going to Peru, what lens I should bring?

colacat · Jun 30, 2010

thanks , Calvin, your pic is awsome, I wish I could take one that as good as yours. did you border by admission when you bring your gear to Machu Picchu? i heard that people was asked to paid for professional photography. is it true?

thanks

calvinboy24 said:
I replied to a similar thread a few months ago. Instead of rewriting it, please check this out. I provide a lot of information in it.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1029&message=35053381

I would say go with Plan 3. I left my 70-200 at home and didn't miss it. And yes, go ultra wide.

Safety, you'll be fine. Puno and downtown Lima are sketchy (Mireflores and San Isidro are really nice areas) but everyone has n SLR. In addition to my SLR, I brought my Leica and didn't have any issues

If you feel uncomfortable, bring your P&S at night.

Don't know what indoor shooting you'll be doing, but always bring a flashlight when traveling.

colacat said:

I am going to have 3 weeks vacation and planning to go Peru this year. I am planing to go with the 4D3N Inca trail, so weight is an issue for me.

I am thinking to bring my 5D II for this trip, but I am still thinking what lens to bring.

Plan 1: 17-40 + 70-200 F4 IS

Plan 2: 24-105 + 70-200 F4 IS

Plan 3: 17-40 + 24-105

Plan 4: 24-105 + 50mm 1.8

I prefer wide angle shoot, but I don't know whether I should take the 17-40 or more versatile 24-105 instead, is there many chance to use ultra wide angle in Peru? is flashlight necessary for indoor shoot?

is it safe lunging the camera in Peru, I won't go out at night for sure.

any recommendation? thanks~~

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colacat · Jun 30, 2010

thanks for your detail explaination!! I did a research before i book the Machu Picchu 4D3N hike, i know how hard it is and I couldn't stop myself to book this trip. I know I will be disappointed if I don't go Inca trail, no matter whether i could finish the trail, at least i try. 2kg water is too much ~~thanks for telling me that. can I bring a small bottle, do I need 2kg/day?~~

I read many article about high attitude sickness, people mention that the skinnier the person, the lower the chance to get high attitude sickness, is that true? anyways, I have Diamox with me, hopefully it could help me a bit on the trip.

for now I decided on 17-40 and 24-105, my friend will bring his 70-200, if there are not many chance to use 70-200, I could borrow from him if I needed. thanks for your advise ^ ^

diogenesthecynic said:
You definitely want the 17-40 for when you get to Machu Picchu and there are plenty of ultra wide opportunities in Cusco and the surrounding area (where you will likely be based before the trek.) Don't expect to see a great deal of wildlife on the inca trail but there are plenty of wide angle landscape opportunities. Personally I would take the 50mm 1.8 in any case, it weighs next to nothing and will be great for portraiture work all over Peru.

Most trekking companies organise porters to walk on ahead each day carrying the camp setup and the client's large rucksacks (i.e. with your clothes etc in) so that it is all ready and waiting when you get to camp. In that respect, you will only have to worry about carrying a daysack with your camera gear while you are trekking. Personally, I think that the 5d with 17-40 + 50mm + another lens should be quite manageable. In between stops, you will probably be carrying about 2 litres of water as well, so factor that 2 kg into the your weight calculations. Don't forget to tip your porters well on the trek. They are wonderful people and you will be amazed by how much some of them carry and the clothes and "shoes" that they walk the trail in. Your trek leader will likely ask the group if they would like to offer a tip to the porters on the third night. Be generous, a little to you is a lot to them.

If you are doing the classic four day trek then expect day two to be the hardest - it is uphill most of the day (with a few "false summits" along the way) and tops out at 4215m when you go over "dead woman's pass", after that it is an hour or so downhill to reach camp. Day one is steady and easy enough. Day three is nearly all downhill (but hard on the knees as a result). Day four is a short trek to get to Machu Picchu (hopefully for sunrise.)

My non photography tip is to get to Cusco in plenty of time (at least 2 days) before the start of the trek in order to acclimatise. Cusco is at approx 3600m which is actually higher than Machu Picchu (approx 2500m). I don't know if you have done any altitude travel before but if you haven't then don't underestimate the effect. Whilst it is not exactly himalayan mountaineering, the altitude on this trek and in this region is significant.

Security wise, i would have no real worries. Lima, like any major city, has plenty of areas you would be ill advised to wander into but if you stick to the tourist areas you should be fine. Cusco is much safer and very pleasant but I'd still take the obvious precautions against pickpockets etc. Expect to get a lot of hassle from kids wanting to sell you postcards and/or shine your shoes. It gets irritating quite quickly but don't be too hard on them - at their age we were lucky enough to be in school, whereas they are having to work.

Finally, hope you have a great time!! Post some of the shots when you get back!

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colacat · Jun 30, 2010

thanks, I will post pictures when i returned..

Bob Altic said:
He also took Diamox prior to the trip. It is a very individualized thing. He was very fortunate to have his wife the MD with him. Have a great trip, show us the photos when you return!!.....Best, Bob

colacat said:

High attitude sickness is what I really worry about for this trip. my doctor gave me some pills called "Diamox", which could reduce the chance to get attitude sickness.

Physically I don't do gym... the only way I could work out right now is to use stairs in stead of elevator...

Bob Altic said:

Hi,

Envy your trip. Just a word of caution. My wife's brother went 2 years ago, and never made it to Machu Pichu. He was 60 years old, in only fair condition, and his wife was with him and is a physician. He became very ill from altitude sickness. He did all that he could prior to the trip physically and medical, but, could not make it to the top, especially with the camera gear. I have a 5DMKII and 17-40 and the 70-200 F4IS. That is a great combination, and has the minimum weight with wonderful optics. He had Nikon gear, so, I am not sure what he had, but it didn't really make any difference, the altitude got him anyway. Good luck and I hope that you get a huge number of great shots. Enjoy yourself and be safe...Best, Bob

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ryan2007 · Jun 30, 2010

Fair enough. Just depends on the whole picture and what works for you personally.

I saw myself picking up a Canon P&S camera more than my Nikon D90 for weight reasons and larger size etc. I thought I have (like you) a lot invested in something that made me think twice about what and how to travel. Enough, so I sold the Nikon gear for what I am doing now.

It's subjective and now I think less about this lens or that and the whole what to do. The GF-1 kit is compact. Just my way today of doing things. I am not saying to sell what you have and re-think, it is always an option and it is good not become attached or feel married to any camera. It is a tool to get the job done.

colacat said:
I really like the full frame shallow dof , the micro four thirds has its advantages, but I don't really have the budget for this investment, the 5d2 is almost make my bankrupted..hehe..

ryan2007 said:

If you want to travel light consider a look into the Micro Four Thirds format. From the Nikon or Canon DSLR's I have used this for me was great and very compact interchangeable system. I have the Panasonic GF-1.

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calvinboy24 · Jun 30, 2010

colacat said:
thanks , Calvin, your pic is awsome, I wish I could take one that as good as yours. did you border by admission when you bring your gear to Machu Picchu? i heard that people was asked to paid for professional photography. is it true?

I mention that in my post:

"Note that you can't bring a big tripod, you'll either have to check the equipment at the lockers or they'll outright deny entry and say that you need a "professional license" only obtainable from Cusco (costs $100+). I've only read about the latter but I did meet one traveller who was required to check his tripod at the security lockers.

Note that I think the official policy is "no professional photography" (which requires the photo license), but if you just take our your SLR after security, you'll be fine. "

When you enter, have all your camera gear in your bag, after you walk past the entrance gate, you can use whatever you want.

Paul Gause · Jun 30, 2010

A couple of quick notes:

Tripod - when you hike in, you do not go through the security gates. I did check my tripod with my bag after I arrived, but took pictures on the way down from the Sun Gate with my tripod and a few within MP before checking it. I was not bothered about it by the guards prior to checking. I also saw another person using a tripod during the day. I do not know if he had a license but I doubt it.

Altitude sickness - 14,000 feet is high, but not incredibly so. If you are reasonably fit and take your time, I think most people will tolerate it well. Altitude sickness is worsened by hyperventillation. This is why diamox works - it acidifies the blood counteracting the alkalinization effects of hyperventillation. You can also prevent hyperventillation by going slowly. Two caveats, though. First, diamox is also a diuretic, so if you take it you will need to keep properly hydrated by drinking alot. Second, it is not a treatment, rather a prevention. You should start taking it a day or two before leaving for your hike. Also, you might want to test it out before leaving for South America to ensure you don't have any bad side effects. Cusco or the Inca trail probably aren't the best places to find out you are allergic.

ps. The hike is fantastic. So much to see along the way, culminated by the grandeur of Machu Picchu.

diogenesthecynic · Jul 1, 2010

You won't regret doing the inca trail. Apart from day 2 it is fine and even day 2 is ok if you take your time and plenty of breaks. There are a wide range of people of varying ages and levels of fitness do it each year. Don't let me put you off, you will be fine and you'll have a great time.

Not sure on the skinniness factor with altitude but I do know it effects people differently. It is VITAL to acclimatise. Get to Cusco as early as possible, the more you acclimmatise the easier the trek will be. There is plenty to photograph in cusco itself and there are lots of inca ruins, markets etc in the surrounding area. Wiki travel's summary is actually pretty good if you want to get an idea of what's there [ http://wikitravel.org/en/Cuzco ]

Interestingly, the locals drink "mate de coca" (coca[ine] leaf tea) or chew coca leaves to help with the effect of altitude. Can't say for sure how much it really helped with altitude but at the very least it put a spring in my step!! (to be honest it is no different to having a cup of coffee.)

In terms of water. I wouldn't take less than one litre and if i remember rightly, you can buy 1.5 litre plastic bottles of purified or mineral water over there, which would be about perfect (so allow for 1.5kg). A 500ml bottle or smaller will NOT be enough. Even a 1 litre bottle is pushing your luck. There are opportunities to fill your bottle at the stops along the way but the high altitude dries out the mouth and throat and you will be more comfortable if you have enough to drink. You will probably drink a minimum of 3 litres of water a day on the trek. The local street traders sell some bottle holders with a long strap that are made to fit the 1.5L bottles. Cost a couple of bucks or so but i thoroughly recommend them as they are perfect for the trek. Not hard to find, they are for sale everywhere in cusco.

I think the 17-40 and 24-105 is a good combination for this travel. That would be my choice too (based on 17-40 being essential and more opportunities to use the 24-105 than the 70-200).

good luck with it all - I am rather jealous!!!

P.s. for specific questions on travel on the inca trail and peru generally, try tapping into the font of knowledge on the the wonderful lonely planet thorntree forum (but remember it is like DP Review forums - not everything you read is true!!)....

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/advancedThorntreeSearch?q=inca+trail&user=&branch=Americas+-+South+America&fromMonth=1&fromYear=2010&toMonth=0&toYear=year&Search.x=19&Search.y=12&Search=Search

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/advancedThorntreeSearch

mu55 · Jul 1, 2010

I'd just take the two (17-40 and 70-200), you will be walking all day and have plenty of time to ponder what shots your likely to want to take in the next few hours - I'd consider the 24-105 as a single lens travel idea rather than take it and another lens.

Another thought would be to take the 24-105 and just stitch shots together - take 3 or 4 portrait orientate shots that overlap by about a 3rd and stitch them later in photoshop - it'll also give you a massive file as an end result (as long as it stitches properly...

colacat said:
after reading all the reply, I am sure I will take 17-40 !! I like using 70-200 for portrait... it is very sharp lens, but 24-105 is very good walk around lens , I should bring both lens outside to see which one I like the most.

mu55 said:

yep - your going to want that 17-40 when you get to Machu Picchu, so take it and the 70-200. If you have a film body I'd take that as well with the 50mm attached in your baggage - you can buy film easily but a new digital SLR is another story.

17-40 will be perfect for most of the shots, 70-200 for compressing landscapes and for portraits that you can't get at 40mm.

DO NOT let ANYONE carry your camera bag for you - we had a few close calls and met people who had stuff stolen assuming people were porters for the hotel

Have a cracker trip

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LDunn1 · Jul 1, 2010

I did the 4 day inca trail back in 2001 & there are some places where you cannot get physically far enough away from the old stone buildings due to the terrain (mountain paths).

I was shooting film back in 2001 & had the Canon 17-35 f2.8 L with me & the 70-200 f2.8 L IS plus 2x converter.

This combo was excellent as the tele plus converter was also great for capturing wild life. The tele on its own was great for people in crowd shots & shooting ruins across valleys etc.

I did Peru & the Inca trail as part of an 86 day round the world trip & took over 55 rolls of 36 film - over 1700 shots & there was only one time where the 35mm was too wide & the 70mm too long for a shot - it nicely covered many bases.

PeaceFrog · Jul 1, 2010

I visited Peru in February and brought my 15-85 IS and my 500mm f/4L IS USM w/EF 1.4x II and was very happy with my choices. My trip was a birding trip though so the lens selection made sense to me. If you think about what sorts of photos you want to take your lens choice should be rather obvious.

Greg

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going to Peru, what lens I should bring?

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