Leaving on a Jet plane ... Do's & Don'ts of taking Camera Kit

[Hammerhead64]

Hi All,

I am planning a family hol to Auz next year and I was wondering if there are any do's and don'ts that any of the Jet-setting TP members have picked up.



Things I probably have to think of are charging of battery/s, storage of pics transport of gear thru check-in and customs....any others? It's my first time of going out of the country with Camera Gear so any suggestions or assistance will be most helpful.

 

[Blapto]

I put the following in one camera bag (Tamrac 5606) and walked on to an Air Transat flight.
D300
18-200 VR
105mm f/2.8
50mm f/1.8
Sigma 10-20mm
300mm f/4.5
Canon S5IS
Shutter release cable
2 x batteries, 3 x CF cards, 1 x tripod head, 2 x glass filters, other bits and bobs.
1 x tub of acid for my girlfriend's contact lenses.
Gitzo 1325 tripod strapped on the outside.

The whole thing was about 12kg, over the 5kg maximum, but did fit in the size constraints. I was very polite, said that I didn't feel comfortable checking it in my soft backpack. The woman on the check-in desk said "that's fine." Just be polite and don't kick up a fuss/act like you're doing something wrong and you'll be fine.

As for while away, I know what file size my photos produce (measure this for yourself, depends on various settings. Your camera will]/b] lie to you if you're using JPEG or lossless compressed RAW as it expects the worst. Real-world you can get about 2x as many photos on as the camera thinks you can).

I know how many photos I can take per battery (again, measure this yourself. It depends how often you look at the screen, if you have autopreview turned on, if you use the screen a lot, brightness settings, how long your exposures are, if you have long exposure NR turned on, etc.)

I know roughly how many photos I take for a given scene or activity (which is again something only you can know.)

12GB of memory cards and 2 EN-EL3e batteries were good for 2 weeks in Canada where I took 1045 pictures, with a 50% split between 12bit RAW and 14bit RAW, lossless compressed. I charged both the batteries before I left and used both of them. I did recharge one of them once, but I could probably have *just* got away without doing so.

Obviously you have to work out these answers for yourself. Take 10GB of photos and see how many photos you got. Compressed photos have different sizes to each other, so the more photos you have the better an estimate for photos/card you have. Make them real world, a photo of a white sheet of paper will have a smaller file size than a busy, contrasty scene.

Your D300 has a pic meter in the battery info screen that tells you how many pictures you got since you last changed the battery. Make a note of the number every time you swap the battery out and you can work out how many shots you get per charge.

I don't know which lenses go with which cameras in your signature. Bear in mind that carrying the camera around all day might be a bit of a pain. I don't have a problem carrying 12kg of gear on a shoulder bag all day, personally, but I know that some people do.

Hammerhead... 1964 (in claret and blue no less)... Essex... Excellent taste in DSLRs (apart from the Sony of course)... You've got to be a West Ham fan?

 

[Dominic5749]

Hi All,

I am planning a family hol to Auz next year and I was wondering if there are any do's and don'ts that any of the Jet-setting TP members have picked up.



Things I probably have to think of are charging of battery/s, storage of pics transport of gear thru check-in and customs....any others? It's my first time of going out of the country with Camera Gear so any suggestions or assistance will be most helpful.

Im in the same boat, but im off abroad in september. And i dont want to put my kit in the lugage part of the plane, ive seen how they throw the bags on! i want to take my tripod as well but i think i have to put this in my suitcase as its a good heavy duty one and measures 32'' foldered up. But i do have a bag for it but unsure about it being thrown about. Anyone else done this yet? im going to take my kit as hand lugage anyway it fits except the dept which should be 25'' but mines 27'' but it can be pushed don flat which would fit, as i dont store anything in the front of it. so hopefully should be ok.

 

[Mr.Orb]

I haven't had any problems taking my camera on planes. Actually the last few times i've flown i've taken my huge Lowepro Computrekker which doesn't fit in the easy jet baggage size thingy, but no one has noticed. Even though its bigger 'than allowed' it fits under the seat infront of me!

 

[Hammerhead64]

Hammerhead... 1964 (in claret and blue no less)... Essex... Excellent taste in DSLRs (apart from the Sony of course)... You've got to be a West Ham fan?

You are spot on .... WHU thru & thru (although it's too expensive to support them properly these days ) .... The Sony I'm afraid was due to me being a long time Minolta user .... (Never thought I'd get a D300) .... but chuffed to bits now I have. The Sony is fine as a 2nd Body for now .... Might be up for sale depending how I get on with one Nikon Lens ....

A big thanks for the info so far .... I knew the TP members wouldn't let me down .... I have a Lowepro Slingshot 300AW bag so I need to check sizes.

 

[Tulipone]

I have found the Tamrac Expedition 5x to be a useful size - it holds all my stuff and also my 11" laptop. Pretty reasonably priced, fits in the overhead locker easily, conforms to airline dimentions etc. Just don't ask how heavy it is!

Chris

 

[adamadam]

Don't bring too much gear, travel light, perhaps even just bring a compact, but then there will be times you wish you had this, or that.

Australian power is also 240V, so all you need is a power adaptor and you can charge your batteries.

Storage of pictures: how long will you trip be for? You can bring lots of CF cards, or a portable storage device, or a laptop. Unless you have a really light laptop, or going to leave the laptop behind while you go out for the day, the laptop seems like a heavy option (and not that fun to walk around all day carrying a laptop).

I wouldn't check in any glassware, so carry all your gear with you on the plane. In Australia, at customs, if you're using film, you can request for a manual hand inspection and not to have the film put through the x-ray machine (even though they say it's safe), I took all the rolls out of the cannisters and put them all into a clear container they can look at.

Which part of Australia are you going to?

 

[Hammerhead64]

AdamAdam, Thx

So far I am 2 days in Sydney, 3 Weeks in Brisbane and 3 Days in Kalar Lumpa.

I've just bought a D300 so the compact is not an option. Although the tip to travel light is one of the reasons I picked the Nikon 18-200mm as all the reviews I read gave it a as an all rounder. I would like to take my Tripod but I think the 55pro and 3 way head is probably pushing things too far.

 

[FruitFlakes]

Pack the D300 + lens + accessories (mainly filters and extra batteries) into your carry on luggage (whether it's a full on camera bag or normal messenger one it doesn't matter as long as it fits within the guielines) and stick the charger into your check in luggage. Take your laptop on board if you have one - don't trust those baggage handlers!

And a Hammers fan! I lived in East Ham for a few years, whenever there was a match on at Upton Park all the roads would be jammed - was better to walk to it.

 

[tdodd]

I went to New Zealand last year, with my girlfriend, for a 3 week road trip and took something like 23GB of raw photos. I packed all my camera gear into my Slingshot 200 and my girlfriend took her 11" notebook for downloading and checking photos in Lightroom. Chargers, filters and Rocket blower went into the hold. In the Slingshot I packed....

- Canon 30D and 40D;
- Canon 100-400, 17-55, 10-22, 50 f/1.8, Kenko 1.4X teleconverter and macro tubes;
- 580EX flash;
- Portable HDD storage with card reader;
- Point and Shoot;
- Memory cards.

All up weight of the fully loaded bag was 7Kg - bang on the limit for Air New Zealand. I think the important thing to pass through baggage checks without trouble is certainly to try to keep the size within limits and, if your pack is heavy, try not to let on - no grunts and groans or beads of sweat as you lift it.

If weight is a problem then the classic solution is to stuff some of the heavy items into your coat pockets and then return them to the bag once your safely through.

Everyone's photograpy is different, but FWIW I didn't use the 50/1.8 once and the teleconverter, macro tubes and flash got very limited use - almost to the point where I needn't have bothered taking them. My download regime, for safety, was first to backup my cards to the portable HDD, then download to the laptop and check them there, and only then to reformat the cards for next use.

 

[Brains]

I am in Australia at the moment and have not had any bother with getting equipment through as hand held luggage:

Nikon D2Xs
Nikon70-200
Nikon 17-55
Sigma 10-20
Charger, GagaOne, CF cards etc
Laptop

Placed it all in a standard carry on trolley case.

Only issue I had was flying from Manchester to Heathrow when they asked me to store the bag in the hold as I entered the gate. She placed a ticket on the bag but when I got to the steps of the plane I just ignored the bag handler and walked up the steps with my bag...no issues.

Security checks were fine. Some checks want laptops taken out others dont. When going through the scanners they did scan a couple of times but no issues other than that.

I was also well over the weight limit but no-one seems to check this with carry on luggage.

I have been here for 3 weeks and the battery has not even moved off its full charge indicator yet!

 

[EdBray]

I'm off on our trip of a lifetime Wednesday next week (two week cruise all around the Adriatic, Ionion and Agean Seas, I plan on taking the following in a LowePro Mini Trekker:

Canon 5D, Sigma 12-24, Canon 24-105L IS, Nifty Fifty, 85mm f1.8, 70-200L f4 IS and 1.4x Converter. Fuji f100fd in waterproof housing. Weighs in total about 6.5kgs with extra batteries, filters and CF cards. Just hoping they let it through okay!

I will take a holster case and monopod in my suitcase!

 

[Byker28i]

Just got back from Turkey and I took my 40D, 10-22, 24-105, 70-200 lenses, plus iwith storage/backup device, chargers, cards batteries all in a trekker backpack. No problem at all.

I should have taken a flashgun though...

 

[Nod]

I take a MiniTrekker with as much as I can get into it! Well, DSLR, 12-24, 18-70, 70-300, 50, 90 Macro, spare battery, 12GB of cards, pair of socks, pair of undies and a T-shirt (just in case the hold baggage goes missing!). In the hold baggage goes a Selphy printer (dyesub) with around 100 sheets of paper and ribbons to print them, chargers and cables and any supports I want to take.

I have a dedicated Euro lead for the chargers - they all take the Telefunken type figure-of-eight connector so I just take the one cable. This type of cable is available in most electronic stores (and I've even seen them in remote villages on Crete) and is pretty cheap but since you'll probably be taking other electrical stuff, take an adaptor!

If you want to back up images while you're there, you could consider taking a supply of trusted blank CDs/DVDs so you can burn copies at almost any internet café. Maybe even take an external HDD and transfer files to that?

Happy hols!

 

[StewartR]

DO.... check, double-check and triple-check what your carry-on allowance is. It varies from airline to airline and it can vary a lot. Yes, a few people here have boasted that they got onto the plane with way more than the official allowance. But do you want to take the chance of all your gear being dumped into the hold? I wouldn't.

There's a good carry-on baggage reference here.

 

[dogyakker]

I quite regularly turn up to airports not only with a full camera back with two or three cameras and lenses in but also another huge bag with a kayak, paddles and all the extra kit needed for a two week kayaking exped.

Never had a problem!

As mentioned - just pitch be polite and smile! Alternatively I have actually used the other way which was just to (pretend) to be so thick I couldnt understand!

One tip though - the scanners at airports dont like to see lots of cables chargers etc so pack your bag as if it was a day trip out and leave chargers etc in the hold luggage, plus its less to repack when they take every item out and wipe it with the explosive sensor sniffer!

Chris

 

[MisterE]

>One tip though - the scanners at airports dont like to see lots of cables chargers etc so pack your bag as if it was a day trip out and leave chargers etc in the hold luggage, plus its less to repack when they take every item out and wipe it with the explosive sensor sniffer!

Chris[/QUOTE]

DON'T EVER PUT YOUR CHARGERS IN YOUR HOLD LUGGAGE!!!!! Have you ever arrived at a destination minus a case? I have. Don't pack anything in your suitcase that you cannot do without for the duration of your holiday. Don't put anything of value in them that is irreplaceable. Don't put any memory cards or any device storing your pictures in your suitcase. Ensure you have some sort of backup storage device.

Your cards and alternative storage device are THE most important items on your holiday. Everything else is replaceable (assuming you have adequate insurance or enough money). If anybody thinks otherwise, then ask my friends who have just returned from a 2 week US holiday, packed their 2 cameras inc memory cards in their suitcases, and had them stolen by baggage handlers. Every photo gone.

 

[MisterE]

DO.... check, double-check and triple-check what your carry-on allowance is. It varies from airline to airline and it can vary a lot. Yes, a few people here have boasted that they got onto the plane with way more than the official allowance. But do you want to take the chance of all your gear being dumped into the hold? I wouldn't.

There's a good carry-on baggage reference here.

This site that you listed is giving out inaccurate information. It states that the carry on limit for BA is 18kg. It is 23kg. There has never been an 18kg limit. They had the usual useless limit of something like 7kg for many years, then went through a couple of years with no limit specified (apart from size and being able to lift overhead unaided). Earlier this year they changed it to 23kg. It is also outdated as far as the Gatwick second bag is concerned, which has been allowed since early April.

 

[StewartR]

This site that you listed is giving out inaccurate information. ..... It is also outdated ....

Good catch.

The site does say quite clearly that the last time they checked the BA allowances was Feb 2008. I guess it needs an update. Six months between updates is too long.

The site also says "It is work in progress and any additional data is appreciated." Have you forwarded yours?

 

[StewartR]

Your cards and alternative storage device are THE most important items on your holiday.

Very good point indeed. I have a list of precisely two items which are utterly irreplaceable:
* broken-in walking boots
* exposed films and used memory cards

 

[MisterE]

Good catch.

The site does say quite clearly that the last time they checked the BA allowances was Feb 2008. I guess it needs an update. Six months between updates is too long.

The site also says "It is work in progress and any additional data is appreciated." Have you forwarded yours?

I went to their home page and was totally thrown by the fact that is a "Cross Stitch Software" site. It got put aside and I have just returned to the page to check something after typing my update for them and see it has now already been amended - both weight limit and the one bag rule out of Gatwick. Spooky.