How do you travel with your large topside lens

As I am sure there are a number of underwater photographers that also end up carrying a large topside lens. I am curious as to your experiences as you travel with it. Lenses like 300mm, 400mm 500mm. Some of these or all come with their own specialized carrying case/suitcase.

Do you carry it on or check it?

If you check it how do you pack it?

If you carry it on what are your airline experiences like?

Interested in your experiences and insights.

Cheers

Todd

You put your housing in the hold! Housings are cheaper and stronger!

Actually I can squeeze a telephoto and housing and spare lenses into my standard hand luggage. Just. Even managed on the one bag rule on the UK to USA flights at the moment.

Alex

I take 2 bodies (5Dmk2, 7D), EF 100-400L (hood reversed), EF16-35L, 100Macro, 50Macro, 10-17Tokina, 28-105, 1 580ex, Tamron 1.4TC, Canon Chargers and a Dell Studio 16 laptop in a Think Tank Hard Drive backpack. Housing etc go into checked luggage. I may get the new Think Tank laptop bag to distribute the weight a bit and carry the housing on....Nah!

Stu

So you do not travel with the carrycase the big lens came in and put it into your carryon? My 100-400 was easy to carryon but the big lenses I mention above not so easy. So shift the housing or strobes to the checked baggage?

I'm along the lines of scubastu: I carry 2 Canon 40D bodies, a 100-400 in it's case, a sigma 17-70, tokina 10-17, 60mm macro, 100 mm macro, extra camera batteries, chargers, a couple diopters/polarizers and a 15" Macbook in my Lowepro backpack. Looks discreet, but weighs in at 10 kg.

Phil

I am more curious about the large lenses. I have the 100-400 and compared to lenses above I would say it is small. Hard to believe but compared to the large lenses like above I think they cause you to reshuffle your gear to accomodate it.

You put your housing in the hold! Housings are cheaper and stronger!

 

Actually I can squeeze a telephoto and housing and spare lenses into my standard hand luggage. Just. Even managed on the one bag rule on the UK to USA flights at the moment.

 

Alex

I'm always concerned about theft....My rig is insured but if I'm headed on a liveaboard trip and my housing doesn't make it...then what?

Does anyone see theft as a problem?

Mike

I have traveled w/ a 400DO and a 500 - I use a Thinktank A Acceleration.

Cheers

James

I'm always concerned about theft....My rig is insured but if I'm headed on a liveaboard trip and my housing doesn't make it...then what?

 

Does anyone see theft as a problem?

 

Mike

Yes - you have to do what you can to make your gear look unattractive - there are other threads on this.

Bottom line you can't get a housing, ports, strobes, camera etc all in handheld and remain within a 1 bag 8Kg hand held limit that _is_ often being enforced in Europe and Asia. When I travel in the US I am amazed what you guys pull off as carry on. Enjoy it while you can as I think it is changing.....

Paul C

I have traveled w/ a 400DO and a 500 - I use a Thinktank A Acceleration.

 

Cheers

James

Underwater set-up check baggage then. I just have always worried about the kit not making it and then what do I do...just dive?

No way man - if you're going on a super expensive trip it's worth bringing a point and shoot setup (w/ WA lens) in your carry-on. Maybe even a small strobe too.

It's a decent insurance policy :-)

Cheers

James

hey Todd,

When I travel with my 200-400mm I carry it on in the case that it came in, and I try not to let it out of my sight. I haven't had any issues with airlines carrying it on.

Of course it's insured but I don't check it in because I wouldn't want to be without it, if it was stolen or if baggage was delayed.

hope this helps,

Scott

No way man - if you're going on a super expensive trip it's worth bringing a point and shoot setup (w/ WA lens) in your carry-on. Maybe even a small strobe too.

 

It's a decent insurance policy :-)

 

Cheers

James

I agree with your logic in this circumstance though I would rather put that money on an extra body in case of flood.

Of course if you have the cash you could always do both!

I ditched the trunk case and got a LowePro long lens case (Lightware, Tenba work too).

Soft case, less weight, can put 2 bodies with ext tubes and tele extenders in with lens.

(could pack additional stuff in case too - just a bear to unpack if they want to visual it)

Carry on only.

All I can say when you travel by airline, dont just think about the luggage or carryon......think about what you can wear to take more gear with you that is attached to your body in the form of clothing. I always wear a vest with excess pockets ( outdoor stores have them) and wear cargo pants with big pockets. I actually was able to carry 2 Aquatica rigs this way with me as carry on. My Aquatica 40D housing was put in my 2 pant pockets!! I carried all my lenses ( 10 - 17 Tokina, 10-22 canon, 60 mm, 70 -200 mm 2.8, 28- 200) in my vest along with my batteries for my video housing as well as the cameras. My other housing , along with the 8"dome port, 2 camera bodies, 2 Ike 125s, ultralight arms, went into a dryzone 200 backpack. I also, had an Amphibico Phenom along with the Sony FX1 and dual 35 watt HID lights in a roller carry on! Even if none of my scuba gear made it to destination, I still had all my camera and photo gear. easier to rent scuba gear......

All I can say when you travel by airline, dont just think about the luggage or carryon......think about what you can wear to take more gear with you that is attached to your body in the form of clothing. I always wear a vest with excess pockets ( outdoor stores have them) and wear cargo pants with big pockets.

This is what I intend to do when flying to South Africa in May. My GF and I have 80kg of hold allowance between us (20kg std, 20kg dive allowance, each), but are only using about 20kg of that (we pack light).

However, we only get 8kg cabin allowance. I'm sticking all my lenses in pockets, the housing, ports, dome, strobes and laptop are in a Tamrac, and we will have a body with lens each over a shoulder (one of which 'might' be a 200-400VR if I decide to hire that one)

Once past check in, the jacket (wth lenses) can go back into a bag

I travel somewhere between 15=30 weeks a year with a 400 f2.8, most airlines do not allow much hand luggage any more so I stick it in my hold luggage wrapped in clothes etc. A pelican is just too expensive in excess baggage ( I saved £13,000 in excess last year just by not using one). I always make sure that I have enough kit in my carry on to be able to do a job just in case the hold luggage gets nicked / damaged, this usually comprises of 2 bodies and a 70-200, with 1.4X TC and 24-70mm f2.8 etc etc. When Diving i don't take the 400 just the 70-200 and that goes in the hold as I want the housing and camera to stay on me so that I can look after it.\ This does mean some juggling gear at the check in desk to make sure that the backpack is less than 8Kg but I can ussually find a helpful fellow pasenger in the queue

I travel somewhere between 15=30 weeks a year with a 400 f2.8, most airlines do not allow much hand luggage any more so I stick it in my hold luggage wrapped in clothes etc. A pelican is just too expensive in excess baggage ( I saved £13,000 in excess last year just by not using one). I always make sure that I have enough kit in my carry on to be able to do a job just in case the hold luggage gets nicked / damaged, this usually comprises of 2 bodies and a 70-200, with 1.4X TC and 24-70mm f2.8 etc etc. When Diving i don't take the 400 just the 70-200 and that goes in the hold as I want the housing and camera to stay on me so that I can look after it.\ This does mean some juggling gear at the check in desk to make sure that the backpack is less than 8Kg but I can ussually find a helpful fellow pasenger in the queue

I did toy with the idea of checking it all into a pelican/storm case, but Johannesburg airport is notorious for theft from baggage, and those cases just advertise your kit.

This trip, we are going to tofo for mantas and our large spotted friends, plus then going to Kruger, so need lenses to cover both. As it stands, the only 'extra' lens will be a telephoto. I am torn over whether to hire a 200-400VR or buy a 80-400VR.

Whichever one I go for, it's going on a camera body - SAA do state that Laptops and a 'small' camera are additional items, although either of those lenses is going to be pushing it to be considered 'small'. Then again, so is a D90 with Grip!

I did toy with the idea of checking it all into a pelican/storm case, but Johannesburg airport is notorious for theft from baggage, and those cases just advertise your kit.

This trip, we are going to tofo for mantas and our large spotted friends, plus then going to Kruger, so need lenses to cover both. As it stands, the only 'extra' lens will be a telephoto. I am torn over whether to hire a 200-400VR or buy a 80-400VR.

Whichever one I go for, it's going on a camera body - SAA do state that Laptops and a 'small' camera are additional items, although either of those lenses is going to be pushing it to be considered 'small'. Then again, so is a D90 with Grip!

Last time I flew to Jo'burg on SAA from LHR their excess baggage was £33 a kilo and with the peli weighing 11Kg empty and with the gear 33Kg , well you can do the maths . I must admit that i did not have any problems with theft but the first time i went there and the customs guys wanted to take it all off me for not having a Carnet form, (I was naive and didn't think to get one.) I think the Peli case attracted them, they wanted £5000 in cash from me initially & I was held for about 1/2 hour in a security area. Fortunately SAA were sponsoring the event I was shooting so they got me out of a hole but when you have an armed security guard holding a your USB flash drive in front of you and asking "what is this, what does it do?" it gets pretty exciting. LOL, BTW the following year I had a Carnet form, which cost about £750, which is enough in itself. I think the moral is steer clear of the Peli

BTW also make sure that you have 2 blank pages opposite each other in you passport when going to SA as a fellow snapper who was shooting the same event was turned round and put on the next flight to the UKfor not having enough space. One of the USA team members also had too little space and was held for 4 hours but her consulate managed to sort her out.

Hope this doesn't put you off but fore warned is fore armed

I have a brand spanking new, totally unsullied passport So no problems there.

The fun part is going to be the next border crossing - we are driving to Tofo in Mozambique, so fun and games, and bribery and corruption at every step fo the way.

Anyway, enough off topic!