I'm a moderately experienced enthusiast that will be going on a 3 week Nordic cruise soon.
Mostly landscapes and street photos in the towns I'm guessing. Trying to determine if my kit is appropriate. Can I leave anything out? Need to add something? I'd like to travel as light as possible. I'll be bummed if I miss epic shots. Here's my kit:
Sony A6600 APS-C camera
11-20mm f2. 8 (APS-C)
35mm f1. 7 (APS-C)
28-135mm 3.5-5.6 (APS-C)
Lumix ZS100 camera
I'd appreciate any advise. Thanks in advance.
Sounds like a very strong kit. Personally, I would briefly contemplate if a longer focal length like 300mm FF equiv (might be useful for some tighter landscapes if that's your thing).
@jpolakphotography Thanks for the response. Funny you should say that. I'm on the hunt for an excellent quality used Sony Alpha 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS. Doubt I'll find it before the nordic trip but 2026 is Japan so . . . . :-) I'm hoping to go on both trips without a tripod. Risky?
@jpolakphotography Thanks for the response. Funny you should say that. I'm on the hunt for an excellent quality used Sony Alpha 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS. Doubt I'll find it before the nordic trip but 2026 is Japan so . . . . :-) I'm hoping to go on both trips without a tripod. Risky?
Guess it depends. It can be quite risky if you're planning on landscapes in lower light, like blue-hour landscapes or you want to be more precise with your compositions. I would feel uneasy about not bringing a tripod along, and I bring a travel tripod on all my trips (for landscapes/macro mainly, not for wildlife). For landscape compositions, it's much more relaxing to get just the right composition with a tripod, but for longer walks a tripod's weight can be quite irritating.
@jpolakphotography Thank you again for the help. I have both a Benro Slim Aluminum and a tiny Neewer TP29. I also have a SmallRig Super Camera Clamp Mount. Think I could get away with the small stuff or is the Benro the only real option?
@jpolakphotography Thank you again for the help. I have both a Benro Slim Aluminum and a tiny Neewer TP29. I also have a SmallRig Super Camera Clamp Mount. Think I could get away with the small stuff or is the Benro the only real option?
Hmm, I think if you need a tripod for landscape composition, the Benro would be far superior, but yeah I've actually gotten very stable video for example with one of those gorilla pods so they can work. Honestly, you can do a lot of great landscape photography without a tripod at all, it's just if you're planning certain kinds of shots. I've taken lots of landscapes without a tripod at all so you may just be fine without it.
I was thinking more like, if you're mission is a deep dive into intricate landscape photography of the region, you might miss a tripod, but if you can get the majority of your style without one, then nothing wrong with that! But you think you'll ever need to take something at 1/50th of a second or lower, then it could be a very good reason to bring one.
@jpolakphotography Understood. I think this trip will have relatively few opportunities to set up calmly and compose my landscapes carefully. Thank you for all your feedback. Most appreciated. I feel more confident in my kit. 🙏
@jpolakphotography Understood. I think this trip will have relatively few opportunities to set up calmly and compose my landscapes carefully. Thank you for all your feedback. Most appreciated. I feel more confident in my kit. 🙏
Nice and good luck. A lot of the time I tend to walk long distances in the forest and rarely bring a tripod as well. They can be helpful but even a nice, lightweight carbon fiber one can weigh you down!
Would love to see a few shots from your trip after you get back :)