Topic: Help me decide which films/cameras to take to Okinawa

[Flippy]

These sort of threads are rarely productive, but they're usually fun discussions. I'm going to be visiting a friend in Okinawa this year, I will be staying for a week. She is going to take a couple days off to hang out with me, but otherwise I'm going to have the rest of the time to "explore" Naha. Obviously I plan on taking pictures.

I want to take two cameras, camera #1 is already decided on, it will be my Edixa Prismaflex since I use it most, and I will be using it to take slides. That decision was easy.

But I want a second camera to shoot medium format on and have several competing ideas. I could bring my Pilot 6 which is attractive because it is small and take 16 frames on a roll (but is slow in use and doesn't have strap eyelets). Or I could bring a Super Ricohflex which is attractive because it shoots squares and is relatively simple to use. Or I could bring my Foldex 6.3 which is attractive because it shoots 6x9 frames and folds up (but only gets 8 shots per roll).  And I have a further problem of deciding whether to shoot B&W or color on medium format. Of course I could shoot both. I'm lucky that Bic Camera has opened a shop in Naha so I should be able to buy 120 relatively easily if I run out.

I'm toying with taking a third camera, a toy of some sort, but I'm thinking realistically it would probably get left behind or sit unused.

I'd be interested in hearing opinions from those who want to offer them. 

[Indofunk]

I say use the color/B&W dilemma as justification to take TWO MF cameras!  One for color and one for B&W Your choice on which (and since you're only going to be leaving one behind instead of two, the decision becomes that much easier )

[Late Developer]

Personally, I like the idea of 1 x 35mm and 1 x MF.  The 35mm is decided upon, therefore, the decision (for me) is which MF. 

I like square but I know nothing about the cameras you mentioned.  Personally, I'd be looking to take whichever is most reliable and which I could use in a hurry and load wearing welding gloves - on the basis that the last thing you want is to have to be fiddling around with an unfamiliar piece of kit, thus missing the shots you want.

I might also pack a small table-top tripod for any early morning / late evening shots where hand-holding isn't an option but neither is carrying a full-size tripod.

[jojonas~]

when I went to japan last year I took an 35mm slr loaded with color for general shots and my holga for 120 black and white which is attractive because I like the look and I could readily make prints in the darkroom from it.

[charles binns]

Easy.  Take one camera.  A holga.  Take two of them. One for ISO100 and one for ISO 400.

[Terry]

I say take one camera to leave room in your luggage for the ones you buy over there.

[jharr]

Is there no 6x4.5 mask for the Foldex? Even if there isn't, 6x9 is a beautiful negative. Load that bad boy up with Velvia and enjoy the "WOW" when you get them back from the lab.

[jojonas~]

I say take one camera to leave room in your luggage for the ones you buy over there.

and the film!

oh, gosh those film coolers...

[Flippy]

Unfortunately there is not as much of a photography culture in Okinawa as there is on the main islands. I'm going to ask my friend to see if she knows any neat places though.

The 6x9 negs are very tempting but since I'm on a trip I feel a little unsure about blowing through 120 so quickly - unless I purely reserve that camera for shots which must be medium format. 

[Francois]

6x9 is the same ratio as 35mm... So I would be tempted to go for something different... But that's just my 2¢ worth.

[Aksel]

6x9 all the way, this is the the type of trip you can´s afford to save in on film 
Also, you can do pretty heavy cropping and still end up with enough to make nice large prints!

[Jack Johnson]

I'm in a similar boat with an upcoming trip to Hawaii, also thinking of one MF and one 35mm, but undecided which. I kind of want one big and slow for the unique photo opportunities and one small and fast for the family snapshots.

There will likely be something d------ hiding in the bag, too. The wife insists. :/

One possible pairing: Great Wall DF-2 (think poor cousin to your Pilot) and a Vivitar UWS. Also thinking of swapping out the Vivitar for either an Olympus XA2 or Rollei 35S. Another possible pairing might be either a baby Graflex or a TLR, and a Ricoh 500G.

Easy.  Take one camera.  A holga.  Take two of them. One for ISO100 and one for ISO 400.

I *almost* bought a Holga just for the trip. Instead, bought a Ferrania Ibis 66 (think aluminum Holga with a collapsible lens). It should be here in about three more weeks. I thought I'd shoot a roll or two and then decide if it makes the short list. The hard part, at those latitudes during the summer, I might need an ND filter, even with ISO100. Mid-day could be 2+ stops overexposed.

I'm *really* on the fence about my Nikonos-V. I so want to shoot film in the surf, but it should really have fresh O-rings, even in the shallows. Tempted to roll the dice, just because it'll likely be another decade before I'm in the surf again.

The takeaway is that:

• I think the 1 MF plus 1 35mm is a good idea, and
• I have too many cameras.

[Francois]

You can also bring sole really old film too ... (it's an Okinawa joke)

[Skorj]

I took my Ricoh Auto Half, and waterproof case.. Lounging around with the fishies without a worry was great! Enjoy regardless!