggage weight 5kg? Im gonna check on Virgin site now. But I have a feeling my laptop weighs round the same [macbook] it ain't light!!
 
Shorty said:
Is the std hand luggage weight 5kg? Im gonna check on Virgin site now. But I have a feeling my laptop weighs round the same [macbook] it ain't light!!
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I only know about the Thompson hand luggage but I believe the scheduled airlines may be higher. I know the maximum deemed safe on any airline is 23kg.
 
fabs said:
I only know about the Thompson hand luggage but I believe the scheduled airlines may be higher. I know the maximum deemed safe on any airline is 23kg.
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Yeah 23kg if in economy, hand luggage can be 6kg on the flight we're gonna be on, just checked.
Now gonna check weights of lens I wanna hire, laptop and camera...And try and find lightest bag I can :eek:
 
Out of curiosity how many people take laptops with them?

Was thinking about posting a thread but no point as this one is here!

Off to Paris for a few night and cant decide if its worth lugging the macbook!!
 
andy_m said:
Out of curiosity how many people take laptops with them?

Was thinking about posting a thread but no point as this one is here!

Off to Paris for a few night and cant decide if its worth lugging the macbook!!
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I was considering it but they do weigh roughly 3kg each but if you have space you should take it especially if you're taking your camera to Paris.

I must sound really tight but i'm just trying to keep spending to a minimum on this trip due to starting college in a few months. :)
 
When ever I need to fly, I usually take my kit and laptop in a Computrekker. It doesn't fit in their size test thing, but I can get it under the seat in front of me on the plane!
Never had it weighed, in the airport I usually have it over one shoulder to make it look light.
 
Julie1979 said:
I was considering it but they do weigh roughly 3kg each but if you have space you should take it especially if you're taking your camera to Paris.

I must sound really tight but i'm just trying to keep spending to a minimum on this trip due to starting college in a few months. :)
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I'm thinking I will take it but then I have to fight over it as the g/f will obviously want to go on facebook!

Haha not at all, a poor student here! ;)
 
Every time I have flown with Emirates, they have weighed my hand baggage other than my handbag - in cattle you get 7kgs, and if your over it goes in the hold, regardless of where your going. (flying to jo'burg with camera stuff in the hold ...... hmm! :bang: )

The next time I travel with a good chunk of my gear, I will be taking with me: 40d, 17-85mm, 70-200mm f2.8, 300mm f4, 1.4x and 2x tc's, filters, batteries, cleaning stuff, chargers, laptop, tripod, monopod, wedding dress and fascinator effort, plus enough clothes for 4 weeks in an African winter (i.e. 25 + degree days, but potentially sub zero nights in the desert!)

Not yet figured out quite how I am going to get all that on a plane though! Think I may be buying all my day to day clothes when I get there! :D
 
gembobs said:
Every time I have flown with Emirates, they have weighed my hand baggage other than my handbag - in cattle you get 7kgs, and if your over it goes in the hold, regardless of where your going. (flying to jo'burg with camera stuff in the hold ...... hmm! :bang: )
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That would scare the hell out of me. I would even want the baggage handlers to touch my camera bag, let alone have it travel in the hold!
 
This idea of a dive card sounds good, I'm surprised they still do that. You used to be able to show your Seaman's Discharge Book to get extra luggage allowance but when I asked i was told that didn't apply any more.

It's a pain if you fly across the Atlantic to join a ship and fly back from this side of the Atlantic because the luggage allowances are completely different. I've done it twice and ended up paying for extra luggage on the return flight.

We haven't yet had a problem with hand luggage though, and we are off to Namibia for 3 weeks in July so that's only one bag in the hold each.

Bought a Lowepro Vertex 200AW for the trip but will take some stuff out to reduce the weight, chargers etc.

Remember the allowance is a laptop bag plus handluggage so keep them separate for the flight.
 
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