End of Week Two US/UK/Europe Trip

This week I stayed in Nuremberg, Germany and will be heading to Rome next week.

Here is a photo of Nürnberg Hauptbahnhof

End of Week One US/UK/Europe Trip

The two places I went to in week one are San Francisco and London. They have come to an end and I will be off to Germany.

People keep asking me to show the photos, so here is a sneak preview. The rest when I come back……..

Currently Away on Europe Trip

I am currently in London having been to San Francisco. More Photos and Stories to come.

My next stops are

Nuremberg

Munich

Rome

Vienna

and Singapore

An image of Auckland airport sunset + Lens Flare :D

Think Tank Street Walker Pro

Think Tank Street Walker comes in three different sizes. Street Walker, Street Walker Pro and Street Walker Hard Drive. Having checked out the Think Tank Street Walker which is a good option as a travel bag. The next size up is the Think Tank Street Walker Pro, which is slightly bigger in both height and depth. But, it is deep enough to fit a  pro DSLR or DSLR with battery grip.

Apart from the size difference, the PRO version offers a pull down tripod cup and the ability to attach a modular belt to padded waist support.

Think Tank has a bit less padding and hence feel less bulky which is what I preferred. The build quality is good, but not better than Lowepro's. This is probably due to thicker material and padding used on Lowepro bags, so the Lowepro bags feel a bit more solidly made.

Size comparison with Think Tank Street Walker and Street Walker Pro

Internal compartment size comparison with Think Tank Street Walker and Street Walker Pro

Finally, what can you fit in a Thank Tank Street Walker Pro?

Nikon D700 + MB-D10

Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8

Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 (attached)

Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8

Nikon 20mm f/2.8

Nikon 85mm f/1.4

Filters

Other camera bag blog entries:
Think Tank Street Walker
Think Tank Modular Set
Crumpler Whickey and Cox
Lowepro Flipside 400 AW
Lowepro Flipside 200
Lowepro Flipside 300
Lowepro Inverse 200 AW
Lowepro Stealth Reporter D200 AW
Lowepro Fastpack 350
Lowepro Fastpack 200
Lowepro Slingshot 200 AW
Lowepro EX180

Benro Travel Angel TRA269

Benro is a Chinese company which makes professional tripods and heads. While the name “Benro” has little international recognition in comparison to Manfrotto, Gitzo, etc , it is well known among the Chinese. Benro like any other tripod companies has a wide range of product ranging from flexipods, tripods, monpods and heads. Benro also offers their products in Carbon Fibre.

One of their more interesting product is probably the Benro Travel Angel. It is similar design to the Gitzo 1550 with a 180 degree folding mechanism. The Benro Travel Angel comes in three different sizes and the largest of them all is the Benro TRA269.

The Benro TRA269 is very compact, only 40cm when folded. It comes with the matching Benro BH-1 ball head, as well as its own carry case and strap. The leg section diameter measures from 16mm-28mm which is similar to the Manfrotto 190XB series. The build quality seems good and is fairly stable. However, when compared with the higher class Manfrotto 055XPROB, the Benro TRA269 is not as solid. The Benro TRA2269 feels as solid as the Manfrotto 190XB series, but with 5 leg sections and a foldable leg system to reduce its size.

Length comparison with 

1. Manfrotto 055XPROB+488RC2 Ball Head ~ 1.9m
2. Manfrotto 776YB Monopod ~0.48m
3. Benro TRA269+BH-1 Ball Head  ~0.4m

The Benro TRA296 is even shorter than the Manfrotto 776YB monopod when folded.

Benro TRA269 specification compares with Manfrotto 190XB and the higher class 055XPROB.

	Benro TRA269+BH-1 Ball Head	Manfrotto 190XB (no head)	Manfrotto 055XPROB (no head)
Max.load	6kg	5kg	7kg
Max. Height	1590mm	1460mm	1785mm
Min. Height	500mm	80cm	100mm
Folded Length	400mm	535mm	655mm
Number of Leg Sections	5 (16mm-28mm)	3 (16-25mm)	3 (20mm-29.4mm)
Weight	1.80kg	1.80kg	2.40kg

 

What makes the Benro Travel Angel so compact is the reverse folding legs. When folded, it is only 40cm which is ideal for travel.

The Benro Travel Angel comes in three models:

TRA269 - similar to the Manfrotto 190XB series

TRA169 - similar to the Manfrotto 7301YB series. Comparing to the TRA269, the TRA169 is about 2cm shorter when folded, 0.3kg lighter and with a leg section diameter from 13mm-25mm.

TRA069 - the smallest of all with a maximum loading of 1kg.

Seal Colony @ Sinclair Head

Seal Colony viewed from top of Sinclair Head. It takes about 30mins to get down through the valley.

Once we got through the rough descend, the Seal Colony is just pass Devil’s Gate.

The wave hitting hard on the rocks

Seals Spotted

The Seals spotted us too

A Colony of Seals around the coast sun tanning

Sleeping and sun tanning

zzz…ZZZ…ZZZ

Seal starring at me

Hawkins Hill

It feels like summer with another perfect trekking weekend. Our trekking started in the morning and ended in the evening after spending six and a half hours on the Hawkins Hill and Seal Colony. The trip started off at the Brooklyn Wind Turbine, follows Hawkins Hill Road, up to the highest point on Te Kopahau Reserve (484m above sea level) and onto the hill above Sinclair Head. The final part is to head down to the Seal Colony at Sinclair Head.

Gear Talk

For this long and tough trip, I brought the Nikon D700, Nikon 20mm f/2.8, filters and…………the heavy Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 with me. I used the Think Tank Belt with Lens Changer 75 Pop Down to carry the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 and the rest fitted in the Speed Changer.

The first hour was an easy walk getting to Hawkins Hill. We could see West Wind (Wind Farm) on our right hand side. There are a total 62 wind turbines at West Wind, but I can only see 30 odds from there.

6 of the 62 wind turbines with South Island in the background.

Looking down from Te Kopahau. Heading towards to the World War II bunkers at the far end.

Seal Colony, on the right hand side of Sinclair Head.

Red Rock, on the left hand side of Sinclair Head.

Ferry across Cook Strait with South Island in the background

Think Thank Lens Changer and Lowepro Lens Case

Using a belt system is by far the best option when you want to keep you gear accessible while you are shooting. The two most popular belt system come from Thinktank and Lowepro which offer a full range of belt system components. Check out my blog post on the Think Tank Modular set.

Which belt system is better? Think Tank or Lowepro ?

Only yourself can answer that question. But let’s do some comparisons.

Below are the Think Tank Lens Changer 35 and Lowepro LC 2S which are designed to hold a standard zoom such as 24-70mm f/2.8.  Both are about the same size and build quallity.

For telephoto lens, the LC 4 from Lowepro and  Lens Changer 75 Pop Down from Think Tank are both suitable for the 70-200mm f/2.8.

In terms of size, the LC4 is quite a bit bigger than the Len changer 75 pop down due to its thicker padding.

Some remarks:

Lowepro – Offers more padding and hence can be used as lens storage or lens carry bag. Access to the lens is by unzipping the top cover. The top cover helps to prevent dust from getting in. The lens cases are part of Lowepro’s Slip Lock system.

Think Tank – Offers less padding but compressible. This helps to fit them better in a suitcase or backpack. While the small amount of padding will give some protection, it is probably not ideal for carrying lenses around. Access to the lens by releasing the bungee cord is arguably faster but risks dust to get in.

Two major differences are in the top access and padding

Here is what the two system look like with the Think Tank pro speed belt. Note that the Lowepro lens cases are compatible with the Think Tank belt, but not vica versa. The Think Tank modules do feel abit more stable than the Lowepro lens cases, probably because of the wider flaps.

In summary:

If you want to use the Lens Cases to carry Lens around/storage then go with LOWEPRO

If you are an event shooter and want something not too bulky so you can move around, then go with THINK TANK

If you need to store you Lens Cases easily in a backpack or suitcase,then go with THINK TANK

If you shoot in a rugged place like in a warzone, then go with LOWEPRO

If you are a person who worry about your lenses getting bumped or dusted all the time, then go with LOWEPRO

If you are a traveller who carry your lenses mainly in a separate backpack, then go with THINK TANK

If you are a professional photographer, then go with THINK TANK, assuming you have enough revenue not to worry about dust and scratches on your lenses.

The main purpose of a belt system is to provide fast access to your gear when you are on the run, also the ability to take some weight off your shoulder. The lack of padding on Think Tank might not be as crucial to some, because they are not intending to use it for storage or transportation.