Trip to Banff question (Page 5): There is a spectacular Irish pub downtown Banff. There are 2 Elks that wander around the area and can be somewhat unfriendly, but provide good photos.

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Trip to Banff question

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May 5, 2018 19:29:57 #

lbrande

There is a spectacular Irish pub downtown Banff. There are 2 Elks that wander around the area and can be somewhat unfriendly, but provide good photos. Lake Louise is spectacular as is the trip to the glacier. Wide angle is necessary for some of the scenes you will see. If you are so disposed, you can take a rafting trip, which will provide some good action shots if the rapids are high. You will be in a full wet suit.

May 5, 2018 21:10:25 #

10MPlayer Loc: California

SaratogaMan wrote:

For that trip, my preference was wide-angle...it's about the scenery! I was never much beyond 100mm.

Agree, mostly. We stayed at Banff last fall. I mostly used the wide angle lens. We did see some elk and bighorn sheep. I was glad to have my 150-600mm zoom. Mostly though you're going to be wanting to shoot the amazing scenery. We stopped at the Natural Bridge and I had a great time shooting the beautiful turquoise water from every angle.

Not high art - shot from inside a motor coach

(Download)

May 5, 2018 21:32:45 #

ricardo00

wdross wrote:

And if you think the 300mm is to big and heavy, go on-line and check out the size, weight, and cost of a good 600mm f4 Canon or Nikon, the equivalent of the Olympus 300mm f4 Pro IS lens. That should put a real smile on your face that you chose 4/3rds. For the price of either the Canon or Nikon 600mm lens, you could repurchase your whole camera system again.

Not to start an "equipment debate" (which is outside the topic of this post), in my opinion the equivalent of the Olympus 300mm f/4 and the Olympus camera would be closer to the Nikon 300mm f/4 and Nikon D7200 (shot at an equivalent 2x FOV would be about 18 MP). The Nikon pair would be cheaper and lighter than the Olympus combo. Maybe someone has compared these two?

May 6, 2018 00:38:50 #

Smolakid6X

Hello travelers to Banff and Jasper, I will not comment on cameras for it seems you guys have that solved. I am only going to add a couple of
areas of interest to your itinerary if I may.
#1. Please go see Maligne Lake near Jasper but off Canada Hwy.#16.
#2. Please go Eagle Eye Restaurant located in Kicking Horse ski resort for lunch. This is the highest elevation restaurant in Canada (7400' maybe
7800'. (Close to the ski resort) no roads to the top, only gondola.
#3. I know it is out of the way but please see Helmcken Falls located within Wells Gray Provincial Park.
So, I am recommending a grand loop, starting in Banff then to Jasper, then to Valemont on #16 west passing close to Mt. Robson.
Then head south on #5 toward Kamloops and Wells Gray and "hook up" with #1 East towards Banff via the restaurant mentioned above,
visit the "Real" Glacier National Park in B.C. and continue on to Banff maybe stopping at Emerald Lake.
Have fun and I am jealous.

May 6, 2018 01:17:34 #

David in Dallas Loc: Dallas, Texas, USA

Morning Star wrote:

And if missing that one, there also is a ride up the mountain just outside of Jasper.
Jasper Sky Tram: http://www.jasperskytram.com/
JST tickets and opening times: http://www.jasperskytram.com/visit/tickets-and-hours

Yep. I did that one, too. Great view!

May 6, 2018 01:42:19 #

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

ricardo00 wrote:

You are right that both the 300mm Olympus and Nikon lenses are just that - 300mm lenses. The Olympus lense even comes labeled "300mm". Where the difference lies is in the sensor size and angle of view, not the lenses. Because of the difference in sensor size between the two formats, the Olympus 300mm "acts" like a 600mm on FF: they have the same angle of view. So if a friend and I are shooting the same subject and both want similar framing, he pulls out his FF 600mm and I pull out my 4/3rds 300mm. If he pulls out his FF 800mm, I pull out my 1.4 X teleconverter and attach it to my 300mm. Since most people I know tend to compare angle of view when shooting, I tend to compare lens equivalency, from MF all the way down to 1", not the actual focal lengths. Since the OP indicated lense equivalency, I did the same.

May 6, 2018 02:19:57 #

ricardo00

wdross wrote:

You are right that both the 300mm Olympus and Niko... (show quote)

Yes I understand but the D7200 is not a FF camera, it is what Nikon calls the DX format. So what is labeled the Nikon 300mm lens on the D7200 is the 450mm equivalent on a FF camera. In addition, you can shoot the D7200 (which has a 24MP "partial" frame sensor) in the 1.3 crop mode, making the 300mm now a 585 mm 35mm equivalent, essentially the same as the 600mm of the MF Olympus camera. In the 1.3 crop mode, it is 18.5 MP, very close to the 20MP Olympus camera. I am sure you can take excellent photos with the Olympus combo, but it is more expensive ($4200 versus $2800) and heavier (2049 g for the Olympus versus 1430 g for the Nikon) than the Nikon combo for essentially the same field of view and MP.

May 6, 2018 06:56:19 #

HCB iii Loc: Delray Beach, Florida

Thanks, NPHound. We were in Yellowstone last year and saw buffalo on many of the roads but almost no elk,, so we will love seeing elk on Banff area roads.

May 6, 2018 07:05:05 #

HCB iii Loc: Delray Beach, Florida

Thanks, Ibrande. We will be sure to stop by the Irish Pub for a pint!

May 6, 2018 07:06:55 #

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

Swing by The Camera Store in Calgary before headed out of town.

May 6, 2018 09:14:49 #

EngRon

As many have said. Your wide angle will get the most usage. The long lens might be used 5% of the time. If you are traveling by car and not walking much, then why not bring it and just leave it in the car when not needed?

May 6, 2018 10:06:21 #