Camera Gear For The Faroe Islands

It’s time to hit the road again.  As much as I am not looking forward to the travel part of this trip, I am anxious to get to the Faroe Islands.  I am leading a workshop there with my good friend Steve Gosling.  Steve and I have done several Faroe Islands workshops together, and we both love this beautiful group of islands.

We have a good group, and many of us are repeat customers.  The Faroe Islands offers some unique landscape photography opportunities.  There are also a lot of other things to photograph there too.  The buildings in the small villages offer some great photography.  The weather is ever-changing and adds to the mystique and spontaneity of images.  It’s also a great place to make black-and-white images, especially when the sky turns dramatic, which it does a lot.

There are also a few opportunities to capture one of my favorite subjects, rust.  In particular, there is an old whaling station that fulfills my rust needs quite well.  There are also small village harbors with rather large fishing ships that have incredible rust.  

One of the highlights of this trip is taking a rigid zodiac-type boat out for a tour and photographing sea stacks, waterfalls, and giant cliffs from the sea.

Choosing The Gear To Use

Many of you know me as a recovering camera addict. Over the last several years, I have narrowed my camera selection quite a bit. These days, I primarily shoot with Sony and Fuji systems. So, the dilemma comes down to which system I will take to the Faroe Islands.

I recently upgraded my Fuji XH1 to a Fuji XH2 and my XT-4 to an XT-5.  It became pretty clear that I would use these new cameras on this trip as well as come back with enough content to do a review.  I am also bringing my X100vi for candid and street shots in Copenhagen. I have purchased all the cameras as well as lenses and the Gitzo tripod from Roberts Camera in Indianapolis.  Get in touch with them and ask for Phil.  Tell him Kevin sent you.

I am also bringing a set of Maven Magnetic Filters.

Did I mention I would pass through Copenhagen on the way to the Faroe Islands?  There is no easy way to get to the Faroe Islands, so I thought it would be a good chance to have some fun in one of my favorite cities, Copenhagen.  Many workshop attendees are also passing through Copenhagen, so I thought I would get the group together and do a walking tour and canal tour on Friday.  The weather forecast looks favorable.

It’s going to be fun shooting with the Fujifilm cameras. Let me show you what I am bringing and how I am getting it there.  

The Gear

As I get older I do everything I can not to put heavy loads on my back.  Thus I will transport all my gear in the Think Tank Airport Security Roller.  This case has travelled all over the world with my.  It’s one of the best built roller bags I have seen and mine has certainly taken a beating.  

I use the Airport security Roller to handle all my lenses, cameras, batteries, and accessories.  In addition I will take a long the Guru Gear Commuter 18L as the bag for things I may need while traveling.  The Commuter Bag slips nicely over the handle of the Airport Security roller and I now can roll everything.

Once I get to my hotel, the commuter bag is emptied, and I can now use it to carry just the lenses I might need when shooting.

Tripod

I usually carry a larger tripod on many trips but I don’t shoot that much with a tripod compared to what used to do and thus decided to bring along a lighter tripod and a new tripod head I will be reviewing and testing.

The tripod is the Gitzo GT2545T. It’s really one of the best travel tripods I have ever used. For this trip, I have attached a new Platypod Bullhead. This is a different beast and is kind of an upside-down ball head. It tightens and loosens by pushing a button. It also has a digital level. I look forward to giving it a run for the money and reporting back to you what I experience.

The cameras I am taking are the Fujifilm XT-5 and XH-2. These are 42-megapixel cameras with in-Body Image Stabilization. I have always loved the Fuji camera system, and it should be a lot of fun to use it on this trip.  

My lens lineup is the 8-16mm 2.8, 16-55mm 2.8, 50-140mm 2.8, and the 100-400mm 4.5.  The magnification factor for APS-C is 1.5 so these lenses become in 35mm format equivalent t0 a 12-24mm, 24-83mm, 75mm-210mm and 150-600mm.  There’s not much I can’t shoot with this combo.  Also, it is a lot lighter than the Sony’s to carry around.  Don’t get me wrong, I love my Sonys, and I’ll have more to say about that camera in the future.   

I am also bringing my Oslo Pocket 3 for video and the Insta 360 for some cool 360-degree photos.

And, let’s not forget my iPhone, which I will certainly use a lot.

The Odds and Ends

In the Gura Gear Commuter bag, I have an iPad and Laptop, as well as a full complement of charging cables. I also have my Air Pods Max and Air Pods 3. I pack a jacket, medications, Insta 360, and the Oslo Pocket 3. There are pockets for my passport, extra credit cards, and other aid bits.

Final Thoughts

I am always looking for lighter loads as my age creeps up with reality.  This method allows me to meet airline reservations and to keep things off my back unless absolutely necessary.  It works and gives me good flexibility in the field, too.  The Airport Security goes in the cack of the van while driving around, and I can easily pick the camera lens combo that works for the scene when I stop. 

Look for some reports from the road as this trip progresses.  As time allows, I’ll share images.  You can also find pictures uploaded during the day on my Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Kevin Raber
May 2024

Kevin Raber
Indianapolis, IN

Photography is my passion and has been for 50 plus years. My career in photography has allowed me to travel the world, meet some of the most interesting people on the planet and see things I could never have dreamed of. My goal is to share the passion of picture taking through photographs and teaching with as many people as I can, hoping it brings them as much joy and happiness as it has me. I do this through photoPXL.com, this site, as well as Rockhopper Workshops, and other projects, as well as teaching as Artist In Residence at the Indianapolis Art Center.