Going to Utah NP's.

Hi, in about 5 weeks I'm going on a family trip to Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef and several other parks in Utah.  This is a trip with my wife and in-laws, and my wife makes it clear that photography is definitely NOT the first priority, although there will be time for photos.  We will primarily be hiking each day, although I doubt they will be very extreme

So my question is how much and what kind of gear to take to get my needs met but not be in the way of the family activity - my wife's birthday is the main driver here.  I have a lot of Fuji gear, including XH2, XT4, all the "big" lenses and an assortment of the lighter stuff.  I also have a Ricoh GR3 and a Fuji X100F.  My first thought was the XH-2 plus a 10-24  and the 18-55. Maybe take the Ricoh also.  Not too heavy , fairly unobtrusive, and those parks seem like a wide-angle paradise.  Or maybe just the X100F.  Any suggestions for meeting the two goals without too many disadvantages?

The X100.  If not that then the Ricoh.  Take just 1 camera. Leave everything else at home.  Owning these 2  cameras you likely do not need to be convinced of their versatility or capability.  In addition your wife has reminded you of something you already know; those important to you will NOT be impressed with your assortment of toys.

jayblue wrote:

Hi, in about 5 weeks I'm going on a family trip to Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef and several other parks in Utah. This is a trip with my wife and in-laws, and my wife makes it clear that photography is definitely NOT the first priority, although there will be time for photos. We will primarily be hiking each day, although I doubt they will be very extreme

So my question is how much and what kind of gear to take to get my needs met but not be in the way of the family activity - my wife's birthday is the main driver here. I have a lot of Fuji gear, including XH2, XT4, all the "big" lenses and an assortment of the lighter stuff. I also have a Ricoh GR3 and a Fuji X100F. My first thought was the XH-2 plus a 10-24 and the 18-55. Maybe take the Ricoh also. Not too heavy , fairly unobtrusive, and those parks seem like a wide-angle paradise. Or maybe just the X100F. Any suggestions for meeting the two goals without too many disadvantages?

I'm sure you will be getting a variety of opinions but a few come to mind:

1. Your first inclination of the X-H2, 10-24, and 18-55 is a good lightweight choice. Zion has many tall peaks and valleys that will be well served by the 10-24. Other parks may benefit by some telephoto landscapes. The drive from one to another can be breathtaking. If you can keep a tele in the car I'd recommend it.

2. Hiking. Utah has had a lot of snowfall this year, a bunch still on the ground even in 5 weeks. Not as much an issue in the lower elevations but Bryce at 8K ft could be an issue. So when hiking, just be aware there most likely are snow-covered trails. In my younger years I didn't care. As an older fellow I am more cautious. BTW the snowfall water content map is below to indicate how blanketed with snow the state has been. For this eason the X100F may be a very lightweight companion that will serve your needs.

3. Be sure to heed your wife's comments. Even though I am the biggest violator of what I just said, it can be an issue, especially in Utah. Example..... Zion and Bryce are a photographer's Mecca. When visiting Bryce in the summer many years ago we hiked down the trails and every turn and in every direction was a photo moment. My wife needed to wait an inordinately long time for me which led to some..... well, I won't get into it. 😁

4. Consider bringing a lightweight tripod. A 40mp cam will get its best resolution stabilized not with IBIS....especially at dawn or dusk when the light is dim.

Have a great trip. Utah is great. Also below is an image from the Narrows, maybe not a great time to hike because there water will be freezing.

The Narrows in the Summer

A view from the road out of Canyonlands (probably now snowed in????)

Bryce: Lower trails accessed from the road.  Once on them it is difficult to know when NOT to shoot!

Hmm, looks like I've been shooting Fuji for awhile! 😁

I've been to these parks a few times. You definitely want to take an ultrawide angle lens for Bryce. My 17mm/full frame camera was used quite a bit there.

If you can, try to make it to Cedar Breaks state park.

You will be seeing a lot of red, rocks that is. It sounds like a wonderful trip and we enjoyed all he parks. When in Moab, make shore to visit Dead Horse State Park as well as Canyon Lands and Arches.

Your 10-24 will get a workout and will be great for taking photos of the family in the parks as well as landscapes. You want a long lens as well, chose a light one like the 70-300 as you will want to do isolation shots as well as some wildlife.

A teaser from Canyonlands

Have a wonderful trip

Morris

I can't speak for the other two national parks (they're still on our list), but Bryce Canyon begs a wide variety of focal lengths. But if you're leaning toward one side, go wide. That will get you the grand vistas from the rim, and also work well in the tight trail spaces down in the canyon. Some examples below. Medium telephoto lengths can capture nice closeups of the hoodoos.

Of course, sunrise and sunsets are spectacular times to shoot. We did those on the rim, and the trails during the day so the sun gets down into the canyon. Hopefully the EXIF on these will help you decide on focal ranges. Good luck!

GreatOceanSoftware wrote:

I can't speak for the other two national parks (they're still on our list), but Bryce Canyon begs a wide variety of focal lengths. But if you're leaning toward one side, go wide. That will get you the grand vistas from the rim, and also work well in the tight trail spaces down in the canyon. Some examples below. Medium telephoto lengths can capture nice closeups of the hoodoos.

Of course, sunrise and sunsets are spectacular times to shoot. We did those on the rim, and the trails during the day so the sun gets down into the canyon. Hopefully the EXIF on these will help you decide on focal ranges. Good luck!

Everywhere you turn is a photo moment.  Good luck balancing your chosen wonderful hobby and still have a wife after the trip! 😁😁😁

I would take a wide angle and a telephoto.

My hiking kit right now is an X-T4, 10-24, 70-300, and the 50/2.  I used to bring the 16-55 as well, but I've been experimenting with allowing the 50 to cover the gap between 24 and 70. The 50 is great for stuff like isolating flowers and such.  If I was going someplace where I wasn't expecting to do a ton of wildlife spotting(like Utah), and so didn't necessarily need the 300 reach I'd bring my 50-140 with the 1.4tx instead of the 70-300, and leave the 50 behind.  But that's a bulkier, heavier option than the 70-300 in addition to to lesser reach.

If my goal was to balance minimal gear and minimum fuss, I'd probably see if I could get away with bringing both the X H2 and the X-t4.  I'd mount the 10-24 on one and the 50-140(or 70-300) on the other.  Sure, it's more gear, but it also means not having to stop and change lenses, and since your wife isn't carrying the gear (I assume :-)), maybe the extra gear wouldn't bother her as long it meant you could could photograph more efficiently.  Just get some Peak Design type camera clips to attach the cameras to your pack straps/belt for quick access.

But if I could only bring one lens/camera, I think it would have to be a standard zoom like the 18-55.  I've been to Utah and those parks 3 times, and I didn't own an ultra wide, just two lenses that covered the 24-300(FF equivalent) range (Olympus 12-40 and the 40-150) and I don't remember being unhappy. But I don't think I'm a UW guy for landscapes. And I would have definitely missed the ability to compress some of those wide open landscapes without a 300mm FF equivalent.

jayblue wrote:

Hi, in about 5 weeks I'm going on a family trip to Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef and several other parks in Utah. This is a trip with my wife and in-laws, and my wife makes it clear that photography is definitely NOT the first priority, although there will be time for photos. We will primarily be hiking each day, although I doubt they will be very extreme

So my question is how much and what kind of gear to take to get my needs met but not be in the way of the family activity - my wife's birthday is the main driver here. I have a lot of Fuji gear, including XH2, XT4, all the "big" lenses and an assortment of the lighter stuff. I also have a Ricoh GR3 and a Fuji X100F. My first thought was the XH-2 plus a 10-24 and the 18-55. Maybe take the Ricoh also. Not too heavy , fairly unobtrusive, and those parks seem like a wide-angle paradise. Or maybe just the X100F. Any suggestions for meeting the two goals without too many disadvantages?

Im planning the same trip for this summer. Planning on taking the XH2, XT4 with the 16-80, the Samyang 12mm AF and the Fuji 23. Would the 70-300 be useful? It would be my 1st time going there, so Im not sure on the ideal setup. Also have access to an OM1 with 12-40, 20mm and 8mm.

grey pilgrim wrote:

Michel Perez wrote:

jayblue wrote:

Hi, in about 5 weeks I'm going on a family trip to Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef and several other parks in Utah. This is a trip with my wife and in-laws, and my wife makes it clear that photography is definitely NOT the first priority, although there will be time for photos. We will primarily be hiking each day, although I doubt they will be very extreme

So my question is how much and what kind of gear to take to get my needs met but not be in the way of the family activity - my wife's birthday is the main driver here. I have a lot of Fuji gear, including XH2, XT4, all the "big" lenses and an assortment of the lighter stuff. I also have a Ricoh GR3 and a Fuji X100F. My first thought was the XH-2 plus a 10-24 and the 18-55. Maybe take the Ricoh also. Not too heavy , fairly unobtrusive, and those parks seem like a wide-angle paradise. Or maybe just the X100F. Any suggestions for meeting the two goals without too many disadvantages?

Im planning the same trip for this summer. Planning on taking the XH2, XT4 with the 16-80, the Samyang 12mm AF and the Fuji 23. Would the 70-300 be useful? It would be my 1st time going there, so Im not sure on the ideal setup. Also have access to an OM1 with 12-40, 20mm and 8mm.

There are lots of interesting shots in Bryce that can only be had with a telephoto. I use the 70-300 for landscape all the time. But I always carry it with me. If you’re down in the canyon, you’ll want wide more often.

Oh, and a side note about light that I had to learn. Daytime sun is good light when you are in slot canyons there. It reflects off the walls and bathes everything in a warm red orange light.

Doug

Thanks for the tips about Bryce and the daytime light. So your advice is to take also a telephoto.