Traveling to Iceland. Lens selections?

[KEG]

Consider a good quality protective filter. I didn't go but local group did. One thing they mentioned was wind and very fine particles. Since I'm not an expert on that check it out, just in case.

LOL, I live in Iceland and I consider protective filters to be a complete waste of money

That has been a debate for many decades that I don’t want to resurrect. After many years of using the highest quality filters I took mine off. Somehow while shooting an event I scratched the the front element of my 70-200 2.8 II. Probably a wedding as those are fast paced. My own fault.

I did say consider, not need. Some don’t like the sound of particles bouncing off the front element. I know I wouldn’t. I’ve just read a post in this thread it is no fun to even change lenses in those conditions.

In those circumstance I would worry more about my car than my camera.

A rental? I know I wouldn't by a car if I went to new Iceland for a few weeks. Again, each to their own.

No mine, I live there.

One of the benefits of living there apart from clean tap water is that sometimes I only have to step out side my house to see auroras.

--
Don't Look Up.

--
KEG

 

[axlotl]

It looks like I may be heading to Iceland (7-10 days) this summer with my family. Partly to photograph a vow renewal for my sister, but also for all the landscapes. I have an R6, but would likely rent out an R5 for this trip. I'll be bringing a Domke F2 bag for my lenses, but what do you think I should be bringing (that will hopefully fit in the F2)?

Here is what I have:

RF: Canon 24-70 f/2.8, 24-240, 85 f/1.2

EF: Canon 16-35 f/4, 70-200 f/2.8 with 2x extender, 50 f/1.2, 100 Macro, Rokinon 14mm f/2.4.

For the wides, I'm looking at using my EF stuff because I have the adapter with the swappable variable ND.

For the long end, thinking about renting the RF 100-500? The 70-200 will be big, and I don't think the 24-240 is up to the task.

I really don't know how much use I'd get out of the 85 there, although it is my preferred portrait lens.

Any other suggestions or ideas would be appreciated.

HI, You will get plenty of suggestions from the very helpful contributors on this forum.

Having been to Iceland here is my little contribution. Plan your kit so you do not change lenses, at all, ever. Iceland can be wet, raining, dusty, cold, hot,

eh, no.

I was referring to the somewhat relaxed approach by Icelandic authorities to locals and visitors approaching close to and walking on lava fields which can still be quite hot by human standards.

Andrew

steamy, windy, gale force windy and more. If I were in your situation I would not bother with the R5, just take the R6 it will do the job just fine. And just one lens. I would pick your RF 24-70 L as it is weather sealed. You can get very wet near waterfalls and it rains a fair bit.

Trust me trying to change lenses on this trip will drive you and your companions mad and create un-necessary complications. Keep it simple. Take plenty of spare batteries and lens cleaning stuff.

Good luck have a great trip.

Andrew

 

[KEG]

It looks like I may be heading to Iceland (7-10 days) this summer with my family. Partly to photograph a vow renewal for my sister, but also for all the landscapes. I have an R6, but would likely rent out an R5 for this trip. I'll be bringing a Domke F2 bag for my lenses, but what do you think I should be bringing (that will hopefully fit in the F2)?

Here is what I have:

RF: Canon 24-70 f/2.8, 24-240, 85 f/1.2

EF: Canon 16-35 f/4, 70-200 f/2.8 with 2x extender, 50 f/1.2, 100 Macro, Rokinon 14mm f/2.4.

For the wides, I'm looking at using my EF stuff because I have the adapter with the swappable variable ND.

For the long end, thinking about renting the RF 100-500? The 70-200 will be big, and I don't think the 24-240 is up to the task.

I really don't know how much use I'd get out of the 85 there, although it is my preferred portrait lens.

Any other suggestions or ideas would be appreciated.

HI, You will get plenty of suggestions from the very helpful contributors on this forum.

Having been to Iceland here is my little contribution. Plan your kit so you do not change lenses, at all, ever. Iceland can be wet, raining, dusty, cold, hot,

eh, no.

I was referring to the somewhat relaxed approach by Icelandic authorities to locals and visitors approaching close to and walking on lava fields which can still be quite hot by human standards.

haha

Andrew

steamy, windy, gale force windy and more. If I were in your situation I would not bother with the R5, just take the R6 it will do the job just fine. And just one lens. I would pick your RF 24-70 L as it is weather sealed. You can get very wet near waterfalls and it rains a fair bit.

Trust me trying to change lenses on this trip will drive you and your companions mad and create un-necessary complications. Keep it simple. Take plenty of spare batteries and lens cleaning stuff.

Good luck have a great trip.

Andrew

 

[bmninada]

I have shot in humid conditions, extreme dust, even war like situations, icy cold (Siberia) and never used any of the darn UV filters! I second/third the fact changing ANYTHING in icy cold situation is real pain in the B$$$. Frankly - if I am going, I will take just 1 body and 1 lens "glued" to the body and then do PP in a warm / cozy hotel room over a sip of at least XO rated Cognac (LOL).

Iceland: Anything below 24 mm is useless.

Biggest dynamic range possible within $$ limit will be my choice for a body.

I personally know some touring companies there even rent out Phase One and their lens which I've seen crazy good landscape photographers especially rent. They are supposedly the best for the landscape presented by Iceland.

 

[CameraCarl]

Iceland: Anything below 24 mm is useless.

Hmmm.... so you don't think 16mm would be useful anywhere in Iceland? Not even in Reykjavik?

 

[MarshallG]

I have shot in humid conditions, extreme dust, even war like situations, icy cold (Siberia) and never used any of the darn UV filters! I second/third the fact changing ANYTHING in icy cold situation is real pain in the B$$$. Frankly - if I am going, I will take just 1 body and 1 lens "glued" to the body and then do PP in a warm / cozy hotel room over a sip of at least XO rated Cognac (LOL).

Iceland: Anything below 24 mm is useless.

Biggest dynamic range possible within $$ limit will be my choice for a body.

I personally know some touring companies there even rent out Phase One and their lens which I've seen crazy good landscape photographers especially rent. They are supposedly the best for the landscape presented by Iceland.

How do you prevent condensation when working in cold environments? It’s often been a challenge for me.

 

[KEG]

Iceland: Anything below 24 mm is useless.

Hmmm.... so you don't think 16mm would be useful anywhere in Iceland? Not even in Reykjavik?

16 mm are useful for Auroras and UWA are cool but def not necessary.

--
KEG

 

[Canon_Guy]

Iceland: Anything below 24 mm is useless.

Hmmm.... so you don't think 16mm would be useful anywhere in Iceland? Not even in Reykjavik?

16 mm are useful for Auroras and UWA are cool but def not necessary.

 

[CamerEyes]

It looks like I may be heading to Iceland (7-10 days) this summer with my family. Partly to photograph a vow renewal for my sister, but also for all the landscapes. I have an R6, but would likely rent out an R5 for this trip. I'll be bringing a Domke F2 bag for my lenses, but what do you think I should be bringing (that will hopefully fit in the F2)?

Here is what I have:

RF: Canon 24-70 f/2.8, 24-240, 85 f/1.2

EF: Canon 16-35 f/4, 70-200 f/2.8 with 2x extender, 50 f/1.2, 100 Macro, Rokinon 14mm f/2.4.

For the wides, I'm looking at using my EF stuff because I have the adapter with the swappable variable ND.

For the long end, thinking about renting the RF 100-500? The 70-200 will be big, and I don't think the 24-240 is up to the task.

I really don't know how much use I'd get out of the 85 there, although it is my preferred portrait lens.

Any other suggestions or ideas would be appreciated.

Your 85mm on cropped mode becomes 136mm, which should be enough reach for things / scenery to shoot in Iceland. The 50mm 1.2 will be a great versatile lens.

That's it, if I were you. Leave the rest behind. Enjoy the trip. Oh wait, you might want to buy the RF24mm. Super light, very capable.

I do like the idea of combining that 50mm L with that little 24mm.

But how about changing that 85mm f/1.2 L for the 85mm f/2.0 IS stm? For scenery stuff that f/2.0 lens is great.

Three primes, won't dent your shoulder/back, won't get in the way of enjoying the country by foot with your family. Quality time, quality gear without walking around with an extra 10-15 kilos of gear all the time (sometimes, the bag alone weights 2-3 kilos already).

You tempt me. I just saw a friend selling his mint, pre-owned RF85 f2. You saying it's a good lens?

Agree it should complete the OP's travel gear!

 

[skeudenn]

You might think of the 100-400 rf . I used that one in iceland last summer ( didn't want to take either 600 or 800 rf ) on the r5 it works with tc 14 and 2x at all focal lengths and weighs about 700 grammes.

100-500 ( i sold 600 rf and 100-450 to fund part of the 100-500 rf ) rf is nice.

 

[thunder storm]

It looks like I may be heading to Iceland (7-10 days) this summer with my family. Partly to photograph a vow renewal for my sister, but also for all the landscapes. I have an R6, but would likely rent out an R5 for this trip. I'll be bringing a Domke F2 bag for my lenses, but what do you think I should be bringing (that will hopefully fit in the F2)?

Here is what I have:

RF: Canon 24-70 f/2.8, 24-240, 85 f/1.2

EF: Canon 16-35 f/4, 70-200 f/2.8 with 2x extender, 50 f/1.2, 100 Macro, Rokinon 14mm f/2.4.

For the wides, I'm looking at using my EF stuff because I have the adapter with the swappable variable ND.

For the long end, thinking about renting the RF 100-500? The 70-200 will be big, and I don't think the 24-240 is up to the task.

I really don't know how much use I'd get out of the 85 there, although it is my preferred portrait lens.

Any other suggestions or ideas would be appreciated.

Your 85mm on cropped mode becomes 136mm, which should be enough reach for things / scenery to shoot in Iceland. The 50mm 1.2 will be a great versatile lens.

That's it, if I were you. Leave the rest behind. Enjoy the trip. Oh wait, you might want to buy the RF24mm. Super light, very capable.

I do like the idea of combining that 50mm L with that little 24mm.

But how about changing that 85mm f/1.2 L for the 85mm f/2.0 IS stm? For scenery stuff that f/2.0 lens is great.

Three primes, won't dent your shoulder/back, won't get in the way of enjoying the country by foot with your family. Quality time, quality gear without walking around with an extra 10-15 kilos of gear all the time (sometimes, the bag alone weights 2-3 kilos already).

You tempt me. I just saw a friend selling his mint, pre-owned RF85 f2. You saying it's a good lens?

Very sharp across the frame, good contrast, handles backlit situations very well, has a 0.5 times magnification factor, stellar IS, almost no distortion.

The AF is not that fast, but for scenery that's not a problem at all. For macro-ish shots the AF can be cumbersome at times as well. For posed portraits the AF is fine. The bokeh isn't bad for shapes or outlining, but there's maybe a bit too much contrast or saturation to make it look like your smoothest portrait lens.

For me the main purposes of this lens are landscape/scenery (it's a low light monster with f/2.0 and stellar IS) and up close stuff like flowers or slow insects etc. With a bit of cropping power it compensates somewhat for the lack of 105mm in my standard zoom. I don't bring this lens as my portrait option, but it does a fine job with posing subjects, and in back lit situations I prefer it sometimes over my other portrait options.

Agree it should complete the OP's travel gear!

It's 500g and it combines some purposes. There isn't a fast focusing RF 85mm anyway, so from that perspective it's a great lens.

 

[KEG]

You might think of the 100-400 rf . I used that one in iceland last summer ( didn't want to take either 600 or 800 rf ) on the r5 it works with tc 14 and 2x at all focal lengths and weighs about 700 grammes.

I think that could be a pretty smart choice

100-500 ( i sold 600 rf and 100-450 to fund part of the 100-500 rf ) rf is nice.

 

[Franz Kerschbaum]

Thats my FL statistics (corrected for cropping the R5 or R7 files) for my two week Iceland tour last summer- Most of the pics were taken with the RF15-35 and the RF100-500 (this also with RF1.4x and the RF2x).

 

[Forum GAS]

For landscape, the 16-35mm would be preferable. Take a really heavy duty tripod as it is quite windy. It might not be the season for the Northern Lights, but if you want to do that a fast ultra-wide is handy. If you want to do waterfalls, take a plastic cover to protect your gear and carry a ton of lens cleaning cloths.

You’ll also need a waterproof jacket and pants and boots. If you want to wade in the water, high rubber boots are needed. Wear clothing that is quick dry. Avoid cotton.

 

[drsnoopy]

And maybe a 35 prime.

Why? He has high quality zooms which are more than adequate for landscape work.

 

[Canon_Guy]

Thats my FL statistics (corrected for cropping the R5 or R7 files) for my two week Iceland tour last summer- Most of the pics were taken with the RF15-35 and the RF100-500 (this also with RF1.4x and the RF2x).

Cool statistics !

 

[2ndact scene1]

Thats my FL statistics (corrected for cropping the R5 or R7 files) for my two week Iceland tour last summer- Most of the pics were taken with the RF15-35 and the RF100-500 (this also with RF1.4x and the RF2x).

Did you use the long zoom for wildlife mainly, and if so, was it mainly birds? I was in Iceland about 15 years ago visiting a family friend, including a trip to her grandparent’s farm. This was before I got back into photography. Looking back, I do not recall much wildlife other than seagulls. The obvious subjects in Iceland to me would be water in various forms (sea coast, waterfalls, glaciers etc.), Icelandic horses (incredibly photogenic), and landscape. In the last 15 years photographers have fallen in love with Iceland and I hope to go back with a camera. Our city even has direct flights to Reykjavik now! But I am just curious what your favorite subjects were.

 

[Franz Kerschbaum]

... seals, whales, many different birds both on shore and inland.

 

[2ndact scene1]

• Franz Kerschbaum wrote:

... seals, whales, many different birds both on shore and inland.

Thanks. That explains the TCs!

Kevin

 

[CamerEyes]

It looks like I may be heading to Iceland (7-10 days) this summer with my family. Partly to photograph a vow renewal for my sister, but also for all the landscapes. I have an R6, but would likely rent out an R5 for this trip. I'll be bringing a Domke F2 bag for my lenses, but what do you think I should be bringing (that will hopefully fit in the F2)?

Here is what I have:

RF: Canon 24-70 f/2.8, 24-240, 85 f/1.2

EF: Canon 16-35 f/4, 70-200 f/2.8 with 2x extender, 50 f/1.2, 100 Macro, Rokinon 14mm f/2.4.

For the wides, I'm looking at using my EF stuff because I have the adapter with the swappable variable ND.

For the long end, thinking about renting the RF 100-500? The 70-200 will be big, and I don't think the 24-240 is up to the task.

I really don't know how much use I'd get out of the 85 there, although it is my preferred portrait lens.

Any other suggestions or ideas would be appreciated.

Your 85mm on cropped mode becomes 136mm, which should be enough reach for things / scenery to shoot in Iceland. The 50mm 1.2 will be a great versatile lens.

That's it, if I were you. Leave the rest behind. Enjoy the trip. Oh wait, you might want to buy the RF24mm. Super light, very capable.

I do like the idea of combining that 50mm L with that little 24mm.

But how about changing that 85mm f/1.2 L for the 85mm f/2.0 IS stm? For scenery stuff that f/2.0 lens is great.

Three primes, won't dent your shoulder/back, won't get in the way of enjoying the country by foot with your family. Quality time, quality gear without walking around with an extra 10-15 kilos of gear all the time (sometimes, the bag alone weights 2-3 kilos already).

You tempt me. I just saw a friend selling his mint, pre-owned RF85 f2. You saying it's a good lens?

Very sharp across the frame, good contrast, handles backlit situations very well, has a 0.5 times magnification factor, stellar IS, almost no distortion.

The AF is not that fast, but for scenery that's not a problem at all. For macro-ish shots the AF can be cumbersome at times as well. For posed portraits the AF is fine. The bokeh isn't bad for shapes or outlining, but there's maybe a bit too much contrast or saturation to make it look like your smoothest portrait lens.

For me the main purposes of this lens are landscape/scenery (it's a low light monster with f/2.0 and stellar IS) and up close stuff like flowers or slow insects etc. With a bit of cropping power it compensates somewhat for the lack of 105mm in my standard zoom. I don't bring this lens as my portrait option, but it does a fine job with posing subjects, and in back lit situations I prefer it sometimes over my other portrait options.

Agree it should complete the OP's travel gear!

It's 500g and it combines some purposes. There isn't a fast focusing RF 85mm anyway, so from that perspective it's a great lens.

Makes sense, thank you! Yes, I won't buy it for speed but hardly any 85mm is.