Limiting Your Gear To Under 4.0 kg

Fuji F40fd (since I already own one) and a poo-load of batteries & SDHC cards. A better P&S camera if you're buying it. That should have about 3.6kg for sandwiches. I wouldn't spend a year lugging a full dSLR kit of any description.

Strawberry Fields wrote in post #5450040
What would you take?

For reference, here's a list of common items with their estimated weights:

[B]CAMERA: 5D (900g),

EF PRIMES:[I] 35L (600g), 50 f1.4 (300g), 135L (750g),

EF ZOOMS: 17-40L (500g), 70-200 f4L IS (750g),

ACCESSORIES: 1.4x Extender (200g),


I think that's 4000 dead on - if my adding is right...

+25mm extension tube+polarisers+batter​ies/chargers +CF cards, (laptop?)etc

Seriously, I'm thinking of what you're thinking as well. Putting local shots aside, I plan to do much travelling with my gear and do not wish to make it too heavy. I got a wife with me and she'll probably like to do some shopping; so it's not all about photography.

If my calculations are right, these are probably below 4kg:

5D (900g) + 17-40L (500g)
40D (800g) + 70-200 L f4 IS (750g)
580EX-II (400g) for shots in indoor / night.

If I really need the range sometimes, I switch my 17-40L into 40D. The reason for 2 bodies is I don't wan one to fail on me, and 5D gives me the UWA option.

Just my 2 cents!

Hmmm,

1ds mk3, 16-35, 24-70, 70-200

first trip with pan-am to the moon and use the scales there

BearSummer

EOS 5D
35L
85L
17-40 f4L
70-200 f4L IS

(3.7 kg)

A couple years ago I traveled extensively. I was overseas for a year, but I was based in Chengdu, China and traveled extensively throughout Asia on all modes of transport. I carried far more than 4kg - but I wasn't traveling every day. I did get used to the weight - about twice your limit. I was on the move for up to six weeks at a time. Based on my experience and your weight limit, here's what I'd do:

5D (With xti backup - but the xti uses a different memory card and I'm not sure about battery). You could avoid a backup if you have enough money to purchase a replacement body overseas and would regularly be in places where you could confidently buy one. Otherwise, you have to carry the weight.

24-105: an ideal street lens. It would be on my camera 70% of the time.

17-40: good bang for the weight. I'd use it a lot.

70-200 f4: Take the IS if you want, but I'd save the weight and bump the ISO. It would get occasional use.

50 1.4: for when I wanted to look more like a "tourist," and when I needed a wide apperture.

580ex

I would just carry a tiny plastic travel tripod ~ 6 inches. REI sells one with a strap you can attach to a tree, etc.

You've got to have some kind of storage, so a P-5000 or equivalent would be good. When you had the chance (in major cities) you could burn DVD's, mailing one home and carrying a backup.

With charger, CF cards & card wallet, extra batteries, lens cleaning supplies, etc. I'm probably over weight, but it's what I'd carry and it's close.

450D : 500
10-22: 400
17-55: 650
70-200 2.8IS: 1600
1.4: 200
430EX: 350
G9:300
Total: 4Kg

Easy peasy- mostly all IS, so no need for tripods.

5D
24-105/4L IS
70-200/4L IS
30/1.4 EX

Total: 2.8 kg.....

and plenty of weight to spare for extra socks. Other than birds/wildlife and macro, this kit would fulfil 99.9% of my photography needs.

Strawberry Fields wrote in post #5450040
Imagine you were assembling the gear you'd take for a year-long adventure around the world. Money isn't an issue, but weight is. You have to carry your stuff with you 24/7. There is a hard limit to how much photography gear you can comfortably carry: 4.0 kilograms.
...
What would you take?

For reference, here's a list of common items with their estimated weights:

CAMERA: 450D (500g), 40D (800g), 5D (900g), 1Dmk3 (1350g), 1Dsmk3 (1400g), Canon G9 (300g)

EF ZOOMS: 16-35L (650g), 17-40L (500g), 24-70L (950g), 24-105L (650g), 28-105 (400g), 28-135 IS (550g), 28-300L (1600g), 70-200 f4L IS (750g), 70-200 f2.8L IS (1600g), 70-300 IS (650g), 70-300 DO IS (700g), 100-400L (1400g)

ACCESSORIES: 580 EX (400g), 430EX (350g), 1.4x Extender (200g), Compact Travel Tripod (1000g)

I am planning to hike about 100km in next August in with tents, etc.
As far as photography is concerned, I am planning to take
40D + 20D (1.6kg?)
17-40/4L (0.5kg)
100/2.8 USM macro (0.6kg)
carbon fiber tripod with ballhead (2.1kg)
580EX (0.4kg)
ST-E2
bunch of CF cards and BP-511 batteries

So that is going to be 5.1kg + ST-E2 + cards + batteries. If your tripod only weights 1kg, then we are actually very close to 4kg limit.

P.S. You don't have camera bag in your list... I am going to be using Lowepro Toploader zoom 2 in front with chest harness and inserts from Lowepro Stealth Reporter 200 in my main pack.

Leica M8 set.

I would go 40d, 10-22, 28-300mm, 580ex.

40D, 580EX, two pocketwizard plus2, 10-22, 17-55, 75-300.

Total under 3kg. Nice and light.

40D 800
450D 500
10-22 400
17-55 650
30 1.4 450
85 1.8 400
55-250 400
580ex 400

4000g

I hate to lug all these gears around only to find that I can't use the lenses when my main body is down... I still want reasonable IQ anyway. So redundant body. and overlapping wide to mid-zoom and also 2 "fast lens" as I shoot mostly at these fl.

I went over a tiny bit with the kit I would take, but I wouldn't be bothered by an extra 50g.
40D, 5D, 24-105L,70-200f4 IS, 430ex, 1.4x Extender,10-22 efs
Came out to 4050g.

Im not that experienced in photography but for 1 year trip i would take this combo, cause 1 series are built as tanks (from what i read on this forums). From what i like to shoot the most, i find wide angle to be used the most and then around 50, thats why i chose these two lenses. Also without flash life is hard, so 580EX is in the list, and tripod is a must, specially if it only weight 1kg. Also G9 as back up and zoom up, which i personally use rarely so carrying another lens would be pointless.

1Dsmk3 (1400g)
Canon G9 (300g)
50 f1.4 (300g),
16-35L (650g)
580 EX (400g)
Compact Travel Tripod (1000g)

total weight 4050g (well guess its not that much overweight :P)