Costa Rica issues?

I have a trip planned for Costa Rica, early january, 2011, and I am wondering if anyone has had problems in the damp rainforests, weather related problems with equipment? Any suggestions on what to bring over and above my lowpro mini road runner? Also, will I get that on a plane these days??

leaving from Toronto, or Buffalo.

Also, some recent images...

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thanks for the help.
--
My home base... http://www.raymondbarlow.com/

Beautiful birds, as usual, have a good trip and watch out from hidden panthers, , Peter
--
http://www.pbase.com/peter55/galleries

Ray,

I know you are very experienced and excellent photographer with some nice gear too. I don't know if you have been to Costa Rica before but here are a few tips from my experience there last year.

There are two issues to deal with:

Weather:

When I went it was mid summer (june/july) and it was very wet, especially in the Monteverde cloud forest. I dealt with it using an army poncho from a surplus store. For me these work a treat as you can cover you the pack and any cameras you are wearing/holding at the time. I actually hiked around the forests with a D80 and fast 35mm around my neck to deal with scenic and plant shots in the low light and D300 rigged for macro with a bracket mounted SB800. The stuff got very wet as I often had to shoot in the rain, but each evening I aired the pack in my room, wiped off the kit with microfibre cloths and then repacked it with some silica gel packs. None of the camera bodies, flash or lenses gave any problems at all. When you go it should be drier but will almost certainly rain at times.

Take some sturdy boots too as the ground can be uneven and muddy and the paths were steep in the mountains.

Theft:

In most quiet areas out of big cities we never felt it was an issue, but on public transport and in San Jose...different world! If you use public transport never place your bag on the floor or a shelf...keep it on your lap and never fall asleep. Gangs of very unsavoury types were on some of our buses and continually eyeing up all the gear and your level of attention. I would have expected some to be prepared to use violence to get what they wanted so I was very pumped up ready to strike back and found the trips somewhat stressful. As we approached San Jose on the way back from Monteverde the locals were stripping themselves of watches, jewelery and anything remotely valuable and pocketing it before leaving the bus! The bus station is in a no-go area full of drunks and desperados...never walk from there or hang around there....get a taxi out straight away.

If you have a lot of nice gear, which I know you have, relax and pay up for a mini taxi van instead to take you to your destinations. You may already be booked on a package with transport included, which is the best idea. If you were adventure travelling with nothing valuable then the buses would be fine, but with nice kit I'd skip it! Its miles better than most central american countries but still has its issues, especially around San Jose.

I would highly recommend Monteverde for its amazing forest, wildlife and plants. There were amazing bugs (especially spiders) plus lots of birds. There is a cafe with hummingbird feeders where dozens of them literally buzz around your ears. I can highly recommend the Arco Iris Lodge in Santa Elena, for its clean, unfussy rooms and friendliness, plus the chance of shooting birds from your balcony.

I don't have any experience with the bag you mention. Unless the airline has a size but no weight restriction on cabin bags I would say your biggest issue would be weight with the 200-400 lens etc. I took a Lowepro Flipside 400 with D80, D300, 35 F1.8, Tokina 12-24, Sigma 105 macro, Nikon 70-300VR, SB 800 and various accessories. This came in at about 8 kilos and was within bag size for carry-on. I didn't take more exotic kit as I knew I would be using public transport and had to take all my diving gear for the amazing Cocos trip. Play safe and check with them before you pack.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11444813@N03/sets/72157620958564415/

Hope this helps a bit,

Enjoy,

Cliff

--
Where can I buy some natural artistic ability?!

Some really good advice above. The one thing I will add, before going there several years ago I got a Think Tank belt and set of cases. These come with rain covers. I was very happy with these because often I'd get some rain, have to cover up, then it will clear up for a short time, and so on. So with this set up I cound it easy to get things out between showers. The Think Tank camera case was big enough to shash a pro camera with 70-200 attached, probably not 200-400 (I'd be happy to try it out if someone wants to send me one!).

Very nice captures, you should be in heaven there. These don't compare to yours, but . . .







BTW, I don't doubt the big city stories (didn't spend time there), but my experience with Costa Ricans was fantastic. Friendly, knowledgable, well educated, great people.

Enjoy.
--
Rick L
http://www.pbase.com/ricklawrence/root

A friend who follows vour work asked me to suggest a place for you to visit:

Resplendent Quetzal

No self respecting birder's life book can be without the Resplendent Quetzal;
and there is no place where you are more certain to see them than at Albergue
Mirador De Quetzales, also known as Finca Eddie Serrano, which is high in the
Talamanca Mountains just a couple of hours South of Atenas.

On a recent trip I got this photo of a male when only about 20 minutes on a not

too difficult trail from the office/dining area. (At the end of this article is a really good photo taken by Dennis Jones a week later.)

To get to the Alburgue you take an easy drive on the new road bypassing San Jose and connecting with the beltway to Cartago, and then continue down the InterAmerican Highway to Km marker 70 where you turn West and go about a kilometer. They have A frame cabinas for rent for $45 per person including dinner, breakfast and a guided tour. During the early morning walk you WILL see a Quetzal and lots of other birds,flowers and vistas present themselves to your camera.

But the image to the right what you
want to get. Dennis is a world class
photographer and you can see more of
his work at

http://www.dreamcatcherimaging.com

(The photos did not transfer but they were pale images of your great birds.)

s/ martin

What lens were you using?
Regards,
Sol

Hey Ray

Great series of birds, well done. I must say, though, that the last two images just don't look as good as the rest. There's some fuzzyness around the eyes of the subjects that the others lack.

There's been a recent thread (today or yesterday) by a guy whose D3s went down in Malaysian (I think) rainforest due to humidity (apparently). May want to do a quick search for that thread.

Thanks so much for all of the advice!

Peter,, thanks as always, and also for your help!!

Cliff.. Awesome images, wow!! What a trip! I am so concerned about my lowepro.. I have done a lot of traveling in the past with it, but nothing in the last 2 years., I will check with the airline.

Regarding my logistics, I am hosting a tour, and i can't say much more than that in here, as you can well imagine. I was in CR late 2006, but the north east coast, which was very dry, 0 rain.

Rick., I have shot in the rain around here, and I do really enjoy this type of shooting.. I only had the cheap (3 dollar) sleeves that you slip over the gear, and they seemed to work fine, but as you know, the rain doesn't last forever, and the humidity goes away!! I sure do not want to come home with my equipment ready for the junk pile!

Thanks for the help!

Martin.. we have an established itinerary, and I will check to see if Resplendent Quetzal is available... I hope so!!

Solomon.. 200-400 VR.. thanks!!

Gold Ring .. these are images I took in Dec 2006., I thought they looked ok, but they were shot and edited way back on the curve!

Take care ... I really appreciate the help.

--
My home base... http://www.raymondbarlow.com/

I had a wonderful experience in Costa Rica back in 2004. We rented a four wheel drive SUV and drove over half the country on our trip.San Jose is like any other big city - use common sense and avoid tough neighborhoods and situations. While traveling to and visiting natural areas I felt quite safe the entire time.

Ticos have a well-deserved reputation for being laid back and pleasant. We had no bad experiences the entire trip, other than a few pathetic American middle aged guys who picked up some young prostitutes and happened to be staying in our hotel - a high end eco resort - strange place to have chosen for their type of activities. They were pleasant, but obviously married and sneaking around on their wives. Yuck.

The birding is phenomenal; Costa Rica is like a huge open air zoo teeming with exotic flora and fauna. You'll have an incredible time.

If you've never used your photo gear in a humid tropical environment, you should educate yourself on proper acclimatization of gear when transitioning from air conditioned hotels and cars into the open outdoor air. You have to gradually expose the gear to the greater humidity or you will fog your lenses and sensors. If this happens you'll lose time and get stressed waiting for your gear to defog.

My quetzal story:

During the last two days of our trip, we stayed at Sagres Nature Lodge, essentially a birder's eco lodge up in the mountains - it's around 7000 feet, if I recall correctly. The front desk person, who only spoke Spanish, told us we'd likely see a quetzal if we walked down a particular path just outside our room. My wife speaks a little Spanish and had some trouble understanding the specifics of what the fellow was telling us.

The next day we found the path and walked at least a mile down it, looking for quetzals. We didn't see a quetzal, but viewed a lot of other interesting birds, and at the end of the day we told the front desk we never saw the quetzal. The guy asked us how far down the path we walked and we told him a mile or so. He was aghast and said that the quetzal nest site he was speaking about was fifty yards from the beginning of the trail. We felt like idiots but had a good workout and great day anyway.

Sounds like you had a very cool and fun filled trip., thanks for the advice!!

I have been to the Philippines many times (9), so I do know what you mean about humidity. I am concerned about the rain... my local guide Greg Basco will send me some info also, before we get things ready to head south...

take care., and please post some images!

--
My home base... http://www.raymondbarlow.com/

Have you seen Bobby Handal's posts? He lives in Costa Rica, and he posts a lot of shots, many taken with the 500vr. He knows his stuff. If I recall correctly, he mentioned that birds there can be tough - hiding in the jungle, wary (hard to get close to), and the lighting in the jungle is often dim. (Perhaps a Better Beamer would be useful?)

I've been there briefly a couple of times. Wonderful place. (Head and shoulders above Nicaragua, for sure!)

I know Bobby, and I am pretty sure he is in Honduras., I am still hoping to go down for a visit.

I am not into flash photography at all, so this trip will be interesting.

thanks!
--
My home base... http://www.raymondbarlow.com/

Raymond, I never been in Costa Rica, but I live few miles north in Belize, conditions are the same. January is the beginning of the 'dry' season, you should experience very little rain if any, but take an umbrella with you. In the forest humidity will be around 70%, this is not a problem for the equipment, it will be for you accustomed to the Canadian dry weather.

As much as I dislike tripods bring one with a Wimberley head or similar, I know you have a 200-400, better if you carry a 500 with 1.4TC; I am sure Costa Rica is extremely 'civilized' and you will find power all over: 110 volts, 60 hertz, outlets similar to USA.

Remember in the forest is very dark, I believe you use D300, get a D3 or D3s, you will not regret it, you need a lot of ISO!

Hide your cash well and never show US$ bills over $50.00, remember people are very poor, you never know.

And don't forget few very large plastic bags they are always handy in case of rain!

Come back with nice images .....
--
Roberto Fabbri
http://www.robertofabbri-wildlife.com

Oops - you're right! I would think conditions are very similar, in the jungle at least.

I'm going to the Philippines for the first time this Friday, any advice you have about finding natural areas to photograph? We'll be hitting Manila, Boracay, and Palawan (El Nido). Mostly hoping the last destination will have some nature to shoot.

I was in Costa Rica in November. I recommend having a dry bag with you at all times (unless your backpack's rain cover can stand up to a whole day of downpour). Beyond that, my intent next time is to have some aquatech gear with me:

http://www.kirkphoto.com/search.php?Keyword=Aquatech

I stuck to macro photography, which was amazing there. Insects, spiders, reptiles, and amphibians were all very cooperative. My main recommendation is to get local guides and rely on them. I found CR non-threatening (as far as I could tell) except when driving through San Jose, which was pretty rough. I spent time in La Selva, Arenal, and Manual Antonio and found the bird photography pickings were slim, but I didn't attempt serious bird or mammal photography. I think deeper into a larger reserve would be good for that, and perhaps the time of year wasn't optimal (bird photo tours there tend to be in January). We loved it and are tentatively looking at returning this year.

Unitl going to Costa Rica, I never owned a "serious" flash, not liking flash photography either. I was advised on this forum prior to my Costa Rica trip to buy one, and it was my best preparation for the trip. The jungles are, of course, dark. That can be overcome. But they commonly have bright sun shining through all over the place. The dynamic range was just too much for me to deal with, a bit of flash was a life saver.

This is a pretty mediocre image of a sloth, as an example. No way to get this without flash that I can think of.



--
Rick L
http://www.pbase.com/ricklawrence/root

robertofabbri said:

Raymond, I never been in Costa Rica, but I live few miles north in Belize, conditions are the same. January is the beginning of the 'dry' season, you should experience very little rain if any, but take an umbrella with you. In the forest humidity will be around 70%, this is not a problem for the equipment, it will be for you accustomed to the Canadian dry weather.

As much as I dislike tripods bring one with a Wimberley head or similar, I know you have a 200-400, better if you carry a 500 with 1.4TC; I am sure Costa Rica is extremely 'civilized' and you will find power all over: 110 volts, 60 hertz, outlets similar to USA.

Remember in the forest is very dark, I believe you use D300, get a D3 or D3s, you will not regret it, you need a lot of ISO!

Hide your cash well and never show US$ bills over $50.00, remember people are very poor, you never know.

And don't forget few very large plastic bags they are always handy in case of rain!

Come back with nice images .....
--
Roberto Fabbri
http://www.robertofabbri-wildlife.com

Click to expand...

-- thanks Roberto.. I sure hope I have a chance to host a workshop in Belize some day, but I can't talk about business in here, please email me... [email protected]

thanks for your advice., gitzo and gimbal will be packed!

My home base... http://www.raymondbarlow.com/

PHXAZCRAIG said:

Oops - you're right! I would think conditions are very similar, in the jungle at least.

Click to expand...

-- yes, very similar for sure.

My home base... http://www.raymondbarlow.com/

Telefoto said:

I'm going to the Philippines for the first time this Friday, any advice you have about finding natural areas to photograph? We'll be hitting Manila, Boracay, and Palawan (El Nido). Mostly hoping the last destination will have some nature to shoot.

I was in Costa Rica in November. I recommend having a dry bag with you at all times (unless your backpack's rain cover can stand up to a whole day of downpour). Beyond that, my intent next time is to have some aquatech gear with me:

http://www.kirkphoto.com/search.php?Keyword=Aquatech

I stuck to macro photography, which was amazing there. Insects, spiders, reptiles, and amphibians were all very cooperative. My main recommendation is to get local guides and rely on them. I found CR non-threatening (as far as I could tell) except when driving through San Jose, which was pretty rough. I spent time in La Selva, Arenal, and Manual Antonio and found the bird photography pickings were slim, but I didn't attempt serious bird or mammal photography. I think deeper into a larger reserve would be good for that, and perhaps the time of year wasn't optimal (bird photo tours there tend to be in January). We loved it and are tentatively looking at returning this year.

Click to expand...

-- thanks!! please send me an email.. [email protected]

My home base... http://www.raymondbarlow.com/

Rick L said:

Unitl going to Costa Rica, I never owned a "serious" flash, not liking flash photography either. I was advised on this forum prior to my Costa Rica trip to buy one, and it was my best preparation for the trip. The jungles are, of course, dark. That can be overcome. But they commonly have bright sun shining through all over the place. The dynamic range was just too much for me to deal with, a bit of flash was a life saver.

This is a pretty mediocre image of a sloth, as an example. No way to get this without flash that I can think of.

--
Rick L
http://www.pbase.com/ricklawrence/root

Click to expand...

-- thanks very much Rick.. I have an sb800, and the bb, I tried the bb once, and hated it... its a long story, but i am into natural light, long exposures, low iso, and challenge!

My home base... http://www.raymondbarlow.com/