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07-09-2014, 04:07 AM   #1
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Iceland Trip

So I am lucky enough to be going on a fly drive holiday to Iceland in September. We are driving out of Reykjavik along the ring road up to the North East and back.

I think I know which lenses I am going to take but I am kind of looking for confirmation. I am fortunate to own a good selection of decent lenses out of which I am planning:

Definites:
  • K-3
  • 10-17 Fisheye
  • DA* 16-50
  • DA* 60-250
  • Tripod

Possibles:
  • 43mm Ltd
  • 35mm Ltd
  • Q with 01 lens

I am not sure that I need any more than this. I am presuming that the main subject of my photographs will be landscapes. However, I am hoping that we might be lucky and see the Northern Lights - failing that I am expecting to see many more stars than you can in London. I don't normally like taking tripods away with me but I think on this occasion it'll be essential. I have three spare batteries for the K-3 (inherited from a K-7 and K-01) so that shouldn't be a problem.

So as far as landscape photography is concerned I would think the 10-17 fisheye will give more creative shots whilst the 16-50 can cover standard landscape. Even though it's not stellar at the extreme wide end it's the only rectilinear wide lens that I have. The 60-250mm I'm taking to pick out elements of the landscape that we either can't get closer to or benefit from compressed telephoto look. Plus it's one of the best lenses I own in terms of absolute image quality.

I'm tempted by the 43mm just because it's a gem for it's rendering but I wonder how often I'd be using it and wishing to switch back to the 16-50mm for wider shots (or for elemental protection from either rain or waterfalls).

Any advice, or experience of shooting in Iceland, would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Other lenses I have, and theoretically could take:
  • Sigma 50-500 (aka Bigma)
  • Sigma 180mm Macro
  • Pentax K 30mm f/2.8
  • Kiron 100mm Macro
  • D-Xenon 100mm Macro
  • K-135mm
  • SMC Takumar 85mm f/1.8


07-09-2014, 05:08 AM   #2
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Looks good to me. You are well WR'ed, that's the main thing

If you are going to visit Reykjavik it might be nice to have one of your "Possibles" as a smaller alternative to the 16-50 when walking around. I know I would think so.

The plant life on Iceland tend to be quite small, but pretty, so the 35 would be really good for that. September is probably a bit late for flowering, though.

Be prepared for something very different from home - and enjoy your stay!
07-09-2014, 06:51 AM   #3
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I'd almost toss the Bigma in too, just in case for wildlife.
07-09-2014, 07:23 AM   #4
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I would definitively swap the 60-250 for the Bigma : I had it during a 1 week trip there last year, and I would take it again without any hesitation if i were to return to Iceland. And you always find use for a 500mm !
Otherwise, your choice seems very adequate.

Considering the number of waterfalls you'll see, a ND filter would be nice too.

07-09-2014, 07:46 AM   #5
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I took my K-5 and 18-135mm. I honestly didn't get that many great shots, but my girlfriend with her Q 02 zoom did. I think it's the Q's extra deep DOF. I thought it rendered rather nicely. I should have used the tripod more, stopped down to the sharpest aperture and stayed at ISO 100. I would have got more great shots.

I think the 3 lenses you're planing on bringing will be plenty. Be sure to use your K-3's composite mode average for those waterfalls. It will work great, no ND filter required. This for example, is 20, 1/2 second exposures.

I don't know what I'd do with a Bigma there to be honest. The 10-17mm however would have been a great addition to my trip.

You're going to have a great time. It's a stupefyingly stark, wild, and beautiful landscape.

Last edited by konraDarnok; 07-09-2014 at 08:09 AM.
07-09-2014, 07:56 AM   #6
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I also think your choices are good. I did mostly landscapes, but things are so vast that the zooms came in handy. Reykjavik is great for street shooting, but I found the villages and farms most interesting. What Savoche says about the plant life is true. The local joke is, "What do you do if you are lost in an Icelandic forest? Stand up!"
07-09-2014, 09:45 AM   #7
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Thanks for all the advice. I hadn't thought about a ND filter, but I'll try out the K-3's composite average mode before I invest.

Theoretically I could take both the Bigma and the 60-250mm.... we're driving so as long as I can cope with the weight in hand luggage it might be doable. I'm not certain how much I'd need the Bigma vs. the 60-250 and cropping the 24mp down a bit. Obvs optical 500mm is better overall but for the added weight I'm not sure. There are reindeer though....

---------- Post added 07-09-14 at 05:47 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by konraDarnok Quote
I took my K-5 and 18-135mm. I honestly didn't get that many great shots, but my girlfriend with her Q 02 zoom did. I think it's the Q's extra deep DOF. I thought it rendered rather nicely. I should have used the tripod more, stopped down to the sharpest aperture and stayed at ISO 100. I would have got more great shots.

I think the 3 lenses you're planing on bringing will be plenty. Be sure to use your K-3's composite mode average for those waterfalls. It will work great, no ND filter required. This for example, is 20, 1/2 second exposures.

I don't know what I'd do with a Bigma there to be honest. The 10-17mm however would have been a great addition to my trip.

You're going to have a great time. It's a stupefyingly stark, wild, and beautiful landscape.
Those Q shots are pretty good! Show's it's not just equipment.

Also the composite mode average looks effective.

07-09-2014, 11:08 AM   #8
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I'm leaving in 3 weeks, so I'll post in 5 weeks on which lenses I ended up using most
07-10-2014, 09:32 PM   #9
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I'm also going in September. Taking the DA 18-135, FA 43 and DA 15 (once I buy it). We are only going to Reykjavík for three days, no outings. Sadly, September doesn't seem like the best time of year... Late for flowers and puffins... Early for Northern Lights. Granted, the Northern Lights and stars will still be better than home.


Back to you now.... Take the 43. Always take the 43. It is so small, and renders so well.
07-11-2014, 02:47 AM   #10
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Thanks Dr_Who that'd be great

---------- Post added 07-11-14 at 10:49 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by calculator01 Quote
I'm also going in September. Taking the DA 18-135, FA 43 and DA 15 (once I buy it). We are only going to Reykjavík for three days, no outings. Sadly, September doesn't seem like the best time of year... Late for flowers and puffins... Early for Northern Lights. Granted, the Northern Lights and stars will still be better than home.


Back to you now.... Take the 43. Always take the 43. It is so small, and renders so well.
Its actually a pretty good time for the lights in a way. Solar activity peaks in September but there's less darkness which counter acts it. Im preparing for any weather eventuality.

Yeah the 43mm is very easy to squeeze into a pack.
07-11-2014, 06:48 AM   #11
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Just looked back at my Iceland shots, unfortunately I had a woeful camera at the time in 2008, so very envious ... actually brought a tear to my eye thinking how good I could do now with better kit ! For me it was the most magical of holidays, with the geysers, hot tubs/springs, volcanoes, black beaches, coloured houses, whales, ice filled lagoon and Oooh the waterfalls, every few minutes it seemed we would stumble on one and you can normally walk right up and into it, and be the only soul for miles. Depending on preference you may want to pack a few ND filters for the falls ... you certainly will not need them to eliminate the people ! We drove across the south to Hofn.

If only I'd had my K3 and lenses when I came across these scenes....
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07-11-2014, 07:49 AM   #12
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If you have a DA15 then definitely bring it....If you don't, you need to get one for the landscapes......
07-11-2014, 09:50 AM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by Caat Quote
I don't normally like taking tripods away with me but I think on this occasion it'll be essential.
Maybe consider purchasing a smaller travel tripod? The Sirui T-025X is just plainly amazing, and if it's too expensive for you Adorama recently released a 3Pod copycat.

QuoteOriginally posted by Caat Quote
The 60-250mm I'm taking to pick out elements of the landscape that we either can't get closer to or benefit from compressed telephoto look. Plus it's one of the best lenses I own in terms of absolute image quality.
Yep, definitely take that one.

QuoteOriginally posted by Caat Quote
I'm tempted by the 43mm just because it's a gem for it's rendering but I wonder how often I'd be using it and wishing to switch back to the 16-50mm for wider shots
I'd be hard-pressed not to take a prime with me. I almost always travel with the 21 and 40. Depending on your style, decide which of the two you prefer, or take both if your bag allows it.
07-11-2014, 12:20 PM   #14
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I believe your "definite" list is pretty much covering it all.

I went to Iceland last year and it was just absolutely brilliant. You can view my short impression https://flic.kr/ps/2UBNJP Since it was a true holiday with the girlfriend I pretty much made holiday snapshots, so not much artistic stuff going. I really need to get back for some serious photographing! Below are some of my tips, you be the judge wether they're helpfull or not

Reykjavik is a great city, be sure to visit some local pubs for some great live music going on (music is a big thing in the city). The city itself is rather small, we stayed one evening + a full day which really was enough.

If you plan to go Whale watching I would definately advice to go to Dalvik instead of the way more popular Husavik. Dalvik has much less tourism, there is 1 whale watching operator who use 2 boats maximum. The boats are rather small and the crew is very friendly. On the trip back to the harbour you can go fishing. Back on land the crew puts your freshly caught fish on the grill. The boat is on one of the pictures. I would reccommend the 60-250 or possibly the 16-50 for the whale watching....these whales just were often waaaaay too close for my 135mm to really catch a good shot.

Myvatn is the most "active" part along the ring road with truly breathtaking scenery. However be aware that Myvatn is Icelandic for mosquito lake...and it lives up to it's name.

We visited the eastern town called "Borgafjördur Eystri" which is a small place with some great hiking trails nearby. It is a small bit "out of the way" so not much tourism going on. The road towards it was a bit tricky though (steep climb, big drop and 10 meters visibility due to fog). It has the best puffin rock that we visited.

Icelake...James Bond went there so you must too.

Golden Triangle.....very touristic. A let down after visiting the other parts of Iceland, just way too much tourism (90% of the people visiting Iceland never leave Reykjavik except for the "golden triangle" tour). The rest of the island isn't spoiled by tourism at all, which we loved.

Sometimes on the hot spots people can spoil that scenic view of the waterfall. Just wait a bit, we noticed that 99% of the time we were the only people staying for a bit longer and the rest of the people had to catch the bus again within 20 minutes to continue their "bustour"

One last thing, Iceland has very little wildlife. There are birds (puffins!) and a whole lot of sheep (crossing the road all the time) but other then that not much going on. The reindeer are import from scandinavia and we didn't see one. However we did have to run for our lives when we got attacked by a couple of "squa". They are a rather aggresive bird, comparable in size to a seagull...just a tad bigger. They're really nasty and made sweeping dive attacks on us. According to the guy we rented the place from, the birds are known for making (mostly fake) attacks to scare away people (they succeeded!), however a poor fella was in fact killed a year before after a attack by one of these birds...the guy really knew how to make us feel safe

Last edited by H-Alien; 07-11-2014 at 12:28 PM.
07-11-2014, 12:53 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by Caat Quote
So I am lucky enough to be going on a fly drive holiday to Iceland in September. We are driving out of Reykjavik along the ring road up to the North East and back.

I think I know which lenses I am going to take but I am kind of looking for confirmation. I am fortunate to own a good selection of decent lenses out of which I am planning:

Definites:
  • K-3
  • 10-17 Fisheye
  • DA* 16-50
  • DA* 60-250
  • Tripod

Possibles:
  • 43mm Ltd
  • 35mm Ltd
  • Q with 01 lens
I think your zoom choices are sound, but I would take the 43mm with me at all cost. You will need both: its faster max. aperture and its sharpness. With the 16-50 you have to step down to f/8 to get really sharp images. So the 43mm will give not only much shorter expsoure times, but also offers a way to apply DOF selectively.

I have been travelling through Iceland for several weeks and when I was away from any storage facility, walking through the rough backcountry I had to minimize my equipment, down to only a Leica M body with the 35/1.4, 50/1.0 and 75/1.4. I was very happy with the results and did not miss longer or shorter fls, as I tried to concentrate to make the most out of the three primes. I valued their speed beyond anything, because light is not really bright in the mornings and evenings, when the mood is especially photogenic.

Ben
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