Outfit me for my trip

[MarkBarbieri]

I'll be going to Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and the Magic Kingdom this fall. I'll spend a day or two at each park. I'll be there with my wife, my two boys (4th and 6th grades), and my elderly parents. As usual, I want to take lots of pictures.

If you were in my position, what gear would you take on the trip and what would you bring to each park? Here's the list to choose from:

Cameras: Canon 5D Mark II (full frame camera), Canon 7D (APS-C camera), Canon D10 (underwater point and shoot), Canon G9 (point and shoot), 2 GoPro HD video cameras.

Lenses (all work on FF or APS-C): Sigma 12-24 f/4.5, Canon 15mm fisheye f/2.8, Canon 17-40mm f/4, Canon 24mm TS-E f/3.5 (manual focus), Canon 24mm-70mm f/2.8, Canon 24mm-105mm f/4 IS, Canon 50mm f/1.8, Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro, Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS, Canon 300mm f/2.8, Canon 85mm f/1.2 (ultra slow focus), Canon 135 f/2, 1.4x teleconverter, 2x teleconverter.

I'm also open to renting lenses and am considering getting a 24mm f/1.4 for low light wide shots.

My wife likes to take pictures as well, so most days we'll bring two cameras and two to four lenses.

 

[MICKEY88]

only you know what your shooting style is, and what lenses you use most..

I personally would have no use for the 85, the 100, or the 300 lenses.. but that's just me..

I'd probably take it all, rather than leaving a lens behind and then wishing you had it

I usually take 6 lenses to Orlando, but never seem to use any beyond my 28-75 2.8, and my 80-200 2.8 mounted on my twin Sony A700s, occasionally I'll get lazy and just take one body into the parks, with my sigma 28-300, but that is rare.

are you taking any flash units..

 

[cpbjgc]

Why am I reminded about the scene from the Matrix where Neo and Trinity are picking out their gear before going to rescue Morpheus .

There is too much choice for me. My usual consideration is mode of travel - how light do I need to be while traveling and whether I can keep gear secure in the room when not in use.

Second consideration is whether there are certain ideas I had for shooting that require a specific lens. Last trip was some fisheye shots.

The only thing I would add is to echo Mickey88 about including some room for a flash for character interactions with the kids - there are lots of opportunities at the Universal Parks that your boys might like (I know my then 13 year old was pretty happy to get a picture with Homer Simpson). Are you also taking a tripod?

If its any help, last time I was down I had: Canon 50D, 17-70 sigma, 70-200 f2.8 L, 1.4 teleconverter, 11-16 tokina, 8mm rokinon fisheye, 30 f1.4 sigma, flash, lomo fisheye 2.0 35mm film camera, xacti video camera, and velbon sherpa tripod. Everything except the tripod fit in my backpack, so it was easy to haul.

 

[BillyBuff]

Definitely depends on your shooting style. I'll be leaving in 2 days so my equipment will be very minimal:

- Canon EOS 5D MKII
- EF 16-35mm F/2.8L II
- EF 70-200 F/4L

Thinking about sneaking these in my luggage because the wife wanted me to spend more time with her than with my photography...

- 50mm F/1.4
- 100mm F/2.8L IS Macro
- Creative Vado HD or Canon Vixia HV30

 

[Marlton Mom]

Alright....you asked for it......

Well, since you are going in the fall it will probably still be warm, so I'd go with cargo shorts and perhaps some natural fabric, cap sleeve tops with a V-neck to accentuate your chest hair (if you've got it, flaunt it!).

For those more formal dining occasions you can't go wrong with Capri pants, a set of sensible mules (open toe to show off your pedi!) and perhaps a peasant blouse in tropical colors to highlight your hair color.

You might want to mix all that up with a slinky black cocktail dress if you plan on dining at Victoria and Albert's or the 3 Broomsticks.

Of course you'll be carrying all your camera gear in your Dooney & Bourke bag(s) so be sure to coordinate those bags with your outfits to avoid any fashion faux pas.

The one thing you want to avoid at all costs is that plague of Crocs that seems to be permeating the Kingdom. Talk about a fashion No no! Resist the urge for comfort and fall on your knees to the Goddess of high style, after all, blisters heal but photographs last FOREVER!

Hope that helps.

Marlton Mom
PS. leave you 'Mom jeans' at home!

 

[MarkBarbieri]

I usually pack a full carryon bag of gear for the trip and then take a smaller selection on outings. For a trip like this, some lenses won't go with me. I can't see bringing a beast like the 300mm f/2.8. It would be fantastic for Fantasmic, but not really worth the hassle.

The 85mm f/1.2 will also stay home. It takes wonderful portrait shots with extremely blurred out backgrounds, but that hardly seems well suited to a Disney trip. In theory, it could make a decent low light lens for rides, but it focuses at glacial speeds. It would be good for low light rides that get stuck, but not for ones that are moving.

I'm leaning towards bringing the 135mm f/2. I think it will make a nice lens for some shows like the FotLK. I'm still on the fence on that one.

I'll bring either the 24-70 f/2.8 or the 24-105 f/4 IS, but not both. The latter is lighter, has a longer range, and has IS. The former is faster. I'm not sure, but I'm leaning towards the 24-105.

I wouldn't think about leaving the 17-40mm f/4 or the 70-200mm f/2.8 at home.

I'm leaning against bringing the 24mm TS-E. It would be loads of fun to use, but using it properly requires using a tripod and spending a lot of futzing time. I'll bring a tripod on the trip and on a couple of excursions to the park, but not enough to be make bringing this lens worthwhile. It is one of my favoirte lenses to use when I go out on a dedicated shooting outing, but most of my Disney photography is run and gun without slowing the family down.

I'm not bringing the macro. Again, macro shooting is a slow, futzing endeavor for me. I might through in a close-up filter, but I doubt that I'll even do that.

The 50mm f/1.8 is tiny and moderately useful. I'll toss it in.

The fisheye is another tiny lens that costs so little to bring that I'll definitely throw it in.

I'll leave the Sigma 12-24mm at home. I don't really like it. I should probably sell it. I think it's a nice crop camera lens, but it is way too soft in the corners on full frame.

I really like the notion of a 24mm f/1.4. There are some used ones at KEH for not too much money. I'm likely to pick one up. That might be a fun one to use on dark rides or for things like the Halloween parade.

The GoPros are definitely going. I had a blast using them at Elitch Gardens. We'll probably bring them with a chest strap and a wrist strap again. I can see bringing them every day to every park.

I doubt that I'll bring the point and shoots. The kids sometimes use them, but I think they'll be preoccupied on a trip like this.

So what will I actually take into what parks? This is where I'm looking for inspiration.

Universal and Islands of Adventure - Could be just the GoPros. Maybe the 5D with the 24-105mm and the 50 f/1.8 or the 24 f/1.4. I really don't know what to expect, so I'm having a hard time with this.

Waterparks - Just the GoPros. The exception would be the surfing morning. My wife is going to shoot us so I might have her bring the 70-200 f/2.8 and the 7D (longer reach, better AF).

For the major Disney parks, I'll probably have one camera with the 24-105 or the 17-40 as a base camera and then outfit the other with something longer (70-200 or 135) and bring a couple of specialty lenses (24 f/1.4, 50 f/1.8, fisheye) each day.

I'll definitely bring the tripod and a flash or two. I'll only take the tripod with me on a few outings (probably the MNSSHP and maybe one or two evening shooting outing), but it'll be nice to have on those occasions. I'll probably drag a flash around and never bother to use it. Other than fill flash, I haven't done a lot of flash at Disney. Maybe I should think about using it more.

Of course, I'll bring the usual assortment of other stuff - polarizers, neutral density filters, cleaning stuff, remote shutter release, bubble level, etc. I'll probably also bring a portable audio recorder. The audio on the GoPros is pretty weak in an open shell and virtually useless in a closed shell.

As far as fashion outfitting, it's all good. Whether I'm wearing a custom tailored business suit or swim trunks and a T-Shirt, I always have that "stay away from him...that geek is hard core" look about me.

I'm still looking for inspiration, so if you want to chip in with a "man, if you had lens X in situation Y, it would be awesome", I'm all ears.

 

[ChiSoxKeith]

There's tons of detail in Disney. I wonder, given your creativity and eye for photography, if the 100mm f/2.8 macro lens wouldn't provide some opportunity for some fun shots.

Since the Go Pro's are going with, I don't see the need for the underwater point & shoot.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

At Universal HP World is very compact and a wide angle can help a lot. Since they make you put your camera equipment away on most if not all rides I wouldn't bother bringing any equipment for that purpose. In fact I've considered only doing a P&S on our next visit there - the lockers are a PITA to put it mildly but if you carry any sort of bag you have to use them so adding a camera doesn't matter much then.

One of my favorite photo days at MK was using my 90mm macro lens. It's plenty sharp and opened up some options I otherwise wouldn't have had. I used it for a few macros and also general shooting.

 

[photo_chick]

For my shooting style I'd go for the 24-105, probably the 50 f/1.8. I'd put it on the 7D. And of course you have to shoot rides with the GoPro and take the waterproof Canon for the kids to shoot with in the pool.

I'd love to do some tilt shift work at WDW, especially in Fantasyland and Tomorrow land. But like you pointed out, it takes time to use it. That's what I ran into with my Samyang fisheye this trip... I felt bad slowing the kids down so I could shoot. It just took a little more time to set it up than I wanted to spend on sometimes.

 

[Whoosis]

My gear setup is similar to yours, and I have been to these parks with my wife and kids (now 7 and 9 yo) more than 10 times. Pack your bag like this and you won't regret it:

- Canon D10 underwater (for the water parks only)
- Canon 5DII
- Canon 24mm-70mm f/2.8 (will cover most situations)
- Canon 24mm TS-E f/3.5 (you will be glad you brought it. tilted it's great for isolating subjects in a very busy environment. shifted it's great for maintaining the architectural perspectives)
- Canon 50mm f/1.8 (great for interiors/low light)
- Canon 135 f/2 (unbelievably great lens and perfect for isolating details)
- 1.4x & 2x teleconverters (turn your 135/2 into a 270mm f/4 - great compromise to bringing the big 300/2.8)(also turn your 24ts into a 35ts or 50ts)
- Canon 15mm fisheye f/2.8 (I've never used a fisheye but I'm sure you will find some fun applications for it)
- FLASH. get an external flash and bring it.
- Plenty of memory. You're better off with several smaller cards instead of one big one, just in case of damage or failure.

I have carried the following all week at the parks and always had what I needed without getting slowed down by weight/size:
Canon 5dII - 24mm TS - 35mm 1.4 - 50mm 1.2 - 135mm 2.0 - 1.4x & 2x tele - 580ex flash - accessories (filters, memory, etc).
I once took my 300mm 2.8 to animal kingdom and it was worth carrying around for the day.

Don't forget to enjoy yourself. Hope this helps.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Welcome to the boards whoosis.

I hear what you are saying about the 24mm TS-E, but I really don't think it would be worth bringing for me. Almost all of my shooting is done while enjoying the parks with my wife and kids. They don't mind my photography habit, but I don't like to make them wait around on it either. I'm slow with my TS-E and I just can't see making them wait while I work out the appropriate tilt for a situation. I'd probably bring it if I were on a "photo" trip.

I agree with you on the 135mm. I hadn't really intended on getting one, but a friend gave one to me as a gift. Now it is one of my enjoyable lenses.

I've got flashes. I've got to decide which and how many to bring. I'll probably throw a 580 EX II and my 420 EX in my suitcase and make a last second decision on which to use on any given day. Now that I think about it, I'm leaning towards just using the 420. It's smaller and lighter and I don't think I'll need the extra power. With just one flash, it's inability to be used as a master won't matter.

For memory, I believe in several big cards. I'll bring four 32 gig cards. I find that one will typically last me an entire day. I can dump it to my laptop each evening. Having a backup is nice in case I run into trouble or shoot so much video that I fill one.

I just can't see lugging my 300 around AK all day. I'd rather save my animal shooting for the zoo. I am tempted to have it for Fantasmic! though. It would be a real pain to lug that thing around on the plane for one shoot.