# A set of lenses for around the world travel.



## 00Q (Dec 24, 2011)

Hi all, 

This is my first post. I just registered today but have been a long follower of canon rumours. I love lenses and I have tried many lenses both from sigma and canon. Its mainly for fun and for educational expereinces. 

So I have been shooting using my 450D for more than 4 years. Currently I have invested all my money into good lenses. 450D is sufficient for me and the next stage would be a a 5D mkIII so I will wait for that. 

I am planning a career break and travel the world for 6 months. Im thinking of a set of lenses I should take. Advice is welcome!

Currently I have been shooting with three lenses:

1) Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 OS.
[The optical stabilization is amazing and I would chose this over the canon equivalent of the non IS ]

2) Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 USM L. 
[This is my main gun, I have just sold this as I am anticipating the MkII version of this lens]

3) Sigma 8-16mm 
[This is my landscape lens. I prefer this to the Canon 10-22mm that I once owned due to the wider field of view at 8mm] 

So currently as I have sold my main gun, Im hoping to buy the 24-70 back if the MkII announcement will be in Jan. Maybe the price will drop. Any idea how long we need to wait for the MkII to be in store if it is announced in january? I dont think I would get the MkII as the price might be pricy, esp if it is not IS. 

I am thinking of taking a 50mm f/1.4 in my pocket. I had that lens and have sold it. I didnt like it too much as I found it to be too telefocal on a 450D. I do think its a nice toy to have in the pocket for night walks when I travel. I have tried the Sigma 17-50 f/2.8 OS. Its a nice lens but I dont find myself using it much if I have the 24-70 too. 

So my plan is to keep the Sigma 70-200 and 8-16, buy back my 24-70mm canon L lens and buy back a 50mm 1.4. I might take a x2 teleconverter. I have a 430EXII speedlite and will take a Manfrotto 190XPROB. Bit heavy as I will be backpacking but I do want to record the best moments of my life. Is this too much gear? Does this sound logical. All the money as you can see is on lenses and none is invested in the 5D mkII. Would the 5D mk II be that much better that I will regret it later? 

thanks loads,


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## briansquibb (Dec 24, 2011)

If you go to the 5DII you will have to do something about the 8-16 I believe


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## 00Q (Dec 24, 2011)

Yes thats right. If I get the 5D II I cant put the 8-16 on there. The question is am I missing something big by not having a full frame? I dont want to regret it later


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## handsomerob (Dec 24, 2011)

If I were to travel the world for 6 months, I think I would sell everything and buy a 5DII + 24-105L kit and add a 50mm f/1.4 for low light work. Paired with decent glass, FF is the way to go if you want the best possible IQ to capture those priceless moments.

One important thing you should consider is the storage of your photos, especially if you are shooting RAW. You should see that your laptop has a big enough hard drive with enough empty space to hold all those photos you will take for 6 months. You can also store them in an external drive of course.  

I would take ONE MORE external drive as backup, which is probably more important than having an extra lens. You could eventually also store them with online services or on your website but whatever you do, *you have to have a backup!!!!*

Last but not least, I would replace the tripod with a carbon version which would be much lighter for travel.

Don't forget to enjoy your time and try to also watch the world _only with your eyes_, not always through the viewfinder  

Have fun!


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## Zo0m (Dec 24, 2011)

On a crop body I would really suggest the Sigma 30/1,4 instead of a nifty fifty. To my experience, that focal length is a lot more useful on crop. You can get the sigma for 1/5 of the price compared to the canon 35/1,4L. The centre is sharp enough and the lens produces suberb bokeh. The 30mm equals to 48mm on FF...


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## TexPhoto (Dec 24, 2011)

I don't think an around the world trip requires camera gear much different than an around the block trip. By which I mean your photo style is not likely to change. On the other hand, support gear, storage, batteries, chargers, etc will need to be carefully thought out.

If going full frame, jump from the sigma 8-16 to the sigma 12-24, and you will feel right at home.


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## briansquibb (Dec 24, 2011)

handsomerob said:


> If I were to travel the world for 6 months, I think I would sell everything and buy a 5DII + 24-105L kit and add a 50mm f/1.4 for low light work. Paired with decent glass, FF is the way to go if you want the best possible IQ to capture those priceless moments.



5DII + 17-40 + 70-300 +50 f/1.4 + spare batteries and usb charger

15inch laptop and usb 3-1/2inch hard drive. Be ruthless with the keepers

Covers it all. Definitely a tripod although I would go for a cheap, short one that doesn't matter if it gets damaged in transit

This is what I take on my motorbike tours


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## candyman (Dec 24, 2011)

Zo0m said:


> On a crop body I would really suggest the Sigma 30/1,4 instead of a nifty fifty. To my experience, that focal length is a lot more useful on crop.



A good alternative is the Canon EF 35mm f2 (a FF lens can be used on your crop but also the future FF canon 5D MK III you are saving for)

I am very pleased with the results of this lens. And, it is around 250 euro (might be less in dollars)


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## neuroanatomist (Dec 24, 2011)

handsomerob said:


> If I were to travel the world for 6 months, I think I would sell everything and buy a 5DII + 24-105L kit and add a 50mm f/1.4 for low light work. Paired with decent glass, FF is the way to go if you want the best possible IQ to capture those priceless moments.



+1 

I'd also say trade what you've got now (perhaps not the 70-200 if you're willing to carry the weight). The 24-105mm on FF is a great and versatile travel lens. When I got my 5DII, one of the main drivers was an upcoming trip to China - I'm really glad I had the 5DII for the trip. I took many lenses, but the 24-105mm got by far the most use. The 50/1.4 would also be good for nighttime (I have the 35/1.4L, which combined with the high ISO ability of the 5DII was great as a nighttime walkaround lens). On an extended trip, you may be better off with fewer lenses. 

24mm of FF is pretty wide (15mm on your camera gives the same FoV). If you want ultrawide and like 8mm on crop, consider the Samyang (Bower/Rokinon) 14mm f/2.8. It's manual (focus, aperture) but pretty cheap and the IQ is very good

Happy travels!


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## katwil (Dec 24, 2011)

I've just returned from a Middle East vacation, having taken about 1,100 pictures with my Canon T3i / Tamron 18-270 PZD lens. I brought along my Canon 24-105L, but it didn't get much use as it just wasn't wide enough. I do wish I had taken my Canon 5D II (which I've purchased since the trip), as it would have allowed me to get a lot of use out of the 24-105.

The Tamron 18-270 PZD did pretty well and you can beat the convenience of a single lens, but shots at the upper and lower ends of its limits aren't great.

If I had it to do all over again, I would have taken a Canon 5D II with my 24-105L and my Canon 70-200 f/4 IS (the weight savings would have been more important that the extra stop).

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, if you are planning to take multiple lenses, I'd suggest that you bring some kind of sensor cleaning kit with you. Few things make me feel more helpless than spotting a spec of lint on my shots after the first day's photos knowing that it will be there for the rest of my trip. Fortunately, this didn't happen on my recent trip, but it has before.


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## unruled (Dec 24, 2011)

katwil do you have any example shots from the 18-270 (at the extremes that aren't great)? I'm curious as to how bad is bad.
also interesting that you own and had L glass and chose for that tamron indtead.

cheers


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## 00Q (Dec 24, 2011)

neuroanatomist said:


> handsomerob said:
> 
> 
> > If I were to travel the world for 6 months, I think I would sell everything and buy a 5DII + 24-105L kit and add a 50mm f/1.4 for low light work. Paired with decent glass, FF is the way to go if you want the best possible IQ to capture those priceless moments.
> ...



Thanks so much for everyone who has replied so far. Im very happy to receive lots of good advice in such a little time. It seems that the general opinion is to get a 5DII. I will definitely look into this. Im new to FF photography. can someone help to explain to me why it will be much better quality? I know that the the ISo performance will be better and the bokeh will be good too with high signal to noise ratio as the pixels are larger in size. There will be large noticeable difference then it seems on FF? Ive never taken shots with FF before. 

Regarding the 24-105 lens that some members here have kindly adviced, I have tried it a few times. I did like it very much, esp on the cropped 450D I have I get a nice zoom range. And the image quality is really sharp. I did however find it frustrating shooting indoors and in low light ( not even night time) due to the f/4 aperature. So Im in two minds to exchange the 24-70 for the 24-105. 

thanks,


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## Cosk (Dec 24, 2011)

I spent 4 months traveling through South America - and traveled light (one small backpack... 80% of it was camera gear, 10% was a bottle of wine, and the rest was for clothing.)

If you're interested, here's the blog I wrote on the way, so you can see my style of photography, and whether my recommendations are going to work for you: http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog/seankervin/1/tpod.html

I'll first tell you what I took... and then what I would take if I had to do it again.

30D
Super wide: 10-22 (950)
Wide: 24mm 2.8 (450)
50mm short portrait (10) 
85mm 1.8 long portrait (1300)
70-200 f/4 IS (1250)
1.4x (1400)

The numbers in the () are the number of shots that I actually took with that lens. Back home, my favorite lens is the 50... but although I carried it for 4 months, I didn't really use it. The 85 was far more useful for capturing photos of people, and interesting things because I could be more discrete. That 85/1.8 really delivered. 

I used the 10-22 a LOT... but it only delivered 2 photos that are wall worthy.

I hated the 24mm. It sounded like an electric razor... and although I loathed putting it on my camera, it had an exceptionally high wall rate... I have a love-hate relationship with all the photos this lens credits on my walls. 

The 70-200 saw the most action, but realize that's the lens most likely to get motor-drived, but the important thing is that half of the shots had a 1.4x converter.

So, I recommend adding the awesome 85mm 1.8 and (sigh) the scratchy 24mm 2.8 to your kit.


Finally... consider a used 5D classic. I just bought one off Ebay for $750 and bought the 35L (on sale now) to replace my 24 - I LOVE it!


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## neuroanatomist (Dec 24, 2011)

The FF noise advantage over APS-C is ~1.3 stops, a little more coming from an older xxxD body. So, f/4 on FF would be like ~f/2.2 on your camera in terms of low light performance for the same noise.


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## Kahuna (Dec 24, 2011)

[/quote]

5DII + 17-40 + 70-300 +50 f/1.4 + spare batteries and usb charger

15inch laptop and usb 3-1/2inch hard drive. Be ruthless with the keepers

Covers it all. Definitely a tripod although I would go for a cheap, short one that doesn't matter if it gets damaged in transit

This is what I take on my motorbike tours
[/quote]

Agreed. and don't forget a nice waterproof / water resistant bag


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## Rocky (Dec 24, 2011)

I have been travelling to every continent with the following setup:
40D (20D replacement), 17-40mm, 28-135 IS (35-135 replacement), 17-55 IS kit lens, 8X25 binocular, SD870 IS, lens hood, filters etc. All fit in a Nove 3 (AW) bag. 17-40 is my main lens. 17-55 is for low light in museum. 28-135 is for just in case I need a long lens. The binocular is an indespensable tool for shows, interior of old churches or temple, distant subjects, etc.


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## neuroanatomist (Dec 24, 2011)

Rocky said:


> 40D (20D replacement), 17-40mm, 17-55 IS kit lens... 17-40 is my main lens. 17-55 is for low light in museum.



I would not recommend carrying both the 17-55mm f/2.8 IS and the 17-40mm f/4L. I don't even understand why? On a crop body, the 17-55mm is better in every way - sharper, faster, longer tele end, has IS. The sole advantage of the 17-40mm is weather sealing, but that only matters with a sealed body, which the 40D isn't. 

But...maybe you meant the *18*-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS kit lens?


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## ghosh9691 (Dec 24, 2011)

I just came back from a trip to India and now I am on another trip to Florida with my family. All I have is my 5D Mk II coupled with the 24-105mm f/4L and the 50mm f/1.4. I have found that at least with my style of photography, I have not needed any other lens. The 24-105 works well during the day and and night in well lit areas. When the light drops, out comes the 50mm and coupled with bi-pedal zoom, I have not really needed another focal length at night .

My point is that for travel, I prefer traveling light - not too much gear makes photography interesting . I am not that great a photographer, so take my advice with a pinch of salt...

My Flickr stream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/prabalghoshphotography/


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## briansquibb (Dec 24, 2011)

neuroanatomist said:


> I would not recommend carrying both the 17-55mm f/2.8 IS and the 17-40mm f/4L.



+1 there would be no benefit in taking these 2


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## katwil (Dec 24, 2011)

unruled said:


> katwil do you have any example shots from the 18-270 (at the extremes that aren't great)? I'm curious as to how bad is bad.
> also interesting that you own and had L glass and chose for that tamron indtead.
> 
> cheers


Well, I've attempted to add a couple samples, but the file sizes are too large to add as attachments. To be more specific about the issues with the Tamron, I'll state that autofocus is a substantial issue around 250 - 270 mm, and the quality of shots with low lighting leaves much to be desired.

As far as the Tamron vs. L glass: I had hoped to do more with my 24-105L, but on a crop body that's 38 mm on the low end. What's the point of taking a picture of the Great Pyramid with the top cut off?

I tend to take about 100-120 pictures a day on vacation, then cull about 80% of those out and use Lightroom 3 to post-process the rest. Some things, like focus, can't be adjusted, but many things can.

As I stated in my original post, with the 5D II, the 24-105L works fine. The 70-200L f/4 IS is not too heavy to drag around with it. I'd probably throw in my 50 mm f1.4 for low light.

Hope this helps.


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## razorite (Dec 24, 2011)

hey i dont have an answer to your original question but i want to tell you that that 8-16 works on a 5d its just that at the wider focal lengths i.e 8mm you will get a thick black frame around the image, but for the most part it works


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## Rocky (Dec 25, 2011)

neuroanatomist said:


> Rocky said:
> 
> 
> > 40D (20D replacement), 17-40mm, 17-55 IS kit lens... 17-40 is my main lens. 17-55 is for low light in museum.
> ...


Neuro, You are abolutely right. My typo. What I really mean is the Cheap and Very Light 18-55,f 3.5 t0 5.6 kit lens. Since my 17-40 does not have IS so the kit lens become very useful inside the museum. I did not buy the 17-40 for weather proof. I bought it for the focal length that I would use the most. It was bought with the 20D before the 17-55mm f 2.8 exists. Thanks for pointing out my mistake. For someone starting out fresh. definitely the 17-55mm f 2.8 is a better choice than the 17-40 f4.


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## Halfrack (Dec 25, 2011)

Start with thinking about how safe you'll be in your travels, and how much 'pain' you'd have to loose your new toys. Before you jump to FF, consider what impact you'd have to replace the 70-200 - if you take a 5DII or wait for a 5DIII it will find every possible issue with your existing glass. Reconsider on the 7D.

I'd carry a wide (17-55/2.8 or 17-40/4), 50/1.4, and (70-200/2.8 or 70-300L)


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## RayS2121 (Dec 25, 2011)

Lot of good suggestions here... so I will not add to the equipment suggestions... but I will add one thing I've come to realize from recent travel in Asia. There are times you just wish you have a photographic instrument that doesn't announce itself. I had a long white zoom hanging off a pro body and it is rather intrusive. So, after the first day I switched to an older, much smaller crop body with an almost pancake like EF24 f/2.8. It was close to normal range on the crop sensor and I just zoomed with my feet when needed. Much easier traversing the crowds, the shoppers and capturing candid moments. 

I realized just in time that nothing says tourist with a long barrel on your shooter and moments are less candid when your camera itself is a subject in the scene. Have a great trip wherever you are headed

P.S. What I really would have liked is a Leica M9...but alas I was told I have no more kidneys left to sell for equipment


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## 00Q (Dec 25, 2011)

Thanks everyone for their replies. Lots of different suggestions. I have summed up what my current plan is based on everyone's suggestions so far:

I'll keep the 450D as it is pretty cheap and I wont get much money for it. For the lenses:

I will keep my:

Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 OS
Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6

Buy back:
Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L ( MkI, I assume I wont be able to get the MkII version in Febuary ) 
Canon 50mm f/1.4 

and add a x2 extender in there for wildlife. Yes, I will be shooting everything from landscape, to wildlife to portraits. ( Im going across central and s america for the 3rd time! but first time as a photographer) 

And If I have the extra cash I will bite the bullet and get the 5D MkII. This way I will have a back up 450D. Will add in there a netbook and external harddrive. 

I see myself burning a hole in my credit card. Ouch!


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## EchoLocation (Dec 26, 2011)

I spent last year backpacking around Asia. i'm in alright shape and 30 and I can tell you that the gear you are talking about is going to be VERY heavy to backpack with unless you are literally bringing nothing else. I had a T2i and a 24-105, along with the 18-55(i bought the 24-105 halfway through the trip in HK.) The 24mm was simply not wide enough for me on the crop body. I later bought the 10-22 but then sold it and my T2i for a 5DC. now i'm living in china. I have a 5D, the 24-105 and a 50 1.4 Sigma. I think this is a pretty good combo. I'd like to have a 70-200 2.8 II, but it's too big and heavy for me to lug around the world. I had a netbook with me, and it sucked for viewing pictures and was worthless for editing. I'd suggest 2 hard drives of 1TB minimum. Ideal would be a 13" Macbook Pro, a 5DII, 24-70 2.8 and one other lens of your choice, with a flash(i have the 270ex and rarely use it.) This is extremely heavy already and is a lot of gear to worry about on long bus rides, train rides, etc. I'm struggling with this situation myself now and can't decide exactly which way to go. Thinking of swapping the 24-105 for the 24-70, but i'm waiting for a replacement to come out...... I really want a 17-40 II as well, so we will see, I had a copy of it, but it just wasn't sharp at all.
Good Luck


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## Kane (Dec 26, 2011)

I've been on a trip for the past couple of weeks and was conflicted about what camera set up I wanted to bring. I really wanted an M9 and a 50 f2 but couldn't pull the trigger. I also considered a 5d mark ii because I have L lenses already and the price is great right now but ended up leaving with just my 7d, 50 1.2 and 24-70. With this combo I've been able to do everything I wanted. The only problem is weight. With two lenses I always have the dead weight of the second lens so I usually pick one and leave the other at the hotel. Also it is heavy carrying that camera around all day (especially at the great wall) so the M9 dream stays alive.


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## willrobb (Dec 26, 2011)

handsomerob said:


> If I were to travel the world for 6 months, I think I would sell everything and buy a 5DII + 24-105L kit and add a 50mm f/1.4 for low light work. Paired with decent glass, FF is the way to go if you want the best possible IQ to capture those priceless moments.
> 
> One important thing you should consider is the storage of your photos, especially if you are shooting RAW. You should see that your laptop has a big enough hard drive with enough empty space to hold all those photos you will take for 6 months. You can also store them in an external drive of course.
> 
> ...



+1

Some very good advice here, especially regarding the back up drive. For 6 months you will be needing a lot of memory.

I think the full frame option will be great for your travels as well, the 5DmkII would be great, but the 5D classic would also be an option. I used it for a lot of travel work and loved it.

With the FF body you'dhave to get rid of your current UW Sigma, but if you kept your 70-200 Sigma, got back a 24-70 and got the other wide Sigma suggested above you'd have all your travel photo bases covered.


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## Caps18 (Dec 26, 2011)

I would take the 5Dm2 and the 24-70mm (with flash & tripod) if you want to go light.

The problem with these Cameras is that most of the weight I carry is camera gear and not food, water, or tent/sleeping bag.

I carry the 5Dm2 with 16-35, and an 85mm, which is also a good combination along with a carbon fiber tripod that is a little too big...
But I have a 300 f/4 & 1.4x for wildlife that works well. I would take it if I were biking around the world, but not on hikes.


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## bobthebrick (Dec 26, 2011)

+1 for the 5d classic. Great camera, not quite as good in ISO performance as the mk ii, but still miles better than your 450d, and still capaable of taking AMAZING images. That way, you save money for glass and an external hdd (VERY important), and won't have buyers remorse when the mk iii comes out. Plus you'll have the cash to upgrade 

For lenses, you seem to be pretty sorted. I'd take the:
Canon 24-70L
Canon 50 1.4
Sigma 70-200 OS
are probably the best choices for you. If it was me, I'd replace the 50 with a nice macro lens and add the 16-35L, as I take a ridiculous amount of wide landscape shots, and love all the interesting flowers and assorted stuff you find overseas.

For an external hdd, you probably want at least 500gb, and it needs to be USB powered. The Acer 640GB portable one is good and cheap.

Lastly, I'd take a couple of large memory cards, and two or three batteries. I'd replace the tripod for the trip with a Kathmandu travel tripod. A ripoff if it's not on sale, it's really lightweight and compact, but it isn't the sturdiest of beasts, and I'm yet to try it with a 5d. A monopod could also be useful; you'd take it more places, but you wouldn't be able to have the really long exposures, which is probably pretty important.

Anyway, that's my two cents (or maybe buck fifty by the time this post is finished). Listen to everyone's opinions, and remember you're buying gear for yourself, not all of us. It needs to be the right weight, focal lengths, blahdy bladhy blah for YOUR style of shooting.

Have a great trip, and belated Merry Christmas


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## Cannon Man (Dec 26, 2011)

My only advice is to get a 5D Mark II !!

I shot for 3 months in Japan in 09' with 450D as it was my first dslr and my friend did the same thing with a 5D II and you cant even compare the pictures or talk about them in the same room.

I have been so depressed about shooting with the 450D that i will shoot the next trip to Japan this fall with a 1DX, 1D IV, ts-e24mm II, 70-200mm is II, 50mm 1.2, 85mm 1.2 II.

I know you are only as good pictures as you are as a photographer but i concider 90% on the files from the 450D useless.


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## tron (Dec 26, 2011)

Although I bought some nice glass this year (TS-E24 II, 100-400L, 70-200 2.8L II)
if I were to travel a lot I guess that I wouldn't take everything with me.

So I would take the following:

EOS 5D mkII (no choices here: It is my only digital SLR)
EF24-105 f/4L
EF70-200 f/4L IS (yes one stop less than my 2.8 lens but very portable)
TS-E 24 L II 
The above set can be carried in a small thinktank bag I own.
An EF1.4X II could be put with its case in one of my jacket's pockets...
So the above equipment is the absolute minimum.

If I were to get a larger bag (my lowepro Micro Trekker 200) I would also choose between:

EF16-35mm f/2.8L (version I) and
Zeiss Distagon 21mm f/2.8

I know the Zeiss is much less versatile but you have to see the edges of the 
photographs it takes... 

Optionally one or more of the following:

50mm 1.8 (version I),
85mm 1.8
135mm f2.0 L (this would be nice for photographing people but still 
I do not believe that I would pass undetected...) 

Of course a tripod is a must. I would get 
my gitzo systematic 3541LS with a Markins M20 head.

A smaller and even lighter combination would be enough but I do not intend 
to buy something soon. By the way this is my lighter combination 
(compared to my Manfrotto 055pro tripod and 410 head combination)


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## Hillsilly (Dec 27, 2011)

There's been a lot of good suggestions already, so I'll just discuss my personal thoughts.

I've done a lot of travel in the last couple of years. Nearly all of this has been with a 30D. Everyone above is right. A 5Dii is "better" than a 450D. But I look back at my photos from a crop camera and I don't feel any regrets. I love the ways my photos have turned out. If you look in magazines and on the net, some excellent photos are taken with a 450D. The only reason I'd consider changing is if you are doing a lot of low light photography as the 5Dii has a clear advantage. The other significant advantage of a full frame camera - shallower depth of field - is less relevant for travel photos. Usually, you don't want to blur the background totally. Instead, you'll want to leave a hint that you are somewhere exotic. Crop cameras can actually do this better, as you can use a wide aperture and still have more of the background in focus. I'd only consider changing cameras if your finances are in top shape. If you're concerned about having enough spending money, save it so that you can have more fun. 

South America and Central America scream wildlife photos to me. Are you sure a 7D with a 1.6 crop factor and great autofocus isn't a better option? The 7D also has more weather sealing, which might be useful if caught out in a storm.

Until recently, my usual travel kit was a 30D, 10-22, 50, 70-200 f/4 IS, plus batteries, charger, filters, flashes, memory cards, tripod, laptop, small external HDD. I'd be prepared for nearly everything except serious wildlife photography. But after the second or third day, I'd generally have the same thought - "NEXT TIME I WON"T PACK SO MUCH!!" (Although I still haven't learnt...). It seems that you’re planning on taking more than I would, so I'll just mention two problems. First the weight. You've travelled to South America before and must know about the 35 degree heat and 100% humidity. Are you sure you want to carry another 5 - 8kg of camera and computer gear? 

The second problem is the stress of taking it all. You can't take it everywhere with you all the time. There will be occasions when you will want to go to dinner, nightclubs, or a carefree walk around town. That often means leaving your camera gear and laptop in your hotel room. You'd be very unlucky to have problems, but if you're like most people, you'll worry a lot about it and it will spoil the trip a bit. A lot of people end up with a small day pack that they take everywhere. But that idea gets very tired very quickly. My solution is to store expensive gear amongst my dirty socks and laundry. Or to stash it on top of a cabinet or under a drawer. No thief would ever think of looking there.... 

Also, get more opinions about taking a tripod. The times I use mine, it’s invaluable. They're really useful for taking self-portraits in remote locations when you’re on your own and photos at night. But they are heavy and take up a lot of room. With a bit of ingenuity, you can often find another way to brace your camera.

Therefore, my “Do what I say, not what I do” advice would be to take less stuff and reconsider any expensive new purchases. 

Also, you haven’t mentioned if you’re male or female and if you have a wife or a girlfriend. If you don’t have one, I’d ditch the new lens and get a wife or girlfriend as an accessory. They can be really handy as they almost always carry handbags. Each morning can start off with the same conversation. “Honey, do you mind if I put the 70-200 in your handbag”. This also allows you to double your carry-on luggage allowance. If you're a girl, just find a boyfriend that's chivalrous enough to carry your camera bag everywhere for you. (If you don't have a boyfriend or girlfriend to take with you, make it your first priority to find one upon landing and they can also act as a a tour guide and interpreter.) 

Even better, get a baby. Strollers are really useful for transporting equipment around town. Plus they will also increase your carry-on allowance. Even better, with the exception of some minor fees, they generally fly for free. I can't think of any downsides to taking a baby on a six month backpacking trip through South America.


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## Cosk (Dec 27, 2011)

Hillsilly reminded me of a few key accessories you'll want to take for travel:

A cable lock (the type they use to lock skis). It's cheap, small, and light - and you can creatively wrap the cable to lock spare gear in Armoires, drawers, etc (this will become your white-lens lock - because after awhile that's what will be left back at the hotel/hostel/etc). If someone really wants your stuff, they can cut the cable... but people won't know what's in there - any you'll immediately know if someone broke in. It gave me piece of mind. And never store your spare lenses in a convenient bag with a handle... that's too easy for a thief to grab the entire kit. Store stuff in big piles so a thief grabs one or two things and runs. 

Gaffers Tape. You want to disguise your external hard drives - make them ugly; the last thing anyone would ever want to steal. That's the problem with digital... in the old days, at least no one would steal your film... but now, hard drives and CF cards have value. I considered spraying my hard drives with the same stuff they spray under cars to prevent corrosion... but it's sticky. Gaffers tape and primer spray paint was my solution. Also, get an online backup service... I uploaded my treasured jpgs there... at least, if everything was stolen, I'd have the jpgs. Internet cafes also typically have a DVD burning service and you can periodically mail discs home to yourself. And always have two hard drives... a backup, and a backup of your backup. One of my drives went 'click' one day, near the end of a 4 month trip, with 10,000 images on it. And that was that. (Luckily I had a duplicate drive and lots of backups).

I also put black gaffers tape over the logos and the red rings on my camera when I'm in high theft areas (Gaffers tape is expensive, but it is designed for film gear and doesn't leave a sticky residue). Honestly, I'm not sure it really helps - a thief will steal a camera regardless of value... but it makes me feel a little better. 

Sensor blower (e.g. Rocket). Either bring one, or you'll end up buying one on your trip.

A discrete bag. I used a Domke 803, and it holds a body with a 70-200 f/4 and a spare lens... and looks like a little messenger bag. I just switched to an 831, which is a little bigger... but haven't put it to the test yet. 

I assume you'll have a compact camera as well... you better. Many of my BEST shots came from my little compact... because it was always in my pocket. But... I dropped into the Antarctic ocean while trying to climb an iceberg to get a shot of a penguin... which taught me to not use my cards to store images... get them off as soon as possible.

A Wolverine drive works well for that... and if you are on an expedition where someone got a great shot of you, you can always ask 'can I borrow your SD card for 5 minutes? You can slip their card in your wolverine and grab all their shots... and it counts as one of your extra hard drives... and doubles as card reader.

Bring SD/CF recovery software. I didn't... and I met way too many people who lost everything on their cards and were staying up all night trying to figure out how to recover their images. Some of the memory cards include recovery software for free... bring it and save it on every device you have. 

anyway... hard won lessons from the field.


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## bobthebrick (Dec 27, 2011)

Completely agred with Cosk. I forgot all about protection from theft. That ski lock one is especially good, and I've got tons of them. Thanks heaps for that one mate


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## Hillsilly (Dec 28, 2011)

I've also got a carabiner hanging from one of the straps on my camera bag. If I'm in a busy cafe, I'll click it around the leg of a table. Makes it a little harder for someone to pick up your bag unnoticed.


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## wickidwombat (Dec 28, 2011)

i've converted a compact leather manbag into a stealth camera bag, bassically just put in the insert from a lowepro messanger sling it can hold 5Dmk2 with 16-35f2.8, 50mm f1.4 and the 70-200 f2.8IS II a teleconverted spare cards and batteries, rapid strap and has a pocket for an ipad or similar sized device, may eve fit a macbook air but i havent tried one. pretty comfy to carry around town and looks far more casual than hauling around a big bag full of stuff when worn accross your body

edit if anyone is interested this is the leather bag
http://www.zushoe.com.au/catalogue/manbagswalletszu/PUZZLE_2.aspx


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## 00Q (Dec 28, 2011)

Cosk said:


> Hillsilly reminded me of a few key accessories you'll want to take for travel:
> 
> A cable lock (the type they use to lock skis). It's cheap, small, and light - and you can creatively wrap the cable to lock spare gear in Armoires, drawers, etc (this will become your white-lens lock - because after awhile that's what will be left back at the hotel/hostel/etc). If someone really wants your stuff, they can cut the cable... but people won't know what's in there - any you'll immediately know if someone broke in. It gave me piece of mind. And never store your spare lenses in a convenient bag with a handle... that's too easy for a thief to grab the entire kit. Store stuff in big piles so a thief grabs one or two things and runs.
> 
> ...



Thanks, this is all very helpful stuff from board members. Getting a camera bag is the last thing that I will get once everything is finalised. Im not sure about getting a leather bag as it is a bit slow for my style of photography. I meant that I walk around, going to places quite fast and I travel with a daysack. Im thinking of getting some photography bag that is light to hold all my equipments INSIDE the backpack and it will stay in there the whole time. So it acts as:

1) a bag that seperates camera stuff from the rest
2) just for protection against my backpack thrown everywhere during a tough 6 months trip on chicken buses. 

Im thinking of getting a smaller protective bag so just to fit the camera with 24-70 lens. And I till but that in the day sack when Im out during the day. Im not a fan of those sling shot bags, it screams"rob me" and the zips are too accessible. Also it is very bulky and takes up volume in the backpack.


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## pj1974 (Dec 28, 2011)

Already much good advice has been given (well done, applause to several folks) 

I have a Canon 7D and have travelled with it already to many places. Whether I go on short term or longer term trips, I've been appreciating taking mainly versatile zoom lenses. 

For a full frame (eg Canon 5DmkII) - the Canon 24-105mm makes a lot of sense. I use my Canon 15-85mm lens on my 7D for most of my shots. I also take the 70-300mm as my most common 'second lens' (awesome IQ and very hand-holdable telezoom).

A lot about which lenses, DOES depend on your shooting style. There are time when I might want ultra wide angle (eg for architecture / some dramatic landscapes) or a fast prime (for eg candid portraits, or low light photography). :

When I went to SE Asia last year, I took along my 'whole kit' (including 2 camera bodies). I'm not sure I'll be doing that again in a hurry - because basically all of the time I had 1 camera with me, and the other in the hotel, and 'extra lenses' did add weight. I have lived 'overseas' for over a decade, and never had anything stolen from me in my life (except a t-shirt left drying on a village fence in remote Romania).

I do back up photos every evening both on a laptop and then on a portable USB powered Gigaone hard-drive / card reader, keeping both separate so there is less risk of 'loosing all' :-\

Generally when I travel for some tie again, I'll probably take either JUST my 7D with 15-85mm (and no tripod). This is also what I use when I travel interstate to Tasmania (I'm in South Australia) to visit my extended family and friends there for a week or two each year. However if I went on a photographic excursion (eg a 1 day or few day travel specifically to take photos) -then I might take specific lenses (eg a macro too). For me though, 'less is more' - as it allows me to feel freer, travel with greater ease and 'actually' free up my moving to take more photos when I want, rather than carting a lot of things.

That's just how I've evolved over the years. ;D

I do hope the OP has a great, wonderful 'around the world' travel (I'm jealous!) -and we might get to see some of the best of the best photographic outcomes! Best wishes.

Paul


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## dolina (Dec 28, 2011)

I'd keep it simple and bring one lens.

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-28-300mm-f-3.5-5.6-L-IS-USM-Lens-Review.aspx


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## briansquibb (Dec 28, 2011)

dolina said:


> I'd keep it simple and bring one lens.
> 
> http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-28-300mm-f-3.5-5.6-L-IS-USM-Lens-Review.aspx



That is a very heavy lens - it would be lighter to have a 24-105 and a 70-300L (FF)


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## AJ (Dec 28, 2011)

1 lens solution. Canon 15-85 IS bolted onto your 450D. Simple, light, versatile, great image quality.

3 lens solution. Your 450D, your Sigma 8-16, then add Tamron 17-50/2.8 (or Canon 17-55/2.8 IS which is heavier) plus Canon 55-250 IS.

My travel setup is similar to the 3 lens option above. I used it in SE Asia for 3 months this year, plus another 1 month in the U.S., plus another 1 month backpacking at home in Canada. I've used a similar setup for a cumulative of at least 18 months on the road over the past 5 years.

Your 450D is a camera capable of great photos. No need to upgrade to something heavier.

Enjoy your trip.


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## dolina (Dec 28, 2011)

briansquibb said:


> dolina said:
> 
> 
> > I'd keep it simple and bring one lens.
> ...


But it covers all the 'people' focal lengths using one lens. No need to swap lenses in the field.


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## wickidwombat (Dec 30, 2011)

briansquibb said:


> dolina said:
> 
> 
> > I'd keep it simple and bring one lens.
> ...



damn right! I had the 28-300 and its a beast that is for sure. very very tough but its a handfull and quite slow so you would still need to have a 50mm fast prime with you aswell


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## dickgrafixstop (Dec 30, 2011)

Your kit is complete, but heavy. When I travel, I find less is best. Not only does it save my shoulders and back, but it forces me to mentally compose the shots I take. My travel kit is a body, 35mm f1.4 and an 85mm f1.8 paired with an exceptionally adaptable addidas zoom capability. Both lenses have superior sharpness, give me enough variety to cover nearly every situation, are fast enough for day/night use and allow me to move about with the second lens in my jacket pocket. I travel with an older mac
12 inch laptop and a lacie hardened external drive, the assorted chargers, cleaners, notepad, etc. I keep a neutral
density filter in my pocket with a lens brush and enjoy the local atmosphere.


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