Traveling to Europe, Suggestions Please!

[Doug K]

I'm spending 3 weeks in Europe in September, travelling from Colorado where I live. Roughly 1 week each in Amsterdam, Barcelona, and near Siena. I'll be taking a ton of digital vacation photos as the assigned chronicler of our trip, but I'll also be dragging around a 6 x 6 pinhole camera (my converted Voigtlander Brillant). I just wonder what other folks experience is with pinholing on vacation, and any things to worry about while doing the slow photo method while someplace far away from home. Issues people have run in to, and things that work. Also, any suggestions to must see for photographer places would be appreciated...

[MartinS]

So... welcome to Europe! Cannot advise anything on the places you have metioned.
As for the pinholing, especially with the 120 film, one experience of my own: do not forget the take up spool with you. I did it, going to my first pinholing vacation. My mood was under zero point for several hours after learning the fact...

Good luck!

Martin

[Doug K]

Good reminder. This weekend I'm making sure I have everything I need for photography, and taking everything out for a test drive. On past vacations I've forgotten a charger for the digital camera, and the tripod mount for the camera. Imagine hauling a tripod around and not being able to use it...

[DaveBell]

Imagine hauling a tripod around and not being able to use it...

Duct tape! Or perhaps gaffer's tape would be more "photographiuc"...

Dave

[Tom Miller]

It might be a good idea to check out sources of film in the cities you'll be visiting and buy it when you arrive and if possible have it processed there before heading back home.

The X-rays machine that your checked luggage goes through WILL damage film, so if you're bringing it to or from home, hand carry it. The X-ray machines that your carry-ons go through is unlikely to damage film, but it can happen. In the U.S., you can request that your hand-carried film be hand inspected. In my experience, this doesn't happen in Europe; the security agents there threatened to sic the police on me if I insisted that my film be hand inspected.

400 speed film and slower is considered safe to go through the hand baggage X-ray. I've only had one roll of film get damaged by X-rays, a roll of 64 speed film, so go figure. The dozens of other slow and medium speed films I've sent through the X-ray came out fine. Processed film is not affected by X-rays.

Spent a day in Sienna as part of a larger trip in Tuscany. We did what the tourist does, the duomo and the piazza, both magnificent.

For a pinholer, it might be fun to visit a solar clock. There is one in Florence, not far from Siena.
http://www.catpress.com/fan/scienza/uegnomo.htm

[johngrey]

Just got back from Dubrovnik where I only took a couple of pinhole cameras. Not sure what to advise - lots to take in the places you are going. I have never worried about x-ray machines and have never had (or noticed) a problem, even with film x-rayed several times when going into museums in italy ( Florence).
Only problem on this last trip was dropping one of my cameras from the city walls - fortunately didn't hit anyone but the camera was in lots of pieces.