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12-03-2016, 06:50 AM - 2 Likes   #16
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I was at the Grand Canyon North Rim in September as part of a trip to 4 National Parks including Yellowstone. I used a K-3 with the DA 17-70 for most of my pictures. It, or the DA* 16-50 will cover most of your needs except for wildlife where a telephoto 55 - 300 is needed. Actually after a lot of walking around I wished I had my 3 DA pancakes instead but my HD DA 40 Limited developed a defect (another post, still waiting for it to be fixed) so I used the zoom instead of the 21 and 70 mm primes. Weight is a strong consideration since you will be doing a lot of strenuous walking at a high 7000 to 8000 foot elevation, so your gear will feel a lot heavier out there than it is at home. Most of your photography will be in moderate wide angle to normal focal lengths which both the DA 17-70 and DA* 16-50 will cover so I would consider how much weight you are willing to carry.

12-03-2016, 07:24 AM - 1 Like   #17
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QuoteOriginally posted by jddwoods Quote
I was at the Grand Canyon North Rim in September as part of a trip to 4 National Parks including Yellowstone. I used a K-3 with the DA 17-70 for most of my pictures. It, or the DA* 16-50 will cover most of your needs except for wildlife where a telephoto 55 - 300 is needed. Actually after a lot of walking around I wished I had my 3 DA pancakes instead but my HD DA 40 Limited developed a defect (another post, still waiting for it to be fixed) so I used the zoom instead of the 21 and 70 mm primes. Weight is a strong consideration since you will be doing a lot of strenuous walking at a high 7000 to 8000 foot elevation, so your gear will feel a lot heavier out there than it is at home. Most of your photography will be in moderate wide angle to normal focal lengths which both the DA 17-70 and DA* 16-50 will cover so I would consider how much weight you are willing to carry.
I had taken my 15, 21 & 70mm primes, but encountered lots of strong wind and dust so did not want to chance getting anything inside the camera. If I could choose only one prime, the DA21 would be it, only one time I strapped on both cameras, K50 with DA55-300 and K30 with DA*16-50. Looking back at the pictures LOL I really looked ridiculous!
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12-03-2016, 03:30 PM   #18
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I agree that most of your shooting will be wide angle.

I live in Flagstaff, about 75 miles from the Canyon. Being used to 7000' makes a big difference in how well you will tolerate the altitude. If you have any chance to practice at high elevation, do it and see how you fare. Your two-day round trip may be rather optimistic.

For a February trip, you should be prepared for the possibility of a LOT of snow. A storm that dumps as much as 2 feet of snow at the south rim would not be surprising. In January 2010, we had 4.5 feet in the course of 3 or 4 days of non-stop snow. See some pictures at The Big Snow of 2010 (taken with my K20D). (If you want something hotter, check out the fires about 5 months later: Flagstaff Fires 2010 .)
12-03-2016, 05:08 PM   #19
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On an excursion like that I would like to also carry a macro lens or close up options. Naturally weight and time are limiting factors. One of the zooms with "macro" function might be an option. Sigma DG 70-300 mm 1:4-6.5. Not a true macro lens with magnification of 1:2 at 0.95 metres but passable and not very heavy.

12-03-2016, 07:47 PM   #20
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Thanks for the great advice, all. I'll certainly take the 16-50 and possibly another lens. I appreciate the words of wisdom about the non-photography aspects as well, which I will seriously use for my trip planning. I am looking forward to this so much and you have helped me with preparations a lot. Glenn
12-04-2016, 05:33 AM   #21
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Trailpix trekking pole tripod

Check out the Trailpix trekking pole tripod. I did a review at Backpacking Light.
12-04-2016, 05:57 AM   #22
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QuoteOriginally posted by JohnX Quote
I won't suggest lenses, but offer a thought.

If the IQ of the photos you shoot is very important on this upcoming trip, then clearly the choice is Pentax, but it seems to me that (a) time is of the essence (2 days for the return trip appears to be tight), and (b) you should travel light.

When I visited New Zealand a few years ago I decided to buy a (then) high-end bridge camera (Canon S3is) instead of taking all my Pentax gear, which negated the need to think about which lenses to take, just allowing me to enjoy the trip without worrying about my gear, travel light(er), and bring back plenty of photos/videos/memories. Added advantage was the camera took readily available AA batteries.

I still have that Canon camera, plus others from Fuji (X20) and Panasonic (Lumix LX100) which together with my Pentax kit (too many bodies and lenses to mention) means I am prepared for just about any eventually.
i was going to recommend the same thing. A few years ago I got my wife a Sony Cybershot with a 50x zoom. It does amazingly well. I got her a cheaper version that shoots only jpeg, but the higher end versions shoots RAW and they are also weather resistant. Pretty light too. Extra batteries and memory cards a must.

12-05-2016, 10:05 AM   #23
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QuoteOriginally posted by JohnX Quote
When I visited New Zealand a few years ago I decided to buy a (then) high-end bridge camera (Canon S3is)
Still thinking a bit, but I also have an old Canon S3is. I may have to get it out and try it again. As I recall, not bad in good light, but IQ falls off pretty quickly as light levels decrease.
12-05-2016, 12:56 PM   #24
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QuoteOriginally posted by jddwoods Quote
...I would consider how much weight you are willing to carry.
This poor guy was helping his friend by carrying the friend's pack. I just had a medium bag with a half dozen lenses...

My uptrail hike-mate used poles, and tripped on a step. They seem awkward to me.

03-31-2017, 04:17 PM - 1 Like   #25
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Epilogue - Thanks again all for the great suggestions. In general, your feedback and perspectives were quite accurate. My Grand Canyon trip in early February expanded to include Page, AZ plus Zion, Bryce, Canyonlands, Arches, Capitol Reef, and Mesa Verde. So, in all it was quite a nice trip. Overall, we probably really lucked out on the weather - nice, mild (for winter) temperatures made for easy driving and hiking. Crowds were low and access was great. Most, but not all, areas were open. It seemed like an ideal time to tour these areas. As for lenses, I took the 16-50, DA 40, and 50-135. I used the 16-50 the vast majority of the time, but there were times I wished that I had wider, like the 12-24 (don't have), but that would have just increased the weight and space concerns. At Page, AZ we saw the horseshoe bend of the Colorado River and even the 16 wide was not nearly wide enough. I likely needed a 12, or even a 10, but this was the only place where I felt limited by the 16. I used the 50-135 only a little, and that was in Mesa Verde to get in closer to some cliff dwellings that were viewable only from a distance. I used the DA 40 only a few times. At the Grand Canyon, we hiked down to Phantom Ranch on the South Kaibab trail, and out the next day on the Bright Angel trail. Camera, lenses, water, snacks, etc. made for about a 30 pound pack, but it was very manageable. The time to hike down was about 4 hours and 30 minutes with nice photos and breaks. The hike out was 5 hours and 40 minutes, again with a few breaks. The hike out was actually easier on my feet and legs than the hike in was. I used hiking poles always and, briefly, traction devices on my feet. The constant 50 degree temperature and overcast skies probably helped us a lot in maintaining a good hiking pace. I wonder how we would have managed it in mid-July? The only real casualty was that at the end of the trip, my 16-50 got stuck at the 16 mm setting, so I need to get that repaired. Thanks again for your great input. I hope this provides others just a little more information if they are planning a similar trip.
03-31-2017, 05:30 PM   #26
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QuoteOriginally posted by GlennG Quote
Epilogue - Thanks again all for the great suggestions. In general, your feedback and perspectives were quite accurate. My Grand Canyon trip in early February expanded to include Page, AZ plus Zion, Bryce, Canyonlands, Arches, Capitol Reef, and Mesa Verde. So, in all it was quite a nice trip.
Pictures, or it didn't happen :-)
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