I've never been much of an equipment buff. A camera is, after all, just a box with a hole in it. Film is important. As it gets better, lens quality (glass) is beginning to become a factor again. Affordable scanners have recently caught up to an ever increasing film resolution. Digital prints are now better than traditional ones. Photography is much more forgiving than it used to be. I'm a happy camper. Still the most important piece of equipment, if you're really serious, is a tripod.

I've lugged around a 4x5, a 20 pound gitzo tripod, lenses, film, holders, changing bag, meters, boxes of polaroid and a back... -- no more.

Here is what I normally lug into the Q these days:
Essentially a tripod and whatever fits in a small peli-case.

- 2 bodies - at least one of which is totally manual. I load one with faster film for wildlife and northern lights.
- 5 lenses (fixed are always better than zooms. Mine are all slow 1.8 or 2.0 simply because their smaller and they all accept the same filter size)
- cable release (although I'll use the self timer more often, my bodies need it for long (bulb) exposures)
- a 2 inch stack of filters screwed together
- gelatin CC filters (mostly for reciprocity color balancing)
~ 20 rolls of film (same emulsion numbers - tested)
~ 5 rolls of faster film for wildlife and northern lights
- 2 sharpies to note exposure/processing notes
- bubble level (slanting horizons are so annoying)
- fill flash (only if I go with a group)

Homeowner's insurance is a wonderful thing. Take the best glass you have and hope you don't loose it all at once so your policy limits can cover it. After all, in a very real way you're risking your life at times on trips, money invested in equipment doesn't compare but the same rules apply. Be careful out there!

Posted by db on August 21, 2001 at 14:44
From IP address 169.207.137.196