Best lends for my camera for Alaska Pictures

[natesfirewife]

I just went and got the Canon Rebel XT camera and it came with a 18-55mm lens. For anyone who knows about camera lens' what is the size I will need to take great close up shots from the ship of things far away?

 

Misty

[Yukon]

The best lens you could add would be a 60-300mm zoom. That will give you good wildlife and glacier shots from a fair distance, but if you have a steady hand can still be hand-held. Anything longer needs a tripod, anything shorter requires you to get a lot closer for the same shot.

 

Murray

[Mike2131]

The best lens you could add would be a 60-300mm zoom. That will give you good wildlife and glacier shots from a fair distance, but if you have a steady hand can still be hand-held. Anything longer needs a tripod, anything shorter requires you to get a lot closer for the same shot.

 

Murray

 

The standard zoom you received is suitable for close-ups or, at 55mm, portrait shots. You will not get any good landscape pictures or be able to capture any distant images.

 

A long zoom is by far the most flexible lens choice. If your camera is an auto-focus, make sure the lens you choose will work with this feature (certain non-Canon lenses might not work with it). Also, I am not a big fan of "doublers".

[JohnQ]

The lens that Yukon recommends would go all the way up to 600mm for 35mm equivilent, which is more than you can handhold. But shooting at a faster shutter speed or resting the camera on something or having a tripod or monopod would help. That lens should cover the med-long range you need. Read the manual, practice, practice. Have lots of memory cards.

[Yukon]

Excellent point, John - I didn't realize that the Rebel XT was digital.

 

Murray

[natesfirewife]

Ok, I appreciate all the help. Can someone explain what the numbers mean for the lens'? Example 18/55mm. I have two 1GB cards already and that should be ok. I believe I took 8 rolls of film the last time we went to Alaska.

 

Misty

[Yukon]

You'll be fine with two 1GB cards. Your lens zooms from 18mm (a moderate wide-angle) to 55mm (a "portrait" or very short telephoto length). Double the numbers to get the approximate equivalent in lens on "film" cameras.

 

Murray

[Mike2131]

Excellent point, John - I didn't realize that the Rebel XT was digital.

 

Murray

 

I did not realize it was digital either. I am stuck back in the dark ages - still shooting 35mm.

[tee_wrecks]

The numbers you refer to (18-55mm) designate the focal length of the lens. When relating to 35mm film cameras, about a 50mm lens most closely represents the perspective and size relationships viewed with the naked eye so the 18-55 would be extreme wide angle to slightly more than "normal" focal length. With the digital camera you bought the imaging chip is smaller than a 35mm frame so there is an additional 1.6 magnification. That means your lens is now equivilant to a 28-88mm or a slight wide angle to a short telephoto lens.

 

A really nice supplement to this lens for your trip would be somethiing like the Canon 75-300mm IS. The upper end of the zoom range will give you almost the equivilant of a 10X pair of binoculars and the IS (internal stabilization) will make it easier for you to hold the lens steady at the longer focal lengths. Remember, a telephoto lens not only magnifies the size of the image, it magnifies any movements of the camera which can lead to fuzzy pictures.

[natesfirewife]

I think I am getting the picture! No pun intended. :)

 

Misty

[JPCruising]

I took the Canon Digital Rebel to Alaska last summer with the 18-55mm lens like yours and I also took the Canon 75-300 Image Stablization lens which worked out extremely well for me. Please look at my Alaska album located on my photo website, www.jprphotos.com to see the kind of pictures you can capture with those two lenses. If I was doing it again today I would want the longer reach of the 100-400 zoom that I now own. 2 gb of memory may seem like a lot but I think you will find you will end up shooting more than you ever imagined. I took over 3,000 shots in Alaska last summer. I was able to do so because I had my laptop which I could download to each day and keep on shooting. Be sure to spend a lot of time with your new camera now to become very familiar with it before the trip.

[Pugdog007]

I took the Canon Digital Rebel to Alaska last summer with the 18-55mm lens like yours and I also took the Canon 75-300 Image Stablization lens which worked out extremely well for me. Please look at my Alaska album located on my photo website, www.jprphotos.com to see the kind of pictures you can capture with those two lenses. If I was doing it again today I would want the longer reach of the 100-400 zoom that I now own. 2 gb of memory may seem like a lot but I think you will find you will end up shooting more than you ever imagined. I took over 3,000 shots in Alaska last summer. I was able to do so because I had my laptop which I could download to each day and keep on shooting. Be sure to spend a lot of time with your new camera now to become very familiar with it before the trip.

 

WOW those pics are awesome. Approximately how much $ did this combo cost? (if you don't mind)

[JPCruising]

WOW those pics are awesome. Approximately how much $ did this combo cost? (if you don't mind)

 

Last year the Canon Digital Rebel with the 18-55mm "kit" lens and the Canon 75-300 IS zoom lense would have ran approximately $1,400. Today you can still purchase the same camera and lens for around $1000 or you can buy the newer Canon Digital XT Rebel and that zoom lense for around $1,400. The initial purchase cost is high, but the cost of operation vs film is hugh overtime. :)

[natesfirewife]

I have the Rebel XT and I love it. I will look into the 100-400 lens. Is that made by Canon also? BTW, great pictures. :)

 

Misty

[tee_wrecks]

Yes, the 100-400mm is a Canon lens and one of the finest pieces of glass on the market. If you purchase that lens you won't be sorry. Be prepared though, it carries a pretty hefty sticker price. Expect to pay $1500 or more for that lens. The 75-300mm would be a less expensive alternative and wouldn't require a second mortgate but it doesn't have the low dispersion glass that's used in the 100-400. Good luck and good shooting.

[skibozo]

Does anyone use filters or polarizing lens?

[tee_wrecks]

The use of Photoshop has allowed me to cut down on the number of different filters I carry from about 12 to just 2. I use a graduated neutral density filter and a polarizing filter. The graduated ND helps balance the exposure between foregrounds that are in shadow and bright skies. I can do that in Photoshop but it's not as simple as using the filter. The polarizer has a dual purpose. It's obvious use is to cut glare off reflective surfaces but it also serves to saturate colors like blue skies or if you're shooting under an overcast. Should be perfect for those rainy wildflower shots I'm expecting to see in June.

 

The other obvious filter is the skylight filter on the front of all my lenses. I'd rather replace a $20 filter than a $1500 lens.

[natesfirewife]

Ok, so I am getting the point about the lens' but then you start talking about filters and polarizing lens'. Do I need to get those too? BTW is there a model # for the 100-400lens? I want to check it on shopper.com .

 

 

Misty

[JPCruising]

It is the Canon 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L USM lens. This is the only 100-400 that Canon has. I have a UV filter that I use primarily for protection with that lens and that is really a personal choice on whether to use one or not. If you do get a UV or sky filter buy a high quality one, there is no sense in buying such a high quality lens and then putting a low quality filter in front of it. I don't use a polarizing filter on the 100-400 but I do use one on my other lens.

[Love Cruis'n]

I'm taking my 5 megapixel digital. In Feb. '04 in Hawaii we saw lots of whales, and got lots of great shots. The trick (take the picture at the maximum pixel setting) I found is to just use the optical zoom (3x on my camera) and then when you get home, I just used the software that came with the camera to crop the bit of the pic where the whale is. That is what you print / post / whatever. (Just need to pay attention to the aspect ratio, or your print will be funny). Earlier comments on holding the shutter down half way is good advice, it was tricky on the little boat we were on in Hawaii, but hope for a nice smooth platform in Alaska.

 

The other thing I plan on trying to using my Dad's old (circa 1954) stereo camera. It's 35mm, and taked 2 pics at the same instant. Then with special handling, they get mounted onto a rectangular slide mount, and viewed thru - well - a viewer. If it comes out - it is beyond belief. For scenery - not wildlife I imagine. No zoom, filters, etc available.

 

Anybody have any "best bets" for spoting whales in late July - any recommended excursions that were wonderful?

 

Thanks...