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06-12-2015, 05:41 AM   #1
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Which lens should I rent for Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Sequoia trip

My family and I will be taking an 18-day trip to AZ and CA in a few weeks. I just bought a new K-50 with the 18-135mm lens so my budget is reduced to renting a lens or two for the trip rather than buying something new.
Here is what I am working with:

Bodies: K-50 and a k-x (gave it to my 11-year old for his first DSLR)

Lens: Pentax 18-55mm (k-x kit lens)
Pentax 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 WR
Pentax D FA 100mm Macro f/2.8
Sigma 150-500 f/5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM
Tamron 1.4 teleconverter
Quantaray 70-300 f/4-5.6 (my son will carry it with the k-x)

95% of my typical photos are wildlife or macros of my reef aquariums or insects (my son's passion). So as you can see, I have nothing on the wide angle side of things.

I was looking to add the Sigma 10-20mm (either version) for the trip, but should I be looking at other options or another lens in addition to the Sigma?

Our rough itinerary includes Sedona, Grand Canyon, Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Yosemite, Sequoia, Henry Cowell SP (Redwoods), Monterey including whale watching, Big Sur, and San Diego including whale watching and both zoos.

Any thoughts on the matter would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

06-12-2015, 06:33 AM   #2
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My 1st choice would be the DA 15mm F4 ED AL Limited. Another good choice would be the DA 35mm F2.8 Limited Macro. Whatever your choice, be sure to rent some 4 wheelers at Sedona ATV & Buggy Rental - it's the most fun you can legally have with your clothes on.
06-12-2015, 06:43 AM   #3
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Given that there's no ultra wide in your current kit -- read this if you decide to get one. The 15mm limited is only barely into ultra wide territory, so it's more forgiving, but still worth a read. I think it's a great choice... if you're using it as it's intended to be used.
How to Use Ultra-Wide Lenses

Most of the time, Ken Rockwell is ... maybe not the best place to get advice... but his article on using ultra wide lenses is pretty spot on. The bit about using polarizers... eh. Try them with, try them without. If the sky is clear you can fix any banding in it in post. I think it makes up for itself with glare reduction on the ground and improved foliage and so on.

And of course, check out the 15mm and sigma 10-20 lens clubs for inspiration. Might even be some grand canyon and so on shots in there if you search.
06-12-2015, 06:56 AM   #4
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Wouldn't disagree with the suggestions, the DA15 is a good choice. Might recommend the DA 12-24 as well. One tip is the last time I was in Yosemite, I found the DFA 100 to be an excellent lens for detail landscapes like the waterfalls etc.

06-12-2015, 07:04 AM   #5
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I'd be taking both my Sigma 8-16 and Pentax DA 10-17. And, I always take my 21 ltd. and 40 XS and they always come in handy for a few images. Much as I'd love to have a 15 ltd for the size, the number of 8-12mm images I've taken with the Sigma and 10-13 taken with the fisheye, means it would save me weight, but it would cost me a lot of images. With these two lenses, that vast majority of my images are taken below 14mm.
06-12-2015, 07:07 AM   #6
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I'd look into a Sigma 8-16.
06-12-2015, 07:41 AM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by VoiceOfReason Quote
I'd look into a Sigma 8-16.
Yep, would be an excellent choice - if you can find one... Second choice could be any of Sigma 10-20, Tamron 10-24, Pentax DA 10-17 or DA 12-24 - or maybe one of the wide Samyangs.

Since I have a DA15 I wouldn't go without it, but I suspect I'd want something wider as well (which in my case would be Sigma 10-20 since I have that one, too).

06-12-2015, 08:01 AM - 1 Like   #8
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You have received some pretty good suggestions in terms of lenses. I would add a couple of items...
  • With wide angle lenses, you are stuffing view on to the sensor of fixed size. I would ALSO consider stitching panoramas together. The software is free (Microsoft ICE). I would practice - and you can use any focal length. Longer focal length lenses do add details, so stitching them together, can produce panoramas with stunning details. Something that a wide angle will be unable to provide. You can also stitch wide angle shots together (usually in the vertical / portrait orientation). This will give you much wider (taller) panoramas that will capture the breathtaking expanse of the views of the places you are going. Practice before you go, so that you will know what to do and how they will turn out. Just try it out in the back yard. Overlap by a third, and shoot in manual and in manual focus (you don't want the camera to refocus on each shot). Google stitching and panoramas for more information.
  • Take a tripod. Especially up in the Grand Canyon, and Sedona - the colors really come out at sunrise and sunset and be washed out from about 9 to 4 or 5 in the afternoon.. You will need a tripod to keep shooting at that time. Also, the colors are spectacular after the sun goes down, you just can't see them, but your camera can - especially the K50. The images will appear to be dark, until you process them with LightRoom.

06-12-2015, 08:09 AM   #9
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If you want serious overkill width, the 8mm samyang fisheye is probably as wide as you can possibly go (you have to be careful to keep your feet out of the shot), and it defishes quite nicely -- much less distortion near the edges than a rectilinear ultra wide.


Source - Lonely Speck


They don't always ship calibrated very well though for some reason. I still don't feel like I have mine quite right wide open, but I'm pretty happy with it stopped down a bit.
06-12-2015, 08:58 AM   #10
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I used to have the pentax 12-24 sigma 10-20 (the slower one) and the older sigma 12-24. So I took them on a trip using a similar route - that's my way of deciding wich one to keep. Basically, I'm happy with the results of all of them but I've kept the pentax since it seemed to have some edge on clarity at infinity, colors and flare.

Since you want to rent one - your choice will be somewhat limited to what's actually available for rent but you can't go wrong with either of them.
06-12-2015, 09:46 AM   #11
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It may sound dumb, but a moderately long lens is your friend at the Grand Canyon. The wide shot is fine, but the canyon is so big that the beauty of the place often gets lost with the wide view unless you are down in the canyon itself or looking directly down from the rim. As noted above, a stitched pano at 35mm or 50mm will probably work better than trying the same shot with a wide angle. Absolute yes on the tripod suggestion.


Steve

Last edited by stevebrot; 06-12-2015 at 09:58 AM.
06-12-2015, 12:12 PM   #12
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I agree with stevebrot. Definitely take a long lens as well. Not a moderately long lens. A real long lens. These were taken with my DA*300 at the Fish River canyon in Namibia ( the SECOND ) largest canyon
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06-12-2015, 01:15 PM   #13
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He will use the wider one in Sequoia and Yosemite
06-12-2015, 02:46 PM   #14
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Honestly difficult to say what to take.

I visited quite few US nationnal parks in time with the 17-70 and the old (and so-so) 100-300. While I can't recommend the 100-300, the 17-70 did a quite fair job.

I visited rajasthan for 2 weeks recently with only DA15, DA21, DA35 and FA77. Also gone one week in Brittany with the addition of an F135 and migrated to DA35mm ltd and both time I was very happy. Was quite satisfied too with a 1 week trip in Italy.

My experience is 15mm is plenty wide and that I like small pack. If I'd planned wildlife again I ask myself hard what to take, Maybe a DA*300 or a DA*60-250 + TC.

But man you have already quite many lenses here. The 50-500 should cover all the wildlife shoots and the 18-135 should get you most of the other shoots including wide angle.

I'd agree 18mm can be a bit long. I feel like when 21 is not wide enough 15 is good anyway. But if 15 doesn't satisfy you, there chances you should settle directly to 10-17 fisheyes or sigma 8-16... Good thing is 10-17 you might even be able to buy it instead of renting it. It a bit more difficult to leverage through.

Still you might find there more to do in the 18-500mm range you already cover than you'd miss in the 8-18mm range anyway. You may take some shoots, doesn't mean they be lot of keepers or you could just not make a pano in critical areas like horseshoe bend. I know that I did with the 17-70. But if you really settle for wide don't be shy go for the really wide lenses, the 18-135 you have can cover the rest.
06-12-2015, 05:34 PM   #15
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Wow, a lot of good advice.

Seems like the 15 is a popular recommendation. I'll take a look at my options and might rent a couple to see which one to buy later to add to my kit.
I would be content with what I have for most of the trip including the Grand Canyon, but I think I will really need the wide angle at Sequoia and Yosemite (to a lesser extent).
I might try a pano or two at the GC with the 100mm as my best optical quality lens. And the 18-135 will probably get a massive amount of use. One of the whale watching trips in in a small RHIB so the weather sealing will be a big plus.

Can't wait for this trip, and I hope my limited skills at least get me a few great pics.
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