Camera to use whilst travelling to Australia?

Hi guys,
To cut a long story short I have a friend living in Sydney, Australia who I will be visiting for a couple of months in January, February time.

I see this as a great chance to devote some time to taking photos and improving my ability at taking pictures of people (to help in my wedding photography)

Camera wise I have an old 20D I can take with me, with a Canon 28-135 mm lens. And probably pick up a 50mm 1.8 to take along also.

Now problem with this, is that it isn't that compact and might be a pain lugging everywhere.

Which then got me thinking about the new Canon S90 and G11. The S90 looks appealing in terms of the spec and the manual modes, but I am worried I may find it a little restrictive in terms of the sensor, DOF etc. The same for the G11.

This then leads me on to the Panasonic GF-1, due to the greater creative flexibility it gives me in relation to lenses etc. Downside being that the lenses don't come cheap and so any money I am spending on these could be used for buying lenses for my 5D. I think part of the allure of this camera is just gear lust. It just seems like a sexy camera to have with all that functionality wrapped up in a little body.

So this then all leads me full circle, back to taking the 20D. Does anyone have any suggestions, alternatives or general advice to help me with my dilemma?

Rob Meredith

I took my XSi, 18-55 and 50mm to Australia last July. Worked well enough for me!

It it was me, I'd probably take an ultrawide zoom or a Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 for the cost of a s90/G11 on the 20D. I personally wouldn't take anything else unless you are willing to lug other lenses on your vacation.

I think that may give you the biggest bang for the bucks.

Since Australia is located in the southern hemisphere, you'll need a camera that operates well upside down.

Good luck.

Image stabilisation will help as well when you are riding all those kangaroos down the main street

IMO the Rebels are the pick of the bunch for travelling light...but in your case I'd stick to the 20D, and consider a wider zoom (17-50 as has been mentioned?).

CanonHowitzer wrote in post #8912575
Since Australia is located in the southern hemisphere, you'll need a camera that operates well upside down.

I second taking the 20D and the Tamron 17-50.

Becareful in the outback standing under trees setting up a shot, drop bears are common in the outback, and can give quite a scare.
Not to mention the hoop snakes

CanonHowitzer wrote in post #8912575
Since Australia is located in the southern hemisphere, you'll need a camera that operates well upside down.

Good luck.

plusnq wrote in post #8912906
Image stabilisation will help as well when you are riding all those kangaroos down the main street

haha. Thanks for the humorous comments guys.

For a couple of years when I was younger I lived in a place called Bunbury in the South West of Australia. Riding those kangaroos down the high street was a blast!

As for those terrifying drop bears and hoop snakes, I'll be spending most of my time in the city so should hopefully be able to sleep peacefully at night.

Now with regards to this Tamron 17-50 mm, is it compatable with a full frame camera? I have a 5D that I use for weddings and at up until now have been using my parents lenses. Now that we are starting to have weddings on the same dates though I'm going to need to purchase my own lenses.

So any lenses I do buy I need to be able to use on the 5D and have a wide aperture, for use in low light.

I'm thinking my 20D and an S90 might be a nice combination which will serve me in all circumstances?

Rob

Rob Meredith wrote in post #8917465
haha. Thanks for the humorous comments guys.

For a couple of years when I was younger I lived in a place called Bunbury in the South West of Australia. Riding those kangaroos down the high street was a blast!

As for those terrifying drop bears and hoop snakes, I'll be spending most of my time in the city so should hopefully be able to sleep peacefully at night.

Now with regards to this Tamron 17-50 mm, is it compatable with a full frame camera? I have a 5D that I use for weddings and at up until now have been using my parents lenses. Now that we are starting to have weddings on the same dates though I'm going to need to purchase my own lenses.

So any lenses I do buy I need to be able to use on the 5D and have a wide aperture, for use in low light.

I'm thinking my 20D and an S90 might be a nice combination which will serve me in all circumstances?

Rob

This thread has made my day.
may i ask why you dont want to bring your whole kit to australia?

iddycourt wrote in post #8916253
Becareful in the outback standing under trees setting up a shot, drop bears are common in the outback, and can give quite a scare.

January/February is the wrong time of the year for drop bears.. They come out (or drop down) early April

Back on topic,,the Rebel series is hard to beat when travelling..

iddycourt wrote in post #8917678
This thread has made my day.
may i ask why you dont want to bring your whole kit to australia?

Cuz it's full of criminals, that were kicked out of England.

Nah on a serious note, the kit I am using at the moment is actually my parents gear so they will need it while I am away. Plus I don't want to be carting a massive amount of gear around with me. My friend is living in a guest house with around 40 people and if we do any travelling we will probably be staying in backpackers so it makes sense not to have too much stuff of value.

I have just come across a Sigma 17-35 mm F2.8-F4.0 EX DG HSM, which I can use. Problem being that autofocus doesn't work on digital cameras. Not that big an issue really as I see it as a chance to slow down the photo taking process and apply a little more thought.

Anyone have any experience with getting these re-chipped to use with digital?

Thanks
Rob

Rob Meredith wrote in post #8919923
Cuz it's full of criminals, that were kicked out of England.

Don't forget, when you get to immigration and they ask if you have a criminal record, always reply "I didn't know it was still compulsory"

Having read a bit more and taken in the various options. The Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 is looking like a serious option.

Good zoom range suitable for landscapes and people shots plus a large aperture for shallow DOF and low light use. Only problem is not being able to use it on the 5D however I have decided that I can just sell it on once I get back. Either that or let my girlfriend use it to practice with.

I believe they have just released a VC (Vibration Compensation) model so the decision now is whether to plump up extra for that model. In terms of performance I'm not sure I will need it but on the other hand it will hold it's re-sale value better.

Any thoughts?

Thanks
Rob

Go over that 20D very carefully. Make sure it has a clean sensor. Frankly, a newer XTi or XS would be better for you--weightwise--and for the sensor anti-dust feature. If you were thinking of buying a G11 or some of those others you could easily get by with, say, the XSi and a IS, OS or VC lens in the 17-80 or thereabout range.

Yes, on VC.