[Serkevan]

Hello there!
I'll be in Norway for six days next month, on a road trip (we're flying to/from Bergen). Obviously, that means we'd probably need advice on not only photography but the trip itself... So, my question is not one, but two. Three, actually.

A) Route tweaks/suggestions, as we are still finalizing the planning. Our idea is to make our way to Ålesund, then drive back down to Bergen. Key spots so far should be:
-Day 1. Take car from Bergen, arrive in Odda in the afternoon/early evening and sleep there (any suggestions on beautiful views of Hardangerfjord? We'll cross by ferry)
-Day 2. Hiking near Odda. Driving to Voringsfossen, then overnight in Gudvangen.
-Day 3. Road trip towards Jostedalsbreen Nasjonalpark, with a stop in Borgund. Overnight probably in Olden or Kjenndal
-Day 4. Sightseeing in the park, driving to Geiranger, overnight in Geiranger.
-Day 5. Sightseeing near Geiranger, driving to Ålesund.
-Day 6. Drive back from Alesund to Bergen. Is Ålesund worth it for half a day? It might be interesting to spend another night in Geiranger/Kjenndal instead.

B) Hiking/activity suggestions. Not sure how we'll do stuff, we're mostly going to enjoy nature. If there are any must-sees do let me know!

C) Okay, on to the mettle. Lenses. I have a decent selection, but I also have more doubts than I expected. Camera is the K-1, for reference.

List of available lenses: Irix 11 Blackstone (WR). Pentax-M 20/4. DFA 28-105 (WR). FA 43 and 77. DA 55-300 PLM (WR). Tokina AF 70-210/4.5. Tripod is available but I might have to buy a sturdier one (I have a small Manfrotto Compact Advanced).
-How important is WR? I don't expect we'll be hiking in snow/bad weather, so I figure I'll keep the non-WR lenses in a backpack until needed.
-Which lenses would you take? I'd consider all of them just leaving the 70-210 behind, I should have enough space. But I'm not sure the FA Limiteds are needed. I figure I'll want to shoot stopped down anyway, and the WR zooms would definitely reduce lens changes etc.
-Filters. I have a reverse grad (for sunsets) and a light pollution in the way of square filters (which I guess won't be much needed?). They anyway don't fit the 11mm, so I'm inclined to leave them.
-Do I splurge and buy the DFA 21 earlier than expected, just to sub in the M-20/4 ?

Thanks a lot in advance for all the help!

[JensE]

Which lenses would you take? I'd consider all of them just leaving the 70-210 behind, I should have enough space.

C. Likely my approach as well. If anything, the 77 would potentially also stay at home. I'd for sure take the 43 (or in my case, a 50/1.7) - one fast lens for handheld low-light, people, just unplanned stuff. In 'WR required' conditions, I'd simply leave the DFA zoom on the camera. It's the lens with most of my travel pictures by a large margin anyway. Light pollution in Norway can be quite annoying, so if you plan any night shots, bring the filter if you have space. At least on my last visit (~3 years ago), sodium vapor lights were still dominant in rural areas, so such a filter can still be effective and M 20mm/DFA 28mm/FA 43mm can offer interesting landscape + sky perspectives too. If you plan to buy the DFA21 anyway, doing it before the trip would make sense, you may not have enough funds left after a trip to Norway :-)


A. As for the tour, it would be too much driving and too little time to hike and explore for me. I'd focus on one area. Driving in Norway, despite all the tunnels and bridges, still takes quite a bit of time.


B. Depends on A.

[allanmh]

I drove around Norway for 3½ weeks in the summer of 2013, and one of the high points was a day-trip by catamaran from Bergen into the Sognefjord, returning from Flåm by rail. I would agree with JensE that the Hardangerfjord, the Geiranger Fjord, and possibly the Sognefjord would be enough for 6 days, and that Ålesund might be too ambitious. I would take all your WR lenses, and leave the rest at home. Best wishes for the trip, Norway is just wonderful!

[Serkevan]

Thanks! I'll consider the filters... and let's see about that DFA 21, hah. At 10€ a beer I don't think I'll drink a lot over there

Yeah, there will be a fair bit of driving. The trip was kind of a spur of the moment, "we can finally travel again" thing. With the expected weather we didn't know if there was going to be too much opportunity for hiking, so it will be mostly a road trip enjoying the views.

[RICHARD L.]

If Norway is anything like Canada, weather-wise, bring warm clothing. We still have 6 feet of snow everywhere here and we see the Sun one or two days a week, at best.

Regards

[kypfer]

I drove around Sweden-Finland-Norway for three weeks in the summer of '86 … most of the time the slr stayed in it's case and I used my Olympus XA with it's fixed 35mm lens!
Based on that experience, if I was carrying a K-1 with the OP's choice of lenses, I'd start with the 28-105mm, definitely take the ultra-wide and probably the 55-300mm … should cover just about anything without clutter

[Serkevan]

one of the high points was a day-trip by catamaran from Bergen into the Sognefjord, returning from Flåm by rail

My friends leave one day after me (I'll fly home to visit the family, they have one extra day in Bergen), so thank you very much on their behalf for the suggestion, they will probably do this

---------- Post added 03-27-22 at 02:59 PM ----------

If Norway is anything like Canada, weather-wise, bring warm clothing. We still have 6 feet of snow everywhere here and we see the Sun one or two days a week, at best.

Regards

Should be a bit less cold from what I see, but we'll be packing warm clothes for sure. Jury still out on whether I need the ski leggings, but definitely several layers on top of the shirt.

[UncleVanya]

I expect that the vast majority of your shots would be with the D FA 28-105. Given that the 55-300 is mainly usable in crop mode it’s mostly a 106-300 crop lens: do you have enough long landscapes and wildlife that this is needed? As far as the 20/4, it is small and light and the built in astrotracer in the K-1 makes f4 less worrisome for landscape astros. I would personally want to get some stranger portraits and think the FA 77 would fit that niche better than the 28-105 but I might just “make do” for simplicity sake.

So my short list recommendation would be 20/4, 28-105. My long list adds the 11, the 77, and the 55-300 but all are on the bubble.

If I took my Sony a7RIII I’d likely take the 24-105/4 and my 85/1.8. I would likely leave the Tamron 70-300 e Mount lens behind. With my KP I’d be torn but probably my da 15/4 and my DA 18-135 would be a likely kit. The 20-40/55-300 is another combo I’d consider perhaps with an FA 50/1.4 along.

[allanmh]

Don't forget the Gulf Stream runs along the Norwegian coast all the way to Murmansk, so even in April you are more likely to encounter rain than snow. When I visited Scotland in 2010, I was at first astonished to encounter palm trees in Stirling, until I remembered the reason. BTW, Scotland is another magical place to visit. The 28-105mm is definitely going to be your work-horse lens, and you are more likely to need a UWA than a tele-lens.

[pinholecam]

I would bring one of the combo in order of preference:

1. Irix 11 , DFA28-105
2. 20, 43, 55-300
3. 11, 28-105, 55-300
4. 11, 20, 43, 77


I tend not to do long lens landscapes and usually 135mm suffices for me.
11mm is not entirely necessary as it can make it hard to find good foreground and distant object of interest. But there are also times you just want to exaggerate the perspectives.

Tripod is ok as long as you have the discipline to weigh if down with a bag when its windy.

Your filter should be fine.
I use a 6 or 10stop ND and a black card (ie. the filter bag)
It works as an ND as well as a GND using the black card technique.

[interested_observer]

Here are my thoughts...

• In the cold, batteries are going to deplete much faster than normal. I would take at least 3 (in the camera, in a pocket, in the charger).

• In that the 28-105 punches way above its weight in quality, that would be a given

• Below 24, I think I would be tempted to stitch. Wide-angle lenses do push the main subject into the background to make room for the additional view around the frame. You also need something within the to anchor the viewer's eye. In stitching, using slightly more focal length, you increase the detail and keep the main subject from being pushed into the background, while still adding additional viewing material through additional frames. Plus, you really do not need an anchor object.

• Irix 11 since you have it and it's really wide.

• Longer lenses beyond 100mm, l'll leave to others...

[StigVidar]

What are your plans for Odda? That is an old industrial place and not somewhere I would spend a day at if not necessary.

And which ferry are you going with from Bergen to Odda?

[Jonathan Mac]

I was going to recommend the 16-85mm but saw you're using a K-1. Point number one is that you'll need something weather resistant unless you're really, really sure it won't rain, which I think is difficult for Norway for six days. When I was there it rained quite a lot and it can easily rain all day. I'm not sure there's really an equivalent for that in FF. The 28-105mm is probably the best option and you can always stitch for extra width.

Wide angle is obviously important but there are many great telephoto landscapes to be had too - waterfalls, mountains, long shots along the fjords...

From your list I would take Pentax-M 20/4, DFA 28-105, FA 43, FA 77 and DA 55-300 PLM. Leave the Irix as I think it's quite a bit bigger and heavier than the M. The Tokina is an old film lens, no? It may not be up to standard optically.

As for places to visit, Pulpit Rock is a good hike with stunning views at the top. You can stay in Stavanger (beautiful town) and get a ferry across the fjord. It can be done in a day from Bergen but it would be a loooong day.

If you are in Oslo, it's not the most picturesque city (lots of brutalist concrete) but it has it's pleasant bits. The Opera house by the bay is a real architectural beauty and they've probably finished much or all of the surrounding area by now, which was all a massive building site when I was there a few years ago.

[c.a.m]

I don't have much to add other than to say enjoy your trip!

I was lucky to spend a week in Norway in the mid-2000s, on a business trip. Our group met in Loen, and en-route I had a great day in Ålesund. Our hosts laid on a charter boat to take some of us by water and coach. Super trip.

I would guess that wherever you go, there will be fantastic scenery, interesting architecture, and friendly people.

Would it be possible to take a boat tour (other than a ferry)?

- Craig

[Serkevan]

Thanks for all the answers!

The 28-105 will be the daily driver for sure - it got me hundreds of good shots in India before I got either of the FA Limiteds, and though it's been neglected lately, I doubt it actually became worse .

From your list I would take Pentax-M 20/4, DFA 28-105, FA 43, FA 77 and DA 55-300 PLM. Leave the Irix as I think it's quite a bit bigger and heavier than the M. The Tokina is an old film lens, no? It may not be up to standard optically.

As for places to visit, Pulpit Rock is a good hike with stunning views at the top. You can stay in Stavanger (beautiful town) and get a ferry across the fjord. It can be done in a day from Bergen but it would be a loooong day.

If you are in Oslo, it's not the most picturesque city (lots of brutalist concrete) but it has it's pleasant bits. The Opera house by the bay is a real architectural beauty and they've probably finished much or all of the surrounding area by now, which was all a massive building site when I was there a few years ago.

Stavanger and Oslo are unfortunately too far out, but for another time .

My main concern's the weather, the Irix is well sealed and the M20 is... well, it's really not, despite being a much more practical FL and size . Darn it, the DFA 21 is the perfect option isn't it?? Tele-wise, the Tokina is actually very good optically (except when there are bright reflections, due to spherical aberration) and I just love its rendering: Tokina 70-210/4.5 Review | Flickr has some photos I uploaded for the review I wrote here on PF. I actually prefer it to the PLM by a long shot, but it's not WR and it's not 300mm (note to self - get either DFA 70-300 when it releases, or put the DFA 70-210 in the list...).

---------- Post added 03-28-22 at 12:44 PM ----------

What are your plans for Odda? That is an old industrial place and not somewhere I would spend a day at if not necessary.

And which ferry are you going with from Bergen to Odda?

We won't be spending a full day - the plan is to arrive in the late afternoon or so after crossing Hardangerfjord, then wake up early to see Folgefonna and Ringedalsvatnet, and leave already before lunch. But we can still think about changing that part, if you think it's really not worth the time!

Regarding ferries, we're still undecided. I see the main options as Gjerdmundshamn and Tørvikbygd, but I honestly have no clue which would give us the best route/views of the fjord. What would you suggest? We can also drive a bit more far out if any other crossing spot is more worth it!

---------- Post added 03-28-22 at 12:47 PM ----------

Would it be possible to take a boat tour (other than a ferry)?

Doubtful, though we plan to rent some kayaks (or hydrobikes, or whatever has less chances of ending up with me soaked in a fjord ) in Gudvangen (and possibly Geiranger). Hopefully my friends will be able to get a day tour from Bergen after I fly back (which would make me suitably jealous, but the return trip from Barcelona is actually very cheap so I can just go for a weekend some other time ).