tovie

I'm taking a one day bus tour 'Vegas to Grand Canyon (South Rim), 22 Dec. I would appreciate any suggestions regarding equipment, photo-ops, dress, etc. Canon XSi with EF-S 17-85 f4/5.6 IS.

St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

- I have been trying to get away to go. Please keep us informed when you return and post photos!!!

buckwheat Loc: Clarkdale, AZ and Belen NM

It will be cold!! and if the wind is blowing, it will be VERY cold! Last night it was -6 and the high tomorrow is predicted to be mid thirties. There might still be some snow to brighten things up. Your 17-85 is probably all you will need, but a telephoto would be nice if you have one.

CaptainC Loc: Colorado, south of Denver

There is no "wrong" lens. Wide, ultra wide, normal, mid tele, super tele - all have their place and can deliver great images.

Dress warm - have spare batteries.

olcoach Loc: Oregon

Winter time in the Grand Canyon is truly winter. Dress warm and be prepared to take some great shots. It is truly one of the world's great places.

TdogKing

Been there a few times and Wide angle is what you'll use the most. Like the others said, dress in layers and take enough with you including gloves,knit cap/hat and ear muffs too!. Maybe a fingerless glove on your shutter button hand would help too

Sheila Loc: Arizona or New York

If you are on a bus tour, you will probably not want to carry too much for a single day tour. My husband and I were there for four days in early Nov and I used a variety of lenses. If you have something like an 18 to 200 mm zoom, this would give you the most options but the lens you mentioned will be fine. Take extra batteries and keep in inside pocket. The weather has been very cold and you will have to be prepared. I would have a bag to put my camera in before getting back on the bus. The change in temperature might cause condensation if you are out in the cold for a while and return to a warm bus. Make sure you have enough memory cards and a microfiber cloth for your lens.

Layer your clothing so you are able to adjust yourself to the bus and outside. The canyon area can be very, very windy as well as cold.

Dave B Loc: Ramsey,Cambridgeshire UK

Your kit lend will be all you need. Enjoy!

juicesqueezer Loc: Okeechobee, Florida

Dress like a snow bunny! Very windy that time of year. Lens will be fine. Looking forward to seeing some photo's of your day trip! Like someone else stated, keep batteries on you. Cold will kill a battery quick!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Your title reminds me of one of the Family Vacation movies. They arrived at the Grand Canyon, got out of the car, took a look, and continued on their way. :D

PhotoGenesis131 Loc: Michigan

Yes wide angle. GC is a mile wide. Take a telephoto and it will seem like a wide angle when you want to shoot the opposite side

Charmdragon Loc: Plymouth, Massachusetts

Your plans may already be set, but prep yourself for a long day. We took the same bus tour years ago; took over 10 hours. The good news is that the time at Grand Canyon will still be memorable and give you the itch to return on your own timetable. If you are limited to the equipment listed bring along a point and shoot model; many have the ability to zoom in closer than your camera. Don't panic. Engage fellow passengers and the conversations will enhance your experience.

Ka2azman Loc: Tucson, Az

Went there earlier this year. Did the Train ride to the GC out of Williams Az. Very enjoyable. But the viewing of the GC was very brief. Went to two lookouts by prearranged bus tour. Spent maybe an hour at each. Still enjoyed the entire trip.

As others have said "be prepared" wear long johns, and other warm clothing, the cold can be penetrating.

Arca

Tovie,

I know that you will have a very enjoyable time. I live in Phoenix and have been there about 20 times. Dressing warmly in layers cannot be emphasized enough. Also, you are at 7,000 ft. elevation and there is considerable UV light so you may actually need sunscreen and certainly lip balm. Don't forget the hand cream to keep your hands and fingers from becoming dry and cracked. The GCNP is in Arizona and it is very arid land. You also need to keep yourself hydrated, yes, even though it is cold. Don't forget 'Power Bars' or 'Balance Bars' or some similar snack food. Your body will use up plenty of calories just keeping warm, let alone any hiking you may do there. It is very dry up there. The canyon is one mile deep, up to ten miles across and about 225 miles long. You will probably be brought to a few overlooks. It will not likely be crowded this time of year, so getting people in the way will not be a problem, but an occasional person in the picture for comparison purposes to display the immensity of the canyon can be nice as well.

You can definitely use a polarizing filter. You may also want to have a graduated neutral density filter to compensate for the brightness of the sky and the relative darkness of the canyon, depending on the time of day and direction you are shooting in. (I still shoot film, can you tell.) Don't forget the lens hood because of glare from everywhere, sky, clouds, snow, standing water puddles (maybe), etc.

Hope for north or south winds to clean the air. Westerlies bring in smog from L.A. and easterlies bring in pollution from the Navajo Power Plant. Neither situation is a trip killer, in fact they are at worst only very minor inconveniences. You may not even have known about this if I did not bring it up. This is not intended to be a commentary on pollution or anything else in that realm, my hope for you is only to obtain the best possible images and a dearth of dust particles in the air would be desirable to achieve that end.

About 300 feet west from the El Tovar Hotel is the trailhead to the 'Bright Angel Trail.' Bring hiking boots or shoes and you can probably go on the trail for a while, time permitting. It would take you all day to go down to the Colorado River and back up, so don't even attempt it. Remember, it takes you twice as long to go up as down, so time yourself if you are taking a short hike. The advantage of taking a short hike is to get different perspectives of the canyon, as well as observing the various layers of sediment in the rock, red sandstone, white limestone, and others to numerous to mention but available on web sites and in literature you can obtain therein.

There are a couple of tunnels you will go through if you walk about one mile down. There is a rest stop about 1.5 miles down and would make a good turnaround point. As you go down, you will get warmer. The temperature at the bottom of the canyon is usually about the same as Phoenix, 170 miles south and at the same elevation.

Lastly, near that 'Bright Angel Trailhead' is the Kolb Brothers photographic studio. These were pioneer photographers around the turn of the last century using large format cameras with glass plates. That is truly a great learning experience as well. Indeed, it is also a place to warm up. You will be amazed at the precious location of construction of that studio. I have been there several times and it is of course very safe, but wow. What a bird's eye view of the canyon.

Enjoy.

Arca

tovie

Many thanx to Arca and all you other UHHer's for your suggestions, observations, comments and wishes.
Polarizing filter, check. ND filter, check. Extra point-and-shoot, check (Nikon Coolpix). Plastic bag to thwart condensation, check. Extra battery and storage card in warm pocket, check. My 17-85 crops to 27mm, so wide angle lens, well maybe. Bottle of water, check. Hat, ear muffs and lotsa clothing layers, absolutely!
Again, many thanx. I hope to followup with results.