a question i don't think anyone asked.... are you backpacking? if not, where are you keeping your stuff and will it be safe? if you are backpacking, do you seriously want to lug around all that stuff (why are two bodies necessary?)?
huge 2nd on insurance! that's a must in general, not just when traveling IMO.
my suggestion:
1 body
1 prime for low light photography
1 wide or 1 telephoto (depending on what subjects you tend to shoot more of), not both
gorilla pod or table top tripod because of it's small size and ease of packing
plenty of spare batteries/memory cards
a compact camera
i don't see why i'd want to bring two bodies unless i was going on an actual photo vacation. i would stay clear from a larger tripod because of packing and carrying, not to mention it would get cumbersome. i wouldn't bother with the laptop, just bring extra memory cards. having traveled for two years on the road and needing a laptop with me for work it's actually a joy to leave it at home and really lightens up your bag! unless you want to carry around an adapter and a charger, i would try to bring more batteries.
you mentioned going to greece with friends which sounds like a great trip and i'm sure you'll have a blast. are they photographers? ie, are they going to want to wait around while you change lenses, set up your tripod, download images to your computer, etc? have you ever been to greece? while i think we'd all agree, photo ops are fantastic, don't forget to actually enjoy the place you're visiting and not worry about taking pictures of every single thing.
i've learned to travel as light as possible. it just becomes a hassle to carry too many things. i'm sure we'll always encounter that time when we wish we would have brought 'that' piece of gear, but i, personally, enjoy the trip more when i'm not entirely focused on taking pictures. hell, i rarely even bring a zoom lens with me anymore. just 1 body, 1 prime, a compact P&S camera and i'm good to go. limiting your equipment also helps you think more creatively (ie, walk to get into a better position because you can't zoom, etc).
my $.02.
regardless, have an awesome time!!
huge 2nd on insurance! that's a must in general, not just when traveling IMO.
my suggestion:
1 body
1 prime for low light photography
1 wide or 1 telephoto (depending on what subjects you tend to shoot more of), not both
gorilla pod or table top tripod because of it's small size and ease of packing
plenty of spare batteries/memory cards
a compact camera
i don't see why i'd want to bring two bodies unless i was going on an actual photo vacation. i would stay clear from a larger tripod because of packing and carrying, not to mention it would get cumbersome. i wouldn't bother with the laptop, just bring extra memory cards. having traveled for two years on the road and needing a laptop with me for work it's actually a joy to leave it at home and really lightens up your bag! unless you want to carry around an adapter and a charger, i would try to bring more batteries.
you mentioned going to greece with friends which sounds like a great trip and i'm sure you'll have a blast. are they photographers? ie, are they going to want to wait around while you change lenses, set up your tripod, download images to your computer, etc? have you ever been to greece? while i think we'd all agree, photo ops are fantastic, don't forget to actually enjoy the place you're visiting and not worry about taking pictures of every single thing.
i've learned to travel as light as possible. it just becomes a hassle to carry too many things. i'm sure we'll always encounter that time when we wish we would have brought 'that' piece of gear, but i, personally, enjoy the trip more when i'm not entirely focused on taking pictures. hell, i rarely even bring a zoom lens with me anymore. just 1 body, 1 prime, a compact P&S camera and i'm good to go. limiting your equipment also helps you think more creatively (ie, walk to get into a better position because you can't zoom, etc).
my $.02.
regardless, have an awesome time!!
Okay, in the summer I'm off to Greece with some friends, and planned on taking my camera gear with me.
There's no way I'm packing my gear into my main luggage, so I'm looking to buy a rucksack that will:
1. Be small enough for hand luggage.
2. Fit two bodies and a few lenses, and a macbook.
3. Be easy enough to open out for security checks.
I rarely carry all my gear at once, but I guess I would like to use the backpack for more than just airport travel once I've bought it, so ideally it'll look nice too.
Recommendations please!