First time photo/hiking trip New Zealand. Tips/tricks.

DownBusiness wrote:

Thanks everyone for their tips, tricks and stories!

I will read up on it and write them down in my 'things to investigate' notebook.

I was away in Scotland over the weekend so could not reply. But I did got a chance to test the lens kit over there: most used lenses: Samyang 12mm and the 18-135 which are both great for landscapes. Such a versatile kit (as they have the same thread) and not afraid to get the X-T1 and 18-135 wet on beaches and near waterfalls or in the rain. As it rained a lot here.

So I will take the 12 f2 and 21 f1.4 and the 18-135 together with the 60mm macro. Its pretty much how i envisioned it. Though the new 15-45 mm also looks very cool and tempting for landscapes and POV shots*. (As I am an bokeh whore I wont use that for portraits hehe but it is nice and light to walk around with)

As for filters? Offcourse an 10 stops ND filter and should I nead an polarising filter also?

*As for POV shots I mean this ( ):

I have never owned a ND filter...how do you use them?  Polarising filters have been my favourite now and then. Especially when i used film (color slides)

In NZ there is water - rivers, lakes , sea - and with a polariser you can adjust the amount of reflections - and clear water looks more clear if you want that. Or you can make the sky more blue or dark in some landscapes - especially by the sea. Circular polariser for the zoom is the most useful option. Wide angle lenses do not benefit so much and there will be some problems.

I would take a polariser.

Here i wanted to make the bottom visible ... work only when the angle is right - the closest area. It also gives some color to the smooth rock