Costa Rica trip and advise
Jan 12, 2017 09:31:48 #
oldpsych
Loc: Indianapolis
I am traveling to CR next month and am seeking advise re: equipment and places to shoot. We will be staying in the Manuel Antonio area. I have read about problems with the humidity vis-a-vis lenses and camera and some have suggested keeping gear in the bathroom in air conditioned rooms. Advise about what equipment to take seems to be all over the place. This is the equipment I have: Nikon D800; Nikon 28-300, Nikon 16-35, Tamron 90 macro; Tamron 150-600. I have a travel tripod, standard tripod, a gimbal, and a flash.
I very much appreciate any and all advise. Thanks in advance.
I very much appreciate any and all advise. Thanks in advance.
Jan 12, 2017 09:54:57 #
Also use silica gel packages in your camera bag. If your travel tripod can support your heaviest lens.camera comb you are OK. Also, have a ball head. Be prepared for rain
I would also purchase the guide to tropical nature photography https://www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?c=cart&ejc=2&cl=236196&i=1191091
Take plenty of cards, laptop and backup drives
ENJOY I have been to CR 4 times
I would also purchase the guide to tropical nature photography https://www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?c=cart&ejc=2&cl=236196&i=1191091
Take plenty of cards, laptop and backup drives
ENJOY I have been to CR 4 times
Jan 12, 2017 11:53:14 #
Jan 12, 2017 12:19:58 #
Keep them in your camera bag and personally I would keep covered with a towel so they don't get too cold and then sweat when taken outside. MA is not to humid, nothing close to the cloud forest areas. You might want to take along some wrist, head bands if you sweat a lot. Great area to visit. Gates open at 7:30 be first in line. You will see wildlife on the walk into the park. Hopefully loud kids, parents will not pass you and scare the mourning critters off. Great place for monkeys and some of the Toucans, tons of little parrots at the very end of the road. All the palm trees above the guy selling shaved ice treats is loaded. Need a wide angle lens for the beach shots as well. I always take a wide angle, zoom and macro, but only carry One at a time to concentrate on specific subjects. You want to be part of the experience, not overwhelmed with to many different photo opportunities
Jan 12, 2017 12:31:58 #
Jan 12, 2017 23:19:04 #
I am not a prof. photographer but bought a DSL for travel and grandkids sports. Wife, daughter and 2 granddaughters spent 10 days in CR this past June. (Touck Bridges trip) with my walk-outside 55-300 5.6 DX VR lens, hand held only. The AC in our resorts was not set real low, just enough to reduce the humidity and 1 resort on the Caribbean side had no AC. No lens fog problems at all. 300mm was usually long enough (monkeys, songbirds, iguanas etc) except for the Toucans, who always flew high and perched atop the highest tree. Maybe you can carry 400mm, I can't. I believe any time of year is hot. We dressed in shorts and used off spray. We did not see a mosquito but did see workers spraying low flora late afternoons. If night nature tours are included take flash for red-eyed frogs etc. Thanks to UHH, did catch some good shots and all had a great time. Sorry I chickened out of the ziplines. You will enjoy.
Jan 13, 2017 06:40:45 #
Not sure why you would keep your gear in the bathroom - for extra humidity? Just keep them in something that is air-tight when you go from AC into the warm humid air for about ten minutes until the gear warms up. I have always found it to be pretty humid at Manuel Antonio. Take a good flash. You will have the opportunity to get some good photos of monkeys which may be under the foliage, and flash or even fill-in flash will make a big difference.
Jan 13, 2017 08:28:31 #
Copfer
Loc: Gillette, Wyoming
I was in CR a year ago. It did rain a lot, so maybe a rain cover. I also took my macro which worked great for frog pictures. Instead of a flash I had someone shine a flashlight on the frogs. Worked great! Have fun.
Jan 13, 2017 08:32:49 #
Hire a guide in Manual Antonio if you want to spot wildlife. They know where the sloths and toucans live and hide. Don't lay small backpacks or camera bags down on the beach or the monkeys will grab them and take them into the trees and go through them looking for food.
Jan 13, 2017 08:39:52 #
Redrocks wrote:
Hire a guide in Manual Antonio if you want to spot wildlife. They know where the sloths and toucans live and hide. Don't lay small backpacks or camera bags down on the beach or the monkeys will grab them and take them into the trees and go through them looking for food.
Also the Crab-eating Raccoons
Jan 13, 2017 09:11:35 #
Jan 13, 2017 09:12:10 #
Jan 13, 2017 10:00:27 #
Fkaufman1
Loc: Florida
Great advise, will be going there next week, great tour prices from gate 1. Wonder about rain, will be using canon 7d mark 2 also Nikon n900 for long range. Any thoughts on recent volcano dust in San Jose? Problems with biting insects? Thieves?
Thanks
Frank
Thanks
Frank
Jan 13, 2017 10:12:30 #
My wife and I did a Overseas Adventure Tour ground trip in CR 2 years ago. It occurred the last week in January and first 10 days of February; and included locations on the west coast, inland, and east coast. I was determined to not get bogged down by stuff that I'd eventually get tired of carrying. The DSLRs and heavy lenses stayed home. I took a Canon SX50 and a G16, and took no special precautions with each other than have a couple plastic bags in my backpack. I shot about a 1000 pics, all in raw. Couldn't have been happier. On a side note, a couple people in our carried their DSLR and were grumbling about the weight before long. Also, while waiting to enter a park, I struck up a conversation with 3 or 4 people who were there on a photography trip. All were loaded down with big bodies and lenses to boot, also tripods and large backpacks. When I asked how their trip was going, the response was unanimous, "great, but this stuff gets heavy by the end of the day."
Jan 13, 2017 10:50:20 #
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