Digital Cameras Forum

Digital Cameras Forum Discuss compact digital cameras or ask general digital photography questions - what camera to buy, memory cards, digital camera accessories, etc. You may also want to look at the Digital SLR forum, or the Camera Manufacturer forums.
Digital Camera Pro Reviews >>
Read and Write Digital Camera Reviews >>
Digital Camera Buyers Guide >>
Results 1 to 12 of 12
  1. #1
    Member Erik_Olympus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Harrison, NY
    Posts
    66

    Suggested Equipment for an Alaskan Cruise

    I'll be taking an Alaskan cruise with my family in mid-August. I'll want to travel as light as possible but don't want to leave anything behind and if there's any recommended equipment I don't have, I want to make sure I have enough time to save and purchase.

    I have an Olympus E-520 and am planning on bringing:

    70-300mm for capturing wildlife from a distance
    9-18mm for landscapes
    14-45mm for family shots

    I also have the 50mm macro and 40-150 but was thinking of leaving these at home, although the 50mm is technically probably my best glass.

    I also have a tripod, monopod, and gorrillapod. I wasn't planning on bringing the tripod but was considering the other two, particularly the monopod. There should be quite a few photo ops from the deck of the boat, especially when we get close to glaciers in Glacier Bay and the monopod might be useful. The tripod probably would be too but I'm thinking it's just too bulky and I really don't want to deal with too much equipment.

    The other thing I was considering was a polarizing filter. I already have one that will fit the 14-45 and the 70-300 but the 9-18mm is bigger, so was thinking I would get a filter for that. However, will that be a problem at 9mm? Will it interfere with the image? Do I need the slim profile filter to avoid any vignetting?

    Finally, I was also considering purchasing a used 14-54, which is a faster, higher quality lens than the 14-45. I avoided buying it previously because of the cost, but there is now a MKII version and the old version can be found on eBay for around $200. I'm a little concerned about buying any new Olympus glass however, as I'm not sure where the whole 4/3 thing is going.

    Any advice, suggestions, experiences are appreciated.

  2. #2
    Captain of the Ship Photo-John's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Location
    Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
    Posts
    15,422

    Re: Suggested Equipment for an Alaskan Cruise

    I'm sorry no one replied to your post, Erik. I see you're not leaving for Alaska until August so hopefully my reply is still useful to you.

    Your lens coverage looks good. You mention getting the 14-54mm to replace your kit lens. I say yes to that. It's a little longer and the larger aperture will make a big difference for portraits and low light photos. I understand your concern about the longevity of the Four Thirds system and don't really have any insight to offer there. Olympus has been very vague about their plans but there is no doubt they're putting the majority of their energy into the Micro Four Thirds cameras. However, I would look at the new lens not as a Four Thirds investment, but as a trip investment. You want to make sure you get the most out of your trip and the 14-54mm will make a real difference. If you were going to have to pay $1000 for it I'd feel differently. But for $200, you really should do it. If you want to know more, here's a link to the user review page for the Olympus 14-54mm zoom. The most recent review is a really negative one but the others are all very positive. Looks like you just need to make sure you don't get a bad sample:

    Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Lens User Reviews >>

    I also think you should have a polarizer - or polarizers. I wouldn't make that trip without one. I think you should have one that fits each lens, and yes, you will need a slim profile for the 9-18mm lens. It won't interfere with the photos, other than you lose a bit over two stops of light. What it will do is give you deeper, more dramatic skies, make greens richer, and minimize reflections off of water - all things that I would really want on an Alaskan cruise.

    The tripod I think I could take or leave. It is nice to have one but it's also nice to travel light. The conservative thing to do is bring it, just in case. But since you'll probably mostly be shooting outdoors in good light, and you'll be on a boat that's moving, I don't know if it will be that useful. But if you're worried about not taking it and you can fit it in your luggage, do the safe thing and bring it along.

    Again - sorry about the late reply. I hope you see this and find it useful. I also hope you have a great trip and we get to see some of your photos. I have never been to Alaska and think that's got to be a trip of a lifetime
    Photo-John

    Your reviews are the foundation of this site - Write A Review!

  3. #3
    Member Erik_Olympus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Harrison, NY
    Posts
    66

    Re: Suggested Equipment for an Alaskan Cruise

    John, thanks for your helpful reply. Still plenty of time to outfit myself. Looking forward to the trip and hopefully sharing some nice shots with you.

  4. #4
    Captain of the Ship Photo-John's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Location
    Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
    Posts
    15,422

    Re: Suggested Equipment for an Alaskan Cruise

    Quote Originally Posted by Erik_Olympus View Post
    John, thanks for your helpful reply. Still plenty of time to outfit myself. Looking forward to the trip and hopefully sharing some nice shots with you.
    Happy I was able to reply in time to help. Please let us know what you decide to do, too. I'm always interested in what kind of gear decisions people make. I've also been thinking about it and even if Olympus isn't actively supporting the Four Thirds system right now, it's still a good system and there's no reason for you to abandon it unless you want to replace it with something better. I always encourage people to consider what they actually need and not the latest and greatest. For outdoor photos in good light, your E-520 is going to be just fine.
    Photo-John

    Your reviews are the foundation of this site - Write A Review!

  5. #5
    Senior Shooter Greg McCary's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Rome Ga.
    Posts
    10,550

    Re: Suggested Equipment for an Alaskan Cruise

    Personally I would favor a three stop ND grad, Cokin P mount, before a polarizer. A polarizer can cause weird color shifts. Your landscapes will be far better balanced with a grad filter.
    I think your lens line up is fine and also that the 40-150mm and 50mm could stay behind.
    A back up charger, batteries and memory cards. You can't go back cover your bases.
    I am like Barney Fife, I have a gun but Andy makes me keep the bullet in my pocket..

    Sony a99/a7R

  6. #6
    Captain of the Ship Photo-John's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Location
    Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
    Posts
    15,422

    Re: Suggested Equipment for an Alaskan Cruise

    Quote Originally Posted by Greg McCary View Post
    Personally I would favor a three stop ND grad, Cokin P mount, before a polarizer. A polarizer can cause weird color shifts. Your landscapes will be far better balanced with a grad filter.
    I think your lens line up is fine and also that the 40-150mm and 50mm could stay behind.
    A back up charger, batteries and memory cards. You can't go back cover your bases.
    The backup charger, extra batteries and memory cards are a great idea. You can't be too careful on a big, expensive trip.

    On the rest of the stuff, I disagree with Greg. I do a lot of telephoto landscape photography of mountains. The telephoto lens allows you to get close to things you otherwise just wouldn't be able to. I also think the compression of a telephoto lens is nice for mountain photos.

    I also disagree about the polarizer. A polarizer just does stuff that can't be done with normal filters and software. This is especially true where water and snow are involved. I say, bring the ND grad filter if you want (although - that I can accomplish in Photoshop or Lightroom), but definitely take a polarizer, too. Polarizers are the only filters I ever use.
    Photo-John

    Your reviews are the foundation of this site - Write A Review!

  7. #7
    Senior Shooter Greg McCary's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Rome Ga.
    Posts
    10,550

    Re: Suggested Equipment for an Alaskan Cruise

    Well John I saw he has the 70-300mm that's why I advised against the 40-150mm. Thats double coverage and the 70-300 mm lens is a better lens from what I remember. The 40-150mm being a kit lens.
    Also you shoot a heck of a lot more snow than I do so maybe my emitting the polarizer was a bad idea. Even at that being so small of an item one should be on the trip. Sorry about that Erik.





    Quote Originally Posted by Photo-John View Post
    The backup charger, extra batteries and memory cards are a great idea. You can't be too careful on a big, expensive trip.

    On the rest of the stuff, I disagree with Greg. I do a lot of telephoto landscape photography of mountains. The telephoto lens allows you to get close to things you otherwise just wouldn't be able to. I also think the compression of a telephoto lens is nice for mountain photos.

    I also disagree about the polarizer. A polarizer just does stuff that can't be done with normal filters and software. This is especially true where water and snow are involved. I say, bring the ND grad filter if you want (although - that I can accomplish in Photoshop or Lightroom), but definitely take a polarizer, too. Polarizers are the only filters I ever use.
    I am like Barney Fife, I have a gun but Andy makes me keep the bullet in my pocket..

    Sony a99/a7R

  8. #8
    Captain of the Ship Photo-John's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Location
    Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
    Posts
    15,422

    Re: Suggested Equipment for an Alaskan Cruise

    Quote Originally Posted by Greg McCary View Post
    Well John I saw he has the 70-300mm that's why I advised against the 40-150mm.
    Whoops - I forgot he had the 70-300mm. My mistake. In that case, yes - leave the 40-150mm at home. But still take the polarizer. And no need to apologize, Greg. It's ok if we disagree here
    Photo-John

    Your reviews are the foundation of this site - Write A Review!

  9. #9
    Member Erik_Olympus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Harrison, NY
    Posts
    66

    Re: Suggested Equipment for an Alaskan Cruise

    Thanks again for the advice. Just a few days left before I leave!

    As it turns out, I had some unexpected expenses in the past month, so I didn't buy the 14-54 lens. I'm going to have to make due with the kit lens. I did invest in a polarizer for my wide angle lens and I also bought a cheap but decent pair of binoculars. I think those were more important than upgrading the lens.

    I am now thinking about taking the 50mm though, as it's technically my highest quality lens and I also feel very confident using it. I just need to make everything fit!

  10. #10
    Captain of the Ship Photo-John's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Location
    Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
    Posts
    15,422

    Re: Suggested Equipment for an Alaskan Cruise

    Quote Originally Posted by Erik_Olympus View Post
    As it turns out, I had some unexpected expenses in the past month, so I didn't buy the 14-54 lens. I'm going to have to make due with the kit lens. I did invest in a polarizer for my wide angle lens and I also bought a cheap but decent pair of binoculars. I think those were more important than upgrading the lens.

    I am now thinking about taking the 50mm though, as it's technically my highest quality lens and I also feel very confident using it. I just need to make everything fit!
    I understand the unexpected expenses. And I think you'll do just fine if you take the kit lens and the 70-300. The 50mm will be nice if you get a chance to get off the ship and shoot some wildflowers, or if you're out in low light. But personally, I would be more concerned with coverage than glass quality. If you've got room for it, take it. If not, don't worry about it.

    Good luck with the packing. I'm really looking forward to seeing your photos and getting a trip report. I've been thinking about doing an Alaskan cruise for a long time. I'm really more of a road trip guy. But for Alaska, a cruise seems like an efficient way to see a lot of stuff.
    Photo-John

    Your reviews are the foundation of this site - Write A Review!

  11. #11
    Member Erik_Olympus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Harrison, NY
    Posts
    66

    Re: Suggested Equipment for an Alaskan Cruise

    I think with Alaska, a cruise is a good way to get your "feet wet" so to speak (hey, they do get a lot of rain in Southeast Alaska). I imagine I'll be itching to explore more than just where the cruise ships take you.

    As I was starting to get my gear together I was rethinking the lens strategy a bit. I definitely want the wide angle lens and definitely need the long telephoto zoom. I'd also like to take the 50mm because it's my best lens. If I went with the 9-18, the 50 and the 70-300, I'd have a lot covered and the holes between 18 and 50 and 50 and 70 don't seem insurmountable to me.

  12. #12
    Member Erik_Olympus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Harrison, NY
    Posts
    66

    Re: Suggested Equipment for an Alaskan Cruise

    I got back from my cruise on Saturday and it was absolutely fabulous. Southeast Alaska is such a beautiful place. I'll be posting some photos soon. However, I was disappointed with a lot of the shots. Lighting was very difficult to deal with and it seemed like I went from underexposed to overexposed very easily. There also was a lot of haze in the distance so those wide landscape shots seem hazy. Not surprising since that's what it actually looked like, but it doesn't make for the greatest pictures.

    I also seemed to have more trouble than normal focusing. Quite a few shots that should have been easy to capture came out blurry, especially using the long telephoto. Although maybe that's to be expected on board a moving ship using a hand held 300mm lens.

    I did manage to capture a nice sequence of a large glacier calving, which I would say was probably the highlight of the trip. I had it on burst mode and captured about a 10 frame sequence.

    Any tips for processing hazy photos or for displaying a series of photos to show action?

    By the way, most of my shots were taken with the 9-18mm and the 70-300mm. I did use the kit lens for capturing family shots, and the 50mm came in handy a couple of times. I'm glad I could fit everything and that I was able to utlilize it all.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •