I have been using this forum to plan how I will use my Leica on a Asian tour I will beginning in a month. I have a M6 TTL, 35mm 1.4f and a 90mm 2.0f lenses and the SF20. What I am uncertain about in the best film, filters, tripod to take and how to deal with airport xray machines etc.

The tentative conclusions I have reached are: - not to take slide film as I am concerned about the storage for the 8 months of my travel - although if I were to take slide film I would take Velvia and Provia? I am intending on using Fuji Superia 100 for colour photography - is this wise? Is storage really an issue?

- if I were to change my mind about slide film would I need colour compensation filters? I have not used slide before. Is there much of a learning curve?

- the black and white film I use is Kodak TMAX 100

- tripod - I am looking for suggestions for a good travel tripod - any ideas?

Also, should I have any concerns about the effect of heat and humidity on my equipment?

I am also very worried that the airport xray machines might actually ruin any decent photos I take - what do amateur travel photographers do about this.

I hope you guys realize what a great source of expertise you provide to leica newcomers like myself. Thanks. I would be grateful for any other tips you might have for a Travel assignm

-- Matthew (mat@theeto.com), December 14, 2001

Answers

I have a Gitzo carbon fiber tripod with Arca Swiss ball head. Great setup. Rock solid and reliable. I once got the Gitzo full of pine sap while hiking. I was able to field strip the tripod, clean and reassemble all without tools. Wonderful.

-- Don M (Maldos@home.com), December 14, 2001.

Matthew,

As I understand you are going on a 8 months trip to Asia. First of all, congrats - I wish I were in your shoes! My second thought goes to weight considerations. I guess you should pack light. The two lenses you got make for a great combo. I could cover 95% of my photography with them. If you really feel the need for a tripod (I seldom do, as my RF photography is almost opposed to landscapes and/or architecture, macro and/or nightscapes - but you might be more interested in these fields and a Leica M6 TTL sure is a very could allrounder under your travel circumstances) you should check out the carbon fiber types which weight much less than the (cheaper) metal variety. As an emergency back-up for the rare occasions in which I feel the need for more stability than my body alone can provide I have put together a tiny but stable table top tripod by Manfrotto (which costs a mere fraction of the Leica's), and a monopod which doubles as an optional extendable column to the mini tripod - it took just one hole to thrill into the bottom end of the monopod...! Now I'm covered from 4" to 5' with just 600 gramms and 1'4" of bulk. As for the film recommendations, others will have their suggestions for slides and color - I retain that 100 ISO b&w might be a bit slow if you are into street photography. Not knowing where exactly in Asia you are going to I nonetheless suggest you take a 400 ISO film. If you feel comfortable having it developed just at the end of your trip or whenever you hit a reliable pro-lab you might try Ilford's Delta Pro 400, which is a beautiful all-purpose film. If you prefer to have your negs developped on the road (which helps in forgetting about x-ray worries ;o) you could instead chose a chromogenic type like Ilford's XP2 Plus or Kodak's Portra to have them developed in the standardized C-41 process, available in every one-hour color lab, worldwide. One last hint: You will love to have the tiny and lightweight SF20 with you - a terrific match for your M6 TTL. It has just very few downsides which have been discussed on this forum. One of them, the modest guide no., is not an issue for my type of M photography. The other refers to the non- tiltable reflector, which prohibits bouncing of the flash light, if not with the help of an extension cord and in TTL mode. In order to achieve a softer fill with the SF20 even when it is regularly mounted on the M hot shoe I have been developping a very compact and lightweight dedicated diffuser accessory, the SFILL, due to be released in the very near future. If you care testing it on your trip you might get in touch with me privately for a beta version. It comes with a color correction filter, too, to correctly fill-in artificial light situations (bulbs, candles, fire). Have a very nice trip!

-- Lutz Konermann (lutz@konermann.net), December 14, 2001.

I have a Gitzo with Arca Swiss ball head but only use it with heavy equipment like medium format or R system. For the M6 it is probably a bit of overkill moreover you will be mobile for 8 months and can use something much lighter. I suggest you buy a Leica grip to displace the tripod socket to the middle of the camera for better balance, go for a very compact Gitzo tripod and a light weight ball head for example Velbron or that ilk. Don't worry about clamps and quick release or such.

You didn't say where you will be going in Asia but I am sure you will be able to find a good lab that will develop whatever film you may be using including slide. There is a learning curve with slides and perhaps you should shoot ten or twelve rolls this week under all sorts of conditions to see if it is for you. Provia 100 and 400 are very good films. Don't need to worry about x-ray as long as you keep your film as carry-on.

Humidity will not be so bad this time of year. Nevertheless make sure your equipment does not get exposed to warm ambient air immediately after a heavy dose of air conditioning. It is the sudden change in temperature that causes moisture to form on cold surfaces. Use a plastic bag.

Enjoy your trip! I travel around Asia regularly and don't recall a dull place around here.

-- ray tai (razerx@netvigator.com), December 14, 2001.

What ever film you decide on, you might want to think about something. I have traveled for many years to about 30 countries, and if at all possible, I like to buy my film and get it processed in- country. This has a couple of advantages. First, the lack of fear about x-ray effects which are cumulative. secondly, I have actually rearranged trips to re-shot a subject that turned out less satisfying than I had hoped for, based on seeing the results on my processed slides. I would hate to get home only to find that my photos were not as good as they could be because of fogging or just my poor shooting. Getting the film developed in place keeps these potential problems from ruining my trip.

Obviously, this only works in well developed countries with good labs, but it is something I always try to do. If you are going to Japan, Singapore, Bangkok and major cities in Korea, you should not have problems. I don't want to offend, but there are several countries where the labs are not so good, (temperature controls, contaminated chemicals, etc...), so try to get some local feed back. I lived in Asia for 6 years, and I am speaking from experience on this point about the variation in lab quality.

I just did a month in England, and used my favorite lab in London for my E-6 work. The film and processing cost me about 50% more, but there is an intangible feeling about arriving at the airport to go home absolutely knowing that you have the shots you wanted and that no machines in the security sections of the many airports I will go through can change that fact.

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), December 14, 2001.

Great opportunity! Where are you going? Perhaps one can put in some location specific suggestions if you outline a rough itinerary, in regards to your question.

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), December 14, 2001.

Slide film: buy the consumer versions, like Elite or Sensia, don't worry about storage, just don't cook it (don't leave it in the car in the hot sun). If you stay in A/C at night or there's even a mini-bar fridge, so much the better. Bigger problem for you, since you've never used slide film, is the narrow exposure latitude. You have to know the film's contrast range, how to think in terms of tones, and what the M6 meter is covering...basically you need to think more with slide film.

Tripod: Leica table-tripod will probably do you for 90% if you're clever. Doesn't have to be set on a table, in fact it doesn't have to be a horizontal surface. Walls, doorjambs, trees--you get the idea. I've got a forest of tripods, and I've come to one conclusion: any tripod that's tall enough and sturdy enough to bother carrying is going to be a bother to carry, and that includes the carbon-fiber type. So if you're not travelling by car or using an expedition-grade backpack, you might consider just the table tripod and your own ingenuity.

X-Ray: In all the years and millions of miles I've travelled, I've had films put through carry-on X-ray up to about 1/2 dozen times before they were processed, never saw any evidence of damage. Just don't put film in checked baggage.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), December 14, 2001.

Gitzo tabletop tripod with ballhead...light,well made,will extend a bit. Kodachrome stores well under adverse conditions....but I might want to use print film because of exposure difficulties with slides.

-- Emile de Leon (knightpeople@msn.com), December 15, 2001.

This past fall I spent time in France. As a departure from my usual mix of film, I took Superia 200 only. It was pure joy not having to juggle films or speeds. I managed just fine with low light and my Leica table-top. And the film performed beautifully. I think I got better results by concentrating on shooting rather than juggling. Simplify - you'll have enough on your mind anyway.

Don't put film in checked baggage. Otherwise you shouldn't have problems. Have a blast!

-- Ken Shipman (kennyshipman@aol.com), December 15, 2001.

I highly recommend using a tabletop tripod (i use the leica one - which is excellent) unless you aren't too creative. I would not want to carry a full size or even a light carbon fiber one on that long of a trip... especially if you are backpacking. I brought the leica ball and socket with me for central america and africa and only missed not having a full size on 10% of tripod shots (but was able to use the small one in many more situations then would have been possible with a big tripod). If you are travelling "luxuriously" without public transportation for most of the trip then the size and weight of even a small full size tripod won't matter as much and may make sense (unless you want to be able to walk around and not look like you have camera gear on you because all you have is a junkie old backpack). I would not worry about slide film for the trip... keep it in a bag in the middle of your suitcase/backpack so it doesn't fluctuate in temperature much and keep it dry and the film should be fine (although mailing some home once a month would be nice because the film is much more valueable then any gear, and if stolen or lost it would be horrible - gear can be replaced exposed film cannot).

-- Matthew Geddert (geddert@yahoo.com), December 15, 2001.

I have several full size tripods, however I never bring them to any trip. I also have Leica ball head and table pod, it is not useful for taking self pictures on trip.

My favourite travel tripod is Flatboy, a made in Japan 12 section stainless steel tripod, it collapses to only only 7", 2 1/4" width, flat ( not triangular like most tripod) and can be put in a small belt case. It extends up to 3.5', sturdy enougth to hold a SLR with a zoom lens.

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), December 15, 2001.

After having travelled over the last 8 years in Asia with an M6 and 2- 3 lenses, my ideal travel kit would be a Nikon F80(!) with a 28-105 and a 35 or 50mm f1.4 lens. It is quiet, compact, versatile, has good fill flash, and you can work a kit like that real hard on the road. My Leica is great too, but once in a while, the lens changing, film rewinding, loading etc just gets to me-especially when it is 110 in the shade near some stone monument, and I'm fiddling with everything surrounded by pesky kids!

Oh well, just a thought-one that you should be easily able to ignore once you get back those slides taken with that 35/1.4. Leica is v. special for travel.

If you sift through the threads here, you will see that you can get film on the road, certainly print film, anywhere in Asia. Reala 100 certainly beats any other negative film hollow.

The advice not to have too mixed a bag of film is very good. If I were you, I'd restrict myself to one b+w print film, and one color film. As you have little exposure experience with slides, I would not recommend your learning while visiting once in a lifetime sorts of places, but even a couple of weeks practice with a single film, such as Provia 100F or E100SW should help you make a decision in that regard. In places like Bangkok (Thaniya Plaza), Singapore (Peninsula Plaza), Hong Kong (many places in Sheridan Street, Nathan Road-Kowloon), getting pro films is a snap. In other places you can get it but you will have to seek it out.

Major Asian cities will have excellent c-41 printing, and film processing quality in Japan is generally so good, you want to cry.

So the bottom line on film? Standardize, and save up your processing for major cities.

As for dust and humidity, as long as you don't keep your Camera equipment packed away for weeks at a time, but rather in a well aired shelf, you should be OK. Keep backpacks out of direct sun, unless you are walking around with them, of course. Oh, and cloth camera bags are simply a lot more comfortable than ripstop nylon.

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), December 15, 2001.

although i am repeating myself, i still think the minox table tripod is the best. can't get much smaller, perfectly crafted, not too expensive and a in-build cable release.

whatever camera you take, take a backup. store it somewhere in your luggage, not with the rest of your kit. i like the olympus xa. manual focus, good lens, very small, light, nearly noiseless, full control over aperture, sensitive lightmeter and very nicely designed. if you fiddle around with the iso-setting, you even have ev-compensation.

-- stefan randlkofer (geesbert@yahoo.com), December 15, 2001.

Slides are great. You can always find professional labs in major Asian cities. Plan and find out the exact location of such labs in each major cities. So you develop/buy your films every month when you schedule to visit these major cities. There is no need to have color compensation filters for shooting slides for normal outdoor shooting. However shooting people (I mean portrait) with Velvia is not for everyone. Slide film does have smaller exposure lattitude so I would also bring a Minolta (or Sekonic) light meter (incident type) to ensure correct exposure. Velvia and Provia are also my film choice. Practice with a few rolls of each type to get some feels. For me I rate Velvia and Provia at 32 and 80, respectively, instead of original rating of 50 and 100. You have to try them yourself. For tripod I have a Arca Swiss Ball head on a Gitzo 1228Mk2 Carbon tripod. Absolutely an overkill (with a 90lbs holding capacity) for Leica M and for travel. The Arca Swiss ball head is more suitable for studio, my Hasselblad and Linhof 4x5. Getting the camera on and off the ball head without the quick release plate was a pain. For travel I always have the illusion that it is indeed heavier than my carbon tripod, but the scale tells the opposite. Suggest a light weight Velbon ball head which you can attach tightly and remove the camera quickly without a quick release. Maybe a Manfrotto. Gitzo tripod was excellent and was light for its size. However the twist-style leg locks were sometimes inconsistently tight. Since then I have developed very strong forearm muscles. I have no concern about the heat and humidity on the equipment. I do have concern about the heat and humidity on my food, and on my body when I do not get a shower every day. Always put the exposed and unexposed films in a clear net bag (my wife's laundry bags) and insist on hand check, even though they make you wait in the customs. I, too, worried about x-ray and insisted on hand inspection. Some of my friends just don't care and let their slide films run through the machines at the gates. During the slide show projection we could detect no effect of the x-ray. You may want to add another lens- 21/2.8 ASPH, on top of the 35/1.4 and 90/2. Perhaps a second body loaded with B&W film. I would like to present my points in a more organized way, but it is late in Asia and I want to hit the sack.

-- Damond Lam (damondhk@hotmail.com), December 15, 2001.

I am overwhelmed in a very positive way by all your responses. Thanks already! A few people have asked about the destinations so here is the plan. London -> Dehli - 10wks around India - Calcutta -> Hong Kong - 10 weeks in China - Tibet - Nepal then Katmandu -> Bangkok then 12 weeks in SE Asia - Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Mayalsia, Indonesia - then home to sunny London. This is 8 months travelling from mid Jan to mid Sept.

Obviously I feel like a little boy with the keys to the Candy store! I have my Leica, this itinerary and I really want to make the most of the opportutity. I bought my Leica 6 month ago while living in Chicago so I am still a novice and would appreciate any tips you have to help the trip produce some beautiful images. I would love to think I might get a few published! Thanks again

-- Matthew (mat@theeto.com), December 15, 2001.

Matthew, I have 3 questions for you which I urge you to ponder:

1. What do you plan to do with your photos? If you plan to project them or sell them to a magazine, shoot slides. If you will ultimately want a print album, shoot print film.

2. How much practice have you gotten in with your Leica? Loading, metering, and judging depth-of-field using the DOF scales on the lens are things that you should be fluent with, otherwise you're going to curse the camera, miss shots, and get less-than-ideal results.

3. What will you do if the Leica malfunctions or is damaged while on this wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime trip? Take some form of backup with you. A second M6 if you can swing it; but even a good-quality compact point-and-shoot is fine (just carry spare batteries!). Of course you'd probably be able to buy one over there if disaster struck, but Murphy's law says the day your Leica breaks is the one day every camera store in Asia is closed.

-- Jay (infinitydy@aol.com), December 15, 2001.

Having just noted down all your suggestions I have decided to post a message in a months time (just before I leave) to report all my decisions - film, tripod, planning etc. This would then be available for critique by you guys so that other aspiring travel photographers should benefit from our considerations. Thinking about the photographic details of the trip is heightening my anticipation. T

-- Matthew (mat@theeto.com), December 15, 2001.

Sounds like alot of fun! A couple of thoughts. Maybe you dont have to bring an extra M body (in case the one breaks or gets stolen) but have access to enough money that you can buy another one^if needed. Also I would prefer the 90mm f2.8 to the f2 since it is smaller, lighter, etc... As far as the tripod goes I wouldnt bother with it. Too much extra weight and size. Just carry a small lightweight bean bag if anything. But the biggest advise if to make sure you already know all the ins and outs and quirks of the film you will take. I would take at most 2 types of film. Unfortunately in asia it is hard to find places to develop b&w well. What I did is take along my own developing kit. It fits roughly into the space of 2 or 3 shoe boxes including a small light box. Why? Because that way I can develop the film at night and already get feedback if I need to go back and reshoot. Color film is an alternative, but to be honest I wouldnt mix color and b&w because the brain works differently and if you are thinking in color and b&w at the same time it is hard to get good pictures. Look, everything in photography is a compromise but what we try to do is pick small niches to specialize in to get the best out. With the Leica we have that with no tripod, the lenses you have, and black and white.

-- Russell Brooks (russell@ebrooks.org), December 17, 2001.

my travel kit is: 50 elmar (or cron), tri x, hand held. i would keep away from tmax if you want to print anything more than 6x4 or on silver gelatin paper.

its a leica, keep it simple!

-- charles ch (charles@chho.com.au), December 17, 2001.

I strongly second the suggestion for a wider lens. You may want to add the Voigtlander 21/4 skopar on the Bessa L body.

I used this set-up on a recent trip to Italy and it worked great. The Bessa L has the meter on the outside which makes it fast and easy to meter a scene without putting the camera to your eye...great for grab shots in a crowd. I have a report on it here.

For film...I don't see any storage difference between slide and print film. Someone asked what you planned to do with your photos after. In this digital age it's becoming less of an issue as to what type film you use(print or slide), as more and more submissions are requested in the digital format...burned to a disk or uploaded.

For a tripod I like the Bogen tabletop with the mini ball-head. It works fine for rangefinders and is smaller, and much cheaper, than the Leica.

Sounds like a good trip. Hope you enjoy yourself.

-- Jim Tardio (jimtardio@earthlink.net), December 17, 2001.

Sorry folks....forgot to close the tag above.

-- Jim Tardio (jimtardio@earthlink.net), December 17, 2001.

One more alternative (or, addition) for the tripod issue - what I call a chainopod. Essentially, it is a 1/4-20 eye bolt with a nut, fender washer (larger diameter than a regular washer), and leather disk cut to the size of the fender washer. Attach a length of small, light-weight chain to the eye of the eye bolt. Once it is screwed into the tripod socket, and you've decided where to position the camera for the angle you want, simply drop the chain to the ground and step on it. Slight upward tension on the chain provides reasonable stability for slower shutter speeds (but not lengthy time exposures).

The advantage of the chainopod is that it fits in a jacket pocket, and can be used in places where normal tripods are not allowed, or would attract undue attention.

As to other tips, I'd suggest getting a copy of the "National Geographic Photography Field Guide" by Peter K. Burian and Robert Caputo. While it covers the full spectrum of camera types, there is a wealth of information included from various National Geographic photographers, at least one of whom is an M6 shooter. More information about the book is on the National Geographic site.

-- Ralph Barker (rbarker@pacbell.net), December 17, 2001.

I share everyone's envy of your travel opportunity! Many people suggested you should have your film processed in-country--which might be a good idea, except in India. You may get lucky with a shop in Calcutta or Delhi, but India is notoriously bad when it comes to even simple C-41 processing.

If you're dead-set on having it done, call up the local bureaus of the newspapers like the Hindu or the Times of India and ask for a recommendation.

If you are spending 10 weeks in India, do yourself a big favor and head south, in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Chennai (Madras) and Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) are the major cities. The people are wonderful, hospitality is lavish, and most areas don't seem to be crushed under their own weight, like Delhi and Calcutta.

Also, most of the big-time photographers (like Cartier-Bresson, Margaret Bourke-White, and their descendants) photographed mainly in the north. Take your Leica south!

Namaskar & vanakkam!

Preston

-- Preston Merchant (merchant@speakeasy.org), December 18, 2001.

I've made several round-the-world trips in the last dozen years, the longest of which was slightly less than 3 months. I didn't have my Leica or Voigtlander equipment then and used a single Nikon, 2 lenses, and Provia or Velvia film. I rarely used a lens longer than my 60mm macro but often wished for something wider when I had a 35mm as my shortest lens. I always bought my film in the USA and didn't process it till my return. Even a dozen or more X-ray exposures and traveling on top of a truck or bus in Pakistan and Nepal didn't cause detectable problems.

I still like slide film but for a long trip today I would take negative film and get CDs made upon my return. I've tried this on a couple of trips and it works great. I can get good 400-500K or so scans made at the local drugstore for about $7/roll when I get the film developed. I can do a lot with these scans, including converting some to monochrome when I am worried about color balance. So, I have black and white and color capability all in one film. If I want a really high quality print, then I always have the negative. But, be careful, scan quality varies between different processors. Test a roll. My local drugstore makes something like 1440 x 1260 scans (approximately) but some other places make only 1024 x 760 or so.

As for M lenses, today I'd be very tempted to travel light on a long trip, with a 35 on the M6 and maybe a 15 or 21 on my Bessa L . I'd buy a Bessa T today, for its more sturdy construction, particularly with respect to the battery cover, and its M mount. I'd stick in a 35mm finder to use on the T, in case the Leica stops working. I know that going around the world without something longer than a 35 sounds like heresy. But, it is what I would do unless I caved in at the last minute and couldn't bear to go without a longer lens!

-- Thomas Herbert (therbert@miami.edu), December 18, 2001.