Cruising Alaska

[cosine4]

This June we are going on an Alaskan Cruise and I am super excited to get some awesome photo opportunities. I am planning to rent a lens for wildlife photos and found a Sigma 50-500mm 4-6.3f for $130. I am also planning to upgrade my tripod and buy a mono-pod. The lenses that I own and plan to take are my Tamron 18-270mm and Nikon 35mm 1.8f.

We are porting from Seattle and heading to Ketchikan, Tracy Arm Fjord, Juneau, Skagway and Victoria BC.

So basically I am interested in hearing any of your thoughts considering this trip..equipment, places that are "not to miss shots", rental company experience or anything else.

Also I got to thinking that in addition to the super telephoto I might want a ultra-wide angle or fish-eye. The rental company I am looking at has a Peleng 8mm f/3.5 for $39 for 2 weeks. I don't know anything about this brand or fish-eye photography for that matter. Thoughts? I also thought that maybe a gps unit might be better to rent (also $39).

Thanks!

 

[pointandshoot]

This June we are going on an Alaskan Cruise and I am super excited to get some awesome photo opportunities. I am planning to rent a lens for wildlife photos and found a Sigma 50-500mm 4-6.3f for $130. I am also planning to upgrade my tripod and buy a mono-pod. The lenses that I own and plan to take are my Tamron 18-270mm and Nikon 35mm 1.8f.

We are porting from Seattle and heading to Ketchikan, Tracy Arm Fjord, Juneau, Skagway and Victoria BC.

So basically I am interested in hearing any of your thoughts considering this trip..equipment, places that are "not to miss shots", rental company experience or anything else.

Also I got to thinking that in addition to the super telephoto I might want a ultra-wide angle or fish-eye. The rental company I am looking at has a Peleng 8mm f/3.5 for $39 for 2 weeks. I don't know anything about this brand or fish-eye photography for that matter. Thoughts? I also thought that maybe a gps unit might be better to rent (also $39).

Thanks!

Did the cruise last year. You will have a great time.

For gear, I mostly used my 400mm f5.6, 70-200 f2.8, 24-105 and 16-35; all Canon. The 400 was on a crop sensor so I got some zoom.

I had a tripod but only used it for HDR onboard the ship and a little landscape. Hard to set-up tripod on a tour when you do not control your time.

If you have a room with a balcony, that will be a plus on Tracey Arm. Only time I shot nature and ate room service in the warmth of a room. On deck, it can get cold and wet so be prepared.

Whale watching in Juneau is a must. Recommend Harv and Marv. Skip the cruise tour if you can. Small boat, they will work with you on shots, best part of the trip. For whales, a 400mm with an IS is helpful. A camera where you can push the ISO is also good.

For a tip, when the ship pushes off from a port like Juneau, hang out on deck. Eagles can appear to feed. Best eagle shots came from this time. It can be low light so once again, practice actions shots. Center focus and fast shutter is helpful.

Skagway, we did the train with a bus tour into Yukon Pass. Once again, not through cruise. Got plenty of landscape shots and was not rushed. Low key.

We zip lined in Ketchikan through cruise tour. Best daddy daughter day ever. Professional guides. I used a small Nikon40D with wide angle zoom and got some cool shots. I had to take the cover off the camera so I would not take you best gear onto the zips.

I will dig for my trip post with images and post to your thread.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2752460&highlight=alaska

Have a great time.

 

[jcb]

F6.3 is going to be a pretty slow lens for wildlife. It can be done with high ISO and, if you are lucky, direct sun, but your odds of getting sun on an Alaskan cruise aren't great. You might get lucky but when it comes to a one in a lifetime experience, I wouldn't rely upon luck. I agree that a 400 mm lens is the right length for whales.

I didn't use my wide angle lens much if at all while on the ship. I believe your existing lenses will be good enough when in port or on an excursion.

If it were me, I would punt on renting the wide angle lenses and put the money into a faster telephoto/zoom. If it helps, many of my photos of the mountains and mountain ranges were taken using my 70-300mm. Once the ship cruised into Glacier Bay I was able to use my 28-70. I've not been to Tracy Arm Fjord but expect it is comparable, from a technical photography standpoint.

You will see plenty of bald eagles throughout the cruise, especially near ports but also cruising through the straits. Again you'll want a pretty fast and long lens to get anything usable.

Definitely bring or rent a GPS. I brought a gps that works with my laptop and kept the gps software running the entire cruise (we had a balcony, of course). I made notations on the program when I took photos or saw whales. That was the only way I could identify the geographical features along the way or afterwards, though it seems the GPS sometimes located the cruise ship as if it was sitting on top of a mountain in Glacier Bay.

 

[pixie08]

I was wondering about this too. I have my kit lens, a 18-200 f3.5 Is that I was going to use out on excursions and I am trying to pick up a 35mm f.2 for easy shooting and lowlight in the ship (was going to buy a nifty fifty but think this might get more use).

So I want to rent a great lens ...one I could never afford to buy for this trip, which is what I did for my med cruise and was thrilled. I am just stuck as to what to do because I am getting conflicting input. Some people say get the the wide angle for the scenery, but I am thinking my lenses should do ok? I think i want a super zoom for the wildlife? I am just not sure where to go here. Maybe I should rent both but my DH might just kill me when I try to pack 4 lenses (I'll leave the kit one at home)

Pointandshoot your shots are simply amazing. It takes more then the right lenses to get those! beautiful! I think I will go with your advise because I'll be happy if my photos are a fraction as sharp lol!

 

[NWDAD]

Went on the Alaska cruise last May. At that time we had just bought a Nikon D7000 and had a Nikon 18-200 and 70-300. For Tracy Arm we were on deck the whole time and had the 70-300 on the camera. We got some fantistic shots. Were able to get seals by the ship and a family of mountain goats as well as people shots on deck. We also took the White pass and Yukon train and used the 18-200 which was perfict for all our port days. If any thing I wish I had had a longer lens while on board the ship to shoot the scenery and wild life as we went by. Did not find that I needed anything wider. I did wish I had a 35 f1.8 for shots in the ship. It is on my list to get before the next cruise.

Kevin

 

[pixie08]

Went on the Alaska cruise last May. At that time we had just bought a Nikon D7000 and had a Nikon 18-200 and 70-300. For Tracy Arm we were on deck the whole time and had the 70-300 on the camera. We got some fantistic shots. Were able to get seals by the ship and a family of mountain goats as well as people shots on deck. We also took the White pass and Yukon train and used the 18-200 which was perfict for all our port days. If any thing I wish I had had a longer lens while on board the ship to shoot the scenery and wild life as we went by. Did not find that I needed anything wider. I did wish I had a 35 f1.8 for shots in the ship. It is on my list to get before the next cruise.

Kevin

Yeah I don't know why canon doesn't have a 35 1.8 . Just a 28 1.8 or a 35 1.4 which I wouldn't mind but is waaay out of my price range