Advice needed for Egypt trip

Going to Egypt in February and would like to hear from anyone with experience along the standard tourist Nile stops. As a first-time visitor on a group tour, I won't have the time to scope out the angles, best times of day, or any other thing I would do if I had more than a few hours. I've got to be ready and I'm totally ignorant.

I'll be taking a quality P&S and a DSLR, but do not have any lens wider than 36mm equivalent (cue obvious hint to Get a Real Wide Angle Lens). I'm fooling around with multiple flash/slave setups that might be useful in the tombs - if they let you use a flash. I'll take a good tripod too.

Thanx in advance - Chuck

For this, I'd look to get hte new Fuji DSLR or the latest Fuji point and shoot F30 version, as nothing matches the low light sensitivity. It is likely flash is not allowed!

Also a small black camera is more subtle!

This is not the time to be making statements that scream, "American Tourist with expensive camera!"

Most of the images can be bought on site!

Asher

i went back in 1999.. as an incredible trip.

flash is very strictly prohibiited almost everywhere. and they are pretty harsh if it happens to go off 'accidently'. every flash in the tombs decreases the lifespan of the colors. Tripods are also prohibited in most of the tombs. If you go with a tour group, then your chances of using them inside a tomb is almost nil. I went with a small group led by a friend who lived there. he was able to 'tip' the guides/guards into allowing me to use a tripod. inside some of the darker tombs, even the most sensitive camera won't work handheld.

I took a Mamiya 7II with me, with the 43mm and the 150mm. i used the 43mm most of all, so i would highly recommend a wide angle lens (20-24mm )

Luxor and West Bank (Luxor) were my favorite areas.

jim

You might think of the Fuji F30 for the low light sensitivity without flash! Just a shirt pocket camera to carry in just in case! Good for galleries where photography is frowned on, but where for the sake of the world you need a picture! Or else a 5D with a 21mm Distagon 2.8 or better a 28mm distagon f2.0.

For a DSLR with no flash, that would be a superb set up at ISO 800!

Or else, the new Fuji DSLR.

Asher

light sources varied.. normally either florescent, sodium vapor or both.. the lighting conditions were the worst i've encountered. I shot with iso 400 film most of the time, and at f8-11, the exposure times were typically 2-10 seconds.. they are very, very low lit. The average 'tip' to get a tripod in some of these was about $20. the guards speak no english, so your translator needs to be able to convey what you want. if you're going with a large tour, then there's ususally very little time to set up a tripod anyways.

the objection with a tripod/beanbag is the disruption of the flow of traffic through the tombs. at any given place there are hundreds of tourists. the other is anything looking like it needs a tripod looks like a professional setup.. and the goal is to collect 'fees'.

are you going in a small or large group? is the guide a friend, or someone you know?, or are they set up through a travel agency?

Jim - those sound like really skanky conditions, even with tripod. I suppose I could fire off half a dozen shots and Photoshop/merge them until I had one with nobody blocking the walls, but wow.....

JimCollum said:

are you going in a small or large group? is the guide a friend, or someone you know?, or are they set up through a travel agency?

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It's a university tour group of 60-80 people. Don't know any of the guides. I'm going in with the idea that customized arrangements will be nearly impossible.