Camera Tips

Buy several lead lined bags for film. China’s airport X-ray machines are about 10 times more powerful than the ones in the U.S. I used three bags to carry film over and as I shot film, I marked them by roll numbers and stacked the exposed film in an extra lead bag for safety.

Take plenty of business cards and if you have time, find a local printer who will print your card in Chinese on the opposite side. The Chinese love to exchange business cards, in fact that is the first thing they do when you are greeted.

Be sure to take along spare batteries and plenty of film. You may not be able to get the same type of film in China, especially in the inland cities located away from the coast. As for camera repairs and processing, there are no labs in China that can process Kodachrome. Film would have to be shipped to Japan or Hong Kong. Camera repairs also. Plan on packing your film back home for processing.

You’ll want to have extra cameras, zoom lens, and wide angle lens for shooting tight shots inside temples. Also take Tungsten and high speed films for theater pictures with flash.

A good portable water filter can be tucked away in your camera bags and is useful if you plan on climbing Mount Tai or going to remote areas to shoot pictures.

Good Luck and I hope you have as much fun focusing on China as we did