A silly question; How do you travel with that giant lens?

I am planning to take my Canon 600mm lens with me to Hawaii soon. Should I just pack in the aluminum box and give it as luggage to Airline (I am rather concerned by how it is transported and the fact that I may not see it again) or should I take it with me as carry on baggage (It is too big and too heavy).
Any help?
Samsen

I've kept my 500mm with me in a lightwieght soft case as carry on.. but I'm not sure you can do it with the 600mm?

Look for a backpack that will except your lens,. (and the rest of your photo gear) that wiull also fit on board.. I used a Tamrac CyberPack8.. fit the 500mm and every thing else,. but as I say.. I'm not sure the 600mm is going to work that way. It;s 5 pounds heavier

Good suggestion.
With the tripod and tripod head, and a few other barre necessities, it should be heavy enough to warn me starting more push ups from today or finding a bag pack that has wheels to be roll by my side. Airlines are getting stingy with the size so I probably check well with those requirements. I am using ATA and my first experience with them.

Oh yeah,. I forgot to mention.. everything else I checked.. I belive you have to check tripods now (I did) so it was stuffed into my duffle bag with the clothing etc..

I have travelled alot with my tiny telescopic Hama in hand luggage, but one day security at Berlin said no...it could be used at full extension to whack someone with! I suppose the same could be siad for the 600mm...

If it were me I think that I would ship it to the hotel, rather than check it.

Neilyb wrote:
I have travelled alot with my tiny telescopic Hama in hand luggage, but one day security at Berlin said no...it could be used at full extension to whack someone with! I suppose the same could be siad for the 600mm...

Or a belt with a heavy buckle. Or a piece of dental floss with last week's supper from between my teeth. Maybe naked airline travel is in our futures. That would be scarry considering who was in the seat next to me on my last trip. Naked was a lethal weapon in that case.


The problem with the big lens is if someone at the airport decides you can't take it on board here put it in this cardboard box. Good luck.

Didn't your 600 come with a hard case? It should have. I would just use that. If not, order one from B&H. I would also buy a soft case for lugging it around the Islands.... but that is way too big of an investment to not have properly protected because you never know how the airlines will handle it. My contract is with American, and fortunately on most planes they have closets still that they will put it in. My largest is a 400 and they prefer not having that much weight above. Cheers and have fun.

I asked that question at the airport last month (ok so it was about my monopod) and the TSA guy said it would have been fine to bring it on board. Granted I still packed the mono in my bag on my way back. I figured better safe than sorry.

I use a DZ100 and use it for my carry on. I have never had any problems. I am taking a trip to the Bahamas next week and plan to travel like that...

I would not let it go with the normal baggage for sure. I've been watching these guys load the planes and all I have to say is ouch! So carry on would be your best bet.

Can you carry 400mm lens for short trip on a bicycle?

IF it really is too big for carry on then fedex/UPS couldn't be relied on to treat it any better than the airport baggage handlers. Just put it in a well padded, hard case and make sure you have travel insurance or a policy that specifically covers your equipment.

In a small backpack you could....