Caravan Bus Tour Kit: I am going on a Caravan Bus Tour with my wife. Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Little Big Horn, Yellowstone National Park, and Grand Tetons. I want to minimize setup...

par4fore Loc: Bay Shore N.Y.

I am going on a Caravan Bus Tour with my wife. Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Little Big Horn, Yellowstone National Park, and Grand Tetons. I want to minimize setup time and lens overlap so I am thinking about the following kit. Comments and suggestions welcome.
NIKON D7000 w/ 11-16mm (16-24) f2.8 AF
SONY RX100MIII 24-70MM F/1.8-2.8
NIKON D800E 80-200MM F/2.8
NIKON 300MM PF F/4 (300MM FX, 450MM DX)
ILL BE LEAVING HOME:
ZEISS 21MM F/2.8
ZEISS 28MM F/2
VOIGTLANDER 40MM F/2
NIKON 55MM F/2.8

Rongnongno Loc: FL

par4fore wrote:

I am going on a Caravan Bus Tour with my wife. Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Little Big Horn, Yellowstone National Park, and Grand Tetons. I want to minimize setup time and lens overlap so I am thinking about the following kit. Comments and suggestions welcome.
NIKON D7000 w/ 11-16mm (16-24) f2.8 AF
SONY RX100MIII 24-70MM F/1.8-2.8
NIKON D800E 80-200MM F/2.8
NIKON 300MM PF F/4 (300MM FX, 450MM DX)

Too much gear if you ask me but if you are comfortable with it...
I would add either a tripod or a monopod, just in case.

chase4 Loc: Punta Corona, California

I've been there and from what you reported, you should have all the bases covered. Have a great trip. chase

Quixdraw Loc: x

I'd bring one of your f 2 lenses -- you may want to do some low light and / or walk around with a less obtrusive camera. I bring one of my fast 50's on trips for just those reasons. Always find one useful -- not much extra space taken.

par4fore Loc: Bay Shore N.Y.

Good idea, thanks.

quixdraw wrote:

I'd bring one of your f 2 lenses -- you may want to do some low light and / or walk around with a less obtrusive camera. I bring one of my fast 50's on trips for just those reasons. Always find one useful -- not much extra space taken.

par4fore Loc: Bay Shore N.Y.

Rongnongno wrote:

Too much gear if you ask me but if you are comfortable with it...
I would add either a tripod or a monopod, just in case.

Yes, tripod for sure. Thanks.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

par4fore wrote:

I am going on a Caravan Bus Tour with my wife. Mt.... (show quote)

I would at least throw in the Zeiss 28; personally I'd take the 21mm also. They can't take up that much room and they'll be great for landscapes.

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

par4fore wrote:

I am going on a Caravan Bus Tour with my wife. Mt.... (show quote)

Did this same trip last September. I was fortunate enough to attend a Canon workshop in Yellowstone. The three Canon reps all had the same philosophy on gear: your best body, 1 wide angle, and 1 telephoto, your best tripod and head. Everything else was excess baggage. All three used the new version of the EF 100-400mm zoom and each had a favorite wide angle. Everything we shot during the entire workshop was covered by the 2 lenses. This eliminated lots of guesswork about which specific lens to use. Good luck and enjoy the sights.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

I know it's not a grand bus tour of the scenic outer lands of our country, but one of the wildest and most difficult (and possibly most dangerous) assignments is to cover downtown New York City. I have had one friend who did so for a year, including spending many nights on the streets. His one camera was a Leica M2 (he chose a real beater in spite of the fact that he owned two M6 bodies. He also used a very brassy 35mm Summicron. Another friend lived on the streets for three months with a Voightlander, a 28 mm and a 40mm. They both took people, architectural and landscape shots and came back with enough winners to earn scholarships to prestigious photo schools. Both are now professional photographers respected by their peers and stock brokers. My point is that minimalism in gear choice works - and if it'll work on the streets of NYC, it'll work everywhere.

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

Sounds like a fabulous tour. Hope you can publish a book out of it. /Ralph
(from Glen Cove in a past life)

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

par4fore wrote:

I am going on a Caravan Bus Tour with my wife. Mt.... (show quote)

Swap lenses on the two Nikons and you'll get wider and farther, since the D7000 has a 1.5 crop factor. It seems like you're overloaded with gear. I would recommend the D800, those two lenses, and the Sony.

Bret Loc: Dayton Ohio

Me I would swap out the Sony for either one of those Zeiss lens.

SonyBug

jerryc41 wrote:

Swap lenses on the two Nikons and you'll get wider and farther, since the D7000 has a 1.5 crop factor. It seems like you're overloaded with gear. I would recommend the D800, those two lenses, and the Sony.

I second that...

sr71 Loc: In Col. Juan Seguin Land

par4fore wrote:

I am going on a Caravan Bus Tour with my wife. Mt.... (show quote)

Purchase a Panasonic FZ1000 and leave the rest at home

Don Fischer Loc: Antelope, Ore

Is this a personal pleasure trip or a working photo trip? Boy that seem's like a lot of equipment just to record a trip like that. If what your looking for is photo's to sell, why not skip the bus tour and do it in your POV? It is hard for me to understand why so many people take so much equipment on trips like this. Your gonna go with the tour. You want to stay some where and take what you might think are better shot's and you'll miss the bus. I'd take one body, your lightest one and one or two tele lens to cover 18mm to 300mm.