hi people, I need a suggestion about a lens for my alaskan trip...
now I have a aps-c camera (d300s) and a nikkor 300/2,8 and nikkor 1,7x
probably I need another lens, for the focal down 300mm, I think for mammals near of my ( which distance are the bears?)
I thinks is necessary focal lengh around 50 and 200...
the problem is: the 70-200/2,8 nikkor is very expensive for me, and I condider a option the 24-120/4 nikkor.
what do you think? is too short the 120mm or is a good alternative to shoot under 300mm?
have you other solution?
thanks for suggestion and sorry my bad english!
05-26-2012, 02:00 PM
Steve Uffman
Just my 2 cents. My wife and I were in Alaska in August doing brown bears near Silver Salmon. For us , I used the 500, sometimes with a 1.4x converter, a 70-200 and a 17-40. Actually used all three quite a bit but I had two camera bodies. One a full frame and one a 1.6 (canon 7d)...I switched around the bodies and lens combinations quite a bit.....and often filled the frame completely with either camera/lens combo
My wife shot the 100-400 and a smaller zoom which was something like 24-135 but I am not sure .
Now I was in Alaska in April photographing eagles and again I used the same body/lens combo as before. 70-200 for Birds in Flight and big glass for more perches and such.
While I own my equipment, some on the trip rented both lens and extra bodies. Might be an option for you since the photography opportunities in Alaska are so wonderful
05-26-2012, 06:02 PM
stefano sitzia
thanks steve. I have an idea to buy or rebt a 2' body whit another lens. this is my first alaskan trip and probably the last for more and more year and I want go home with a good shots... ;)
05-26-2012, 06:18 PM
Steve Uffman
Not sure where you are going, but be sure to have plenty of card space and back up capability....almost embarassing how many shots per day we had for both bears and then the eagles near Homer
05-27-2012, 01:00 AM
stefano sitzia
I have 20 Gb of ccard, but I go to buy other 20 or more.
no backup, I change the card.
05-27-2012, 10:28 AM
fabiobernardino
You can read about Alaska at Robert Otoole blog.
From what I read, I think you would need at least 32GB/day.
On Robert's eagle trip in April, all of the workshop participants shot 32gb in the morning and the afternoon....all of us..now that is an exception. On my bear trip in August, we shot 32 GB on some days and less on others or as the week ran down. you may want to check BHPhoto as they have been having some really good discounts on cards lately....and all of the above assumes you are shooting RAW
05-28-2012, 04:53 AM
Humberto Ramos
I think nikon have an 80-400mm lens, probably cheaper than the 70-200mm, and you have some other options like a sigma 70-200mm, probably not as good wide open.
05-28-2012, 07:39 AM
fabiobernardino
I didn't pay attention to the lens questions. But you can rent the "right" lenses for the job. That what I would do if it was me. www.lensrentals.com
05-28-2012, 11:30 AM
stefano sitzia
I have and idea: I have found a used D700, to use like a 2nd body: the possibility to shooting at iso very high without noise, permit me to use the lens not professional and whit F more closed than F/2,8; for example the nikkor 70-300 F/3,5-5,6 VR
In this way I can combine the 300/2,8 whit or without 1,7x and 2,0x and a medium zoom whit a DX and FX body
what do you think?
