This question rolls through my brain as I pack for every trip. The obvious answer should be, “as many as I need.” However, I often find myself packing a lot of stuff I want to play with but will never have a reasonable chance to use. So here it goes – my effort to cut down on the number of cameras, lenses, and other gear I pack for a one-week trip.
The first thing I do is consider the destination and what we plan on doing on the trip. Next, I look to my “What’s in My Bag” page (film and digital list is on my sister site, My Irie Time), which lists my current camera gear. Then I figure out how much I can cram into my carryon without violating overhead bin restrictions or the amount I can lift overhead to place in the bin (a weight which seems to be reducing significantly year after year).
First, what’s the destination? This trip is a return trip to the island of Grenada. We have been to Grenada before. It was back in 2021, when COVID restrictions were just starting to lift, but many of the attractions remained closed to the public. Although I might normally be tempted to go to all the sites, after a year of cancer treatment, I will be taking it slow this trip. We have planned a catamaran trip to the underwater sculpture garden. I plan to spend a lot of time sitting on the beach or in a hammock, and a little time at the spice market and wandering around downtown St. George. I loved visiting the waterfalls last trip, but I will probably skip that this time in favor of more time watching the ocean roll in and out. I’m thinking I want to shoot some macro, because I love the details and it’s often something I skip when shooting on vacation. Since I’ll be moving slower this year, it seems like a great project. I would like more video this trip as well, if space permits.
Second, what gear would potentially work? Let’s look at the list. Since I want video, I need digital, and my Fuji GFX 50R isn’t really meant for video, so I’m going with the mirrorless, the Canon EOS R. The easiest way to shoot both digital and film on a trip without adding too much weight is to use a common set of lenses. I could easily add the Canon 1v because it uses all the Canon EF lenses, but if it comes down to it, I would rather shoot medium format. I really love shooting my Mamiya 6, so I’ll bring it with the 50mm lens, my favorite of the three, and leave the 1v behind. The 1v is heavy, and adding it would mean doubling my film. Opting for the Mamiya 6, I lose the ability to make double exposures, but the look of the 50mm lens for the Mamiya 6 is so unique, it wins the race. My favorite all around lens for the Canon is the Canon EF 50mm f/1.2. I’ll also bring the Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 II. It’s great for night sky shots. For the macro, I’ll probably borrow my son’s Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro lens. So here’s what we’ve got so far:
DIGITAL
Canon EOS R mirrorless camera
Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 II (77)
Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 (72)
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 (67)
Canon EF to R Adapter
Optional: Fuji GFX 50R (great image quality; I own the 23mm and 50mm lenses, but given the weight of the 23mm lens, I would just bring the 50mm lens and the EF-GFX adapter)
FILM
Mamiya 6 with 50mm f/4 (58)
Optional: Canon 1v (uses all the EF lenses above with no adapter necessary)
UNDERWATER
Olympus Tough TG-3 and TG4
These cameras are super compact and tough, and they don’t require a separate housing for snorkeling. There are newer versions of this camera, but I have not seen the need to upgrade. Here is my review of these two cameras.
By the way, another good reason to keep a master list is that I keep my filter size on all my lenses on the list so I know what size filters or step-up rings need to come along. If you’re shooting in the Caribbean, you need a circular polarizer (or two).
FILTERS
Breakthrough Photography Night Sky Filter (82mm with stepdown ring to 77mm)
Breakthrough Photography 58mm X4 Circular Polarizer
B+W 67mm XS-Pro Kaesemann Circular Polarizer with Multi-Resistant Nano Coating
B+W 72mm Kaesemann XS-Pro Circular Polarizer MRC
Singh-Ray 77mm Thin Lighter Brighter Neutral Circular Polarizer
While on the topic of filters, I’ll mention that I have tried many brands, and Singh-Ray is my favorite, with Breakthrough a close second. They are machined beautifully and I’ve never had any issues using them over the years.
Bringing batteries and chargers is a given. I’ll need the Canon battery packs, a couple of those plus the charger. The Mamiya 6 takes 2 LR44s, so I’ll load two fresh ones in the camera and bring two more along just in case of failure.
I’ll need a few memory cards for the digital camera, and some 120 film for the Mamiya 6. I ordered 5-packs of Kodak Ektar 100, CineStill 400D, Kodak Portra 160, and Kodak Portra 800, so I’ll mix up a batch for the week.
