Reading mode: Light Dark

Going to Hawaii with my D7000. What lens should I have?

Go to last post
kenju4u

kenju4u

Well-known member
Messages
200
Reaction score
22
Location
Darien, CT, US
Whats up guys and gals! I am going to Hawaii with the family in a month and I wanted to ask what lens/filters I should have if I want to take scenic pictures, night sky and close up shots.

Here is what I have in my camera bag:

D7000

Nikon 18-200 VR II

Nikon 35mm F1.8

Tokina F4 124 Pro with polarized filter

cheap/cheap tripod

Would love to hear your recommendations and what I can purchase before I go that might get me the pictures I would be happy with.

Thanks
Ken
 
You definitely need a wide angle lens or wide zoom-- 16 to 18 mm or lower. Your tele zoom may be enough for distance shots although Hawaii has many, many beautiful bird species. May need a 300mm or higher for those.
 
I would get a wide(r) lens. I went on vacation to Hawaii a few weeks ago and found myself constantly wishing I had a lens wider than 18mm to capture the seascapes and nice views. Luckily, I had a friend let me borrow their Tamron 10-24mm. It worked great and its not too expensive. A polarizer is a MUST. You can't get the "crystal clear water" look without one.
 
Last edited:
He has a wide lens. See the original post, he has the Tokina 12-24.
 
Everyone had great suggestions, but have left out the most important - SUNSCREEN. The UV index is way above anything most mainlanders are used to.

I was there for 20 months on a construction project with a company truck and gas, so a couple of places you do not want to miss.

1. Go as early as you can. The traffic can get gridlocked in a heartbeat, esp. on the northshore. I tried to get all my running done by noon. Parking there is just as bad. A long lens is needed to the pipeline and other great wave places. It is further from the shore than the TV makes it out to be.

2. Since the time difference, you will be up early in the morning, so go to the east side and get some great sunrise pictures.

3. Huasama Bay is also a great place. Also along the road east of there are some great overlooks. If the whales are in the area, there is a pull off about a mile east of the bay where you can get great shots of them. There are also a couple of blowholes (where the waves force water through holes in the rock) in that area also.

4. Keep going east on 72 over the hills to the eastside of the island. There are a couple of offshore islands that are nice and a lighthouse on the island to your right looking at the 2 islands.

5. On the H3 there are a couple of pull offs that look down into the jungle in the mountains.

6. Waimea Valley is also a great place. There is a Botanical Garden and preserve that you can go to.

7. If you plan on doing Pearl Harbor/Arizona memorial, be there EARLY. I repeat EARLY. There is a crowd.
 
I went a few months ago with a similar kit and had a great time. I have the Tokina, too, and it got moderate use. I found my 28-300 did a lot of the work especially when I did not want to change lenses (Volcano Park, boat rides). I kinda wanted an nd filter set but found with the family near I probably would not have had the time to spend on any one shot. I forgot my charger and had to borrow one from the Dolphin Quest operation at my hotel. I like having 300mm at my disposal. Duplicating some fl's with a 55-300 or similar might not be a bad idea. I carried my 28-300 which covered much of the range as two of my lenses. It made a great small kit with my 12-24. But, I am used to shooting at 300mm.
--
www.flickr.com

brev99

Explore brev99’s 6,815 photos on Flickr!
www.flickr.com www.flickr.com
 
Kevin Arceneaux said:
Kevin Arceneaux wrote:

Everyone had great suggestions, but have left out the most important - SUNSCREEN. The UV index is way above anything most mainlanders are used to.

...

1. Go as early as you can. The traffic can get gridlocked in a heartbeat, esp. on the northshore. I tried to get all my running done by noon. Parking there is just as bad. A long lens is needed to the pipeline and other great wave places. It is further from the shore than the TV makes it out to be.
...
5. On the H3 there are a couple of pull offs that look down into the jungle in the mountains.
Click to expand...
WRONG - there are NO pulloffs on the H3 (except out at the east end, about a mile before the Marine Corps base - nice view of Kaneohe Bay), and it's very dangerous to stop along the way! The only time you get a decent view up near the tunnel is when there is a traffic jam. The Pali Lookout on the Pali Highway, OTOH, is an obligatory stop, and be sure to walk down the old road past the "Road Closed" barrier.
Kevin Arceneaux said:
6. Waimea Valley is also a great place. There is a Botanical Garden and preserve that you can go to.
Click to expand...
Waimea Valley's over on Kauai, but there are several Botanical Gardens on Oahu that are worth the visit. Every island is different, and books have been written about each one, so do some research.
Kevin Arceneaux said:
7. If you plan on doing Pearl Harbor/Arizona memorial, be there EARLY. I repeat EARLY. There is a crowd.
Click to expand...
A couple more:

- You'll use the 12-24 a lot.

- Get a copy of The Photographer's Ephemeris, or a similar program, so you know when and where the sun and moon will be coming up.

- Be prepared to hike. A lot of the best scenery requires a walk, sometimes a short one, sometimes longer, frequently muddy.

- Be aware that this is a dangerous place - it's the real world, not a theme park. The local first responders are regularly pulling bodies out of the water, or retrieving them from the mountains, and it's easy to really get in trouble.

A few of my recent sets:

http://tinius-photo.com/Roger4/08Jan13/ (Diamond Head)

http://tinius-photo.com/Roger4/NorthShore/

http://tinius-photo.com/Roger4/Maunawili/

http://tinius-photo.com/Roger4/JuneMoonrises/
 
Roger T. said:
Roger T. wrote:
Roger T. said:
Kevin Arceneaux wrote:

Everyone had great suggestions, but have left out the most important - SUNSCREEN. The UV index is way above anything most mainlanders are used to.

...

1. Go as early as you can. The traffic can get gridlocked in a heartbeat, esp. on the northshore. I tried to get all my running done by noon. Parking there is just as bad. A long lens is needed to the pipeline and other great wave places. It is further from the shore than the TV makes it out to be.

...

5. On the H3 there are a couple of pull offs that look down into the jungle in the mountains.
Click to expand...
WRONG - there are NO pulloffs on the H3 (except out at the east end, about a mile before the Marine Corps base - nice view of Kaneohe Bay), and it's very dangerous to stop along the way! The only time you get a decent view up near the tunnel is when there is a traffic jam. The Pali Lookout on the Pali Highway, OTOH, is an obligatory stop, and be sure to walk down the old road past the "Road Closed" barrier.
Click to expand...
I stand corrected
Roger T. said:
Roger T. said:
6. Waimea Valley is also a great place. There is a Botanical Garden and preserve that you can go to.
Click to expand...
Waimea Valley's over on Kauai, but there are several Botanical Gardens on Oahu that are worth the visit. Every island is different, and books have been written about each one, so do some research.
Click to expand...
Then I guess these folks will be upset that they are on the wrong island

http://www.gohawaii.com/listing/Activity/98559787_WaimeaValley
Roger T. said:
Roger T. said:
7. If you plan on doing Pearl Harbor/Arizona memorial, be there EARLY. I repeat EARLY. There is a crowd.
Click to expand...
A couple more:

- You'll use the 12-24 a lot.

- Get a copy of The Photographer's Ephemeris, or a similar program, so you know when and where the sun and moon will be coming up.

- Be prepared to hike. A lot of the best scenery requires a walk, sometimes a short one, sometimes longer, frequently muddy.

- Be aware that this is a dangerous place - it's the real world, not a theme park. The local first responders are regularly pulling bodies out of the water, or retrieving them from the mountains, and it's easy to really get in trouble.

A few of my recent sets:

http://tinius-photo.com/Roger4/08Jan13/ (Diamond Head)

http://tinius-photo.com/Roger4/NorthShore/

http://tinius-photo.com/Roger4/Maunawili/

http://tinius-photo.com/Roger4/JuneMoonrises/

--
Roger
http://www.tinius-photo.com/Roger
Click to expand...
 
Roger T. said:
Roger T. wrote:
Roger T. said:
Kevin Arceneaux wrote:

Everyone had great suggestions, but have left out the most important - SUNSCREEN. The UV index is way above anything most mainlanders are used to.

...

1. Go as early as you can. The traffic can get gridlocked in a heartbeat, esp. on the northshore. I tried to get all my running done by noon. Parking there is just as bad. A long lens is needed to the pipeline and other great wave places. It is further from the shore than the TV makes it out to be.

...

5. On the H3 there are a couple of pull offs that look down into the jungle in the mountains.
Click to expand...
WRONG - there are NO pulloffs on the H3 (except out at the east end, about a mile before the Marine Corps base - nice view of Kaneohe Bay), and it's very dangerous to stop along the way! The only time you get a decent view up near the tunnel is when there is a traffic jam. The Pali Lookout on the Pali Highway, OTOH, is an obligatory stop, and be sure to walk down the old road past the "Road Closed" barrier.
Roger T. said:
6. Waimea Valley is also a great place. There is a Botanical Garden and preserve that you can go to.
Click to expand...
Waimea Valley's over on Kauai, but there are several Botanical Gardens on Oahu that are worth the visit. Every island is different, and books have been written about each one, so do some research.
Roger T. said:
7. If you plan on doing Pearl Harbor/Arizona memorial, be there EARLY. I repeat EARLY. There is a crowd.
Click to expand...
A couple more:

- You'll use the 12-24 a lot.

- Get a copy of The Photographer's Ephemeris, or a similar program, so you know when and where the sun and moon will be coming up.
Click to expand...
Great idea! There is an APP for that :D i am gonna download that.

Roger T. said:
- Be prepared to hike. A lot of the best scenery requires a walk, sometimes a short one, sometimes longer, frequently muddy.

- Be aware that this is a dangerous place - it's the real world, not a theme park. The local first responders are regularly pulling bodies out of the water, or retrieving them from the mountains, and it's easy to really get in trouble.

A few of my recent sets:

http://tinius-photo.com/Roger4/08Jan13/ (Diamond Head)

http://tinius-photo.com/Roger4/NorthShore/

http://tinius-photo.com/Roger4/Maunawili/

http://tinius-photo.com/Roger4/JuneMoonrises/
Click to expand...
 
Kevin Arceneaux said:
Kevin Arceneaux wrote:

Kevin Arceneaux said:
Kevin Arceneaux said:
6. Waimea Valley is also a great place. There is a Botanical Garden and preserve that you can go to.
Click to expand...
Waimea Valley's over on Kauai, but there are several Botanical Gardens on Oahu that are worth the visit. Every island is different, and books have been written about each one, so do some research.
Click to expand...
Then I guess these folks will be upset that they are on the wrong island

http://www.gohawaii.com/listing/Activity/98559787_WaimeaValley
Click to expand...
*sigh* Oh - that Waimea Valley. I was thinking of Waimea Canyon, over on Kauai. The natives like to call places "Red Waters" or "Two Currents," and when they were naming places they didn't worry about the other islands. There are Waimeas and Kailuas and other duplicate names on just about every island.
 
Thanks guys! lots of good advice. Looks like I am all set with the lens. I do wish I had a 300mm but that would be a expensive investment to make in the next two week so I'll have to stick with 200mm.

Also thinking about picking up a cheap water proof camera cause I know I am going to spending time in the water and D7000 isn't going there.
 
When I went I in 2012 I just took my D90, 17-55, and 18-105 as a back up with some accessories.

I wish I had had my Tokina 11-16 then!

In place of the UWA, I used the vertical handheld panoramic trick and post processed in PS when I got home.

If you're interested, I have an E-book on Blurb that I put together from my trip there to the Big Island. I have my detailed packing list included at the beginning. lol

http://www.blurb.com/books/3979343-hawaii-2012
 
You might want to give some thought to the purpose of your trip. If it is to have a great family time and build memories with the kids, then you don't want to go overboard on the photography side. Hopefully the kids will remember the fun they had with you . . . not Dad with his Nikon.

Not sure if you "need" a wider lens--I have shot with my 16-85 on the Big Island several times. But if you do, why not rent it? Then you can see if you like it.

The extra battery (I always get Nikon), cleaning cloths, extra card, ets are all great suggestions. I alsio vote for a Fuji disposable film camera that you can take in the surf. The kids can also shoot with that and share Dad's hobby.

Have a wonderful vacation!
 
Steve 316 said:
Steve 316 wrote:

You might want to give some thought to the purpose of your trip. If it is to have a great family time and build memories with the kids, then you don't want to go overboard on the photography side. Hopefully the kids will remember the fun they had with you . . . not Dad with his Nikon.

Not sure if you "need" a wider lens--I have shot with my 16-85 on the Big Island several times. But if you do, why not rent it? Then you can see if you like it.

The extra battery (I always get Nikon), cleaning cloths, extra card, ets are all great suggestions. I alsio vote for a Fuji disposable film camera that you can take in the surf. The kids can also shoot with that and share Dad's hobby.

Have a wonderful vacation!
Click to expand...
Thank you! You are right, I don't want it to turn into a photography trip. I want to be able to enjoy the beautiful location and just take in the natural beauty of the place with my 5 senses instead of just with my camera. After all my eyes and brain are the best DSLR out there every invented.

I looked into rental but there isn't much options on the east coast and it seems like a hassle so i'll stick to my Tokina 12 - 24. Seems like i'll get some good use out of it.

Thanks again for all the great advice. I will share my pictures with you guys when I get back.

- Ken

--

CAMERAS :Nikon D7000
---------------------------------------------------------
LENS:Nikon 18-200 VR II, Nikon 35mm F1.8, Tokina F4 124 Pro
Flickr Photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/22428626@N03/
 
I think everyone's saying you have what you need. If you're itching to buy something, maybe a new tripod?
 
Go with as little and light a kit as you can so you can enjoy yourself. If this is primarily a photo trip, I'd say take it all, but for a family vacation, light and easy is the way to go.

I did a week vacation in HI this summer and ended up taking a D600+24-120 and an Olympus EPL5+9-18. I never really went out with both cameras and didn't use a bag. Just picked a camera and threw it on my shoulder and went out. I've taken vacations with a backpack full of gear, and now I prefer the one camera, one lens approach much more.

I could have gotten away with only my EPL5+9-18(18-35 eqiv) and been very happy.

Since you already have a 18-200, I would stick with just that. If you want to spend money, I highly recommend the new Sigma 17-70 f/4 to replace the 18-200 and drop some weight. With lots of sun and water, of coarse a PL filter is recommended.

Here is a link to my HI photos for some ideas:

Loading…

www.flickr.com
 
Hey Robbie -

Nice Maui pictures, but that's a Chukar, not a Nene.
 
kenju4u said:
kenju4u wrote:

Thanks guys! lots of good advice. Looks like I am all set with the lens. I do wish I had a 300mm but that would be a expensive investment to make in the next two week so I'll have to stick with 200mm.

Also thinking about picking up a cheap water proof camera cause I know I am going to spending time in the water and D7000 isn't going there.
Click to expand...
That is the first thing you should think about if you are going to Hanauma Bay.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Keyboard shortcuts

f
Forum
m
My threads
Mobile site
About
Editorial content
Cameras & Lenses
Community
All content, design, and layout are Copyright © 1998–2025 Digital Photography Review All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part in any form or medium without specific written permission is prohibited.
When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.
©GPS Media - Guides, Products, Services.
Back
Top