davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

Your pilot will not be able to fly low enough to allow you to use the 10-24. Everything in your photos will be very far away, as with wide angle lenses. I use a Canon 70-200 when I get to ride in a helicopter as it allows great fields of view at 1500' agl. As a sample, try making photos at 150' with your 10-24 and see if you can distinguish anything. For aerial photography you need tele-photo lens' ability to compress objects, not push them away.

photoman43

Regardless of the lens, make sure IS or VR is set properly for the bumpy conditions in the helicopter and that your shutter speed is high. You may have a special setting for such conditions. Read the manuals and do a google search unique to the camera/lens you will be using.

bandman Loc: Omaha, Nebraska

I enjoyed a helicopter flight there recently. I took 2 cameras and let one camera down by the knees do a great deal of video recording and captured countless great photos with my other camera. I would think the 10-24 lens would be the better choice for more panoramic views. I would not want to change lens, especially with a doors off flight. I used a Canon SX60 for the video and a Canon T6i with the 18X55mm lens for individual captures. It was an amazing flight. Enjoy!

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

I’ve never taken a helicopter tour like these, but having spent two years flying several different helicopters in Vietnam, I can say that if the company’s maintenance people have properly tracked and balanced the rotor blades and system, the flight should be pretty darned smooth. Most of the buffeting should be the result of thermals generated by the air heating and cooling, especially in the mountainous areas, particularly Weimeia Canyon. (not sure of the spelling here) Your pilot will do his best to keep the bird in smooth air as best he can. It will be bumpier in the heat of that latter part of the day.

I agree with not taking a long lens, but a medium zoom, as previously mentioned should work well. Use a high shutter speed to avoid camera movement, and don’t use any part of the airframe to rest your camera. If you are lucky enough to get a front seat, be aware, if you shoot through the windshield, that it is curved and can distort an image. When shooting a long shot, watch out for the rotor blades, as they can become an unwelcome part of what might have been a great shot. Nothing like getting rotor bombed! And yes, keep your camera secured on a good strap, or if you have a compact camera, a really good wrist strap.

Then enjoy your flight seeing tour over that beautiful island.

Lagoonguy Loc: New Smyrna Beach, FL

I have spent several months in the winter in Kauai for the past 28 years except one when Iniki hit the island and I only took one helicopter tour. One trip was enough for me. The scenery is beautiful and yes I did take a few photos but I would recommend just enjoying the experience. Someone recommended renting an auto and taking photos at Waimea Canyon, that is an excellent suggestion. You will want to arrive at the end of the road in Koke’e State Park at the Kalalau Valley overlook before daybreak to get the most beautiful views and experience the rising sun over the swamp and hear the sounds of the beautiful birds and the pounding surf far below. Walk down the slippery clay trail and just spend some magical time there before the helicopters and people arrive, usually about 35-40 minutes. That auto trip will take about 1 hour and fifteen minutes from the Poipu area. I know it is an early start but it will be well worth the effort. You can get many great photos at the turnouts but a a few short hikes into the canyon will provide even better photos and you can do all that while the hoards of visitors are still just arriving and you will have all that to yourself as well. An off the beat ocean cliff trek is at CJ Stables in Poipu, just park behind the stables near the trail and enjoy some of the best scenery on the island. Enjoy your stay and I hope you get all the photos you desire.

Bear2 Loc: Southeast,, MI

Me too, (miss Kauai)

dleebrick Loc: Indian Land, South Carolina

I looked back at some of our shots from the Kauai helicopter tour and found that nearly all the shots were taken at the wide end of my zoom lens; most were around 18 mm.
You'll love the flight!

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Bear2 Loc: Southeast,, MI

My wife and I took the same flight two years ago, and loved every minute of it. I used my Nikon 7200, with a
super 18-200 VR ll that was fine tuned to the camera. FYI, Most of my shots were between 18 & 35mm, and most were/are gorgeous. Hope this helps.
Duane

texaseve Loc: TX, NC and NH

I would use the 50-140mm.... I like to pull things in. When I did a helicopter tour over Hawaii, I was stuck in the back seat and was buffeted by the wind as I tried to take my shots. I would suggest for better views and photos to ride shotgun!

Chopper Bill Loc: East Tennessee

I'm a career helicopter pilot and a lifelong photographer and I would suggest bringing both lenses. Doors off flying at speeds over 120 mph makes changing lenses tricky, but not impossible. Yeah, it's a good way to get dust blown into your camera body but I doubt the pilot would not let you do it.

It matters whether this is a charter or a tourist scenic flight. Not to put too fine a point on it but tour operator pilots are not well paid, usually they are very low time pilots trying to build time to get a decent job. If something goes wrong they may not have the experience to handle it and there is a lot that can go wrong with a helicopter. Getting a high time pilot is going to cost you a bundle but it's well worth the extra money. Consider the accident that killed Kobe Bryant. It is entirely possible that nothing went wrong with that chopper and that the deteriorating weather got worse than the pilot could handle. I am not saying that that is what happened, but pilots, even more than sailors, are not forgiven for making even the slightest mistakes that are not immediately corrected.

Beyond that, choppers vibrate more than anything else you've ever been in. The high frequency vibrations are the worst. Think wide angle - high shutter speeds for most shots. Your pilot probably won't be able to fly as close as you would like to points of interest. Regulations frown on that. Altitude restrictions preclude a lot of that. Don't bother with telephoto lenses. You'll be bouncing around too much for that. I always laugh at movie scenes where someone uses binoculars in a chopper. Nonsense! I recommend 24-70mm zoom. Not too wide, not too long.

I shot this back in the day flying offshore in the Gulf of Mexico flying with my knees and shooting a pocket camera out the side window. Don't bother shooting through the plexiglass, you will be very disappointed.

Good luck, have fun.

Scottty Loc: Portland,Oregon

I've done the doors off on Kauai, and if memory serves, all the tour companies travel clockwise around the island to minimize safety concerns. So, this means you want to be in the front seat(where you will be shooting through glass) or better yet on the right side in the back, if possible. Tell the tour your preference and they may be able to accommodate you. Just take 1 lens. By the time you change lenses you'll be past something you want to capture. I used an 18-140 and almost all my shots were between 18 & 50.

Scottty Loc: Portland,Oregon

Really think you'll want a wide angle for this landscape.

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aellman Loc: Boston MA

Helicopters generate a certain amount of vibration, which argues for the 10-24 and fast shutter speeds.

insman1132 Loc: Southwest Florida

My personal experience with Helo trips are that you will appreciate the longer reach lens.

aellman Loc: Boston MA

Can't argue with experience. I guess a fast enough shutter speed would overcome any ambient vibration.