I am going to the Galapagos Islands next week.
May 8, 2017 23:16:58 #
Any advice on photography? Camera, lenses, underwater, protection of equipment? etc. Thanks.
Then on to Machu Picchu. batteries, sd cards ect.?
Then on to Machu Picchu. batteries, sd cards ect.?
May 9, 2017 06:35:17 #
Oh, its a great trip! I took too much gear---but here's what I used---GR, Panasonic DMZ FZ 1000, Olympus EM1Mk II with 12-40 2.8, 40-150mm 2.8 plus 1.4 extender, 60 mmOly Macro, Olympus P&S TG-3, Olympus flash (not used). Also took Canon EOS 5D III, Canon7D MkII, 16-35 and 70-200 2.8 and 1.4 and 2.0 extenders. I used the 16-35 on the ship for sunrise/sunset stuff, and the 70-200 on one Zodiac trip. No tripod use, but some took them. OK--lots of stuff, right? But I was so afraid of missing shots and knew I would never return! Should I do it again, I would add the 7-14mm Olympus lens and just take the Olympus gear---you will not want to lug a lot on the hikes and you generally can get very close to the wildlife. The GR was in my pocket, and was really glad to have it, and the Pano FZ was great in Ecuador, and the 40-150mm Oly lens was the workhorse for wildlife and was excellent! So cover 24-300mm, take an extra battery or two (I always had one but never ran out on any of the excursions) No macro lens or tripod needed---transport your gear on the zodiacs in a waterproof backpack and take something to protect from a shower, too. I did use an ND--partial gradient filter---for sunrise stuff, but would skip the filters now...please take less than I did!! The Lindblad/ Nat Geo trip is the one I was on and was fabulous in every way. Have a wonderful time, and don't overpack---its casual!
May 9, 2017 06:35:43 #
What do you own now? Are you looking to purchase before this trip? What's your experience level? Budget?
May 9, 2017 07:24:50 #
I agree with Wyoming4. Cover focal lengths of 24 to 300mm and you will be good to go with either APSC or FF. I used a FF Sony A7r and 24-70,and 70-300 lenses and covered everything I wanted to shoot. Of course with APSC you will have even longer reach. Make sure to have a dry bag or small waterproof backpack to get your gear to shore. If you are going snorkling a camera like the Olympus waterproof model is perfect. You will not need a tripod or flash. A tripod just gets in everyone's way and slows you down and shouldnt use flash to photograph the critters you will encounter. I did take filters and didn't use them. Make sure you know how to set up and use your camera for birds in flight. Travel light with the gear and have fun. I did the trip with NatGeo/Lindblad last October and it was an awesome trip.
May 9, 2017 08:43:44 #
Careful the Christians will stone you when you get back home because you have been contaminated by the Evolution Bug... Galapagos Islands is a place where Creationism is un hinged!!!
What?? "Then on to Machu Picchu." Oh, No! your soul is lost for sure!!
Wish I could go along... Adventure indeed.. have fun..
What?? "Then on to Machu Picchu." Oh, No! your soul is lost for sure!!
Wish I could go along... Adventure indeed.. have fun..
May 9, 2017 08:55:30 #
a6k
Loc: Detroit & Sanibel
dpullum wrote:
Careful the Christians will stone you when you get back home because you have been contaminated by the Evolution Bug... Galapagos Islands is a place where Creationism is un hinged!!!
What?? "Then on to Machu Picchu." Oh, No! your soul is lost for sure!!
Wish I could go along... Adventure indeed.. have fun..
What?? "Then on to Machu Picchu." Oh, No! your soul is lost for sure!!
Wish I could go along... Adventure indeed.. have fun..
Just my 2 cents: except for the last sentence, this comment is unrelated to photography and unnecessarily offensive to many good people. It was probably meant to be humorous but it's sad that mocking the sincere beliefs of others is thought by some to be humorous.
As for the last sentence: ditto. Been there, done that, would do it again.
May 9, 2017 08:58:59 #
Ksocha
Loc: Bethesda, MD
I had a great trip with a Panasonic GX8 and Panasonic-Leica 100-400 (rented). I also had the Pany 12-35 and 35-100 but virtually never used them. For snorkeling I used the Fuji XP 90 ($149 at B&H).
Private message me if you'd like a link to my Galapagos photos.
Private message me if you'd like a link to my Galapagos photos.
May 9, 2017 09:21:17 #
I would like to see your photos. I was wondering how many photos to take and how many photos vs just seeing the sites.
May 9, 2017 10:16:18 #
Because of the mating rituals and behaviors of the animals on Galapagos I took a lot of videos. Without the movements and sounds I feel I lost a lot with just photos. Photos were good, but they just don't tell the story a video does. I bought a small video camera rather than using the video on my DSLR. Just me.
If snorkeling get a wet suit or rent from the boat. Water can be quite cold. You will probably see many underwater animals and will likely want some type of underwater camera gear. Again I liked my vids better than still shots. Others may have additional ideas. Tick, tick, tick. Getting late to get gear.
If snorkeling get a wet suit or rent from the boat. Water can be quite cold. You will probably see many underwater animals and will likely want some type of underwater camera gear. Again I liked my vids better than still shots. Others may have additional ideas. Tick, tick, tick. Getting late to get gear.
May 9, 2017 14:01:19 #
a6k wrote:
Just my 2 cents: except for the last sentence, this comment is unrelated to photography and unnecessarily offensive to many good people. It was probably meant to be humorous but it's sad that mocking the sincere beliefs of others is thought by some to be humorous.
As for the last sentence: ditto. Been there, done that, would do it again.
As for the last sentence: ditto. Been there, done that, would do it again.
Agreed. Such beliefs are evidence of psychological issues.
It is inappropriate to honor incorrect beliefs just because someone claims it is religious. Doing so would honor the ISIS beheaders and African mutilators of young girls.
Anyone that believes all life began 6,000 years ago has serious problems.
May 10, 2017 09:51:53 #
It will depend on what you like to shoot. You are not allowed to wonder around, always guided. What amazed me the most on my visit was how fearless the animals were. I would recommend a medium length telephoto to wide angle lens. There are plenty of underwater opportunities too. Sea lions, turtles, and sea iguanas are EZ subjects in the COLD water. Tons of sand so be careful. Many "landings" on the islands are wet so I took some ziplock bags to keep equipment dry. Any direction you point your camera is a shot waiting to happen. Machu Picchu is beautiful, frequently misty, and definitely high altitude for most people. Try to get up to the top area for a sunrise. Stay a while because the look of the place changes a lot through the day.
May 10, 2017 09:57:19 #
May 10, 2017 12:14:27 #
Just returned from 10 days on a live-aboard in the western Galápagos. Most comments above are right on. I used an FZ1000 and nothing else. You may want a waterproof point and shoot for snorkeling. Minimize your gear.
Just want to emphasize that you are likely to be doing "wet-landings" which can result in a tumble in the surf. I took 30 seconds before every trip in the dinghy to throw my camera and binoculars in a small dry bag....just in case. One of our group did get "washed ashore". Fortunately she had a dry bag in her backpack so camera and cell phone survived.
Great trip. It's a marvelous opportunity to understand biological processes and and to gain insights into how all of life is interconnected. I continue to be amazed at Charles Darwin's insights from so long ago that modern science verifies and is now the basis of all biology, much of medicine, and even used in psychology and sociology. Enough said.
Just want to emphasize that you are likely to be doing "wet-landings" which can result in a tumble in the surf. I took 30 seconds before every trip in the dinghy to throw my camera and binoculars in a small dry bag....just in case. One of our group did get "washed ashore". Fortunately she had a dry bag in her backpack so camera and cell phone survived.
Great trip. It's a marvelous opportunity to understand biological processes and and to gain insights into how all of life is interconnected. I continue to be amazed at Charles Darwin's insights from so long ago that modern science verifies and is now the basis of all biology, much of medicine, and even used in psychology and sociology. Enough said.
May 10, 2017 22:51:09 #
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