Going to Havasupai

[cruisertoy]

So I'm taking a youth group (25 people) down to Havasupai at the end of June. Yes I know its going to be hot but that's when we could fit it into the majority of the schedules out there. I'm one of those shotgun photographers, take as many pictures as possible and sooner or later something turn out..ie I have no real skills. I've been lucky on several of my trips to southern Utah and nailed a few nice photos but I want to increase my odds a bit. With my work schedule I have not had time to take any classes. Any good online instructions out there that I can do late at night? I shoot a Nikon D90, Nikon 18-200 and 50mm 1.8 lenses. I have polarizing filters for both. I know the 18-200 isn't the sharpest lens in the world but its what I have. Is there a lens that you would recommend that I rent? Besides a tripod, anything else I should hump in the 13 miles? Should I pick up some square graduated ND filters? I'd like to practice doing some nighttime star shots before I go so I'll pick up a timer for the D90. This is one of those once in a long time trips (I'll go back but it will be a long time before I do).

 

[chadlanc]

not sure if the d90 is full frame or not, if it is rent the 14-24 or zeiss zf 15

 

[cruisertoy]

I wish the D90 was full frame, but the wife has a home addition in the works right not so the D600 or 800 aint happening. Thanks for the recomendation though.

 

[shadow images]

If you can find a Nikon 12-24 F4 it is a great wide angle dx lens. What do you want to shoot, overall scenic, macro, wildlife? I would master the camera and composition before you start worrying about filters, you will just get frustrated.

 

[briansocal]

For night photography, you're going to want the "fastest" lens you can get your hands on. f/4 at a minimum, f/2.8 is better. On a D90, the 12-24 would probably be a good rental choice. So much of that part of the world really lends itself to ultra-wide compositions. I hope you have a decent (not Walmart) tripod and a shutter release cable.

Here's an article that I found interesting: http://www.naturephotographers.net/articles0509/fv0509-1.html

 

[Idlehour]

Havasupai is a beautiful place to shoot. No suggestions on equipment, we brought a waterproof point and shoot. If you are interested in wildlife we saw a lot of bighorns on the hike down to the Colorado. They let us get within about 5 yards of them. If you do hike down to the Colorado you will need waterproofing like a dry bag. We had to cross the river about a dozen times and had to scramble/rock climb in a few spots Too.

 

[john101477]

I just picked up a 16-35 f4 and like it a lot. I would never, I repeat never, buy a lens, specially a wide angle lens, that only works on DX format. Why? because you are wasting a ton of the reason to have the wide angle in the first place and once you put it on a FF camera you don't gain a dang thing. The one thing with going on a trip like this is the variety of things to shoot. Wildlife is abundant and opportunity for landscape and night shots are out of this world. Now I realize you mention renting so if all your using is a DX like the D90 then a Tokina 11-16 DX-2 is thought to be one of the sharpest DX lenses around by many. I also would not leave home with out at least a 200mm reach @ f4 or faster. Animals go to water in early morning or late evening which is often the best time to get your shots. I personally would have a 70-200 2.8 and a 2x telecon, but then again I am used to this setup and shoot with it often.

http://www.borrowlenses.com/product/nikon_wide_angle/Tokina_1116mm_f28_ATX_116_Pro_DXII_for_Nikon

 

[briansocal]

I, too, have the Nikon 16-35 and it is one of my most-used lenses on my Full Frame Nikon. However, Ultra-Wides are the only DX format lenses that I would recommend a DX format camera owner purchase, as buying a FX wide angle lens just isn't going to end up being that wide on a DX format body. 16mm lens on a DX format body = 24mm lens...not terribly wide.

Rent an ultra-wide 12-24 or the Tokina 11-16 (or something in that focal length), get low, get close, put something in the foreground, and have a blast!

 

[john101477]

I, too, have the Nikon 16-35 and it is one of my most-used lenses on my Full Frame Nikon. However, Ultra-Wides are the only DX format lenses that I would recommend a DX format camera owner purchase, as buying a FX wide angle lens just isn't going to end up being that wide on a DX format body. 16mm lens on a DX format body = 24mm lens...not terribly wide.

a 16mm DX wide on a DX camera is still 24mm wide lol. ALL lenses are based on a 35mm equiv regardless of if it is a DX or the Nikon one system, it is still based on the 35mm equiv. The big difference between a DX lens and an FX lens is that the area that the sensor is seeing is smaller and there for lets less unused light into the camera. There is a reason that Canon has never done something like this. that reason is simple, it is not that big of a deal until you go to mate that lens to a FF camera. If purchasing a lens and you ever plan to go FF don't buy DX. Other than that the Tokina has hands down stolen the show for DX wide and renting one is cheap.

 

[cruisertoy]

Great recommendations guys. I have always planned on moving up to a full frame, but need to develop my skills a little more before I can justify the jump. I'll check on the lenses you all have mentioned and see if they are available local to rent. If not, have you all used any of the online rental places? The Tokina sounds like a nice fit for my camera.

Brian-thanks for the link to the night Photo article. Very cool.

 

[john101477]

Great recommendations guys. I have always planned on moving up to a full frame, but need to develop my skills a little more before I can justify the jump. I'll check on the lenses you all have mentioned and see if they are available local to rent. If not, have you all used any of the online rental places? The Tokina sounds like a nice fit for my camera.

Brian-thanks for the link to the night Photo article. Very cool.

BorrowLenses is one of the most reputable and I have never heard a bad word against them. I personally have not used them. The Tokina does work nicely on the D90 or rather that specific sensor. i am generally not a off brand lens guy but had another photographer out in Idaho make a believer out of me with this specific lens.

 

[briansocal]

a 16mm DX wide on a DX camera is still 24mm wide lol. ALL lenses are based on a 35mm equiv regardless of if it is a DX or the Nikon one system, it is still based on the 35mm equiv. The big difference between a DX lens and an FX lens is that the area that the sensor is seeing is smaller and there for lets less unused light into the camera. There is a reason that Canon has never done something like this. that reason is simple, it is not that big of a deal until you go to mate that lens to a FF camera. If purchasing a lens and you ever plan to go FF don't buy DX. Other than that the Tokina has hands down stolen the show for DX wide and renting one is cheap.

Either you're being willfully obtuse, or you didn't comprehend what I wrote. I'll clarify:

Purchasing an FX Ultra-Wide for use on a DX body is not going to get you the wide angle field of view that you're looking for. With the "crop factor" of 1.5x on a DX body, even Nikon's mighty 14-24mm ends up giving you the field of view of a 21-36 lens when used on a DX format body. That's why they sell Ultra-Wide DX lenses in the 10mm-12mm range, to get you closer to the FOV of 14mm-16mm lens used on a full frame body.

So, while you might "never, I repeat never, buy a lens, specially a wide angle lens, that only works on DX format", it's really the only way to get the Ultra-Wide field of view on a DX format camera.

 

[Ryanmb21]

briansocal is correct there.

 

[john101477]

Yes the only way to get ultra wide for Dx is to have a Dx lens hence why I mentioned renting the Tokina. What I said, and will always say is never BUY a wide Dx lens if you ever plan to go FF. I have been doing this for a heck of a long time and seen thousands of dollars wasted with in months because the photographer decided to go FF. I wasn't being obtuse at all read my posts!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

 

[briansocal]

Okay. I think you're giving poor advice, and I'll leave it at that.