My wife and I went to Disney World (and Universal Studios) in Orlando a
couple years ago, and the only camera I took with me into the park was my
trusty Nikon Lite-Touch Zoom (35-70mm point and shoot with built-in flash).
This camera fits nicely into a shirt pocket (although I had mine in a small
pouch-type Nikon case attached to my belt), and its lens is quite sharp
(especially with 4x6 prints which are usually sufficient for holiday photos).
There are so many, many things to do in these theme parks that the last
thing you want to do is carry a bunch of equipment, which you've got to
keep an eye on, while watching out for the waterworks on many of the rides
where you can get totally soaking wet), etc., the jostling crowds, the
small children spilling food and drink, and so forth. (Plus the theft risk
factor -- theme parks are _not_ crime-free.)
More recently, my wife and I went to Universal Studios in Hollywood last
October, and again I only took the Nikon Lite-Touch into the park. Once
again, I got lots and lots of great shots, got totally soaked on a couple
rides, sunburned through my hat, but didn't have to drag 15 pounds of gear
with me.
By all means, if you like, take your F5, 80-200mm and 20-35mm (and maybe
the SB28) with you _on the trip_ -- but DON'T take them into the park with
you. You very well might want to take pictures of your group around Orlando
at many of the other attractions, and you might find the broader
capabilities quite useful. A tripod will be more overkill than useful,
especially since you mentioned a light one. I've always found tripods on
vacation-type trips much more trouble than they're worth, unless I'm
travelling by car.
Also, the main reason I can think of to take any or all of the gear you
listed, is if I was shooting professionally and intended to sell some
photos, but as I recall you need to get official permission from the parks
(particular Disney World) to use anything you take there for commercial
purposes. So a simple camera really would be best.
Bottom line: have fun, travel light, enjoy yourself, take lots of pictures,
but don't worry about having just the right tool for every situation.
Relax! You're on vacation! I think out of the half-dozen rolls I shot at
each of the theme parks, that only a handful would have been significantly
better if I had an F5 with a wide selection of lenses. But I sure had a lot
of fun, and don't regret at all not having taken higher-capability equipment.
If you take your expensive gear with you, remember to leave it in the hotel
safe when you leave the hotel.
--
John Albino
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
