The Travel Blog Collective.

The Tsomoriri Trip.. A troubled trip that couldn't have gone any better..

Saravana@kettik.com (Saravana Kumar) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:48:05 +0000

It was a trip where Murphy's law was in full force. Everything that could go wrong did, and some. I drove around in circles trying to find fuel for my motorbike, got lost in the dark on the shores of the Tsomoriri lake, camped out in the wild, got bike's tires punctured and was rescued by the unlikeliest folks possible.. the Changpa nomads living high up in the mountains around the Tsomoriri lake. Needless to say, this was one of my best trips in Ladakh and i thoroughly enjoyed every minute of i

Read on to hear the story of my Tsomoriri trip..

Cycling the long high road to Leh..

Saravana@kettik.com (Saravana Kumar) — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 06:46:13 +0000

Ladakh was the reason why i decided to take my bicycle with me to the Himalayas. The lure of cycling in the mountains with its crisp blue skies and snow capped peaks was too enticing to ignore. I had traveled Ladakh by motorcycle back in 2008, but this time i decided that a bicycle would be a better option. Going by cycle meant going slowly.. a 200km trip from, say, Leh to Pangong lake which can be done in a single day on a motor cycle would take 3 to 4 days on a bicycle. Which means stops in the smaller villages, seeing more sunrises & sunsets, more photo opportunities and more interaction with the local people. I had the one thing which i did not have in my other trips, the luxury of time.

Then i thought that if i was going to be cycling in Ladakh then i might as well cycle TO Ladakh. I knew that i was in no shape to tackle the road but i had a get fit plan. It was brilliant. First spend a month in Rishikesh learning yoga, then spend the next month slowly making my way to Manali on my bicycle by which time i hoped to be fit enough to tackle the Manali-Leh road in early september.

Backpacking through Rajasthan..

Saravana@kettik.com (Saravana Kumar) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:57:42 +0000

This was my first ever backpacking trip in India. I had traveled alone in China and Thailand before this but still i was a little nervous about traveling in my home country. Turns out all that nervousness was unwarranted and i ended up having a wonderful time. Here are some stories from that trip.

Thailand Traveltales

Saravana@kettik.com (Saravana Kumar) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:53:15 +0000

On my way back to India (after a 6 month stay in Beijing), i decided to have a stopover in Thailand and have a 15 day break. I would've preferred to have stayed longer, but the only visa i could get to Thailand on a short notice was a transit visa and it was limited to 15 days only. Never much of a beach person i went to Thailand with mixed expectations and came out refreshing and raring to be back.

CNY HuangShan Trip 2009

Saravana@kettik.com (Saravana Kumar) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 19:59:03 +0000

For the Chinese New year holidays i decided to go to HuangShan. I was looking forward for a change of scenery from the usual tibetian mountains that im drawn to. And what better place than HuangShan to get a perfect taste of the Chinese mountain scenery. The Chinese people, and poets alike, never seem to tire of coming up with new ways to praise the HuangShan scenery. And all the photo's i've seen of the place seem to backup their claim. I was a bit circumspect about going there during winter but after a bit of research i found that the winter scenery is supposed to be the best with clear blue skies and the trees and mountains covered by snow. One day before i was due to leave it was snowing in Huangshan... I was excited...

My first visit to Ladakh...

Saravana@kettik.com (Saravana Kumar) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:47:20 +0000

Ever since i was bitten by the travel bug, Ladakh was one place that i always wanted to go. The pictures i've been seeing from friends on Flickr were all stunning and it looked as if it was almost impossible to take a bad picture in Ladakh. So with all these high hopes i finally got a chance to travel to Ladakh for a couple of weeks during October 2008. And it didn't disappoint.

Pictures from my Travels..

Saravana@kettik.com (Saravana Kumar) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 05:07:48 +0000

A select collection of pictures from Travels over these past few years. Just everyday moments that appear extraordinary when you travel.

Its funny, i normally hesitate taking pictures of people but when i look back most of my memorable pictures are the ones with people in them. Any favorite subject, landscapes feature very less in this collection. I guess there's a lesson to be learnt here..

DIY: Using camera sling straps with a tripod L-bracket

Saravana@kettik.com (Saravana Kumar) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 06:14:03 +0000

I have a tripod L-bracket always attached to my camera (as it allows me to use the tripod at a moments notice, easily attach the camera hand strap, and provides extra protection for the camera against bumps and nicks). Removing it inorder to connect a (Black Rapid type) sling strap was never an option for me and i assume most other L-bracket owners would also feel the same.

On the flip side, i like carrying my camera in the sling position but the regular camera straps are not ideal for this purpose. So naturally i wanted some manufacturer to come with with an ideal solution which would allow me to use the sliding sling straps with an tripod L-bracket without having to remove the strap to use the tripod and viceversa.

Unfortunately the solutions that the manufacturers came up with were all pretty weak and completely unsuitable for me

Black Rapid : Their FastenR-T1 adaptor allows the adapter to remain attached to the Quick Release plate when mounted on a tripod. This solution just avoids having to un-screw the adaptor while using a tripod, you still have to have detach camera strap though. And this adaptor is designed to work only with the Manfortto QR plates, not sure how compatible it will be with the QR plates of other manufacturers.

This adapter alone costs 18$, totally not worth it in my opinion.

Carry Speed : The carry speed plate is a better solution as it allows any QR plate to be mounted no it thus allowing the user to use both the tripod and the camera strap to be used at the same time. Unfortunately while this solution works great for the normal QR plates, it will not work with the L-brackets.

Luma Loop : Luma loop had the best solution of them all with a Lanyard attached to the camera's strap connector notch. This freed up the base of the camera to use whatever attachment you like down there. But unfortunately Black Rapid filed a patent suit against them prompting the company to withdraw their product from the market. Its a shame really coz it was the perfect solution for my needs.

On the down side it was also the most expensive strap of the lot, costing around 70$.

My go anywhere sleeping bag..

Saravana@kettik.com (Saravana Kumar) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 14:31:31 +0000

At 75$, this was one of the best gear purchases that i ever made. I live in South India and i wanted a sleeping bag which i can use in a variety of conditions from hiking in the tropical jungles of South India to backpacking around China to summer/autumn camping in the high Himalayas. Over the course of the past 4 - 5 years (i purchased it mid 2007) this bag has proven itself to be perfect for my needs.

Before i go into the detailed review of the sleeping bag, i just want to list out some of the different conditions that i've used this bag in. Although the bag is rated as -1C, i've used it at much lower and much warmer temperatures. Granted it was not always very comfortable when the temperatures dipped below 0C, but i lived to tell the tale.

Slept out in the open on the Great Wall. -15C, no tent, no bivy, just an inflatable sleeping pad which failed during the night. Not the most comfortable night but i survived.
Camping in the Himalayas, in altitudes all the way up to 4500m. Temperatures did dip a few degrees below 0C, but a few extra layers were enough to keep me warm during the night.
Backpacking around India and China. In conditions ranging from below freezing, all the way upto 35C. This is where the quantum expander came in handy. Whenever the temperatures was warm (>10C) i just unzip the expander and have a more roomy, comfortable bag for the warmer conditions. And when its really warm (> 20C) i fully open the bag and use it as a blanket.

What i liked about this Bag:

What i love about this bag is its versatility to be used in temperatures near freezing all the way up to the high thirties. At a little over 1Kg the bag is light weight and packs small. The material is soft and feels great against the skin. Although not waterproof, i've not had any problems with the condensation seeping in to the inner layers of the bag.

What i did not like about this Bag:

There is a small ventilation tube near the foot of the bag (where the zippers end). This lets in a lot of cold air in freezing conditions and makes the bag cold. I usually end up stuffing my heavy socks or scarves into the opening to seal the bag and keep it slightly warmer. This is my biggest complaint about the bag.
The zippers sometimes snag against the fabric while opening or closing the bag. This is a minor issue and i generally run my fingers below the zippers to keep them from snagging.
Another minor annoyance with this bag is the drawstring cords used to close the hood. They are a bit unwieldy and can be all over the place. Not sure if this issue is common with the other bags as well.

To sum up, i think that it is a great bag. Especially for its price. It served me well for the past 4 years and i'am sure that it will serve me well for a long time to come. It is definitely my go to bag for hiking and backpacking in conditions where the temperature is above 0C.

For colder conditions i've just recently purchased the Marmot 0F (-18C) Never Summer down bag. The bag has got some great reviews and i'am looking forward to using it during my winter trip to Ladakh early next year (2012).

Soul of the Mountain “ A travelogue across Almora , Jageshwar , Binsar “

Himadri@kettik.com (Himadri Sen) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 10:10:07 +0000

Prologue:

Monsoon is probably not the right season to travel the mountains. It will probably be raining all the time, there will be no views and there is the risk of land slides , which happens often.

So there were dozens of naysayers who tried to dissuade me not to make such a trip. But I badly needed a break, so I thought of going for a short trip of 3 days.

I did not have a fixed itinerary. Not to have a fixed route is liberating actually, relives you of undue pressure of making a route plan and then stick to it. I was on a shoe string budget, I thought I will just hop in the bus without worrying about the next destination. “I felt I am a traveler not a tourist, I don’t have to reach anywhere , the journey is more important than the destination”. This might sound too vague, yes I had a tentative plan in mind . It would either be 1) Haldwani – Almora-Jageshwar – BinsarPark –Almora- Haldwani Or 2) Haldwani – Almora- Jageshwar- Kausani- Almora- Haldwani.

McNett Seam Sure : Give your leaky tent a new lease of life

Saravana@kettik.com (Saravana Kumar) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 04:10:06 +0000

I've bought my Sierra Designs Lightning 2 ultralight Tent back in 2007. The lightweight tent accompanied me on quite a few adventures from trekking in the high himalayas to touring around Ladakh. It performed flawlessly in all kinds of weather.. cold, wet and windy.

After a few years, i noticed that the seam sealing on the underside of the tent had started to peel off. And the tent started leaking in wet conditions.Â So it wasÂ imperativeÂ that i fix the tent before my next trip.

After a bit of research, i ordered the McNett water based seam sealer from Amazon and asked one of my friends to carry it for me from the US (to India). Here are my impressions using the seam sealer to fix my tent.

First i vigorously rubbed off the old peeling sealant coating on my tent using a wet rag and then let it dry.
I did one more round of cleaning before applying the seam sealant.
Applying the sealant was easy. The applicator brush is nicely designed and is about the same width as seam stitching on my tent.
The water based sealant flows nicely from the tube (it tends to drip if you are not careful). It is translucent white initially (letting clearly see where you have applied the sealant and where you missed it) and becomes transparent once its dries up.
Once the initial coating dried up (takes around 3 to 4 hours). I added one more layer just to be safe.
After use, you can just clean the brush with running water from a tap and let it dry.

So, applying the sealant was easy and my tent is now seam sealed. I've not used the tent yet on a trip, so i dont know how well the new sealing will hold up in the wet conditions. I'll update this review once i go on a wet trip and then add another star to the rating if the tent holds up well in the rain.

Zeiss 50mm f1.4 Planar focus shift issue. Understand and avoid it

Saravana@kettik.com (Saravana Kumar) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 13:09:41 +0000

Anyone buying the Zeiss 50mm f1.4 Planar (ZE, ZF, C/Y) should be aware of its Focus Shift issue. It is a well documented issue with this lens (and several others like the Canon 50 f1.2 L, Zeiss 85mm f1.4 etc) which can render this lens pretty much unusable for closeup shots. Fortunately with the right technique and a little bit of practice this issue can be mitigated easily.

Focus Shift Explained :
So what is this focus shift issue exactly ? Basically it means that means that that lens's focus shifts as you stop down. Normally (with any lens) you will focus with the aperture wide open and then while pressing the shutter the camera will stop down the lens to its desired aperture value to take the shot. But sometimes (with some lenses) stopping down shifts the focus to a different point resulting in an Out Of Focus (OOF) shot.

In the above example, the left image shows the desired focus (without any shift) and the right image shows the result of focus shift when the shutter is pressed.

The focus shift issue is reduced if your subject is far away or if you use smaller apertures with larger DOF to compensate for the focal shift. So that means that if you shoot closeup and with larger apertures (f2.0, 2.8, 3.2... etc) and focus through the viewfinder or through liveview then you might end up getting an OOF shot. Ofcourse there will not be any focus shift while shooting wide open.

So while this lens was brilliant for landscapes, i found myself unable to take any good closeup pictures with it. This was a real let down for me and i went as far as deciding to sell off this lens and buy the Zeiss 50mm f2.0 Makro Planar which does not exhibit this focus shift (and costs about double the price).

Fortunately i came across some good advice which helped me mitigate the focus shift issue with the lens and now i'am really happy with the closeup shots im getting with this lens.

Method 1 : Use the DOF preview button (Viewfinder Focussing) :

The DOF (Depth of Field) preview button is used to stop down the lens to the selected aperture value, showing you a preview of how the final image would look like. So by focussing your lens with the DOF preview button pressed you can easily avoid the focus shift issue.

Depending on the handling of your lens, it might be a cumbersome process to hold the camera steady, press the DOF preview button and turn the focus ring at the same time. Fortunately the Zeiss 50mm f1.4 ZE has a buttery smooth focus ring which can be easily turned using just a single finger. I hold the camera in my right hand, cup the lens using my left hand with my left thumb pressing the DOF preview button and my left middle finger operating the focus ring. It is a pretty straight forward process and you'll get the hang of it after a few times.

Tip : Stopping down the lens makes the viewfinder darker making it difficult to focus. So i start focussing with the lens wide open, then when i find my focal point i press the DOF preview button and make the necessary fine adjustments to nail the focus while stopped down. This method works like a charm every time.

Method 2 : Live view Focussing - Use the DOF preview button or use Still + Movie mode:

If you like shooting through live view, then things get a bit easier. There are 2 options here.

Use the DOF preview button : You can press the DOF preview button to stop down the lens and adjust the focus accordingly. But there is a possibility that sometimes you might forget to do this and end up with a OOF shot.
Use Still + Movie mode in Live view : By setting the Live View mode to Still + Movie (with the screen setting option selected as Movie Display) we can ensure that the lens is always stopped down to the selected aperture level while in the Live view mode.

If your camera supports this feature, then you should definitely shoot with the Still + Movie mode setting enabled.

Method 3 : Use AF micro adjustment (Viewfinder Focussing): Canon cameras which support AF micro adjustment can register the AF adjustment settings for ZE lenses. So if you are comfortable with the AF micro adjustment feature then you test your lens using a focal chart and set its AF micro adjustment value accordingly.

WARNING: I'am not sure if the AF micro adjustment will work for multiple aperture values. I.e if the focus shift varies for different apertures then we cannot use AF micro adjustment to cover all of them. I personally am not comfortable with this and i prefer using the DOF preview button while focussing through the view finder.

The below image shows a series of crops from the images i took while focussing through the viewfinder before and after using the DOF preview button for focussing. It makes a world of difference and i do not worry about focus shift from the Zeiss 50mm f1.4 Planar anymore.

So to wrap up, it is definitely possible to mitigate the focus shift issue with the Zeiss 50mm f1.4 Planar by using the right techniques. So do not let this discourage you from buying this wonderful lens, its performance is exceptional for landscapes and when the right techniques are used, it can be pretty great for closeups as well.

Zeiss 50mm f1.4 ZE real world travel and landscape image samples

Saravana@kettik.com (Saravana Kumar) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:05:31 +0000

Back in 2009 i bought in to the hype surrounding the Zeiss lenses and purchased the Zeiss 50mm f1.4 ZE lens. This little lens easily exceeded my expectations with its image quality, color rendition and sharpness across the field that it quickly replaced the Canon 24-105 f4L as my primary travel and walk around lens.

At first i was a bit circumspect about getting a fully manual focus lens, but over time i've actually grown to enjoy it more and i find that i get better focus and more keepers with my manual focus lenses than my auto focus (AF) lenses. Ofcourse, for moving subjects i still prefer to use the AF lenses but in all other scenarios (probably 90% of my photography subjects) the manual focus works just fine for me.

The most impressive aspect of this lens is its sharpness across the frame (from apertures f2.8 and above). I've been consistently blown away by how sharp my images are, even in the handheld images. Instead of just talking about it, i want to show you a few sample images from my travels which exemplify how good this lens really is.

All the below pictures are shot using the Canon 5D mark ii camera. The 21 megapixel full frame images demand a lot of resolution from the lenses and any flaw in the lens will be easily apparent. The Zeiss 50mm passes the full frame 21MP test with flying colors.

Note : Most of these images were shot RAW, imported to Lightroom, had some level adjustments done and then exported back as JPEGs. No special processing has been done to improve their sharpness.

First impressions review of Acratech GP-s Ballhead vs Benro J0..

Saravana@kettik.com (Saravana Kumar) — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 07:10:38 +0000

As a backpacking adventure travel photography enthusiast, i've realized over the years that having the right equipment matters, especially in extreme conditions i frequently find myself in.

Take my tripod setup for example. For the past few years, i've been using a Benro Travel Angel tripod and a Benro J0 ballhead. This light setup was perfect for me during the initial days. But the moment i stepped out of my 'normal' environment and went somewhere a bit extreme, like a night out on the Great wall in late November for instance, the equipment began showing its shortcomings. And these shortcomings were only amplified as time went on.

I'll highlight some of the complaints with the Benro J0 ballhead here. The shortcomings listed here will apply to similar ballheads like the Markins Q3 as well.

Exhibits the tiniest bit of creep immediately after locking the ballhead. The camera shifts by a millimeter or so after tightening the knobs and then stay put. This might be due to my technique but i'am not quite sure how to avoid it. Just to be clear though, after the initial movement the camera stays locked in place and there is no subsequent creep.
The tiny friction knob can be operated only by pressing the naked finger against it and using the pressure to turn it either way. As a result the friction knob cannot be operated while wearing gloves.
All the knobs have sharp rubber grooves on them, which is great for traction in normal climates. But in the cold they cut against your numb fingers even while wearing gloves.
The main knob cannot be loosed when the friction knob is tightened.

Because of the reasons stated above, i sometimes end up preferring not to go through the trouble of setting up the ballhead and instead use the camera handheld. This defeats the whole purpose of carrying my tripod with me in the first place.

So my ideal tripod and ballhead setup would be one which i can use in any climatic conditions (while wearing gloves), sturdy without exhibiting any creep, lightweight and most of all quick and easy to operate.

Acratech GP-s Design and Ergonomics :

My search for the ultimate travel tripod head ends with the Acratech GP-s ballhead. This is without doubt the most impressive addition to my photography kit this year, even the legendary Zeiss 21mm ZE had to take a backseat in the impressiveness meter.

On opening the box, i was immediately struck by the design and the finish of the ballhead. Made of aircraft grade aluminium (whatever that is) the ballhead is light for its size (weighs about 400g). Infact the weight difference between the Benro J0 and the Acratech GP-s is less than 50g (although the GP-s looks like its almost double the size). Its exciting to have this much additional functionality without any significant increase in weight.

Its large rubber knobs easily address the complaint i had with my older ballhead. Its Gimbal feature can easily support loads upto 25lbs (11.4kg) and lenses of upto 400mm focal length. This alone would've convinced me to buy this ballhead but as a bonus it also works as a panoramic head (when turned upside down) thus eliminating the need to carry a separate expensive panoramic leveling head.

I was also impressed by its open ball design (the ball is not placed inside a cup) which allows dirt and moisture to fall through and not get caught like the other ball heads. Less care and maintenance requirement is always a good sign for me.

Trekkers guide to the Yuksom - Dzongri - Gochela trek

Saravana@kettik.com (Saravana Kumar) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 10:33:11 +0000

The Yuksom - GoeCha La trek in Western Sikkim takes you right under the shadow of the mighty Kanchendzonga, the 3'rd highest mountain in the world. This 7-8 day trek, is one of the more remote and stunning treks in India, taking one through forests of Rhododendron and valleys covered withÂ lichenÂ and moss, offering numerous birdingÂ opportunitiesÂ and encounters with herds of Bharal or Blue mountain sheep and not to mention the stunning vistas of some of the highest mountains in the world.

Kanwar yatra : The march of a million faithful..

Saravana@kettik.com (Saravana Kumar) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 10:30:52 +0000

Every year, during the monsoon months of July and August, the roads and highways of North India will be bathed in saffron by millions of pilgrims undertaking the Kanwar Yatra. This is a story of the Yatra, the Yatris and of me hiking, cycling and walking in their midst.

palace under renovation, not much to see inside but great views of the valley

Saravana@kettik.com (Saravana Kumar) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 19:23:20 +0000

The Shey palace is pretty impossible to miss when you are driving on the road out of Leh (towards Manali).

For me personally, the best part about visiting Shey is the expanded view of the valley and its villages. From one of the vantage points (a little up the hill above the palace) you can spot the Thiksey, Stakna, Matho and Spituk monasteries. Goes to show how important this vantage point is and it is no wonder that the ancient kings of Ladakh built their capital there.