Traveling to New Zealand and Australia in June Camara question

[Reader deb]

This trip is toured. It is for 2 weeks and I am troubled if my Camara is to heavy to take and if I should pick up someing lighter with still good shot quality.
I have the Canon Rebel ESO xti.
Equipment I have: cannon 75-300
ECS 18-55
45 wide angle

42 HD 42x fisheye.
Polarized lenses. ( used once!)

I should note that I do have a concern on the weight just due to back and injuries that I do not. Want to irritate carrying something I may not use.
Thank you
Deb

[hytam]

Hi Debbie,

June in the Southern Hemisphere is late autum/winter time and the sun is not so much overhead so I don't think you would need polarized filters. You could bring them just in case as they dont really weight much. New Zealand and Australia has vast open spaces, depending on where your tour takes you in each of them. In general, I'll take a wide angle lens, your 18-55 kit lens would fit the bill. I'll also consider a longer lens to fill in the focal length between the 55 and say 200mm if you've got one and if its not too troublesome to carry along. My wife uses her trusty point n shoot and believes that she takes just as good photos with it. Nevertheless I'm sure you enjoy your trip Down Under all the same.

Best regards
Anthony Tam

[Reader deb]

Thank you I am looking forward to this and really want to take them with me... My husband is concerned and thinks I should take the point and shoot. Takes some of the fun out out picture. Taking for me! Maybe I will take both. What the heck. That way I won't miss any opportunities. I don't have a 200mm maybe I can handle my favorite lens the 75 - 300

[pnodrog]

Hi Debbie enjoy your trip. The Canon with the 18-55 for the wide panoramic scenes and the 75-300 for the wild life such as birds, kangaroos and seals. Polarizing filters can be useful for reducing glare from water,snow and leaves etc.

[hytam]

Debbie,

I can understand your concern as all my lenses are Canon's L range and they are heavy! But looking at your preference for wildlife you should consider the 75-300mm as it just may come in handy. I should think that you would be using the 18-55mm more though however and as I've not used one before, I can't compare it's performance. I usually carry my 24-70mm and 70-200mm lenses which give me a full range of coverage for most situations. I do have a 16-35mm that I brought with me to Spain and was great inside the Sagrada Familia. A point n shoot as a second camera is a positive fallback too.

PS: Just realized that I do have a 18-55mm but haven't used it in ages.

[keith201]

I live in Taupo in the centre of the North Island. Send me a PM and I'll give you my contact details so if you get to this particular neck of the woods, I can make you welcome.
We have lots of tourists here who carry more camera gear than you do, I work in the tourist industry and meet lots of them. What you have will fit into a small camera bag. Bring your polariser, it is a very useful filter and doesn't take any room. Have plenty of memory cards although they are easily available here. A spare battery could be useful. We have plenty of internet cafes who will burn your images onto CDs which will give you more storage space. You will need some reasonably warm clothes, a good sweater and weatherproof jacket, it is winter here then although our coldest month is July Your mains voltage in US is (I think) around 120 volts? Ours is 240 volts so American electronic equipment is not compatible although you can get adapters I think. Go into your book shop and get a copy of the Lonely Planet Guide for New Zealand, that has a lot of relevant information although some of the recommended coffee bars etc may not still be around

[jcuknz]

Most battery chargers these days are dual voltage and work happilly on either 115v 60 cycles or the australasian 230v 50 cycle. I travel between NZ and the States and all I need is an adaptor to convert between your vertical flat pins and our angled version. Since two of my cameras were purchased in the States and have vertical flat pin plugs I have a 230>115v converter but if you look at the back of you charger and confirm the figures I started with you should only need the plug adaptor. You might need the converter for other electrical equipment you bring. My son who normally lives in the States bought one for some reason, run his laptop I guess, and gave it to me the last time he went back. If you do need one I would suggest either Dick Smith or Jaycar with their stores thoughour Australasia, similar to the American chain whose name escapes me at the moment
Personally I wouldn't take my DSLR on holiday and previous trips I have used a bridge camera though last time I got a M4/3 camera [GH2] which with its lens is almost as big as a smaller DSLR so if I wanted to leave something behind it would be the WA lens, not a big saving for sure, since most situations the wide view can be obtained, and often wider than the WA lens gives, by stitching several overlapping frames when one gets home.
This is adding weight but I have a notebook to download to and to make back-up copies. If your camera uses CF cards you will need a card reader, mine cost $17 from your chain store I forget the name of. First to download to the notebook and then to access the back-up SD cards. I also have a mini-tripod which in these days of image stabilisation rarely gets used but your lenses may not have it?
Edit ... to cover Australia and NZ in two weeks is going to be stressful and anything you can do to reduce the amount of gear/weight you can, thats photographic and personal, will be great. .... after several crossings of the Pacific I like to think I have it about right with just a 'school napsack' I bought in New Orleans to carry my camera, jersey, medication, toothbrush, inflatable neck pillow, underwear change ... and that is it. Also think about how you go through security checks with metal scanners.

[stuck]

This trip is toured...

'Toured'? As in you'll be in a coach/bus most of the time? If so a point and shoot might be all you need...

I visited NZ (for 6 weeks) last July & Aug and hired a car so could stop an go as I pleased. I had my Canon 400D plus its EFS 18-55 kit lens and a Tamron 55-200. I didn't use the 55-200 much but I did have a polarising filter on the 18-55 on several occasions to enhance the clear blue skies. Mind you it did rain a fair bit too so there were plenty of grey skies as well.

The one time I was on a coach (because the Christchurch to Greymouth TranzAlpine train only went as far as Arthur's Pass (engineering works in a tunnel that day) I was extremely frustrated as I had an aisle seat. Some amazing scenery but seat backs and people's heads and window frames kept getting in the way. Meanwhile my wife with her Nikon S9100 point and click pressed up against the window was quite happy.

Ken

[jcuknz]

I heard about an American describing our weather saying we had 'samples' which might be unkind but very true as good and bad weather chase each other across the country ... unlike one two month stay in Colorado where literally a few drops of rain fell on one occasion I am sure if 'Stuck' used his DSLR like a P&S and had not gallantly given the window seat to his wife he too would have been happy and likely would have got slightly better results from seeing what my wife and I got in a similar situation ... except being on a train I could move to the open platform of my car. But what one is getting are snaps to help remember rather than exhibition images.

[Shadowman]

I don't know your limitations but when I vacationed in Sydney I had my DSLR three lenses plus my micro 4/3rd with three lenses (included a very heavy 70-300mm) and it wasn't too strenuous, however just carrying the 70-300mm on the Olympus epl-1 was a bit of a chore. When I went on a six hour caving and mountain tour, I only took the DSLR and the 50mm lens. I didn't want to have to wind my way through a cave with a lot of gear.

[Fine Woody]

Hi Deb

I live near Canberra Australia.

Two weeks for New Zealand and Australia will be very rushed unless you have very limited cities/places on your agenda.
If you give me an idea of the places you will visit in Australia I can offer some suggestions of equipment to pack.
I will be returning to the South Island of New Zealand in April and may be able to assist for the NZ leg of your tour although I notice you have a few posts from New Zealand residents and they will be better able to make suggestions than me.

June will be cold in southern Australia and warm to hot in the far north. Enjoy your trip.

Gordon

[Reader deb]

I live in Taupo in the centre of the North Island. Send me a PM and I'll give you my contact details so if you get to this particular neck of the woods, I can make you welcome.
We have lots of tourists here who carry more camera gear than you do, I work in the tourist industry and meet lots of them. What you have will fit into a small camera bag. Bring your polariser, it is a very useful filter and doesn't take any room. Have plenty of memory cards although they are easily available here. A spare battery could be useful. We have plenty of internet cafes who will burn your images onto CDs which will give you more storage space. You will need some reasonably warm clothes, a good sweater and weatherproof jacket, it is winter here then although our coldest month is July Your mains voltage in US is (I think) around 120 volts? Ours is 240 volts so American electronic equipment is not compatible although you can get adapters I think. Go into your book shop and get a copy of the Lonely Planet Guide for New Zealand, that has a lot of relevant information although some of the recommended coffee bars etc may not still be around

Thank you that was so helpful and kind of you I will let you know if our tour is near you

[Reader deb]

Think you it is a two week tour my dream was alway 30 days pls but I will take it.

[Reader deb]

Most battery chargers these days are dual voltage and work happilly on either 115v 60 cycles or the australasian 230v 50 cycle. I travel between NZ and the States and all I need is an adaptor to convert between your vertical flat pins and our angled version. Since two of my cameras were purchased in the States and have vertical flat pin plugs I have a 230>115v converter but if you look at the back of you charger and confirm the figures I started with you should only need the plug adaptor. You might need the converter for other electrical equipment you bring. My son who normally lives in the States bought one for some reason, run his laptop I guess, and gave it to me the last time he went back. If you do need one I would suggest either Dick Smith or Jaycar with their stores thoughour Australasia, similar to the American chain whose name escapes me at the moment
Personally I wouldn't take my DSLR on holiday and previous trips I have used a bridge camera though last time I got a M4/3 camera [GH2] which with its lens is almost as big as a smaller DSLR so if I wanted to leave something behind it would be the WA lens, not a big saving for sure, since most situations the wide view can be obtained, and often wider than the WA lens gives, by stitching several overlapping frames when one gets home.
This is adding weight but I have a notebook to download to and to make back-up copies. If your camera uses CF cards you will need a card reader, mine cost $17 from your chain store I forget the name of. First to download to the notebook and then to access the back-up SD cards. I also have a mini-tripod which in these days of image stabilisation rarely gets used but your lenses may not have it?
Edit ... to cover Australia and NZ in two weeks is going to be stressful and anything you can do to reduce the amount of gear/weight you can, thats photographic and personal, will be great. .... after several crossings of the Pacific I like to think I have it about right with just a 'school napsack' I bought in New Orleans to carry my camera, jersey, medication, toothbrush, inflatable neck pillow, underwear change ... and that is it. Also think about how you go through security checks with metal scanners.

Thank you yes 2 weeks is short and I want to capture as much s I can I am looking for the " just right" Pack.