I need to edit my gear before heading to Haiti

I leave for Haiti in a couple days.

Last time I was there was 18 years ago.

Things in the photo industry have changed a fair amount in 18 years. Last time I went I took a pair of Leica M6's, four lenses and a couple bricks of Kodachrome and T-Max 400.

It seemed like a lot of stuff back then, but really it was simple times. A couple cameras, a black body for black and white film, and a chrome model for Kodachrome. Wow how simple was that.

Now I'm hauling a camera store down there.

I need to shoot some video so put a 3-D Sony Handycam TD10 in the bag. It needs a wireless mic, remote, a video baseplate for the tripod, spare batteries and of course a charger.

Just like years ago, the main camera is a Leica. This time it's an M9 but I'm also taking along a Zeiss Ikon rangefinder because I want to shoot a bit of black and white. I have six lenses for the M system. The Zeiss 18mm f4, Zeiss 25mm f2.8, Zeiss 28mm, Zeiss 35mm, Zeiss 85mm f4 and the crazy Sonnar 50mm f1.5 which is a great lens in low light. For the rangefinders I also have a couple viewfinders for the wide angles, filters for the b&w, and of course spare batteries and a charger.

The Sony NEX C3 adds a second digital body that takes the M-mount lenses with an adapter. It also backs up the video camera, needs spare batteries and a charger.

I'm not comfortable just taking the rangefinders so I'm planning to bring a Sony Alpha A35 and the full-frame A900. Sony lenses include the 16mm, 20mm, 24-70, 100 macro for portraits, and the Zeiss 135mm for more portraits. The cameras use different batteries, so I have spares and guess what.... chargers. There's also a Sony flash in the pile.

I'm taking two point and shoots for others to use. A Sony TX10 and a HX100. Just one battery each and one charger since the HX100 uses the same one as the video camera.

My light meter and an old Gitzo Reporter tripod that's been around the world a couple times rounds out the pile. I replaced the ball head on the Gitzo this year and the tripod is ready for another 30 years.

Now comes the editing. Just like usual.

Rob Skeoch

My retail store for rangefinder photo supplies is www.rangefinderstore.com