Egypt/London Vacations - Lens?

Hello there!

In next may I'm going on a school-organized trip to Egypt, and I plan to extend it a bit by myself in London.

I'm going to see the usual highlghts in these 2 place, Gizeh pyramids, Abu Simbel, The Cairo and a cruise on the Nile river for Egypt, and pretty much all the palaces in London.

I currently have a 17-40 and a 70-200 (f/4L). Knowing the place the 7-2 takes in the bag, would you bring it at these locations? Use seems pretty limited to me, but perhaps people who travelled there before know better?

Also, on an unrelated note, do you think carrying "higher-priced" (I know a 350D+17-40 + 7-2 isn't that costly for most of you, but there are some parts of the worlds where I definitely wouldn't bring these) gear in Egypt is safe? I'd guess so for UK, but I'm not too sure for this one...

(Oh, and if anyone has some unrelated tips about those destinations, I definitely wouldn't mind!)

Many thanks!

Most places don't allow flash, and many are dimly lit. You may be better off with the 17-55/2.8 IS.
A standard zoom like that would handle most of the sites (and sights) in Egypt, unless you want to pick out individual structures on the banks of the Nile from the boat.

In the tourist areas of Egypt you are very safe from crime; the tourist police are thick on the ground. If anything it can be disconcerting seeing platoons of soldiers drilling in the carparks, armed guards at every bank and hotel, sentries every 100m down the main streets, plain-clothes security guards on the trains with the barrels of AK-47's sticking out of the bottoms of their coats, and snipers on the ridges around the Valley of the Kings, but hey - they are there for your protection!

You will be thoroughly crowded by all sorts of hawkers at every location however.

Before you pack anything photographic, pack Immodium, Gastrolyte, and a decent broad-spectrum antibiotic. Always carry water and toilet paper. Never eat or drink anything that has not been cooked. Agree on taxi fares before getting in. Crossing the road in Cairo? Good luck with that. It's traffic mayhem. Take a lot of Western-branded ball-point pens - you can use them for haggling. Hard currency in cash, USD or Euros, is very much in demand.

If you see a guy called Ahmed Hussain (Noga Tours), tell him he owes me $400.

I've been in many more dangerous areas with lts more camera gear. Of course, appearance plays a big part in safety - if you're 90kg, 180cm and solidly built, carrying gear strapped all over you like Rambo, you're much less likely to be threatened than a short, chubby person carrying a camera ina shoulder bag and a wallet in the back pocket. Obviously not applicable in Egypt, but, in some countries (West/central Africa especially) you also don't want to go unarmed - while camel trekking through the Sahara, a warning shot into the air was more than enough to deter a bandit group to go in search of an easier target. It also helps to have a knife and to know how to use it - most criminals are loookng for easy targets and will run from anyone who can put up resistance. Compared to these places, Egypt is tame - pickpockets are the main threat, and they can't take anyhing that's well-secured.

Shadowblade wrote in post #10923982
It also helps to have a knife and to know how to use it

Don't try this with a spoon!

Shadowblade wrote in post #10923982
Of course, appearance plays a big part in safety - if you're 90kg, 180cm and solidly built, carrying gear strapped all over you like Rambo, you're much less likely to be threatened than a short, chubby person carrying a camera ina shoulder bag and a wallet in the back pocket.

It also helps to have a knife and to know how to use it - most criminals are loookng for easy targets and will run from anyone who can put up resistance.

I'm kind of a chubby person But thank you very much.

xarqi wrote in post #10923843
Most places don't allow flash, and many are dimly lit. You may be better off with the 17-55/2.8 IS.
A standard zoom like that would handle most of the sites (and sights) in Egypt, unless you want to pick out individual structures on the banks of the Nile from the boat.


Before you pack anything photographic, pack Immodium, Gastrolyte, and a decent broad-spectrum antibiotic. Always carry water and toilet paper. Never eat or drink anything that has not been cooked.

If you see a guy called Ahmed Hussain (Noga Tours), tell him he owes me $400.

Hmmm...Gear isn't really interchangeable to me and I'm more of a landscpaes photog. so I went with the 17-40 quite a while ago.

Interesting point of view. I might wanna take some telephoto-distance shots from the boat, it seems ovious now that you're telling me. The 70-200 is earning it's place it my gear, looks like.

And by your last sentence, do you mean water there shouldn't be trusted, or just unbottled water?

I've been to Egypt several times, it's great. It's very safe, as been pointed out earlier and the people are friendly. My last trip I used mainly the 17-40 and the 70-200 on a Canon 40D crop body.

Photography is not allowed in the Cairo Museum or in the Valley of the Kings. The rest of the main touist sites it's generally okay, although sometimes no flash.

jsboutin wrote in post #10928434
And by your last sentence, do you mean water there shouldn't be trusted, or just unbottled water?

Nothing is to be trusted. Order a salad and the chances are good the lettuce was washed in the Nile. Eat nothing that hasn't been cooked to sterilise it. Check the seals on bottled water to ensure there's been no refilling.

Or just accept that you will get Tut's revenge within 48 hours of arrival and plan accordingly. If you don't succumb, consider yourself fortunate indeed.

My sister recently came back from a month in Egypt. She only took a point and shoot, but based on her pictures, both of your lenses will have their place out there. Use the lens hoods and get some quality UV filters if you don't have them already. It'll be dusty. Your gear should be safe as long as you keep it with you (common practice regardless).

Be aware that there are certain places that restrict photography and camera entrance. She said that the guards wont let you enter to location or you have to leave your gear with them (not recommended). One guy in her tour group decided he was going to take a picture inside the location with his iPhone and they arrested him. Supposedly he paid them off with some money and his phone.

Hmmm... What are you folks usually doing in locations where they don't let you bring photo equipment? Bribe the guards? Hide it in the backpack?

jsboutin wrote in post #10929432
Hmmm... What are you folks usually doing in locations where they don't let you bring photo equipment? Bribe the guards? Hide it in the backpack?

Either don't go in that location or know ahead of time which locations don't allow gear and leave it in the hotel.

I was there a few years ago and it seems things have changed a bit, so I can't advise.
When I went, the most stringent security (regarding photography) was at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Then, cameras were allowed, but you had to buy a ticket for them. No flash or tripods though.
Still, I got this.
(OM2; Fujichrome 100; 50mm f/3.5; about 1/15s from memory; scanned)

xarqi wrote in post #10923843
Most places don't allow flash, and many are dimly lit. You may be better off with the 17-55/2.8 IS.
A standard zoom like that would handle most of the sites (and sights) in Egypt, unless you want to pick out individual structures on the banks of the Nile from the boat.

In the tourist areas of Egypt you are very safe from crime; the tourist police are thick on the ground. If anything it can be disconcerting seeing platoons of soldiers drilling in the carparks, armed guards at every bank and hotel, sentries every 100m down the main streets, plain-clothes security guards on the trains with the barrels of AK-47's sticking out of the bottoms of their coats, and snipers on the ridges around the Valley of the Kings, but hey - they are there for your protection!

You will be thoroughly crowded by all sorts of hawkers at every location however.

Before you pack anything photographic, pack Immodium, Gastrolyte, and a decent broad-spectrum antibiotic. Always carry water and toilet paper. Never eat or drink anything that has not been cooked. Agree on taxi fares before getting in. Crossing the road in Cairo? Good luck with that. It's traffic mayhem. Take a lot of Western-branded ball-point pens - you can use them for haggling. Hard currency in cash, USD or Euros, is very much in demand.

If you see a guy called Ahmed Hussain (Noga Tours), tell him he owes me $400.

Good advice.. Be very careful of what you eat or your trip will be pretty miserable. I was there 2 years ago and managed to avoid trouble, but I was with a protected group of people. Our food was fantastic for the most part. My friend drank water from the tap at a high end hotel and was very ill for 24 hours and never "tip top" for the rest of the 2 weeks... just a word of warning. Only drink bottled water!

There will be places where photography is prohibited and flash is often prohibited even if you can take pictures. Photography in the Cairo Museum was prohibited in 2008.

You will have a wonderful experience

Beautiful Shot Xarqi

xarqi wrote in post #10929502
I was there a few years ago and it seems things have changed a bit, so I can't advise.
When I went, the most stringent security (regarding photography) was at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Then, cameras were allowed, but you had to buy a ticket for them. No flash or tripods though.
Still, I got this.
(OM2; Fujichrome 100; 50mm f/3.5; about 1/15s from memory; scanned)

IMG NOTICE: [NOT AN IMAGE URL, NOT RENDERED INLINE]

Pretty awesome handholding skills, good sir. I'll try to get the info before going, then, many thanks, all.

Definitely heed the "know where you can't take a camera" advice. I was there in 2006, and they actually wouldn't even let you in to the Cairo Museum with a camera. I had a nice P&S at the time and I just hid it in my pocket...wasn't about to leave anything in my $1.75/night hotel!

I actually think that your lens lineup is good for Egypt (though I'd rather have a 17-55 2.8...though of course then there'd be issues with dust). I might pick up a Nifty Fifty to do street candids. In fact, I definitely would. And like everyone said, the crime rate in Egypt is VERY low. Even pickpockets are fairly rare. You may want to rent a 10-22...but you'd probably use that more in London than Egypt. I'd just go with what you've got plus a Nifty.

By the way, in London, you can forget all about low crime rates and rare pickpockets...

Edit: at Abu Simbel you'll probably want to switch between the 70-200 and the 17-40. Practice doing this in your bag to avoid sand/dust! In fact I might suggest even renting a 15-85 and leaving the 17-40 at home. Fewer lens changes that way.

Staszek wrote in post #10929049
Be aware that there are certain places that restrict photography and camera entrance. She said that the guards wont let you enter to location or you have to leave your gear with them (not recommended). One guy in her tour group decided he was going to take a picture inside the location with his iPhone and they arrested him. Supposedly he paid them off with some money and his phone.

Sounds different from when I was there (1982). There were "guards" at tombs, pyramids, etc. who were apparently just there to collect small bribes when they saw photographic equipment. My best shot from the trip was outside, however. It involved a local, a camel, and a piece of bread the local held in his mouth. It goes downhill from there....

Also, as mentioned earlier, watch out for food poisoning. I got sick as a dog on that trip, despite only drinking bottled water....