[Leica] lighten up

["Birkey, Duane" <dbirkey@hcjb.org.ec>]

Darrell wrote:

>I purchased M equipment to reduce weight but am finding it heavy.
>I currently carry around whilst travelling
>M6 Body - Color Slide
>M6 Body - B & W
>90m f2.8
>35Asp f2
>21Asp F 2.8
>50 m f2
>Sf20 Flash
>Leica Polarizer
>Gitzo table tripod
>Film
>misc
>
>Weight 6Kg +

I would suggest you lighten your load while traveling by leaving everything
you don't need at home or at least with the rest of your luggage.  Things
like the table tripod, the flash, batteries and misc. stuff as well as extra
film.  I try to figure out what I will need for any given time or day and
just carry that.  

I've met people who carry every single roll of exposed and unexposed film
with them on their entire trip and have stuff like spare body and lens caps,
instruction books, 16 AA batteries, 4 cable every filter and filter boxes,
odd rolls of film, 4 cable releases ( 3 of which don't work) etc.  (my dad
tends to do this) 

I use my Domke 803 camera satchel to carry all of the cameras and lenses
above, (although I have a 90 Summicron and the 24mm instead of the 21)
along with more than enough film for the day,  my table tripod and a flash
can fit as well....but I don't use either of those enough to justify
carrying them around and a lot of museums where I would like to use them no
longer allow any types of photography....  I take a lot of extra stuff, with
me when I travel but much stays with the luggage until I need them.  I also
like to have a couple cameras and lenses and film with my luggage in reserve
in case my primary bag gets stolen.

My misc. items that I always carry consist of 1 or 2 extra sets of batteries
for my M-6 or whatever system I'm using, my other M bodies are batteryless
...  A couple aspirin and motion sickness pills.  

All of this weighs a heck of lot less than two EOS bodies with 3  2.8 L
Series zooms..... 

Duane Birkey
HCJB World Radio
Quito Ecuador
Duane's Photographs of Ecuador
http://duane_birkey.tripod.com