# traveling



## piperknitsRN (Dec 13, 2011)

I am going on a brief holiday to see my parents next week. I will be in Las Vegas only overnight, but plan to get out and see as much as I can for the few hours I'll be there. 

A couple of questions: is there anything in particular I should be aware of with bringing my digital camera a) through security checkpoints at the airports and b) in cabin? I'm worried about getting hassled at security checkpoints if I don't have all of my equipment out for inspection, and worried about losing it/getting it stolen. I realize people travel with their cameras every day, but I've never traveled with such an expensive (for me) camera and am likely to have a couple of lenses as well as flash to bring through security checkpoints. Ugh. Maybe I should just invest in a point and shoot for the trip? Nah. that seems a bit silly, too, given how much I just spent on camera and lenses/flash. 

Also, which of my lenses should I take? I have the 18-55mm kit lens, of course, and a 35mm and a 50mm. I'd like to photograph some of Las Vegas at night, and of course, family portraits and snapshots. 

Sorry for the very newbie questions, but you've all been a great help, so any suggestions would be quite welcome. Thank you!


----------



## MikeScone (Dec 13, 2011)

*piperknitsRN wrote: *


> is there anything in particular I should be aware of with bringing my digital camera a) through security checkpoints at the airports and b) in cabin?
> 
> Also, which of my lenses should I take? I have the 18-55mm kit lens, of course, and a 35mm and a 50mm. I'd like to photograph some of Las Vegas at night, and of course, family portraits and snapshots.


Don't worry about security at the airport (other than not letting the bag out of your sight). Also, a hard-learned lesson: wrap the strap around your ankle when you sit with it - I had a bag stolen from between my feet at a Burger King in NY City years ago. 

As to checkpoints, the x-ray will have no effect on the digital camera. I've gone through more security checkpoints than I can count with a camera bag with a body or two, lots of lenses, and usually an MP3 player and a ham radio handie-talkie or scanner, and the most I've ever gotten was a request to hand-inspect. There's nothing about an airplane cabin which will cause problems. I always put my camera bag under the seat in front of me for general paranoia reasons, and because I might want to take a picture out the window. I just use it as my carry-on bag. 

I'd bring the kit lens at a minimum. Las Vegas at night is defined by bright lights, so you probably won't find the f1.8 lenses particularly helpful from that point of view. It might be better to stick with the one lens than to spend a lot of time switching around when you're not very familiar with the camera. 

One point to be very careful about - when you have the lens off the DSLR, dust can and will get in. You need to watch out if you're switching lenses out of doors. Keep your back to the wind, shield the camera by pointing the lens down while you're changing (never put the camera on its back when you're changing lenses, that just asks for stuff to fall in), and change as quickly as possible to minimize time open. If things are really dusty, I wouldn't change lenses in the open at all.


----------



## piperknitsRN (Dec 13, 2011)

*MikeScone wrote:*


> Don't worry about security at the airport (other than not letting the bag out of your sight). Also, a hard-learned lesson: wrap the strap around your ankle when you sit with it - I had a bag stolen from between my feet at a Burger King in NY City years ago.
> 
> As to checkpoints, the x-ray will have no effect on the digital camera. I've gone through more security checkpoints than I can count with a camera bag with a body or two, lots of lenses, and usually an MP3 player and a ham radio handie-talkie or scanner, and the most I've ever gotten was a request to hand-inspect. There's nothing about an airplane cabin which will cause problems. I always put my camera bag under the seat in front of me for general paranoia reasons, and because I might want to take a picture out the window. I just use it as my carry-on bag.
> 
> ...



Brilliant. Precisely the information I was looking for. Thanks, Mike! I will probably bring my kit lens and that's it--don't know. Might bring the 50mm or 35mm for taking pictures around the house when we get there (parents don't live in Las Vegas; they live about an hour outside).


----------



## OneTwoThree (Dec 13, 2011)

I'd bring the kit and the 50mm. You'll likely be back enough from your subject there for the 50mm and the bokah the 1.8-3.5 can get that your kit lens cant is tdf.


----------



## piperknitsRN (Dec 13, 2011)

*OneTwoThree wrote: *


> I'd bring the kit and the 50mm. You'll likely be back enough from your subject there for the 50mm and the bokah the 1.8-3.5 can get that your kit lens cant is tdf.


Thanks! I appreciate your feedback.


----------



## Watermelons (Dec 13, 2011)

Do you have a UV filter yet for all your lenses?


----------



## piperknitsRN (Dec 13, 2011)

Hi, Watermelons: No, not for the 50mm yet; I don't plan to use it until I get a UV filter, and that will probably be tomorrow or Thursday.


----------



## OneTwoThree (Dec 13, 2011)

I don't use filters on my lenses, they are basically a useless gimmick when it comes to digital.

Here explains what I mean-http://bythom.com/filters.htm


----------



## piperknitsRN (Dec 13, 2011)

*OneTwoThree wrote: *


> I don't use filters on my lenses, they are basically a useless gimmick when it comes to digital.
> 
> Here explains what I mean-http://bythom.com/filters.htm


I'm using them mainly as "accident insurance"--hoping that if I (heaven forbid!) drop the camera, the UV filter will take the brunt of the damage and "save" the lens. Might not ever happen--and if it does, I might still lose the lens--but I just feel better, as a newbie, with an extra layer between the lens and the great outside world, especially in my small and (klutzy) hands.


----------



## piperknitsRN (Dec 13, 2011)

*OneTwoThree wrote: *


> I don't use filters on my lenses, they are basically a useless gimmick when it comes to digital.
> 
> Here explains what I mean-http://bythom.com/filters.htm



Thank you for the article, by the way. I know it refutes my "reason" for buying the lens, but I still feel better with the "training wheels" (UV filter) on. Just personal choice, I guess. Haven't been around the DSLR campfire long enough to know whether or not I'll keep the filters in the long run, but it sounds like people use them fairly frequently.


----------



## OneTwoThree (Dec 13, 2011)

NP  I don't know if you bought a bag yet, but I LOVE this one-
http://products.lowepro.com/product/SlingShot-200-AW,2035,4.htm
The way it opens on the side is really awesome. Its my next bag, now I use a crumpler 6 million dollar home which is nice and secure, but a bit bulky.


----------



## piperknitsRN (Dec 13, 2011)

*OneTwoThree wrote: *


> NP  I don't know if you bought a bag yet, but I LOVE this one-
> http://products.lowepro.com/product/SlingShot-200-AW,2035,4.htm
> The way it opens on the side is really awesome. Its my next bag, now I use a crumpler 6 million dollar home which is nice and secure, but a bit bulky.


Haven't bought a bag yet--that's "on the list" to buy (really, at this point, it's a UV filter for the 50mm lens and a carry case/bag AND THAT'S ALL). I've already spent enough money, now it's time to learn with what I've got before making another purchase! Thank you very much for that link!


----------



## Watermelons (Dec 13, 2011)

*piperknitsRN wrote: *


> I'm using them mainly as "accident insurance"--hoping that if I (heaven forbid!) drop the camera, the UV filter will take the brunt of the damage and "save" the lens. Might not ever happen--and if it does, I might still lose the lens--but I just feel better, as a newbie, with an extra layer between the lens and the great outside world, especially in my small and (klutzy) hands.


Good! Then you're pretty much set. UV filters are worth their weight in gold if it means the difference between a new filter or a new lense. Glad you've already got them


----------



## piperknitsRN (Dec 13, 2011)

*Watermelons wrote: *


> *piperknitsRN wrote: *
> 
> 
> > I'm using them mainly as "accident insurance"--hoping that if I (heaven forbid!) drop the camera, the UV filter will take the brunt of the damage and "save" the lens. Might not ever happen--and if it does, I might still lose the lens--but I just feel better, as a newbie, with an extra layer between the lens and the great outside world, especially in my small and (klutzy) hands.
> ...



Sweet! Thank you!


----------



## Pet_Bunny (Dec 13, 2011)

OneTwoThree wrote:


> NP  I don't know if you bought a bag yet, but I LOVE this one-
> http://products.lowepro.com/product/SlingShot-200-AW,2035,4.htm



I have that bag. It's OK, but I hardly use it anymore. It is too big to carry a few things and it gets too heavy if I have to load it up. It gets too uncomfortable if I have to carry it for too long too.

I am a huge fan of Think Tank products. They have some bags that don't look like you have a camera in it. At the moment I have the Urban DisguiseÂ® 70 Pro, the RetrospectiveÂ® 10 (Black, and some of the Modular Skin Set.


----------



## piperknitsRN (Dec 13, 2011)

*Pet_Bunny wrote: *


> OneTwoThree wrote:
> 
> 
> > NP  I don't know if you bought a bag yet, but I LOVE this one-
> ...


That's really cool! Thanks, Stan!


----------



## Watermelons (Dec 13, 2011)

Everyone will have their own preferences when it comes to stuff like that, like bags. Size, Brand, Price, Weight, etc. Find what works for you 

I have 1 bag big enough for my camera with the zoom on it, and then everything else has its own mini bag i guess you could say and then I just pack what I need in my camera back pack.


----------



## piperknitsRN (Dec 13, 2011)

*Watermelons wrote: *


> Everyone will have their own preferences when it comes to stuff like that, like bags. Size, Brand, Price, Weight, etc. Find what works for you
> 
> I have 1 bag big enough for my camera with the zoom on it, and then everything else has its own mini bag i guess you could say and then I just pack what I need in my camera back pack.


Will go looking for a camera bag tomorrow or possibly Thursday. I'm very excited about this, as hopefully it means I can desist stuffing it in my purse, where it's hard to get to, and all around funky-cumbersome/probably prime pickin's for getting dropped.


----------



## MikeScone (Dec 14, 2011)

*Pet_Bunny wrote: *


> OneTwoThree wrote:
> 
> 
> > NP  I don't know if you bought a bag yet, but I LOVE this one-
> ...


I have that bag, too, or something very much like it (I'm not sure exactly which Lowe model I've got). I'd second Stan's comment, for everyday use it's kind of big and heavy. Somehow, there seems to be less room in the bag than you'd expect from the size, I'm not sure why. The built-in rain jacket is good insurance, and I did use it a lot in Scotland. 

I'd thought the one-strap idea was neat, and you could just swing the bag around from back to front to swap lenses as advertised, but... not so much. That's kind of awkward. For some reason it took me a while to figure out how to put it on, but once I did the one strap wasn't too much of a problem. 

One thing to be _very_ careful of is that, unlike ordinary top-loading bags, if you leave the zipper open and put the bag on, there's nothing to keep the camera and lenses in. The back and one side of the bag is simply open, and horizontal. I broke a lens that way, when I put the bag on and the camera fell out.


----------



## OneTwoThree (Dec 14, 2011)

I'm surprised you guys don't like the lowe one! A friend has it and loves it, and I've used it and loved it. Maybe its just in comparison to my messenger style bag that its awesome. We also do a lot of like, active(?) shooting, where we're climbing and trekking and stuff, so thats probably why I liked it too. If either of you are looking to sell, message me!


----------



## Pet_Bunny (Dec 14, 2011)

I'll keep you in mind OneTwoThree. At the moment the bag sits at home where I store my D200 with the 18-200 zoom and other camera accessories in it.


----------



## piperknitsRN (Dec 15, 2011)

For this particular journey, since I want to carry on all my luggage (flying--argh--such a pain these days), I got a small bag:

http://products.lowepro.com/product/Rezo-170-AW,2008,20.htm

It fits my camera, needed accessories (at this point "just" a SB 400 external flash and battery charger) and can hold a couple extra lenses. 

It's funny; I thought it was a small bag; my SO looked at it and said, "Wow! What a big bag." 

Later on, I will buy a bigger bag, but this suits my needs for now.


----------

