ddub

I shoot mainly wildlife and landscapes. I am going to NZ for the month of January traveling around, and planning LOTS of photography.

I have a D500 and a D810. I have a large variety of lenses and cannot make up my mind what to take. I want to take everything but that may not be practical. Most the time we are in a camper van so I can haul whatever I need.

We will be doing a lot of hiking as well.

Thoughts?

John Howard Loc: SW Florida and Blue Ridge Mountains of NC.

Be carefull. I went lay Jan with my wife. We were on a guided walk to lunch at a chalet and the three of us fell. I fell 275 feet and should be dead. Lots of broken bones and. Rushed my elbow. It was never meant to be a dangerous walk. Beautiful place. I will pm you my Flickr site in NZ. Just a few shots because the trip was cut short.

dancers Loc: melbourne.victoria, australia

Glorious place!! Enjoy.

DRG777 Loc: Metro Detroit

When I travel I take a full frame body (Canon 6D) with a 16-35 mm zoom for landscapes and a Nikon D7200 with the 18-200 zoom for everything else. You can cover a wide range that way without losing time changing lenses or letting dirt in.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

There was a lady that was with use on our Galapagos Tour in 2014 from New Zealand. She also had problems and had to be hospitalized and sent home early. They impaled her lower calf muscle on a tree root sticking up at an angle. She was in her mid 60's and seemed kind of klutzy. I felt really sorry for her. I'm really glad she purchased trip insurance. She can go back again at no expense - supposedly.

insman1132 Loc: Southwest Florida

Take it all! Just remember that you bought your equipment so as to have the "right equipment at the right time!" Remember also this might be a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Take it all!

PS I envy you!!

Pkfish Loc: Wilson Wy

Don't forget your most important piece of gear,your FLY ROD.( at least it would be for me). NZ is on my list! All my fishing buds say it's safe place to be. I like to take as much stuff as the trip can stand. HAVE FUN!!!

backroader Loc: Wherever we park our motorhome

New Zealand is a photography paradise...glaciers, fiords, Rotorua (NZ Yellowstone), rivers, flowers, birds, ocean, beaches, mountains, etc. etc.!! Take as much as you can, especially if you can transport the equipment easily in an RV once you get there! And enjoy! It is a great place to spend a month!

Lagoonguy Loc: New Smyrna Beach, FL

You will have a wonderful trip. My wife and I were there for five weeks last November and December. The South Island was the most scenic. We were on a land tour and a cruise so we were limited to a D750 w/Sig 24-105 f/4 & a D7100 w/18-300 f/3.5-5.6 and a Tokina 12-28 f/4 which I used rarely but was good enough for most interior shots and I never bothered with my 35mm 1.8. I also always carried my Canon G15 which was very handy. The above plus my wife's video camera worked out great. I primarily used the Sig 24-105 Arts in the cities and the 18-300 everywhere else. The one lens I didn't take that I wished I had was a Nikon 70-200 f/4 with or without a TC 1.4 that would have provided for higher quality telephoto shots than the 18-300 but I would have lost it's versatility. The photos with the 18-300 were good but the the Sigma and Tokina were better. If I were to go again with same limitations I would carry the same equipment except I probably would substitute my Nikon 16-35 f4 for the Tokina to use on the D750. If I had the motor home I would also take the 70-200 f/4. With the hills and mountains the hiking can get strenuous and the weight might be a factor even with a sling strap. Be sure to take a sailboat tour in Milford sound, the many waterfalls and rainbows will amaze you. Be aware that auto and motor home burglaries are a problem in New Zealand so take precautions when you can. It is very safe there but this issue could ruin a great vacation. Also the tourists driving can be erratic at times and hairpin roads can be challenging especially when the two coincide. Good luck and have a wonderful trip.

Jwshelton Loc: Denver,CO

What lenses do you have? Was there in 2014 for six weeks. As previously stated, the south island is much more scenic. We rented a car and drove about 1800 miles. Roads can be quite narrow and have little if any shoulder in many parts.

You will have lots of opportunities to use a good wide angle. I have the Nikon 70-200,f2.8 and that was my most used lens. Sometimes my TC 1.7 was use with it.

Wonderful place, enjoy !

CaptainBobBrown

When I travel, New Zealand, or anywhere, I put all lenses (300 mm f/2.8, 70-200, 16-35, 35-70, and 3 bodies (D810, D500, D7100), 2x teleconverter) in a photo back pack which I carry on. Fits overhead or under seat on smaller planes. Also some small stuff like extra batts and charger. Then my Induro carbon fiber tripod and Mongoose 4th Generation gimbal head and two changes of clothes, etc. go in the Induro carrying case (beautifully built thing) gets checked. Even if the airline(s) lose the checked bag I still have everything I need for photography. I also wear a photographer's vest with lots of big pockets for some of the small dense stuff if needed.

goring2

When we went to there I brought my D800 with 17-35 and D7000 with 18-300.
It was the perfect combos.

Kereru Loc: Wellington, New Zealand

Depending on where you are going you should aim to cover somewhere between 16mm and 400mm When tramping (bushwalking or hiking) I carry a 16-35mm. Occassionally I have carried a 70-200mm but if you are also carrying food, water and a tent your backpack will be very heavy. A lot of wildlife here is in dark forest so lenses with a wide aperture are a good idea.

Captkirk Loc: Masterton, Wairarapa, New Zealand

According to you guys, we drive on thw wrong side of the road. Please remember that and have a safe and enjoyable trip. As stated earlier the Sth island is probably more photogenic, but that doesn't mean the Nth Island is not a neat place for a photographer. (I live in the Nth Island). You will find lots of superb shots, bring plenty of Cards and enjoy the trip. One month will prove to be too little time.