Here we go again. Another trip. Another round of “what gear do I pack?” I will be spending a week in the north of the UK around the Sheffield and York area. I want to travel lightly but also be prepared for multiple possibilities. The main focus of this trip won’t be photography so, for the sake of my wife, I need to keep things simple and casual.
Here is (at this point) my minimal(ish) kit:
Fujifilm X-T20 – I have to justify this new purchase so it has to come along.
Fujinon XF 27mm f/2.8– My favorite travel/walkabout lens. Pared with the X-T20 it is almost non-existent.
Fujinon XF 35mm f/1.4 – While the 35mm is relatively close in focal length to the 27mm, I just like this lens too much to leave it behind. There is some kind of magic in it.
Fujifilm X70 – This camera is my travel buddy. It was the only cam I took with me to Peru and I did just fine with it. In all honesty, this is all I need to take to the UK as well.
UltraPod II Lightweight Tripod – Even my Sirui T-005 Travel Tripod is more than I want to take with me, so the UltraPod II is it. Weighing practically nothing, and used in conjunction with the X-T20 and X70’s articulated LCD, the UltraPod II is more than sufficient for working low to the ground and grabbing those long exposures.
Smattering of filters including polarizer, ND, infrared and lens cloth.
I’ll take along a Chromebook for photo editing and the inevitable “I hate to bother you while you are on vacation, but there is a problem with….” emails.
I should really pare my gear way back and just take the X70 or the X-T20 / 27mm combo and keep the photography aspect of this holiday simple, casual, and disciplined. In the end I may. But for now I have to cycle through the possibilities. Left behind are the 14mm, 18-55, and 55-200 lenses.
