Landing on Normandy, what gear would you take?

OK- you are travelling back in time to World war II, where you have gotten a place as an official military photographer, and you are going to land with the first troops on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. Salt water, Sand, Dust, Smoke, etc etc.

Your trip is funded by Canon, so you have to use a Canon body/bodies.

Other than 50 batteries and about 6 or 7 tb of CF cards, what would you take with you in the way of gear?

I'd be tempted to take 2 or 3 40D's, as they are light, but the lack of seals would rule them out. I'd go for 2 1D Mk III's, or maybe 2 1DMkIIn's, which don't have focus issues.

I guess changing lenses would be out of the question, so it'd have to be only two lenses, one for each body. Maybe a 16-35/2.8 on one, and a 70-200/2.8 IS on the other? I supposed tripods and monopods would be out of the question.

A couple of 580EXII's too, I guess.

A 600/4 would rock, but I think you'd draw fire with that big baby on the beach.

What would you take?

...And come back home to be court-martialled for using japanese equipment ^_^

Don't be a smart-#$% LMAO

VERY GOOD POINT. Well, I'm not sure how to work my way around that. Maybe you can because all the labelling is in English. Canon- like as rule in a church. Who'd know it was made......THERE.......​...??

Well I guess that puts Leica and any other german maker out of the question too ^_^

To be fair most photographers of the time used Leicas but you can try to shot the disembarkment with a Kodak ^o^

Looks like you'll be landing with a Brownie in a plastic bag.

1 5D and 2 1Ds Mk IIn
16-35 2.8
24-70 2.8
70-200 2.8IS
400 F/4 DO or 300 2.8L IS
1.4TC and 2x TC
2 580exII's w/ battery packs.
ROCKET BLOWER, to fend off enemy soldiers of course.

and..... a M4A1


OR

a 1Ds MkIIn and a 1200 F/4 so i can just stay back haha

Whats so amazing is most of the images taken during WW2, Korea and Vietnam were taken using standard lenses.. These guys are either nuts or just brave..

Tim Page is my favourite war photographer out of Vietnam..

http://www.vietnampix.​com/mach.htm

How about some bullet-proof stuff for YOUR body? You can always replace the camera.

Since you've come in a landing craft and jumped into chest deep salt water, a Nikonos would be the best bet.

You're in hellish conditions - trying to crawl on your belly in the mud with bodies all around you - so changing lenses is out of the question. Perhaps a 24-105 or something in that range will work - in truth, you really can't be too choosy.

Lugging any gear around in these conditions will be punishing for you and the gear - keep it light (one body with one lens is looking better all the time - and take some spare lens caps).

Forget flash gear - advertising your position with a nice bright flash is the best way to die quickly.

Assaulting a beach and you want to drag along 3 full frame cameras?

I would have a P&S in my hand and another wrapped in plastic for when the first one doesn't survive the swim in.

The_Camera_Poser wrote in post #6148555
What would you take?

Extra pants.

The_Camera_Poser wrote in post #6148555
What would you take?

Few extra pairs of undies, hip flask of scotch and a ticket out of there!!

Actually, a G9 in a waterproof case or three in a waterproof case could be good!

If you're talking about the first waves, in which so many died, you would have to have 9 assistants, three each having underwater gear, wide angle gear, and some telephoto gear. You would have to stay back so that you could collect the gear from the recently departed and publish.

IDM3, of course, because it would capture those "Spielburg moments" of carnage, of bullets zipping through the water, and, at the same time, zoom in on those enemy bunkers so that the "hit" could be so uniquely captured...at 10 fps...

But someone would have to pack either a 5D or a 1DsM3 because at the end of the day there is nothing like a sweeping vista of a broad beach with so many bodies and so much blood...pop on a 16-35 for that mutha!

Can I bring a bucket and spade?

tonylong wrote in post #6149979
If you're talking about the first waves, in which so many died, you would have to have 9 assistants, three each having underwater gear, wide angle gear, and some telephoto gear. You would have to stay back so that you could collect the gear from the recently departed and publish.

IDM3, of course, because it would capture those "Spielburg moments" of carnage, of bullets zipping through the water, and, at the same time, zoom in on those enemy bunkers so that the "hit" could be so uniquely captured...at 10 fps...

But someone would have to pack either a 5D or a 1DsM3 because at the end of the day there is nothing like a sweeping vista of a broad beach with so many bodies and so much blood...pop on a 16-35 for that mutha!

Effective...

Twisted !

But Effective...