Photographic Equipment and Excursions
Apr 3rd, 2013, 04:50 PM
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Photographic Equipment and Excursions
We are taking our first trip to Alaska in June with 5 day land package (Denali/McKinley) before the 7 day cruise south to Vancouver. I have a large camera backpack that holds
a DSLR, 3 lenses and a flash. It is heavy but I don't mind the extra weight. Still I wonder about excursions to glaciers, flyovers, whale watching, etc.and schlepping the big bag with me in wet conditions vs. getting a high end point and shoot and leaving the big camera at home or back on the ship. Has any other amateur photog taken the big bag only to regret not traveling lighter?
Jim
a DSLR, 3 lenses and a flash. It is heavy but I don't mind the extra weight. Still I wonder about excursions to glaciers, flyovers, whale watching, etc.and schlepping the big bag with me in wet conditions vs. getting a high end point and shoot and leaving the big camera at home or back on the ship. Has any other amateur photog taken the big bag only to regret not traveling lighter?
Jim
Apr 4th, 2013, 03:21 AM
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Based on personal experience, the extra equipment didn't help on flight seeing and whale watching excursions. Everything happened so fast that you will not have time to change lens. You barely have time to catch what's happening, let alone trying to take decent pictures.
I don't carry the extra stuff on the excursion. They are in my cabin. I plan the equipemnt based on what are my primary shots and pre-equip myself.
Example: for whale watching (bear and bald eagle etc) I need a decent zoom to bring the wildlife up close. So I armed myself with a 75-300 zoom. There are probably shots that I would want to take with a much wider lens but it is only secondary. So I carry a high quality hybrid (SLR like) point and shoot handy to take my secondary shots plus the hybrid point and shoot also offers HD video. Can't go cheap on your point and shoot though. Also remember that you are taking shots on a moving vessel (be it seaplane or boat). Steady hands and fast IS helps.
The one feature that really helped me was a fast burst rate on my camera.
I now use a 28-200. It's my all purpose cheater travel lens. Wide enough and long enough for most shots. It works not too badly but I am missing the range (to 300) to bring my objects closer. (Note: I use a 400 fix on land for distance shots.)
This is what I pack now:
1 SLR with 28-200 and 10-22, no flash
and 1 of the following Canon point and shoots:
either Canon G15 for its quick f1.8-f2.8 (ok 28-140 zoom)
or Canon SX40 for its 24-840 zoom range (ok f2.7-f5.8)
Protect your gears. You will get wet. Less things to carry means less things to protect. We have been to Alaska a few times. It rained every day on our last Alaska trip in 2010. We are planning to be back this summer again and maybe we might get some sun.
Alaska is wet. You will have 2/3 chance of cloud/rain/mist. Check the weather forecast.
Good luck!
I don't carry the extra stuff on the excursion. They are in my cabin. I plan the equipemnt based on what are my primary shots and pre-equip myself.
Example: for whale watching (bear and bald eagle etc) I need a decent zoom to bring the wildlife up close. So I armed myself with a 75-300 zoom. There are probably shots that I would want to take with a much wider lens but it is only secondary. So I carry a high quality hybrid (SLR like) point and shoot handy to take my secondary shots plus the hybrid point and shoot also offers HD video. Can't go cheap on your point and shoot though. Also remember that you are taking shots on a moving vessel (be it seaplane or boat). Steady hands and fast IS helps.
The one feature that really helped me was a fast burst rate on my camera.
I now use a 28-200. It's my all purpose cheater travel lens. Wide enough and long enough for most shots. It works not too badly but I am missing the range (to 300) to bring my objects closer. (Note: I use a 400 fix on land for distance shots.)
This is what I pack now:
1 SLR with 28-200 and 10-22, no flash
and 1 of the following Canon point and shoots:
either Canon G15 for its quick f1.8-f2.8 (ok 28-140 zoom)
or Canon SX40 for its 24-840 zoom range (ok f2.7-f5.8)
Protect your gears. You will get wet. Less things to carry means less things to protect. We have been to Alaska a few times. It rained every day on our last Alaska trip in 2010. We are planning to be back this summer again and maybe we might get some sun.
Alaska is wet. You will have 2/3 chance of cloud/rain/mist. Check the weather forecast.
Good luck!
Apr 4th, 2013, 03:45 AM
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BTW. Forget to mention this: get a clear shower caps. They came in handy to keep your camera dry while you try to take pictures in the rain. Tape the shower cap opening to the lens hood. Unelss you are pointing the camera directly into the rain, your lens should not get too wet.
Apr 14th, 2013, 02:09 AM
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Hubs is a keen photographer. He always travels too light and is sorry.
One funny... on a Nile Cruise we saw a couple a few times and each time they were having stern words. The next day the husband approached us and said..."I saw your camera, you wouldn't happen to have a Nikon blah, blah charger?". The man said he had asked everyone on the shop and nobody had one. He said I am on the trip of my dreams and cannot take any photos!! He said he blamed his wife for not packing it, and he said that the wife told him she blamed him as it was his camera staff. Hubby went to our room, got the charger and gave it to him. He didn't bother asking him what room he was in or what was his name. Hubby said "he's on a ship, I'll find him". About an hour later he returned to us on the deck with a fabulous telephoto lens and asked if we wanted to borrow it and check it out as it was just new. Hubby borrowed it, loved it, returned it and then bought that particular lens on the holiday!!
One funny... on a Nile Cruise we saw a couple a few times and each time they were having stern words. The next day the husband approached us and said..."I saw your camera, you wouldn't happen to have a Nikon blah, blah charger?". The man said he had asked everyone on the shop and nobody had one. He said I am on the trip of my dreams and cannot take any photos!! He said he blamed his wife for not packing it, and he said that the wife told him she blamed him as it was his camera staff. Hubby went to our room, got the charger and gave it to him. He didn't bother asking him what room he was in or what was his name. Hubby said "he's on a ship, I'll find him". About an hour later he returned to us on the deck with a fabulous telephoto lens and asked if we wanted to borrow it and check it out as it was just new. Hubby borrowed it, loved it, returned it and then bought that particular lens on the holiday!!
