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08-29-2016, 04:22 PM   #1
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Looking for lens recommendations for trip to USA National Parks

Hello All

I will be heading out soon on a trip of a lifetime to visit Americas National Parks, starting with the Grand Canyon and trekking up through Utah and Wyoming to Yellowstone and then on to South Dakota for Mt. Rushmore and Badlands. I have never been out west to these parks and would appreciate some advice as to which lenses to take along with my K-3. I do want to travel light so I do not plan to tote all that I have. My choices are the following.
Zooms: DA 17-70 and HD DA 55-300
Primes: DA Limiteds, 15, 21, 40 and 70. FA 50 1.7 and DFA 100 Macro WR. (I can't imaging leaving the DA 21 and 40 limiteds home)

My keep it simple kit would be the two zooms
My keep it lightweight kit would be the DA 15, 21 and 40 Limiteds and the HD DA 55-300 zoom.

Any suggestions appreciated on what would be my best choices appreciated. If space permits I would consider adding the DFA 100 Macro WR for its sharpness and light weight, or the FA 50 mm 1.7 in case I will need low light capability. I would favor my sharpest lenses.

Regards,

John

08-29-2016, 04:52 PM   #2
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Take both zooms because you don't want to be changing lenses and missing a shot. You will also appreciate the width that 17mm can bring.
08-29-2016, 05:03 PM   #3
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Sounds like an awesome trip. A few extra considerations though:

Are you traveling with family or friends such that stopping for lens changes or setting up a tripod is going to be challenging?
What do you intend to do with the images, large prints for example?
How much backpacking involved? All day hikes? Or mainly car-based travel?

The 15/21/40/70 will weigh the same as the 17-70 and cover more or less the same range.
The 55-300 is not much heavier (+100g) than the 100.
08-29-2016, 05:07 PM   #4
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I would want a WR zoom with me - 18-135 or 16-85. Weather and dust happens. So if you can justify the expense, I'd go that route. Vantage points and framing changes all the time, so if you're traveling with others who may not be as passionate about photography as you, a zoom lets you be faster and not antagonize your co travelers. You'd want the 55-300 for sure. I'd probably bring the 15 and the 100 macro too but you probably won't use those as much. But they are great to have... Maybe the f50 1.7 for around the campfire shots, but it's a bit long for anything else.

Those are my 2 cents...

08-29-2016, 05:22 PM - 1 Like   #5
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I agree that you won't want to be changing lenses in the great outdoors where dirt, sand, dust, and moisture can be unavoidable, and do you really want to be stopping and changing lenses very often? My guess is you'll find the 17-70 the most used lens. Most of that area is truly wide open spaces and big skies

I just came back from a trip out west, Colorado, Wyoming, and South Dakota. During the two weeks with my K-5, the two most used lenses were a 17mm Takumar in almost every state, and an older SMC-A 28-135mm at Crazy Horse Monument and Mount Rushmore.
My Daughter used the DA 55-300 on her K-30 during the trips to Custer State Park and the buffalo herds. The funny thing was, several of the herds were right next to the road, so she didn't need the zoom very often.

The 21mm and the 40mm are good mulit-purpose lenses, and only take a small amount of room, so they almost always go in my bag, just in case.

As a planning note, you might be tempted to take the western approach to Mount Rushmore if you are coming from Wyoming, but I'd encourage you to take Route 16a The Iron Mountain Road, because it has several views of Mount Rushmore at a distance that you can't get from any other road, including a few tunnels that frame the Presidents as you drive through them towards the park itself. Also, the Crazy Horse Memorialis not far from Mount Rushmore and is even more incredible a sight. All of the presidents at Mount Rushmore can fit in the area composing head and hair of Crazy Horse, it is a magnificent sight! The good thing about that area is you can see more than one attraction in a day, we stayed in Hot Springs rather than Rapid City, it was a nice little town with a few sights of its own, and good restaurants. Stop at Wall Drug on your way to the Badlands, it's actually a cool place to check out and shoot pix, and the Badlands is certainly worth seeing, it will remind you of the Southwest, but it has some differences as well.

Last edited by robgski; 08-29-2016 at 05:44 PM.
08-29-2016, 05:43 PM   #6
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My last trip to the Grand Canyon I took from 18-300 mm but shot the 18mm on film. I wish I took longer than 300 for wildlife today I would likely take my 10-20, 28-75 70-200/2.8 with 1.4x and my k300/4 plus 1.7x AF adaptor
08-29-2016, 05:57 PM   #7
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One of the reasons I bought a Pentax 16-85 was for on the move versatility. Your 17-70 should cover a majority of your landscape shooting. I think as someone else mentioned that it would eliminate the lens changing outdoors and would give you the ability to compose the different scenery. This type of situation is where a second camera body would be nice to have for the use of the 55-300, the 100, or one of your other prime lenses, depending on what you are shooting that day. I actually keep my 16-85 on my K-5IIS and my Sigma 150-500 DG OS on my K-3II to avoid dust or dirt contamination, and it works for me. You really have a choice. If you have a place to change your lenses at night that is clean, you could just put the lens that you need on the camera and use it for that day, otherwise good luck changing lenses elsewhere. Have a nice trip, it sounds really interesting.


Last edited by C_Jones; 08-29-2016 at 06:05 PM.
08-29-2016, 06:13 PM   #8
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It really depends on what sort of trip you want it to be...

If it's a family vacation that you're recording to enhance the memories, you'll likely want a very different set of kit than if the focus is on the photography and the art...

If it were me, I'd take the two zooms, the 15, and maybe the 40 or 50 on most types of trips I'm likely to take (and I think it bridges the recording and the art pretty well)
The tripod I brought would depend on how far I would be expected to carry it...

Unless it was just me on a real photo trip, then it would be me, the primes, and the 55-300.

I would also suggest a remote... lots of low light opportunities that don't move real quick, so a remote and a tripod will be awesome...

Have fun!

-Eric
08-29-2016, 06:26 PM - 1 Like   #9
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I'm not going to make lens recommendations, because I don't know what subjects interest you and how you like to work; I rather doubt you'd be happy with the kit I carried with me on my recent trip to some of the parks you'll be visiting (for one thing, it was rather large and heavy). I'd just like to say a few things. Most importantly, have a wonderful trip! You'll probably wish you had more time in every park you visit, so enjoy the time you have, the company you're traveling with (if you aren't traveling alone), and the people you meet along the way. Take some kind of camera support, if nothing more than a pocket tripod or gorillapod that you can strap to a rail or a tree. That will come in handy if you're working in low light (sunrise or sunset, night skies) or want to take group or self portraits with self-timer or remote. Think about fall color and do some research as to where it will be best: depending on just how soon you're going, you might have some opportunities at the higher altitudes and/or toward the end of your trip when you are farther north. Cottonwoods, aspens, maples -- all can be fantastic out there. Take enough SD cards so that you won't have to re-use any during the trip (lock them when they fill up), and make some kind of backup if possible. Take at least one spare battery. Don't try to photograph everything, all the time. Especially when you first arrive at a place, get oriented and figure out where you want to be and when for keeper photos, remembering that the best light for many subjects is early morning or evening. Again, have a great trip.
08-29-2016, 06:49 PM   #10
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Slightly off topic, but I find that on road trips my O-GPS1 unit is a valuable tool to geotag my pics. Might be worth looking into!
08-29-2016, 07:28 PM   #11
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I am going to suggest just the 17-70 and the 55-300. Why - simplicity. Fewer decisions to make, more time to enjoy the views. I'm also going to make a couple of additional suggestions.
  • A tripod - especially late afternoon, early evening and night - especially up at the Grand Canyon.
  • Also, even with wide angle lenses - stitch. And don't forget about stitching at the long end too. The stacked ridge lines in the distance up in the Grand Canyon are magnificent.
  • Don't forget about bracketing - there are going to be lots of shadows everywhere.

08-29-2016, 07:46 PM   #12
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John, it may help to understand how you plan to travel and what you plan to do at each location. For example, your whole kit doesn't seem extraordinarily large. If you're traveling by car, why wouldn't you take the entire set? If you're hiking the problem becomes completely different.
08-29-2016, 07:50 PM   #13
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OK, My take is the 17-70, a nice range for many subjects, the 55-300, you should always carry a long lens for those shots of Big Foot, and I would add the 100mm macro. The primes are nice, I love them too, but when traveling you never seem to have the time to change them quickly enough and whatever lens you have on, it is usually the wrong one for your shot (I don't know why it works this way)!

Oh, and if it is a vacation, then low stress is the order of the week!

Regards,
08-29-2016, 07:52 PM   #14
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I know you are asking about what kit you need to take with you. I would say the two zooms would be your best bet.


Here is my main suggestion. Take a lot of water with you. You didn't say how you are doing this trip, so I don't know if you are driving there and back or flying and renting. Either way, take a lot of water with you and drink it even if you are not hot and thirsty. I would suggest minimum of a 24 pack. If you have room, take two. Doing this will prevent dehydration and altitude sickness/headaches.
08-29-2016, 08:32 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by jddwoods Quote
My keep it lightweight kit would be the DA 15, 21 and 40 Limiteds and the HD DA 55-300 zoom
That would be my choice. The flare resistance starburst rendering of the 15 and 21 can't be matched with anything else, and focus close enough that the macro probably wouldn't be missed. The 40 would be the perfect "body cap" so your camera is always ready for a shot. The 55-300 will do the occasional longer stuff quite adequately.
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