n On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:51:12 -0400, Indrek Aavisto wrote:

I am planning a visit to Duxford.

Can anyone advise me about the lighting conditions at the museum? I do
have
a tripod, but it is quite heavy, and the airlines have some pretty low
baggage weight limits. That being the case I am considering leaving
the
tripod at home. Hand held, I can probably get down to about 1/30
second
exposure without a lot of blur due to camera shake.

Thanks,

Indrek Aavisto

n My experience was that lighting levels weren't problem. What was a
n problem was 'planes crammed in, with little room to stand back & get
n a
n good shot. Parts of the museum are darker - such as around the SR 71
n and
n Phantom in the US Airforce hangar - but even then a 'standard' camera
n should be able to get a reasonable shot. I haven't been since they
n opened
n the British aviation hangar, where the TSR 2 & Sunderland are
n located.

n Assuming you'll be in London you can add the RAF Museum at Hendon
n (free
n entry; Duxford is not free) to your list - several of the halls there
n *are* dark, but you might be better off taking a good flash unit than
n a
n tripod. The Imperial War Museum (no idea if it is free - it wasn't
n when I
n last visited, but that was before museums were generally made free)
n in
n ?Elephant & Castle? has a few aircraft, as does the Science Museum in
n Kensington (free entry, but an imposing presence to encourage
n 'voluntary'
n donations); and within 'easy' reach of Duxford is Shuttleworth (but
n I've
n never been there).

n Travel within the UK isn't cheap, whether by European or US
n standards.
n Petrol is also relatively expensive, at c. £1 a litre.

Thanks for the info.

Yes, I will be making a visit to Hendon as well as to Duxford. My brother
assures me it is well worth the trip. We went to the Imperial War Museum a
couple of years ago, and it was free admission at that time. I have not been
to the Science Museum for over 40 years. If I have time I may pop in for a
visit.

I don't know how people survive in the UK. The prices for most things are
essentially double those in North America. I imagine they keep their credit
cards well greased. :-))

Cheers,

Indrek Aavisto


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