Which lenses for Oregon Coast / Grand Canyon?

Mr_Canuck · 05-14-2012, 05:12 PM

This is a bit of a stupid post, but just trolling for some challenge. We're going camping down the west coast and then up the grand canyon and area next week. What lenses should I take along?

What I've got as options:
limiteds: 15, 21, 35 macro, 70
zoom: 18-135, 55-300

I've often thought what if I just took one prime, or maybe two, and see what I can see? Sort of a rangefinder type experience, which is the beauty of small Pentax body and some limiteds. But, is that too limited?

(The easiest is the two zooms to cover "everything" but I'm not sure that's very interesting. We'll have a 25-300mm point-and-shoot. I will take my compact Velbon tripod. And ok, I could throw the 18-135 under the seat as a safety.)

Challenge me to something interesting. What should I take for a lean kit? 15 and 70? Just the 35? 15 and 35? 21 and 55-300? Just the 21?

RioRico · 05-14-2012, 05:25 PM

You will want them all. Such a trip is not a time to cripple yourself with insufficient lenses. My basic kit for such a trip are my Tamron 10-24, DA18-250, and FA50/1.4, with also my Komine 28/2 CFWA, MacroTak 50/4 (1x), and Jupiter-9 85/2. An RF experience will mean many many missed shots.

jase036 · 05-14-2012, 05:30 PM

I would say it really depends on what you intend to shoot during your trip. For me, who loves landscapes above all else, I would take the 15 as the main lens (especially at sunrise and sunsets) and the 18-135 just to have options or as a walk around lens during day time hiking and scouting for the money shots with the 15. I would prefer this over the 15 and 70 combination simply because of versatility.
Now if you are a macro fan and want to shoot the flowers and insects that you might encounter rather than sweeping landscapes then the 35 macro plus the 18-135 are the way to go, same deal, 18-135 for those grab shots and the 35 for your serious images during the trip.
If your main goal is to capture wildlife, then the only way to go is the 55-300, but then again, if you're really serious about wildlife then I doubt the 55-300 would be your only long lens.
If I could only take one lens, I would either take the 15 (like I said I'm a sucker for landscapes) or the 35 macro because it's focal range is versatile enough for some landscape, while still working for portraits and has the added bonus of being a macro lens for close up details.

SpecialK · 05-14-2012, 06:40 PM

Wide, and wider. And something longer.

**todd** · 05-14-2012, 07:00 PM

...And then you loan me all your lenses for my two week trip to Oregon and back in July...

jimr-pdx · 05-14-2012, 07:30 PM

The easiest thing is just to leave them in western Oregon, then others can pick them up & use them until the end of the travel season. In October your humble librarian

will send them back. Unless you plan on coming back in a year or two?

Ah well, thought I'd give it a go..

RioRico · 05-14-2012, 08:51 PM

Originally posted by jimr-pdx

The easiest thing is just to leave them in western Oregon, then others can pick them up & use them until the end of the travel season. In October your humble librarian

will send them back. Unless you plan on coming back in a year or two?

Wait, *I* am the lens librarian around here. I'll watch them carefully and will only lend them out to qualified members. I promise.

infosyn · 05-14-2012, 09:22 PM

Originally posted by Mr_Canuck

... camping down the west coast and then up the grand canyon and area next week. What lenses should I take along?

Yup, in Oregon you'll prolly need your 55-300 to catch the Roosevelt Elk at Dean Creek just east of Reedsport, and the Bald Eagles on the Umpqua and Rogue rivers. And your 35 macro will indeed come in handy for the wildflowers coming online right now.

tabl10s · 05-14-2012, 10:45 PM

My first trip to the GC was in '81. I had an ME Super with a 50 1.7+teleconvertor. Did a couple of switchbacks with no problem. The second was in July '85 with two LX's and eveyrthing I owned in a top-of-the-line Tamrac bag. It was my first full hike in sneaker's(didn't know the rules for proper hiking). Stayed at the bottom which was nice and green with the rest looking drab -n-dreary(it looks nothing like you see from both ridges.

Carry lenses that cover a range you normally shoot in. I didn't need the 300 3.5 or 135 2.5 I lugged along.

05-14-2012, 05:12 PM	#1
Mr_Canuck Guest	Which lenses for Oregon Coast / Grand Canyon? This is a bit of a stupid post, but just trolling for some challenge. We're going camping down the west coast and then up the grand canyon and area next week. What lenses should I take along? What I've got as options: limiteds: 15, 21, 35 macro, 70 zoom: 18-135, 55-300 I've often thought what if I just took one prime, or maybe two, and see what I can see? Sort of a rangefinder type experience, which is the beauty of small Pentax body and some limiteds. But, is that too limited? (The easiest is the two zooms to cover "everything" but I'm not sure that's very interesting. We'll have a 25-300mm point-and-shoot. I will take my compact Velbon tripod. And ok, I could throw the 18-135 under the seat as a safety.) Challenge me to something interesting. What should I take for a lean kit? 15 and 70? Just the 35? 15 and 35? 21 and 55-300? Just the 21?

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05-14-2012, 05:25 PM	#2
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263	You will want them all. Such a trip is not a time to cripple yourself with insufficient lenses. My basic kit for such a trip are my Tamron 10-24, DA18-250, and FA50/1.4, with also my Komine 28/2 CFWA, MacroTak 50/4 (1x), and Jupiter-9 85/2. An RF experience will mean many many missed shots.

05-14-2012, 05:30 PM	#3
jase036 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Calgary, Alberta Photos: Gallery Posts: 170	I would say it really depends on what you intend to shoot during your trip. For me, who loves landscapes above all else, I would take the 15 as the main lens (especially at sunrise and sunsets) and the 18-135 just to have options or as a walk around lens during day time hiking and scouting for the money shots with the 15. I would prefer this over the 15 and 70 combination simply because of versatility. Now if you are a macro fan and want to shoot the flowers and insects that you might encounter rather than sweeping landscapes then the 35 macro plus the 18-135 are the way to go, same deal, 18-135 for those grab shots and the 35 for your serious images during the trip. If your main goal is to capture wildlife, then the only way to go is the 55-300, but then again, if you're really serious about wildlife then I doubt the 55-300 would be your only long lens. If I could only take one lens, I would either take the 15 (like I said I'm a sucker for landscapes) or the 35 macro because it's focal range is versatile enough for some landscape, while still working for portraits and has the added bonus of being a macro lens for close up details.

05-14-2012, 06:40 PM	#4
SpecialK Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: So California Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,480	Wide, and wider. And something longer.

05-14-2012, 07:00 PM	#5
todd Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,791	...And then you loan me all your lenses for my two week trip to Oregon and back in July...

05-14-2012, 07:30 PM	#6
jimr-pdx Pentaxian Join Date: May 2010 Location: now 1 hour north of PDX Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,897	The easiest thing is just to leave them in western Oregon, then others can pick them up & use them until the end of the travel season. In October your humble librarian will send them back. Unless you plan on coming back in a year or two? Ah well, thought I'd give it a go..

05-14-2012, 08:51 PM	#7
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263	Originally posted by jimr-pdx The easiest thing is just to leave them in western Oregon, then others can pick them up & use them until the end of the travel season. In October your humble librarian will send them back. Unless you plan on coming back in a year or two? Wait, I am the lens librarian around here. I'll watch them carefully and will only lend them out to qualified members. I promise.

05-14-2012, 09:22 PM	#8
infosyn Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Eugene, Oregon, US Posts: 97	Originally posted by Mr_Canuck ... camping down the west coast and then up the grand canyon and area next week. What lenses should I take along? Yup, in Oregon you'll prolly need your 55-300 to catch the Roosevelt Elk at Dean Creek just east of Reedsport, and the Bald Eagles on the Umpqua and Rogue rivers. And your 35 macro will indeed come in handy for the wildflowers coming online right now.

05-14-2012, 10:45 PM	#9
tabl10s Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Sacramento(formerly from B'Ham, England). Posts: 1,424	My first trip to the GC was in '81. I had an ME Super with a 50 1.7+teleconvertor. Did a couple of switchbacks with no problem. The second was in July '85 with two LX's and eveyrthing I owned in a top-of-the-line Tamrac bag. It was my first full hike in sneaker's(didn't know the rules for proper hiking). Stayed at the bottom which was nice and green with the rest looking drab -n-dreary(it looks nothing like you see from both ridges. Carry lenses that cover a range you normally shoot in. I didn't need the 300 3.5 or 135 2.5 I lugged along.