CatMarley Loc: North Carolina

Kyak and good camera - bad idea. Unless you get an underwater model, don't do it. There are many cellphones and cameras on riverbottoms. One of them belongs to my son.

mrpentaxk5ii

Not so, much depends on the kayak, the size and type...also the water your in and the person using the camera and kayak.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

My response remains the same. Obviously you have not kayaked much in rough conditions.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

While I did this years ago in a canoe I wouldn't recommend it. I kept my camera and lens in a inflatable Sports bag while on the water only taking it out while on dry land.
I agree with those suggesting a GOOD waterproof camera.
Frank

ppage Loc: Pittsburg, (San Francisco area)

I kept my dslr in a drybag. It is a pain. I would rather use a pelican case so I can get to it easier. This Guy Galen Leeds seems to have written the book on the subject so to speak. He lays it all out on this beautiful site:
https://galenleeds.com/kayak-photography/ Try to pick a telephoto zoom that you can leave on. It is quite nerve wracking to change a lens on the water.

KayakingUSA Loc: New Salem, North Carolina

It depends on whether you are going for the kayaking or for taking wildlife pictures. You will have some once in a lifetime opportunities along the way so do you want the best possible pictures or just so so. I take all my pictures from a kayak and I always want the best camera I have. If you use something less you will regret it if you do have that once in a lifetime opportunity and you get a lesser quality picture than you could have taken. One thing you will find out real quick. You will not have time to take the camera out of a dry bag. Wildlife along the river will appear out of no where and be gone just as quick. Good luck with whatever you decide. I use a D7200 with a 150-600 Tamron lens which is the best I have. If I had the top of the line high dollar equipment I might think otherwise.

aellman Loc: Boston MA

Definitely waterproof camera. I believe Nikon makes one. Keep it attached to you by strap, and when not in use store in waterproof bag (they float). >Alan

Bill_de Loc: US

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talkinturtles

I have a fujifilm finepix. It is waterproof and even comes with a floating strap. It takes amazingly good pics. Zoom is pretty good and my landscapes turn out good. I love this camera. I would never take my good camera out on the water. But if you have insurance, maybe it is an option.

Dennis833 Loc: Australia

I started out using a dry bag but now prefer a pelican type case mounted with bungee straps to the front of my Kayak. It's not very hard to get a camera out and shoot in charm water but you will often find yourself facing a different direction by the time you do. If you want the best quality photos as I do you will need to take you good gear.

Selene03

Hi there, your owl photos are wonderful as are the photos on your flickr page. Seriously, you will be very unhappy if you don't take some kind of good high quality camera with you. Those waterproof cameras just won't produce the results you are capable of. But, yes, most of what everyone is saying here is spot on. Taking pictures from a kayak can be trying--they move in the water with wind or currents. You need to paddle into the right position. If the kayak is wobbly, you can tip it over when the bird moves and you try to move with it. Paddles can be tricky to handle--anchoring them to the kayak is an excellent idea. Things can get wet--dry bags and I guess waterproof amo cases or whatever will be your friends.

But the rewards will be worth the hassle. I would love to do what you are doing. As I said above I use a high quality low priced Canon sl1 in an ocean sit on the top kayak. Mine is short and fat--I can surf with it and it is pretty stable although I know it could flip with a rogue wave. Taking pictures from it is what I want to do, and I really don't have that much of an investment in the low-end refurbished camera and lens I use. The camera should be unusable now (whales spouting on it, getting doused by rogue waves, etc), but it is still working just fine. My photos from it are on a hard drive somewhere, but I will try to find a couple to post. I am incredibly pleased with the quality and it is amazing getting photos when you are at the bird's or animal's level. It has taken awhile for me to get technique down, but it is coming easier now and is incredibly rewarding.

Your Nikon is a great camera and would work well, but I bet if you could pick up a used or refurbished 3400 or something, it wouldn't be your best camera and you wouldn't feel so bad about taking risks with it even though it would still give you the kinds of photos you are capable of producing. The low end dslrs cameras don't have all the fancy features of your 7200, but that can actually be an advantage in this kind of shooting.

Just some other thoughts-- I do try to be careful not to get the camera wet. I am ocean/bay kayaking and my ocean kayak is fat and pretty stable. I realize river kayaking can be different and the designs different. I have no clue what kind of kayak you will be using. I have tipped a kayak taking a picture (happily with one of those waterproof cameras that I don't think are worth bothering with any more), so it can happen. This was a not very stable rental kayak that went over if you leaned the wrong way in it. So the kayak you are in does make a difference. I prefer drybags to boxes but I am a small woman, so they are easier for me to deal with.

It sounds like your conditions will be pretty good. If you have decent kayaks and take care, I think you will do fine, once you recognize the complexities of it all. it is really fun. I hope you figure it all out and have a great time!!!!!

leenso52

Fabulous information!! Thanks!!!

bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY

Marsha, you say your going with friends, anybody willing to use a tandem with you,an extra person to paddle while you shoot would solve some problems and probably keep you out of trouble if they are more experienced, BTW tandems are sometimes called 'divorce boats' you figure it out, Bob

leenso52

Oh yes, I almost divorced my granddaughter!!

oregon don

are you going to the boundary waters? I always liked it up there, would go up there twice a year, in the summer with family and in the fall with a friend I grew up with.