Lens advice for Glacier National Park: Fellow Hogs I need your help in selecting lens for Glacier National Park. I have a canon 70D with a 18-135mm 1:3.5-56mm is STM , 40mm 2.8 STM and...

duaneweir Loc: Meridian, Idaho

Fellow Hogs I need your help in selecting lens for Glacier National Park. I have a canon 70D with a 18-135mm 1:3.5-56mm is STM , 40mm 2.8 STM and 70-300mm 1:4-5.6 USM. I understand that on the Road To The Sun there is some spectacular scenery and I don't know which of my lens would be the best for such shots. Any thoughts on perhaps an additional lens would be helpful, keeping in mind that costs is a controlling factor. I really enjoy the comments and advise that is given by all of you an especially MT Shooter and Ametha as well as the other contributors. I have a lot to learn and you guys are the ones in the trenches.

amehta Loc: Boston

duaneweir wrote:

Fellow Hogs I need your help in selecting lens for... (show quote)

Wow, thanks. :-)

I think an ultra wide angle lens would let you do some special shots. Or have a good tripod to do panoramics. You might want to practice with stitching software at home so you get a sense of how to take the best pictures for it, what sort of overlap you want, etc.

duaneweir Loc: Meridian, Idaho

What ultra-wide lens would you suggest for my 70D? I have looked at the canon 10-18mm, but I am not sure that it is a good one. I could be wrong and willing to try it, but if there are others that are better I would give it a go. I am in the $500 range.

skooters Loc: Flagstaff, Arizona

I just ordered the Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM. I also have the 70D and will be going to Ireland. From what I have seen in the reviews it is an exceptional lens for the price.

amehta Loc: Boston

duaneweir wrote:

What ultra-wide lens would you suggest for my 70D? I have looked at the canon 10-18mm, but I am not sure that it is a good one. I could be wrong and willing to try it, but if there are others that are better I would give it a go. I am in the $500 range.

I think the strong contenders are
1. Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5, $650
2. Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC, $650
3. Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X 116 Pro DX, $450
4. Tokina AT-X 116 PRO DX-II 11-16mm f/2.8, $525

I have no reason to recommend one over the others.

duaneweir Loc: Meridian, Idaho

Thanks for the reply from you guys. As always the Hogs are fast with good advice and it is appreciated.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

duaneweir wrote:

Fellow Hogs I need your help in selecting lens for... (show quote)

Many years ago, in the daze of film and when my lens selection was more limited than what you already have, my wife and I spent some time at Glacier. We had a wonderful time! Some of my personal favorite pictures date to that trip, so I would definitely make it if I were you. However, I would be careful about buying yet another lens if you would use it for that trip only. I do have a wide-angle lens now, and I use it a lot when I am visiting museums and other crowded areas, but I'm not sure I would use it much in that setting. Glacier is so immense that you can often get a wide-angle effect by just driving back five miles, and frankly my experience is that the wide-sweeping grandeur is often not captured in my camera ( I almost said "on film" ) in the way I felt it.

But, of course, "your mileage may differ".

(Download)

SonyA580 Loc: FL in the winter & MN in the summer

One word ...., W-I-D-E

Robin Poole Loc: Missoula, Mt

duaneweir wrote:

Fellow Hogs I need your help in selecting lens for... (show quote)

Duane, the way I read it you HAVE the above three lens. Depends on what you want to photograph wildlife or scenery. For going over Going to the Sun your 18-135mm would be a good startup lens. Make certain you get to Lake St Mary and Many Glacier area. The only other lens you might consider would be a zoom 100 to 5oo mm for wildlife. With your 18mm you've got the scenery pics covered. To me the prettiest scenery is in the Many Glacier area and in the back country. I'd want a bigger lens for wildlife but that's my gig. you can get some fantastic pics with what you have. I've been to GNP several times in the last few years and worked there two summers w/o a camera. Happy Shooting!!! Cheers, Robin

MtnMan Loc: ID

duaneweir wrote:

Fellow Hogs I need your help in selecting lens for... (show quote)

Be sure to bring and use a CP. Also a tripod and remote release so you can use f22 and ISO 100. You'll mostly use the short end of your 18-135 for scenery.

The mountain goats in Glacier are often surprisingly approachable. Big Horn sheep not so much and Grizzly bear not usually seen from the road. But the 70-300 should be good most of the time for the critters. You might also see deer and elk.

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

When we were there in June '14 (on a cattle boat), I longed for a DSLR, and some better telephoto gear.
1. We couldn't enter Glacier Bay. (Seals pupping)
2. A ship is a huge platform and as such, it isn't going to get you close enough to what you want to shoot.
Done again, I would want Macro to maxo glass. But I believe that if there is ever a next time for me, it will be by land, or at least more time at points of interest.
YMMV. ;)

relmet454 Loc: Central Minnesota

Oops I think you are thinking about the wrong place - he was going to glacier national park in Montana

Robin Poole Loc: Missoula, Mt

SonnyE wrote:

When we were there in June '14 (on a cattle boat), I longed for a DSLR, and some better telephoto gear.
1. We couldn't enter Glacier Bay. (Seals pupping)
2. A ship is a huge platform and as such, it isn't going to get you close enough to what you want to shoot.
Done again, I would want Macro to maxo glass. But I believe that if there is ever a next time for me, it will be by land, or at least more time at points of interest.
YMMV. ;)

Sonny, with due respect, Duanne is talking about GNP in Montana on the Montana-Canadian border. Believe you are talking about Glacier somewhere on the Alaskan BC coast line. The seals haven't made here yet. Last reported near Spokane. Cheers, Robin

:) :)

photobyal Loc: Canton, Ohio

I have a 70S and would suggest Tokina SD 11-16 F2.8 IF DX II For this area. Get to your spot early in the AM with tripod and hope for no wind for your reflection shot. Good luck it's a beautiful place , Don't forget White Fish Good Elk shots, they roam through the area. You also need a good telephoto lens.

TheDman Loc: USA

MtnMan wrote:

The mountain goats in Glacier are often surprisingly approachable. Big Horn sheep not so much and Grizzly bear not usually seen from the road. But the 70-300 should be good most of the time for the critters. You might also see deer and elk.

Was just there in July, and all the bears we saw were from the road.
http://www.ddphotos.com/bear_family.jpg
http://www.ddphotos.com/grizz1.jpg
http://www.ddphotos.com/grizz2.jpg

Thought sure we would spot some on one of our several hikes back to Grinnell, but didn't see a thing there.