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[OM] Lenses, films, general advice

Subject: [OM] Lenses, films, general advice
From: Jim Terazawa <jimt@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 15:40:07 -0500
Mike,

Please see the inserts.

"Michael S. Williamson" wrote:

> Hello again everyone.  My family and I are spending the last week of June
> and the first week of July on a (guided) tour of Italy and Greece.  I'm in
> dire need of photographic advice.

How nice..  I am assuming you are flying.  Carry clear plastic bags(Ziplogs).
This could be very handy for the film storage separate from the equipment -
mainly to avoid x-ray machines to perform hand inspections at the airports.
Does guided tour mean you will be on scheduled sight-seeing buses or boats
with group of people ?

> My initial thought was to take my OM-4, a wide angle, a couple of zooms, and
> a 1.4.  I planned to keep one of the zooms mounted and switch to the other
> lenses as needed.  A second body would also make the trip.  No flash (leave
> the T-32 at home).  No tripod.  I was out to travel relatively light
> (camera-wise).  It's a vacation, not a photo-journal excursion.  I
> definitely want to smell the roses.  On the other hand, I don't want to kick
> myself for leaving lenses at home that I would have used a lot.  (If a 500mm
> would have been perfect for one shot, I don't care.  Don't have one.
> Wouldn't want to bring a big lens which would see little use.)

I strongly recommend to take the T-32 with you.  Also, with added conveniences
with recent tripod head feature called quick release heads, I would consider
taking
it.  I have gone many trips with my family, however, there are very few pictures
of
myself in the 'memorable' family snap shots and I regret it now.
If tripod is still too much of a burden, consider a tablepod like you say below.

> My latest thought is to take three bodies.  I'm thinking of keeping a
> different speed film in each (100, 400, 800).  I will definitely shoot
> prints, not slides.  (I shot slides on my honeymoon 25+ years ago and my
> wife hasn't let me forget it since.)  I'm also thinking of picking up a
> table top tripod for shots from hotel windows or whenever a convenient
> height ledge is available.  From my review of Gary Reese's lens tests, f8 or
> f11 would be the optimal f-stop to use for most of my lenses.  I want to
> keep the shutter speed up so as to eliminate camera shake.  I'm afraid that
> throws me to 400 or 800 speed films.

I took Kodachrome 64 and Ektachrome 160T for our honeymoon (note they
are relatively slow films).  We made 8x10 enlargements with medium format
internegs at a professional lab and we are very happy with the results and they
are stored in special albums.  However, with a larger family size and less time
to spend time together, the prints seems to be more convenient (we have two
daughters ages 8 and 10).

> The three bodies I would take are OM-4, OM-2s, and OM-1n.  A fourth body,
> OM-PC, would be used by one of my daughters.

This is too may SLR bodies.  I would limit to two SLR bodies, OM-4 and OM-2S
and a point-and-shoot camera, unless your daughthers are commited to carry bags
containing SLRs, lens(es), flash, filter(s), extra films, cleaning kit, extra
batteries,
water bottles on their own.

> Here are my Zuiko lens possibilities:
> 24mm f2.8
> 35mm f2.0
> 50mm 1.4 (two)
> 50mm 1.8 (three)
> 35-70mm, f3.5-4.5
> 35-70mm, f3.6 (assuming the blame f-stop coupling problem is fixed)
> 75-150mm (two)
>
> Non-Zuiko lenses are:
> Vivitar Series 1 28-90mm, f2.8-3.5 (heavy!)
> Vivitar 28-105mm, f3.5-4.5 (not as heavy but has zoom creep, if you know
> what I mean)
> Tokina SZ-X 70-210mm, f4.0-5.6

By limiting to two SLR bodies, I recommend 24/f2.8, 35-70/f3.6, 50/f1.4, and
maybe 75-150/f4 (all Zuiko).

> Okay, what would YOU advise taking?  Bear in mind that I don't want to take
> it all.  If you think I should pick up another lens or two (prime or zoom),
> say so (but please not the 35-80mm f2.8, the 90mm f2.0, etc.).  What's my
> walking around lens?  One of the 35-70s?  35 f2?  Definitely a 1.4 is my low
> light lens.  I would like to stick with just one lens for my daughter.
> Which one? 1.4?  Let her use the 35-70?

If your daugher is commited to carry her own kit, then either the -PC or 1N
(I'm not familar with either one) with a 35/f2 or 50/f1.4.  But how old are
your daughters ?  I am guessing that they are old enough to handle the
camera equipments.

> What about the film?  What are your current favorite 100, 400, & 800 speed
> print films?  (Let's restrict it to Kodak & Fuji.)  Am I going overboard on
> the film?  Should I stick with just two speeds (or even one)?  Odds are that
> I'm just getting 4x5 or 4x6 prints.  Any enlargements would not be over 8x10
> (and there might be no enlargements done).

If you are restricting to print films and taking the T-32 I think the film speed
of
ISO 100 or 200 are sufficient.  If you carry more than two different speed film,

you must remember to set the ISO dial on the OM bodies.  I recently made
a careless mistake using Velvia (50) thinking it was Kodachrome (64) and didn't
think at the time that I accidentally set ISO dial to 64.

>
> Do you have any other general advice?

Watch out for thieves and pick-pockets.   The tourists are the most vulnable
although we have never encountered one in past foreign country and rough
city trips.   Try to carry camera bag that doesn't look like one or think
creative.

>
> I really appreciate anything any of you have to say.  Thanks in advance.
>
> Mike


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