camera/Lens size for Bear Viewing
 

We are booked at both Brooks Falls and Hallow Bay Bear Camp for bear viewing in 2011. For anyone who has been there what size lens is the best. We have several zoom lenses & teleconverters (Nikon 200-400mm, 70-200mm, 1.4 tc, 2.0 tc) and I know that the bear viewing is close. Is there an ideal lens?

200-400 f/4 VR (if that's what you have) is probably perfect (I'm a Canon user and only wish Canon had something this good). 70-200 is a nice 2nd lens for landscapes etc, or for when a bear gets really really close.

<b>I know that the bear viewing is close</b>

I've been to both Brooks (several times) and Hallo Bay (fall) and basically at Brooks you can use all the focal length you can carry (I usually used a 500 mm w/ 1.4x t/c). You are supposed to stay at least 50 yards from single bears and 100 yards from moms with cubs except for when the bears approach the platforms. Occasionally while walking the trails you'll find yourself very close to bears but you are not supposed to tarry and photograph them at leisure at close range. Instead you are supposed to move quietly off. So you'll be close at times, but can't stay close to shoot without getting a warning or ticket from the Rangers.

At Hallo Bay, again having a long lens is very useful (probably your 200-400 with the 1.4x) as much of the time the bears are a ways off. However sometimes these bears will walk right up to you, within a few yards, and the 70-200 will be enough.

FWIW, as a Canon shooter my ideal gear would be 500 f/4 IS, 300 f/2.8 IS and 70-200 f/4 IS, but I had trouble flying with and carrying all of this plus a heavy tripod with Wimberly pivot head, two pro bodies, etc etc. For Nikon shooters the 200-400 and a 500 or 600 f/4 would be perfect, but the 200-400 VR is the most versatile all-around weapon, with f/4 speed and excellent image quality. So what you have is very good.

Thanks Bill. Since both my husband and I both have Nikons we have the advantage of using different lenses at the same time. My husband wants to get a 600mm so he may use the 600mm and I use the 200-400. Then we can keep the 70-200 with us in case we need to make a quick switch. We just got back from Yellowstone and each of us had a backpack with all our camera gear, put the wimberly head in a carry on bag and the tripods were in our checked bag. Even on the small commuter plane to Bozeman we were able to keep the backpacks in the above seat storeage.

You guys should be set, with a 600 VR and the 200-400 VR ... as I remember it, the weight limit for the flight to Hallo Bay was 250 # per person (including all your gear) and to Brooks it was 75 # of gear plus your body weight, with excess gear charged a set fee and possibly not arriving on the same flight.

Yes, we may arrive with the clothes on our back and just the camera gear if that is what it takes :)

I agree with the advice above but I'd also take one wider angle lens. For my Canon, I have a 17-55mm and make a lot of use of it the landscapes, glaciers, lakes, and etc.