Originally posted by Aslyfox looking for comments and suggestions
if the decision was made today this is the gear that would be taken on the trip and the plan on how to use it.
HD Pentax DA 3.5-5.6 16 - 85 mm wr zoom to be mated to K 5 II and taken on the boat
smc Pentax dal 4-5.6 50-200mm wr ed zoom to be mated to K 3 and taken on boat
HD Pentax - DA af rear converter 1.4 AW to be taken on boat just in case
Pentax O-GPS1
SMC Pentax-DA 40mm F2.8 XS f 27 ( in case I walk around with K 3 )
smc Pentax-D FA 2.8 100 mm macro prime
HD Pentax-D FA 4.5 - 5.6 150-450mm for possible long shots on beach of birds/wildlife
Manfrrotto 679B/NK11 Monopod not for use on the boat
any thoughts or comments???
has anyone used a dry bag to protect their equipment in a small boat?
looking for info to help decide whether to invest in one and if so, what type
Gear Guide On Dry Bags
thanks
I think the first grouping of gear would be good for use on a boat, and the second grouping of gear would be good for use on shore.
I have never used Lomo "dry bags". However, I have successfully used water-resistant "holster" cases (and occasionally I have also tried using various plastic and fabric devices to protect camera bodies and lenses:while actually shooting, but I have found such devices to be rather awkward).
I was fortunate that, on a typical 4-hour whale watch trip, my photo gear and binocs could be safely stowed away in the pilot house, and had to be taken out "into the elements" only when actually looking for and while watching whales. In addition, my photo gear and binocs were stored in weather-resistant cases (I liked using Tamrac "holster" cases - usually model 517 - with lenses already attached to the bodies, ready to shoot), and the cases were also then carried in a larger weather-resistant duffel bag, and I kept the cam/lens setups out of the weather (i.e., in their "holsters") as much as possible, especially if the conditions required it, but of course it was not always possible to keep them totally dry. And then, importantly, I didn't just put the bodies and lenses back in their holsters for the trip back to port, but dried them off as much as possible, and then left them exposed to the pilot house dry air (air conditioned in the summer, and heated in the spring and fall) for the ride back.
Note that, when I referred to "conditions" above, I was not just referring to rain, but also to snow (especially at the beginning of the whale watch season), and to fog (which, on a moving boat, is usually like a drizzle), and - most of all - to salt spray, which, even on sunny days, can be the most potent source of damage to photo gear (and, I would imagine, could be even more likely a problem on smaller boats) (I was used to working on 85-foot and 100-foot aluminum dedicated whale watch boats).
And, being close to whales can also be extra hazardous to photo gear, especially if they're being active (producing salt spray splashes), or if their breath from a spout drifts across the gear (whale spouts include a bit of salt water mixed in with the spray, along with atomized mucus droplets -- But I digress...).
And, speaking of being active, it's not always full body breaching that can be displayed -- whales(especially, but not only, humpbacks) can also perform other types of displays, such as tail breaching and lob tailing --
A humpback (identity unknown to me) tail breaching --
Another humpback tail breaching --
Humpback "Putter" tail breaching --
Humpback "Pitcher"tail breaching --
Humpback "Eden" lob tailing --
Humpback "Ember" lob tailing --
Humpback "Compass" lob tailing --
Humpback "Percussion" lob tailing --
Note that tail breaching and lob tailing are two distinctly different behaviors -- tail breaching involves "throwing" the tail up more-or-less vertically into the air and then letting it fall back into the water usually somewhat sidewards, while lob tailing involves lifting the tail up into the air vertically and then slapping it back down on the water vertically (sometimes repeatedly).
Last edited by fwcetus; 09-24-2017 at 09:12 AM.