Antarctica: Need Advice for A7R Lenses

I am going to Antarctica in early January. I have an A7R and the Zeiss 35mm and 55mm lenses. On my last two trips, I took only the 35mm. The first trip was to Southeast Asia last December, when the 35mm was the only native lens available. That worked out reasonably well.

On the second trip (just a couple of weeks ago), I went to Machu Picchu, Cusco, the Amazon and the Galapagos. Because of some issues with my back (and the fact that I was also taking a GH4, primarily for video), I dumped a number of lenses at the last minute, and took only the 35mm for the A7R and the 14-140 for the GH4. The only place I used the GH4 was in the Galpagos, where I got some fantastic video but only meh photos (at least in comparison to the A7R). I found that I was able to do significant cropping of the A7R pictures, and still end up with very nice results--to a point.

I am now preparing for the Antarctica trip, and am planning to use the A&R exclusively for pictures. (I wil also take video, but I'm toying with the idea of renting a Panasonic LX100 to get 4K video without lugging around two larger cameras). I am seeking advice regarding native lenses to bring, and whether to rent them or buy them. The Zeiss 24-70mm seems to get mixed reviews, but would certainly afford more versatility. I understand that changing lens while on land there is not a great idea. The 70-200 is large and heavy, but might be worth bringing. For now, I'm not ready to step up to using manual focus lenses with an adapter.

My understanding is that the best shots will be a combination of landsacpes and close-ups of the animals. As in the Galapagos, the animals can be very close, but that is not always the case.

Thoughts?

Terry

A few thoughts from someone who has traveled the Arctic and longed to travel to the Antarctic... Take it all. Presumably you'll be spending most of your time on a boat. Unless you plan on backpacking or fear the security of your equipment on board, the greatest range of lenses will be your best bet and not much of a burden considering you can leave everything in your cabin. This is your chance to get some shots of a lifetime - don't return with regret. Bring a good tripod and backup hard drive too.

As for subject matter, I presume you'll be shooting mostly landscape and wildlife, the latter you'll sometimes need to shoot from a boat. Make sure you have your telephoto. I had my 70-200mm, and even felt compelled to borrow a 2x adapter from a fellow traveler in some circumstances. Be prepared to stop up your EV when shooting on ice. Your camera will want to underexpose big time with a full frame of white.

A super wide angle will be great for taking in the full scene, or shooting a subject up close while giving it tremendous context. And a 35 and 55 will be great to shoot your fellow travelers, or capturing still life with bokeh during one of your hikes.

Lastly, bring a seasickness patch, just in case! The Drake Passage is notorious for leveling even the saltiest of travelers.

rushbikes said:

A few thoughts from someone who has traveled the Arctic and longed to travel to the Antarctic... Take it all. Presumably you'll be spending most of your time on a boat. Unless you plan on backpacking or fear the security of your equipment on board, the greatest range of lenses will be your best bet and not much of a burden considering you can leave everything in your cabin. This is your chance to get some shots of a lifetime - don't return with regret. Bring a good tripod and backup hard drive too.

As for subject matter, I presume you'll be shooting mostly landscape and wildlife, the latter you'll sometimes need to shoot from a boat. Make sure you have your telephoto. I had my 70-200mm, and even felt compelled to borrow a 2x adapter from a fellow traveler in some circumstances. Be prepared to stop up your EV when shooting on ice. Your camera will want to underexpose big time with a full frame of white.

A super wide angle will be great for taking in the full scene, or shooting a subject up close while giving it tremendous context. And a 35 and 55 will be great to shoot your fellow travelers, or capturing still life with bokeh during one of your hikes.

Lastly, bring a seasickness patch, just in case! The Drake Passage is notorious for leveling even the saltiest of travelers.

Click to expand...

Thanks. Some great advice there!

Sounds awesome, my wife and I did a Macchu Picchu, Galapagos, Amazon, Ecuador, Peru trip a few years ago. We want to go to Antarctica next year.

I agree with the other poster, take everything. I would suggest renting the A6000 over anything with a converter, unless you want to go longer than roughly 300mm with crop factor. After carrying the 5d with Canons 70-200, the FE is very light IMO. I had it attached to a sling strap and shot an 8-hour conference, its was never a burden. The A6000 will give you faster AF as well, great for wildlife shots.

I'd also take both primes and the upcoming 16-35, every image I've seen from the 16-35 shows impressive sharpness, its going to be a winner. That would give you a range from 16-300mm with the A7r/A6000 in a relatively light package.

Check over at Luminous Landscape too, the sites founder does regular Antarctic photo trips.

What are your plans as far as tripod and other support gear? You taking a gopro? The new one shoots 4k, which would mate with the LX100 well.

chrisfromalaska said:

Sounds awesome, my wife and I did a Macchu Picchu, Galapagos, Amazon, Ecuador, Peru trip a few years ago. We want to go to Antarctica next year.

I agree with the other poster, take everything. I would suggest renting the A6000 over anything with a converter, unless you want to go longer than roughly 300mm with crop factor. After carrying the 5d with Canons 70-200, the FE is very light IMO. I had it attached to a sling strap and shot an 8-hour conference, its was never a burden. The A6000 will give you faster AF as well, great for wildlife shots.

I'd also take both primes and the upcoming 16-35, every image I've seen from the 16-35 shows impressive sharpness, its going to be a winner. That would give you a range from 16-300mm with the A7r/A6000 in a relatively light package.

Check over at Luminous Landscape too, the sites founder does regular Antarctic photo trips.

What are your plans as far as tripod and other support gear? You taking a gopro? The new one shoots 4k, which would mate with the LX100 well.

Click to expand...

Thanks. I forgot to mention that I also have an NEX-5R and NEX-5T and the original Sony 18-200 lens. I hadn't thought of taking an NEX with the 18-200, but it might make sense. I could also use the 18-200 on the A7R in crop mode, but I haven't tried that.

I have a couple of lightweight Sirui carbon fiber tripods. I have generally used them more for video than pictures. I will take a least one of them.

I also have an older GoPro but wasn'r really planning on taking it.

Here's a link to videos and slide shows from Peru and Ecuador. I still have some more to do. The two videos were taken in 4K with the GH4 at the Galapagos, without a tripod. I stabilized the footage in post and rendered it at 1080p. Overall, I think the A7R pictures were better from Southeast Asia, but I had much more free time there to compose the pictures and took a lot more pictures there. (Bear in mind that the slide shows are in 1080p and don't really show off the full-resolution capabilities of the A7R.)

Your slide shows bring back lots of great memories. I briefly flirted with a GH4, great video, awful stills compared to the A7 and A6000. After seeing the 1080p from the A7s, the GH4 was sold in favor of the A7s. For me the gopro has become a vital part of my kit, stick it anywhere for great POV video or super easy timelapses.

chrisfromalaska said:

Your slide shows bring back lots of great memories. I briefly flirted with a GH4, great video, awful stills compared to the A7 and A6000. After seeing the 1080p from the A7s, the GH4 was sold in favor of the A7s. For me the gopro has become a vital part of my kit, stick it anywhere for great POV video or super easy timelapses.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I find that even with heavy cropping, the A7R images are better than those from the GH4. I was going to get the A7S, but I wanted the internal 4K capability.

Did Antarctica last year and returned with over 6K images.
It is a different trip than the arctics or anything else you have done. I don't know what you have signed up for but most good ones do it expedition style. The boat never gets to the shore or an iceberg (a zodiac takes you there) and you are not allowed to roam alone. You will likely get off the boat two to three times a day and will spend considerable amount of time on a zodiac. Weather changes rapidly and even if it's not raining, a choppy sea can mess your equipment. With a heavy parka, big boots (rent, do not buy!), and life vests, space on the zodiac is limited. One hand Holds the boat for safety and the floor is full of water. Thus, the take it all approach will not be practical.

I would take only three zooms with me: For full frame: 16-35, 24-70 (for crop sensor 10-18 and 16-70 or 16-50) and a crop sensor with 70-400 (I have it but if you don't, it costs little to rent). You will be amazed as to how much wildlife you'll see. Some will not require a telephoto as you can get very close to the penguins and seals, but many will (albatrosses, breaching whales, orcas, dolphins, leopard seals, etc). On the first excursion weather deteriorated within minutes to the point that we got stranded on an iceberg and the zodiacs couldn't get us out. This is not uncommon and some get stranded for many hours. You are now stuck in a blizzard with all your equipment. Always have a trash bag ready (true for tropical jungles as well), if weather deteriorate quickly you can put it on your telephoto set up. Have a small waterproof duffel bag for your A7 and NEX and the two other lenses (Seal Lion or Watershed). I have to admit that the smartest decision I made was to take the NEX 6 with infamous 16-50. It fits in the parka pocket, it ended up going everywhere and allowed me to shoot immediately when a seal or a whale approached the boat. It happens fast and with no warning. It took DSLR users forever to get their cameras out of the bag and they missed a lot. If I'd do it all over again I would leave the tripod at home (completely impractical for zodiac excursions and there is plenty available light. I didn't use it at all) and, believe it or not, get also a go pro. I wish I had one mounted on a stick to get some amazing underwater shots/videos or shots and videos during rough weather.

The non weather sealed Sony equipment did very well in rough weather, and not for the first time. I have also witnessed it in rain forests and other extreme environments. It is much (much) tougher than people give it credit for.

Bottom line: two small bodies (A7 and NEX), three zooms, and a go pro

Enjoy it; I travelled the world back and forth numerous time and I still do; Antarctica is a very special trip. Yes, you will have to brave the Drake Passage which can be beyond brutal (up to two days of misery in each direction), but it's totally worth it!!!

AFishEye said:

Did Antarctica last year and returned with over 6K images.
It is a different trip than the arctics or anything else you have done. I don't know what you have signed up for but most good ones do it expedition style. The boat never gets to the shore or an iceberg (a zodiac takes you there) and you are not allowed to roam alone. You will likely get off the boat two to three times a day and will spend considerable amount of time on a zodiac. Weather changes rapidly and even if it's not raining, a choppy sea can mess your equipment. With a heavy parka, big boots (rent, do not buy!), and life vests, space on the zodiac is limited, one hand al least is holding the rope for safety, and the floor is full of water so the take it all approach will not be practical. I would take only three zooms with me: For full frame: 16-35, 24-70 (for crop sensor 10-18 and 16-70 or 16-50) and a crop sensor with 70-400 (I have it but if you don't, it costs little to rent). You will be amazed as to how much wildlife you'll see. Some will not require a telephoto as you can get very close to the penguins and seals, but many will (albatrosses, breaching whales, orcas, dolphins, leopard seals, etc). On the first excursion weather deteriorated within minutes to the point that we got stranded on an iceberg and the zodiacs couldn't get us out. This is not uncommon and some get stranded for many hours. You are now stuck in a blizzard with all your equipment. Always have a trash bag ready (true for tropical jungles as well), if weather deteriorate quickly you can put it on your telephoto set up. Have a small waterproof duffel bag for your A7 and NEX and the two other lenses (Seal Lion or Watershed). I have to admit that the smartest decision I made was to take the NEX 6 with infamous 16-50. It fits in the parka pocket, it ended up going everywhere and allowed me to shoot immediately when a seal or a whale approached the boat. It happens fast and with no warning. It took DSLR users forever to get their cameras out of the bag and they missed a lot. If I'd do it all over again I would leave the tripod at home (completely impractical for zodiac excursions and there is plenty available light. I didn't use it at all) and, believe it or not, get also a go pro. I wish I had one mounted on a stick to get some amazing underwater shots/videos or shots and videos during rough weather.

Bottom line: two small bodies (A7 and NEX), three zooms, and a go pro

Enjoy it; I travelled the world back and forth numerous time and I still do; Antarctica is a very special trip!

Click to expand...

Many thanks. The drill seems very similar to the Galapagos, except for the weather. I will be on the M.S. Fram. It's not a small expedition ship, but it's also not a large cruise ship.

kblaw said:

AFishEye said:

Did Antarctica last year and returned with over 6K images.
It is a different trip than the arctics or anything else you have done. I don't know what you have signed up for but most good ones do it expedition style. The boat never gets to the shore or an iceberg (a zodiac takes you there) and you are not allowed to roam alone. You will likely get off the boat two to three times a day and will spend considerable amount of time on a zodiac. Weather changes rapidly and even if it's not raining, a choppy sea can mess your equipment. With a heavy parka, big boots (rent, do not buy!), and life vests, space on the zodiac is limited, one hand al least is holding the rope for safety, and the floor is full of water so the take it all approach will not be practical. I would take only three zooms with me: For full frame: 16-35, 24-70 (for crop sensor 10-18 and 16-70 or 16-50) and a crop sensor with 70-400 (I have it but if you don't, it costs little to rent). You will be amazed as to how much wildlife you'll see. Some will not require a telephoto as you can get very close to the penguins and seals, but many will (albatrosses, breaching whales, orcas, dolphins, leopard seals, etc). On the first excursion weather deteriorated within minutes to the point that we got stranded on an iceberg and the zodiacs couldn't get us out. This is not uncommon and some get stranded for many hours. You are now stuck in a blizzard with all your equipment. Always have a trash bag ready (true for tropical jungles as well), if weather deteriorate quickly you can put it on your telephoto set up. Have a small waterproof duffel bag for your A7 and NEX and the two other lenses (Seal Lion or Watershed). I have to admit that the smartest decision I made was to take the NEX 6 with infamous 16-50. It fits in the parka pocket, it ended up going everywhere and allowed me to shoot immediately when a seal or a whale approached the boat. It happens fast and with no warning. It took DSLR users forever to get their cameras out of the bag and they missed a lot. If I'd do it all over again I would leave the tripod at home (completely impractical for zodiac excursions and there is plenty available light. I didn't use it at all) and, believe it or not, get also a go pro. I wish I had one mounted on a stick to get some amazing underwater shots/videos or shots and videos during rough weather.

Bottom line: two small bodies (A7 and NEX), three zooms, and a go pro

Enjoy it; I travelled the world back and forth numerous time and I still do; Antarctica is a very special trip!

Click to expand...

Many thanks. The drill seems very similar to the Galapagos, except for the weather. I will be on the M.S. Fram. It's not a small expedition ship, but it's also not a large cruise ship.

Click to expand...

Yup, the weather makes all the difference in the world and significantly limits what you can bring along.

Just looked at the boat, seems like you are going for the real deal (not too small, not too big). Perfect choice.

You will also have to brave crossing the Drake Passage my friend. This can be beyond brutal, about two days of misery each direction, totally worth it though!!!

I heard 10-18 A mount is quite good and ideal for antartica landscape

Nicklau81 said:

I heard 10-18 A mount is quite good and ideal for antartica landscape

Click to expand...

I guess you meant 10-18 E mount. The answer is absolutely yes.

AFishEye said:

Nicklau81 said:

I heard 10-18 A mount is quite good and ideal for antartica landscape

Click to expand...

I guess you meant 10-18 E mount. The answer is absolutely yes.

Click to expand...

Yes my typo, E mount it is..

Not looking forward to that part!

kblaw said:

Not looking forward to that part!

Click to expand...

Dramamine makes it manageable, very very tough to do the the passage without taking anything.

We had a rough ride going in and beyond crazy going out. People getting ejected out of bed is not uncommon on a rough crossing (that's why they have safety belts on the beds), and huge waves that cover the ship. Having some luck helps, our ride out was pretty bad.

AFishEye said:

kblaw said:

Not looking forward to that part!

Click to expand...

Dramamine makes it manageable, very very tough to do the the passage without taking anything.

We had a rough ride going in and beyond crazy going out. People getting ejected out of bed is not uncommon on a rough crossing (that's why they have safety belts on the beds), and huge waves that cover the ship. Having some luck helps, our ride out was pretty bad.

Click to expand...

I looked into flying across, but it made the trip extremely expensive.

kblaw said:

AFishEye said:

kblaw said:

Not looking forward to that part!

Click to expand...

Dramamine makes it manageable, very very tough to do the the passage without taking anything.

We had a rough ride going in and beyond crazy going out. People getting ejected out of bed is not uncommon on a rough crossing (that's why they have safety belts on the beds), and huge waves that cover the ship. Having some luck helps, our ride out was pretty bad.

Click to expand...

I looked into flying across, but it made the trip extremely expensive.

Click to expand...

1. Just noticed that you have listed the RX100 on your gear list. It may end up being one of the stars of this trip.

2. I know it sounds crazy now but as an avid world traveler you want to have the Drake Passage under your belt

AFishEye said:

kblaw said:

AFishEye said:

kblaw said:

Not looking forward to that part!

Click to expand...

Dramamine makes it manageable, very very tough to do the the passage without taking anything.

We had a rough ride going in and beyond crazy going out. People getting ejected out of bed is not uncommon on a rough crossing (that's why they have safety belts on the beds), and huge waves that cover the ship. Having some luck helps, our ride out was pretty bad.

Click to expand...

I looked into flying across, but it made the trip extremely expensive.

Click to expand...

1. Just noticed that you have listed the RX100 on your gear list. It may end up being one of the stars of this trip.

Click to expand...

Could be!

AFishEye said:

2. I know it sounds crazy now but as an avid world traveler you want to have the Drake Passage under your belt

Click to expand...

Even difficult travel experiences lead to great stories, such as the flight into Quito that was aborted twice, then diverted to Guayaquil, where were not allowed to get off the plane because we were going to make another attempt to land in Quito (successfully). But I digress . . . .

kblaw said:

I am going to Antarctica in early January. I have an A7R and the Zeiss 35mm and 55mm lenses. On my last two trips, I took only the 35mm. The first trip was to Southeast Asia last December, when the 35mm was the only native lens available. That worked out reasonably well.

On the second trip (just a couple of weeks ago), I went to Machu Picchu, Cusco, the Amazon and the Galapagos. Because of some issues with my back (and the fact that I was also taking a GH4, primarily for video), I dumped a number of lenses at the last minute, and took only the 35mm for the A7R and the 14-140 for the GH4. The only place I used the GH4 was in the Galpagos, where I got some fantastic video but only meh photos (at least in comparison to the A7R). I found that I was able to do significant cropping of the A7R pictures, and still end up with very nice results--to a point.

I am now preparing for the Antarctica trip, and am planning to use the A&R exclusively for pictures. (I wil also take video, but I'm toying with the idea of renting a Panasonic LX100 to get 4K video without lugging around two larger cameras). I am seeking advice regarding native lenses to bring, and whether to rent them or buy them. The Zeiss 24-70mm seems to get mixed reviews, but would certainly afford more versatility. I understand that changing lens while on land there is not a great idea. The 70-200 is large and heavy, but might be worth bringing. For now, I'm not ready to step up to using manual focus lenses with an adapter.

My understanding is that the best shots will be a combination of landsacpes and close-ups of the animals. As in the Galapagos, the animals can be very close, but that is not always the case.

Thoughts?

Terry

Click to expand...

I'm reviving this thread to give an update as to what I decided to bring. I just ordered a "used" but unopened A7S with U.S. warranty at a nice discount from a reputable seller. I will be bringing both the A7R and A7S, and leaving the GH4 home. (I might end up selling it.) I also picked up from BH a used (but nearly new) 70-200mm FE, as well as a used Zeiss 24-70mm. I will be bringing both of those, as well as the Zeiss 35mm and 55mm that I already had, and a GoPro 4 Black Edition. (I know, this is getting to be an expensive proposition.)

On shore excursions, I plan to use the A7S with the 70-200 for both pictures and videos, and may take the GoPro. In other situations I will use the A7S when I want to shoot video or night shots, and will probably use the A7R for all other times. For example, I am going to Iguazu Falls and staying very close to the falls, so I can probably use both cameras.

kblaw said:

kblaw said:

I am going to Antarctica in early January. I have an A7R and the Zeiss 35mm and 55mm lenses. On my last two trips, I took only the 35mm. The first trip was to Southeast Asia last December, when the 35mm was the only native lens available. That worked out reasonably well.

On the second trip (just a couple of weeks ago), I went to Machu Picchu, Cusco, the Amazon and the Galapagos. Because of some issues with my back (and the fact that I was also taking a GH4, primarily for video), I dumped a number of lenses at the last minute, and took only the 35mm for the A7R and the 14-140 for the GH4. The only place I used the GH4 was in the Galpagos, where I got some fantastic video but only meh photos (at least in comparison to the A7R). I found that I was able to do significant cropping of the A7R pictures, and still end up with very nice results--to a point.

I am now preparing for the Antarctica trip, and am planning to use the A&R exclusively for pictures. (I wil also take video, but I'm toying with the idea of renting a Panasonic LX100 to get 4K video without lugging around two larger cameras). I am seeking advice regarding native lenses to bring, and whether to rent them or buy them. The Zeiss 24-70mm seems to get mixed reviews, but would certainly afford more versatility. I understand that changing lens while on land there is not a great idea. The 70-200 is large and heavy, but might be worth bringing. For now, I'm not ready to step up to using manual focus lenses with an adapter.

My understanding is that the best shots will be a combination of landsacpes and close-ups of the animals. As in the Galapagos, the animals can be very close, but that is not always the case.

Thoughts?

Terry

Click to expand...

I'm reviving this thread to give an update as to what I decided to bring. I just ordered a "used" but unopened A7S with U.S. warranty at a nice discount from a reputable seller. I will be bringing both the A7R and A7S, and leaving the GH4 home. (I might end up selling it.) I also picked up from BH a used (but nearly new) 70-200mm FE, as well as a used Zeiss 24-70mm. I will be bringing both of those, as well as the Zeiss 35mm and 55mm that I already had, and a GoPro 4 Black Edition. (I know, this is getting to be an expensive proposition.)

On shore excursions, I plan to use the A7S with the 70-200 for both pictures and videos, and may take the GoPro. In other situations I will use the A7S when I want to shoot video or night shots, and will probably use the A7R for all other times. For example, I am going to Iguazu Falls and staying very close to the falls, so I can probably use both cameras.

Click to expand...

I love this setup; take the GoPro!