Ideal lenses for a cruise to Alaska and Denali

What lenses and other equipment would folks consider ideal to have on an Alaska cruise through the inner passage, and then trips to Denali and to the Canadian Rockies?. The camera is a 5d3.

Most of my travel photography has been done in Europe. This is my first time shooting in "wilderness" and wide open spaces.

Experienced advice will be much appreciated. Thanks.

I'd bring as much as I could carry.

If I were to leave tomorrow I'd bring:

two bodies,

16-35,

24-105,

70-200,

100-400,

500,

extenders.

I would not bother with a flash unless you think you are going to take a bunch of photos onboard.

My last year kit for the Alaskan cruise was:

6D

7D MK II

Tokina 16-28

Canon 24-105 L

Tamron 150-600 for wildlife, whales, birds on the ship and around towns.

14,000 photos in a week.

Didn't miss my 500 F4.

For landscapes, be ready to take panorama sequences to be stitched. If you try to use an overly wide focal length to squeeze it all in, you'll end up with nothing but foreground in your image, and the scale will be totally lost.

Unless you're shooting a substantial amount of wildlife, you will probably regret lugging around long full frame lenses.

If I could take any three lenses for FF, I'd choose 24mm (for single shot wide angle), 35mm (for panoramas) and a 100-400 IS zoom (for shooting from a boat/ship).

I would also take the best small advanced compact (non-interchangeable lens) I could get, and have it at the ready for all the moments I'm not with a DSLR. Invariably, there will be those moments.

In the mountains, the weather can change quite suddenly, so also be ready for that.

I would bring as much as you can carry on the plane and boat.

At least

2 bodies if you own 2

UWA zoom,(Landscapes)

Medium Zoon (24-105 range for landscapes)

Long Zoom (100-600 range - Wildlife)

I doubt mosquitos will be a problem on a ship (they actually show up in photos taken on land).

However rain is likely as it is a temperate rain forest. I brought rain gear but we had exceptional weather and did not need it.

Tapeman said:

I'd bring as much as I could carry.

If I were to leave tomorrow I'd bring:

two bodies,

16-35,

24-105,

70-200,

100-400,

500,

extenders.

I would not bother with a flash unless you think you are going to take a bunch of photos onboard.

Click to expand...

Good advice - bring the longest lens that you have. I even brought by tripod with gimbal head for my 500mm lens - I bungied it to the balcony railing:


Breaching humpback; 500mm (tripod mounted) from the ship's balcony

In Denali you will be riding a bus with windows that drop for clear viewing:


Grizzly cub; 700mm from the bus

--
-Dave

I live on the Inside Passage and have shot on Denali. Minimal kit - standard zoom and telephoto to at least 400mm, though 300mm could be o.k. I prefer zooms. To add to that, next for me would be a fast prime for on the ship. Last time I was in Denali shot with a 24-70 2.8 on a 5d2 and a 100-400 on a 7d. There is a lot to be said for two bodies. I also throw in a large sensor compact when traveling.

Thank you all for the excellent suggestions and recommendations.

I have accumulated some excellent lenses over the years, and based on suggestions and my sense of what I like to shoot, I think I will be taking the following:

16-35 f/4L IS

24-70 f/4L IS

100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS II

1.4 tele-extender II

50mm f/1.2L

35mm f/2 IS

I think I will probably also take a monopod, a polarizing filter, stepping rings, extra batteries, lots of sd cards, and some rain sleeves.

I only have one Canon body, my 5d3. I was curious why a number of folks made a point of recommending a second body. Apart from the issue of redundancy in case of damage or loss, was there any other reason that people felt a second body was important?

Also, the point about stitching to get panoramas makes a lot os sense to me. Which software do people recommend for stitching images together for panoramas or detail?

Thanks again for the help!

I would also like to hear about experiences with various stitching software. I've used the open-source Hugin (sometimes tricky), and also Photoshop Elements. I'm wondering if the other, more expensive, dedicated stitching software is worth the cost. In general, what I've found is that those two options work just fine if the foreground is not too close. When I include close foreground stuff, I usually get parallax errors UNLESS I use a panorama head (Panosaurus is an affordable option) on a tripod, to keep the nodal point in one place.

I've been content with one camera body, but I like having a compact as an option. Usually, when I'm "sure" I won't be taking photos, I carry a compact anyway. That way I have fewer regrets in the end. On the other hand, having two DSLR bodies can sometimes make it more quick and effortless to transition from wide to telephoto. I guess it comes down to the amount of mass/bulk you like. You could always rent a second body for a little while if you thought it would be worth it.

liketotallyrandom said:

I would also like to hear about experiences with various stitching software. I've used the open-source Hugin (sometimes tricky), and also Photoshop Elements. I'm wondering if the other, more expensive, dedicated stitching software is worth the cost. In general, what I've found is that those two options work just fine if the foreground is not too close. When I include close foreground stuff, I usually get parallax errors UNLESS I use a panorama head (Panosaurus is an affordable option) on a tripod, to keep the nodal point in one place.

I've been content with one camera body, but I like having a compact as an option. Usually, when I'm "sure" I won't be taking photos, I carry a compact anyway. That way I have fewer regrets in the end. On the other hand, having two DSLR bodies can sometimes make it more quick and effortless to transition from wide to telephoto. I guess it comes down to the amount of mass/bulk you like. You could always rent a second body for a little while if you thought it would be worth it.

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Thank you for the suggestions.

Ken Rockwell recommends Canon's own Utilities Photostitch software. I think it works more or less with any camera, but automatically reads important lens information with Canon equipment. I am actively searching for more information and have posted in a couple of places. I will let you know what I hear.

A panorama head is a good idea. I wonder about using a tripod on the deck of a ship, however. The vibrations of the engines coming through the deck seem likely to disrupt the image. I wonder if hand-holding would better dampen the vibrations?

I first carried 2 cameras on a trip to Africa where the cost of a used body was insurance against failure. Trip of a lifetime type of thing. I don't usually carry 2 for travel unless wildlife is a major part of the trip. Part of it is my particular cams. The 5d2 is better for landscapes and the 7d is better for wildlife ( "reach", fps, an af). You do not have quite the same concerns with the 5d3. Another reason I sometimes carry two cams is speed in changing circumstances. Wildlife always appear a ways off right when you are set up for a scenic vista. There is also traveling with non-photographers who may not be as patient as we might like. Denali is a good example. Most people see it on the park buses. They stop at major view points and sometimes for wildlife but time is limited, though you can get on and off. Being able to quickly use a range of focal lengths is a plus, not a real necessity.

Have a good trip!

Thank you all for the excellent advice! I think I'm in good shape now to pick my gear for the trip. I have to say that mosquitoes were one problem I had not anticipated!

chironNYC said:

What lenses and other equipment would folks consider ideal to have on an Alaska cruise through the inner passage, and then trips to Denali and to the Canadian Rockies?. The camera is a 5d3.

Most of my travel photography has been done in Europe. This is my first time shooting in "wilderness" and wide open spaces.

Experienced advice will be much appreciated. Thanks.

Click to expand...

you will need something like the 100-400 or Sigma 150-600 if you want bald eagle shots

Why to take two bodies.......

Traveling in Nova Scotia with 5DMII as primary camera. Inside taking pictures of a fort and was unable to see through the view finder. Discovered that the screen had popped out and was severely scratched. Remounted, but very distracting. When to car and got my 40D and finished the trip with it. Now carry 6D as primary and the 5DMII as a backup. Never leave on a big trip without a backup cam, even if it is a point and shoot. Have a good trip, Best, Bob