best set of lenses for light kit /wildlife, landscapes

ampguy

ampguy

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Any folks been to Alaska or the Alps shooting everything from bears to deer to vast landscapes, with a minimal M8 lens kit?

I'm considering a 21/28/35/50 kit with the M8, which all fits in a 5fxb bag.

But I'm thinking of further culling to 21 (I use without finder), 28, 35.

28 will be used the most, but a 35 or 50 will be ideal for some near wildlife.
 
If you plan to shoot ice-bear with 50 mm lens you should probably prepare for a rather intimate experience ... :D

Seriously - are you serious that you do not want to take some kind of SLR/DLSR for that kind of shots?

Personally - I would try to take some kind of light weight medium format camera (Mamiya 7 for example) for landscapes and one DSLR for wildlife. But that would depend very much on what kind of trip that would be ...
 
Well, my Mossaud like intelligence says I should expect to see the bears maybe twice in one day. I don't want to take just head portraits, therefore the 50, not the 75 is needed. The options you mention are too heavy.
 
Are you traveling solo, focusing largely on photography? or are you traveling with a companion(s) doing some photography on the side?

I ask because I've found that makes quite a bit of difference in how much of the kit I take gets used. My temptation would be to suggest dropping the 28 or 35 from that kit, and since you make the 28 the most used, that looks like the 35. That's for travel.

As for the Alps, my shots were mostly in the 35mm to 100mm range, but that was me.
 
I'm thinking I'd want the furthest reaching telephoto lens I owned for this trip.
Even with a 135 on an M8, I suspect any bear shots are going to feature a very small bear.

I came across some black bears a couple years back on trip through the Smokies. Even with a 200mm lens on my SLR, it was very tough to get much with the lens.

But if I were doing it M8 minimal, I'd go with 21-50-90. If I dropped anything out of that mix, it would be the 50.
In that environment, I can't imagine a reason to have both the 28 and 35. They are just so close together in FL.
 
Thanks all:

papgow: it's the latter, the reason for either the 35 or the 50 is that these are 1.4 and will double up for insides or in shade, evening, my 28s are 2.8. I hear that CV 28/2 calling...

Thanks Joe, Tim, and Son: I grew up going to Yosemite annually with Ansel and others, before the tourists found out about the place.

Bears used to come to us, we had to hang our food over tree branches with rope, but they'd still come around.

Some family and friends took an excursion by air over AK a few years back, and somehow got trapped between a big Grizz and cub, and all were scared, maybe the guides the most. Photography was forgotten, and the guides yelled to everyone to stay still. One relative, a serious gun nut, had left his big pistol in his backpack out of reach. Another relative from out of the country dropped a piece of clothing accidently, which the guides freaked out over later. I am not expecting, or planning to get close to Grizzlies, but I would like to say HI to my old black bear buddies.
 
For grizzly bear shots, how about a CV 12mm and a big jar of raspberry jam. For polar bears, substitute some smoked salmon.

No, on second thought, maybe an SLR with a big, big, big tele would be the ticket.

Of course, in bear country a gun is always a good idea. Just remember to file the sight off so it doesn't hurt so bad when the grizz shoves it out your... never mind.
 
I would have to second what sonofdanang advised. I would also not treat black bears with any less respect than a grizzly. Enjoy your trip.

Bob
 
I swear I replied to this, but you really should listen to the advice given here. Bears are wild animals that aren't to be trifled with. You won't get any decent shots with a fifty unless you've crossed I to an unsafe zone with the animal. My advice - forget wildlife if you're not going to do it right.
 
Where in Alaska are you going? I spent four summers working out on Bristol Bay, where the landscape is largely tundra. At the time, I used a Nikon F w/ a Nikkor 50/1.4; that was the only lens I had. My suggestions:

1) The spaces and vistas in AK are vast, quite unlike most of what we see in the lower 48 (some folks claim to see Russia from their house :rolleyes::)). Cut back on the wides, and take the longest telephoto you've got for your M. I agree w/ what Tim Barker said.

2) Ever seen an Alaskan brown bear up close? These are not your Yosemite, garbage-can raiding, cutie pie black bears. On hind legs, an adult can reach 6'6" and run almost 30 mph. When I was working up at a salmon cannery one summer, a fisherman walking down a road got between a mother and cub. The mother charged, and w/ one swipe scalped the guy and punctured his lung. He was lucky to survive. Having watched these critters in action, I would not get too close. Hence the telephoto (you'll also need it for the bald eagles, foxes, and other fantastic wildlife too).

3) Frankly, if I were going to AK and wanted to photograph wildlife, I'd take an SLR and a 300mm lens at a minimum.

4) If you go in summer, bring LOTS of bug repellant. AK state bird is the mosquito.
 
Go to the Denali National Park gallery on my website. The image of a brown bear was taken with an APS-C sensor DSLR and a 400mm lens (giving me the same FOV as a 600mm lens). Even with that rig, I felt like I still didn't have enough reach for some shots.

Getting a similar shot with an M8 and 50mm is likely the last thing you ever do in this lifetime.
 
I hereby name this thread the funniest "which lens should I take" thread to date...

50mm for polar bears on a M8 is just.... I dont even know how to describe it.... ridiculous funny and stupid at the same time.

.....


ampguy said:
therefore the 50, not the 75 is needed...
Click to expand...


Please ... make him stop... honestly.... I cant stand it anymore... have...to...breathe.....can't....stop....laughing...
 
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I took it seriously because I have seen people running past me with film P&S cameras trying to get closer to Grizzlies at Yellowstone years ago. Yea, it is a good joke but it is not that far fetched. Now to remove the rest of the egg.

Bob
 
Thanks Bingley

Thanks Bingley

Interesting that you mention that. I'm thinking of getting a press pass, and camping out on the Palin compound and date their daughters (ba dum ba dum!)

Bingley said:
Where in Alaska are you going? I spent four summers working out on Bristol Bay, where the landscape is largely tundra. At the time, I used a Nikon F w/ a Nikkor 50/1.4; that was the only lens I had. My suggestions:

1) The spaces and vistas in AK are vast, quite unlike most of what we see in the lower 48 (some folks claim to see Russia from their house :rolleyes::)). Cut back on the wides, and take the longest telephoto you've got for your M. I agree w/ what Tim Barker said.

2) Ever seen an Alaskan brown bear up close? These are not your Yosemite, garbage-can raiding, cutie pie black bears. On hind legs, an adult can reach 6'6" and run almost 30 mph. When I was working up at a salmon cannery one summer, a fisherman walking down a road got between a mother and cub. The mother charged, and w/ one swipe scalped the guy and punctured his lung. He was lucky to survive. Having watched these critters in action, I would not get too close. Hence the telephoto (you'll also need it for the bald eagles, foxes, and other fantastic wildlife too).

3) Frankly, if I were going to AK and wanted to photograph wildlife, I'd take an SLR and a 300mm lens at a minimum.

4) If you go in summer, bring LOTS of bug repellant. AK state bird is the mosquito.
Click to expand...
 
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