Canoeing in the North: what lens?

I need some advice from outdoors photographers here. I'm headed out of on a 4-day canoeing trip (in the Temagami region, for the Canadians out there) next week and would like to bring my new K100D with me. The hilly heavily forested terrain with lots of water will be really pretty. The only lens I have are an M50/1.7 and the kit 18-55. The prime will be nice for the more "intimate" shots and snapshots of our daily lives, but I expect to be using the wider zoom a lot, since there will be lots of opportunities for cool wide views.

I am on a budget and can't afford a dedicated wide-angle lens, but I was thinking about picking up a cheap 28mm lens for better quality "widish" shots. Would it be worth it for this sort of application, or should I just save the money for now and stick use the kit lens, borrow a tripod, and maybe get a polarizing filter?

Strongly off-topic but still: Pentax has wonderful weatherproof/waterproof compact W series cams (guaranteed up to 1.5m/5 ft of diving)- and they cost a fraction of Your gear- and take the same SD card etc.- worth a try and noone will be blamed afterwards... And IMHO in such heavy conditions You do not gain (virtually) from SLR usage- and if then keep it in waterproof bag and shoot in safe conditions!

That would be my best guess not to wreck Your precious/lovely ONE!

Best, JR

28mm is not wide on a DSLR - more of a standard. I would spend the money on something like a EWA-Marine waterproof bag. A polariser could be very useful with all that reflective water and those big skies but isn't that cheap - you can get a good second hand 28mm for much less than the polariser!

--
Steve

http://www.pbase.com/steephill

I use my A28/2.8 a lot for outdoor shots and really enjoy the results and the feel of it. I think of it as a versatile lens, sort of like my 55/1.8 was on the film K1000.

Early morning, late evening, forested areas, you're looking at a lot of low light situations with great opportunities.

At F2.8, a 28mm lens offers pretty large depth of field (about 25 feet to infinity) when focused at around 45 feet, or pretty small depth of field of about 1 foot when focused at 5 feet. Keep this in mind - if you want to have sharp elements from 5 feet to infinity in the evening you may need to stop down and use a tripod, or SR+high ISO. But if you are in a canoe, SR may not work well.

I've sometimes been disappointed with the 18-55 distortion and CA, but if I spent a little more effort with post processing I would probably be fine with it. However I tend to just use the primes most of the time. I just like them.

I'd second the usefulness of a polarizer - it's a great tool for making the best of the light you get - especially when water is involved. Also, the kit lens is really pretty respectable in the middle of its zoom range, so a cheap 28 might not buy you all that much more quality for landscape-type stuff (for shallow DOF or bokeh perhaps, but that's generally not so relevant for landscape).

I agree with respect to the EWA bag. I have taken my cams to the beach in watertight bags with some silica gel. Why dont you take a P&S instead? Maybe a Fuji F30 or a Casio Z750 with Mpeg4 video You will also be more carefree that way

steephill said:

28mm is not wide on a DSLR - more of a standard. I would spend the
money on something like a EWA-Marine waterproof bag.

Click to expand...

I'm planning to go one step further and get a small Pelican case - a bit more $, but it buys some piece of mind.

debo said:

Why dont you take a
P&S instead? Maybe a Fuji F30 or a Casio Z750 with Mpeg4 video
You will also be more carefree that way

Click to expand...

Unfortunately I don't have a P&S (the Optio W10 that was mentioned would be a nice option). All I have is an old Nikon film P&S, which doesn't take good pictures any more.

We won't be running any whitewater and it's too early for snow (hopefully - so as long as I'm cautious taking pictures from the water and don't shoot in the rain, the camera should be OK. No one else will be allowed to touch it so that I'll have no one to blame but myself if things go awry.

When i'm in a canoe with my camera i just put the camera bag in a big waterproof bag (the style they use on Kayak).When i want to shoot i just get my camera out and put it back when i'm finished.I have use my FA135mm to shoot some ducks ,when in a canoe you can get quite close to wildlife.I would not spent money for the 28mm since it's already cover by your zoom,the zoom will be better because you can frame better with it,with the prime you will have to move the canoe closer are farther to get the picture right!

leopold
pentax forever

Here is Common Merganser taken from a canoe.

Z1p,FA135mm,velvia

leopold
pentax forever

...is a good way to store the camera on the water. Much faster access than from a waterproof bag. I love these cases.

I wouldn't hesitate to use the kit lens - you're going to have plenty of light most of the times. Just be aware of its vignetting with the hood at the wide end. Pol. filter....yes, but I wouldn't use it before you tried it out and feel comfortable with the results. Hard to fix later.

If you had a longer lens, that would be nice to have too to get some closer ups from birds and such.

Have fun!!

Holger

dnktn said:

dnktn said:

28mm is not wide on a DSLR - more of a standard. I would spend the
money on something like a EWA-Marine waterproof bag.

Click to expand...

I'm planning to go one step further and get a small Pelican case -
a bit more $, but it buys some piece of mind.

Click to expand...

dnktn said:

I need some advice from outdoors photographers here. I'm headed out
of on a 4-day canoeing trip (in the Temagami region, for the
Canadians out there) next week and would like to bring my new K100D
with me. The hilly heavily forested terrain with lots of water will
be really pretty. The only lens I have are an M50/1.7 and the kit
18-55. The prime will be nice for the more "intimate" shots and
snapshots of our daily lives, but I expect to be using the wider
zoom a lot, since there will be lots of opportunities for cool wide
views.

Click to expand...

30 years ago I was doing the same as you, off to the North Maine Woods, canoe camping, and even some white water in 6 man rafts. Used a waterproof bag and took my old Spotmatic II with multiple lenses. Today I can sit back and enjoy slides that are beautiful and bring back many memories. Although I would be nervous today about taking my precious and expensive gear on such a trip, I have to reflect back to what I did years ago and just say, it was worth the risk and the slides and memories I have today are priceless. I don't remember all the lenses that I took back then but I do remember taking many landscapes/lakescapes? many river shots, campfire shots, fishing shots, and lying on the ground to do macros of bees on flowers etc. I probably took everything I had except perhaps my old 300 due to size.

Today I would take a W-10 or W-20. Don't have one yet but seriously thinking about getting one. (See the following link: http://www.pentaximaging.com/products/product_features/digital_camera--Optio_W20/reqID--8356288/subsection--optio

I hesitate to advise on lenses because it is so personel. Everyone will have an opinion and they all have validity.

Just keep the gear dry and have a great time. Looking forward to the images you post when you get back.

Be well,

AZ

dnktn said:

I am on a budget and can't afford a dedicated wide-angle lens, but
I was thinking about picking up a cheap 28mm lens for better
quality "widish" shots. Would it be worth it for this sort of
application, or should I just save the money for now and stick use
the kit lens, borrow a tripod, and maybe get a polarizing filter?

Click to expand...

--

'There is an art, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.'Douglas Adams'



Its a start: http://www.pbase.com/frumsimchasphoto

While the 28 would be a better lens I'd be terrified of doing a lot of lens changing in a canoe. I'd also stick with the kit lens. Personally I think you will miss a lot of shots because you lack a long lens. I'd suggest one of the 300mm zooms. While not the best they are low budget items.
--
Indian Springs, Nevada USA