Camera for Alaskan cruise

Sarabi's Cubs

Sarabi's Cubs

DIS Veteran
Joined
Apr 3, 2008
I'm planning to take an Alaskan cruise in summer 2016, so I want to make sure I have an appropriate camera for the trip. Currently I have an Olympus E-450. I like the pictures it takes, but admittedly, I haven't learned to do much with it other than turn off the flash (and I'm not always successful at that!:sad2:). I want to get some really good nature pics so I know I need either another camera or another lens. Any suggestions?

Laurie
 
Since you have the time, I'm not going to recommend a camera/lens, but something a little more basic. If I'm wrong please correct me, but it sounds like you have very basic photography knowledge and do not have a complete grasp of the capabilities of your equipment. If this is so, all the recommendations for upgraded equipment isn't going to do you much good until you know what to do with it. So let's learn about what makes a good exposure. First, I would highly recommend a book by Bryan Peterson called "Understanding Exposure". It can be had on Amazon for $15-$20. This will probably be the cheapest thing you purchase in photography. IMHO, its the best book on the market to explain the photographic triangle of Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO (its an easy read with large print and lots of pictures:)). Once the triangle is understood (use your camera during the reading), then apply the knowledge to your current system to improve your photography and learn your equipment. You will soon learn the positives and shortcomings of your system, if you practice enough. One thing to always remember, usually the camera does not determine the quality of the image, but the photographer does. Once you figure this out, a light bulb will come on a you will realize maybe I need a longer lens, upgraded camera, etc. The equipment that you have was introduced in 2009 and is probably getting a little long in the tooth. That doesn't mean it still can't achieve good results, if you know its capabilities. As you learn your system it should become self evident what path you need to take to achieve your goals. I have learned these lessons the hard way and probably spent more $$ than I had to. Someone on this forum has an axiom that goes something like this, the most expensive piece of equipment you buy,... is the one you buy twice.
 
I agree with Gianni'sPapa's post 100%: first, learn your existing equipment.

The only other general piece if advice I can give, somewhat Alaska specific (having been there) is that Denali one of a few places where can't have too long of a lens, and you want Phase Detect Autofocus (which your current camera has). Brown bears are best viewed at a distance of 1/4 mile at the closest, and if I were doing it again I'd rent an 800 mm for the Denali portion, at least. :)
 
I agree, first step... learn a bit more about your camera. The more you learn, the more you will accomplish.
But putting that aside... even if you want to just stick in auto mode... the right gear does make a difference.

So, when you say "nature" shots....
Do you want wide landscapes of the mountains, ocean and glaciers?
Do you plan whale watching, and want tight crops of the whales? Want to be able to photograph eagles in flight?

Depending on what you mean by "nature" shots, will determine the gear you might need. What lens or lenses do you currently own? Your camera is a bit old and limited, but it can still do just fine with the right lens. A newer camera would bring some benefits, but getting the shots is certainly possible with your camera.
 


Thanks for the comments! I do need to learn more. I've tried reading some online but it just doesn't sink in. It's not intuitive to me. I will look into the book that was recommended. I don't have any additional lenses other than what came with the original camera. I am more interested in landscapes - mountains, waterfalls, things like that and since I will be shooting from a distance, I thought I would need a different lens.

Laurie
 
Sarabi's Cubs said:
Thanks for the comments! I do need to learn more. I've tried reading some online but it just doesn't sink in. It's not intuitive to me. I will look into the book that was recommended. I don't have any additional lenses other than what came with the original camera. I am more interested in landscapes - mountains, waterfalls, things like that and since I will be shooting from a distance, I thought I would need a different lens.

Laurie
Click to expand...

What lens did it come with?

Your kit lens is probably fine for landscapes though it can be fun to go ultra ultra wide.
 
That camera shipped with a 14-40-ish most commonly. It's a 4/3 DSLR, so there's a 2x crop factor, so 28-80 equivalent, more or less.

Your're right, you'll probably want a much longer lens, but that mount is all but discontinued, and the m4/3 that replaces it is poor in the long category ... you may be better of looking at a system switch, to be honest.
 


Yes, it says 14-42. I ordered "Understanding Exposure". I was hoping to take a photography class. I took a short 2 hour one last fall, but everyone there had newer Nikon's and the instructions really didn't seem to apply to my camera. That's part of the reason I thought maybe I need to start from scratch and take a class with a new camera. I also have no idea what kind that would be or what we're talking in terms of $$$.

Laurie
 
So, unfortunately, your camera is part of an abandoned system. No more lenses nor bodies are being made for 4/3 DSLRs, and while some adapters exist, you don't have a large enough investment to be worrying about that (the adapters will cost more than the value you'd get out of them. You should have a DSLR though, because as good as the mirrorless cameras are now, they still struggle with really long lenses and snapping to focus compared to a good DSLR, and at the end of the day the total system weight is roughly the same if not heavier for a mirrorless set, as it's dominated by lens size. That being said, while the controls may be different, the techniques you use on your current camera translate directly to a new one.

Keeping in mind I'm on the Nikon side of the fence, not Canon or Pentax, so I don't know what their offerings are, but if I were buying, from scratch, today, for a cruise to Alaska, I'd get:

- Nikon D7200
- Nikon 10-24 mm f/3.4-4.5G DX
- Nikon 16-85 mm f/3.5-5.6G DX VR
- Nikon 70-300 mm f/4.5-5.6G VR
- Nikon 35 mm f/1.8G DX

That's a crop sensor camera (Nikon calls them DX), a wide angle zoom lens, a normal zoom lens, a telephoto zoom lens, and a fast prime lens for low light. I'd also rent one of the big teles if I were going to Denali, but those take a TON of technique and practice, not to mention a monopod; the 70-300 is probably the limit of what most people can handle easily.

If I were on more of a budget, I'd get:

- Nikon D5300 or D5500
- Nikon 18-55 mm DX VR II
- Nikon 55-300 mm DX VR

You lose on the wide end (although you can add a lens to fix that, as well), but it still gets you out to 300 mm, with a very good autofocus system, but does it at less than half of the cost. Oh, and it's *considerably* lighter, the D5500 in particular is a pixie-weight camera with a new poly/carbon fiber body. Also, you can often find a bundle for the above kit for around the $1,000 mark. :)
 
I agree with all the suggestions made so far. You definitely will need a system that will allow you to go from wide to tele at a moment's notice. The suggested lens lineup should serve you well. If you're not comfortable switching lenses then another option would be one of the super-zoom lenses like the Nikon 18-300 (although at the cost of some optical performance.)

I also second the suggestion to see Mount McKinley/Denali National Park. We did a cruisetour with PCL consisting of 7 nights at sea and 3 night at Denali National Park.

Here's my Alaska album on flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/allen_castillo/sets/72157645810454887/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/allen_castillo/sets/72157645810454887/
 
You probably want to change you platform as it was stated before. When I took my Alaska trip 8 years ago I rented a 100-400mm lens and 2x extender. There are a bunch of places you can rent gear from but I doubt you will be able to rent anything with your current platform. I would suggest changing to a canon or nikon body as they have the largest following and most options.
 
With graduation time coming up most of the camera companies, especially Canon and Nikon run pretty good sales. My DH is a Canon person and I am a Nikon person but I don't think you can go wrong with either maker. Go to your local camera shop and play with the different camera bodies to see which model feels the most comfortable in your hand. We went on an Alaskan cruise 2 years ago and I took 70-300mm, 18-105mm, and 10-24mm wide-angle. I can honestly say I used the 70-300mm and my 18-105mm the most and and shooting landscapes is my favorite. I did get some great action whale shots with the 70-300mm.
 
In my experience micro 4:3 focuses as quickly as needed, maybe as quickly as a dSLR. There are a number of lenses that go to 150 mm (equivalent 300 mm) including Olympus gorgeous 40-150 f/2.8 and a few that go to 200. On the long end there is Panasonic's 100-300 and Olympus 75-300. They are much smaller and lighter than equivalent dSLR lenses, the 100-300 weighs 1.14 pounds!
 
boBQuincy said:
In my experience micro 4:3 focuses as quickly as needed, maybe as quickly as a dSLR. There are a number of lenses that go to 150 mm (equivalent 300 mm) including Olympus gorgeous 40-150 f/2.8 and a few that go to 200. On the long end there is Panasonic's 100-300 and Olympus 75-300. They are much smaller and lighter than equivalent dSLR lenses, the 100-300 weighs 1.14 pounds!
Click to expand...
m43 really falls down on the long end, though. Even the best bodies struggle to focus at 200 mm, let alone 300 mm - there just isn't enough of a distance from the microlenses on the sensor to the photosites to get sufficient discrimination at longer focal lengths. The Nikon 1's 70-300 mm (which has a 2.7x crop factor) gets around this with its much larger depth of field, but m43 starts getting really poor once you bolt a big lens onto it, and it can't lock focus properly. This isn't really a m43 problem though, it's a problem with all mirrorless cameras (except Sony's SLT cameras which use a pellicle mirror rather than a reflex mirror).

And, no, even at normal distances they don't focus as fast. I can bring my 105 f/2.8 from infinity to 1:1 macro in about 1/3 of a second, and be locked on focus on the first try, while m43 even on the best bodies takes at least 1-2 seconds. They now focus fast enough to track motion, so for most people the difference isn't material, but Alaska is one of a very few place you really want a SLR, because you can never have enough lens there. If I were doing Denali again, I'd be renting the 800 f/5.6 lens, as the 300 f/4E I have for Africa isn't enough glass.
 
P6118818_DxO_zps1590cb6a.jpg
[/URL][/IMG] This was shot with an Olympus E-5 & Olympus lens. Olympus makes excellent cameras & lines...in my opinion!
 
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