Cameras and travelling - Bali/Fiji/Sydney

Camera weight isn't an issue, it's the size, and how obtrusive it is. With the 20D if I wander to the beach the camera takes a bag for protection and to hide it, plus whatever else I want with me. With a P&S I probably won't need to take a bag at all. Losing it isn't really a big issue, insurance will cover it, it's more than having to take a big camera with me.

Of course I could take both, that way I can take the P&S when I don't want to bother with a big camera, and the big one when I want to take photos.

I'd like a small, 3-4MP ultraslim camera that takes CompactFlash and fits in my pocket. Does such a beast exist?

I have a Casio Exilim EX-Z55 5M.P which takes SD cards, which I use for parties etc - i.e. just for snaps. It's smaller than my wallet. Prior to that a Canon S50 till it got nicked when I was drunk at a bar. For snapshot type purposes I'd go for the slimline models rather than the S70 purely on the size/shape, as the S70 is chunky when you want to slip it in yer pocket.

However if you think might like to do more serious photography, get good insurance, select just a couple of lenses and pack your gear.

Very jealous of your trip !!

The travel insurance with my credit card covers me for up to NZ$2K, so that would cover most of my 20D, and the lenses are covered seperately, so that's handy. I think i'll take both cameras, so I can do good shots if I want, and snaps if i'm just out doing whatever.

If I take lots of photos I wonder if I can write it off as a business expense...

Tim, that's funny I just posted a similar thread just a few weeks ago, and I you replied to it too. Anyway I just spent 4 weeks travelling through a bit of New Zealand and Australia (mostly Australia). I did adventure tours in both countries with my backpack and stayed mostly at hostels (I stayed in double rooms with my girlfriend half the time, and in dorms the other half). I ended up getting a G6 to take over my 20D. I too was worried about theft. In hindsight, I wish I'd just brought my 20D with me. There were no issues in Australia. I think you'll be ok as long as you're not careless with leaving stuff around unattended.

However I'm not quite sure how things are in Bali, I'm sure the same rules apply. Just a bit of diligence.

Bugger.

I need to try harder in the future to convince you to take a 20D

I'm sure you had lots of fun though.

Are you going to share some shots soon?

Bali is a completely different world from Australia,they're not similar at all. 3rd world vs 1st world.

I suspect i'll take the 20D but use it sparingly, and take either my A70 or a similar baby camera.

Hey Wazza

I've barely gotten through processing my shots. I've been going through all of my girlfriend's shots (some 800 snapshots from her A80) first.

I do have some shots on my photoblog: http://www.thewholepic​.com

Current shots, back through to July 3 are pics from the trip. I'm still back filling the blog, so if you check back there will be 2 or 3 new pics each day.

And I also have some (of many) panoramas sitting at: http://www.thewholepic​.com/tmp

I guess I'll post some stuff into the travel forum when I'm done.

Yeah, but they're so used to (milking) Australian (so, as a Kiwi, you can be an honorary Australian, hehe) tourists that unless you have this sudden mad impulse to try & smuggle drugs, they'll love you (& your money) just fine

Yeah, i'll try and resist the urge to smuggle drugs. Why you'd take drugs to Bali I have no idea, it's not like there's a shortage... or so i'm told...

You learn to deal with people trying to take tourists for what they can. I wanted a particular hat and I just about pissed myself laughing when he told me his price of NZ$17. I talked him down to NZ$2. There are 10 stores on each street selling the same stuff, if you don't get the price you want just go next door, they'll often give you the price you want. The trick to bargining is not really caring if you get what you're bargining for - it's a game.

Tim

Just take out travel insurance. You bought a good camera to take good photo's so just do that. Remember its only money (well...only if you have travel insurance).

Is it on Bali they have the huge sign on the airport, that says something like "Smuggling drugs will give you death penalty" ? Don't remember if it was there or in Surabaya/Jakarta... A great way to welcome visitors I think

martook wrote:
Is it on Bali they have the huge sign on the airport, that says something like "Smuggling drugs will give you death penalty" ? Don't remember if it was there or in Surabaya/Jakarta... A great way to welcome visitors I think

It wouldn't suprise me at all. It's a beautiful place, nice people when they're not trying to take you for a dollar (they're quite poor so you can't blame them), but very poor, and quite religious.

Yeah, it's a nice place, but I preferred other parts of SE Asia for different reasons...

When I was there it was raining so much that all the streets were flooded, and in some places you couldn't walk without getting an electric shock from not-so-great homemade lamp installations...

Haha, hope that's not happening when i'm there. I'd manage though, I like rain... to a point.

You like rain, but your 20D doesn't.

I was once shooting in drizzle at the airport, and suddenly the camera just stopped working. Dried it off, and wouldn't turn on for 3-4 minutes. Just a bit too damp, down into all the buttons. Whoops.