I made the same trip last year, with the addition of Cusco and Urubamba in Peru. We stayed in Urubamba several days before Machu Picchu to get acclimated to the altitude. It was a great trip! I hope the coronavirus lets you go.
For gear, I travel light: Sony a6000 with 16-70, 55-210, and 12mm crop lenses; Olympus TG-5 for underwater. You won't need a macro lens or a tripod -- they will only add weight. The TG-5 has a macro setting you could use if needed (I didn't use it), and I suggest getting a small ring-light attachment for close-ups.
In Galapagos, you get quite close to the wildlife, so a long telephoto is rarely necessary. I mostly used the 16-70. Snorkeling is fun, so I suggest bringing an underwater camera. The TG-5 takes pretty good photos out of water, too, so it is a good backup camera.
In Machu Picchu, you will probably want relatively wide-angle lenses. My carry lens was the 16-70 (crop), and the 12mm was handy. We had great weather, but I carried a rain cover for the a6000 just in case.
You can check out my website below if you want photo ideas or to see how these lenses fared. Have a great trip!
MontanaTrace wrote:
I understood the budget was $500. I have a Sony A6000. Love it.
I second the Sony a6000 as an excellent choice that easily fits within your budget when it's on sale. If you wait until after Thanksgiving, you will have time to do some research and should be able to get some good deals on whichever camera you choose on Black Friday or Cyber Monday.
The a6000 is light, comfortable to hold, and perfect for travel. Like most cameras today, it lets you start off on auto and work your way into more manual settings when you are ready. Unlike bridge cameras, the a6000 (and most other mirrorless and DSLRs) lets you add different lenses as you need them.
Good luck, and welcome to the Hog.
Nice shot -- interesting subject and very colorful. My only suggestion would be to crop it a bit from the bottom to get rid of the wires and railing.
I like it -- nice job! And I agree, in this case the wires actually add to the pic's appeal.
Nice series! What was the unlucky victim -- a squirrel?
Welcome to the forum, RJW! Scary photos, indeed, and really nasty air. Be safe out there!
I use a high-quality UV filter for high altitudes and to protect against dust, sand, moisture, etc. in the air. Almost always use a hood, which gives physical protection.
jerryc41 wrote:
Admit it. You will buy another camera. What will it be?
It may be an extra/backup, or maybe you want a small compact camera for travel. Of course, you could be planning to update and replace your Main Shooter. I have my D750, Sony a6000, and Fuji X-T30, in addition so some older cameras, so I'm all set. But what about you?
Not a collector, so only have an old a6000 (with 2 primes and 2 zooms) and an Olympus TG-5, which together meet all my needs. Love the a6000, but may look at the next a6xxx when it comes out. We'll see.
Fascinating on download/magnify. Thanks for posting!
Beautiful shots -- great color and reflections. You might want to check your sensor for dust -- appear to be some spots in the skies of the first two, in particular.