[matroxication]

Howdy,


Am planning for a trip to New Zealand with my family and need suggestionon the kit to take based on the location. The below is my kit.



Camera: Pentax K1
Lenses: Pentax 28-105WR, Pentax 77mm Ltd, Pentax 100mm 2.8Macro, Sigma 35mm 1.4 ART & Samyang 14mm 2.8 UWA (Waiting for replacement lenssince the first one had decentring issue.).
Tripod: Mefoto Road Trip aluminium
Video: Shotbox AEE S71 Action Cam (with head and cheststrap)


I will have to limit mylens kit to New Zealand since I have to manage my 2-year-old kid and there isweight restriction on few of the tours since we already have a stroller and Nappybag to accompany with us. I also do not want to spend too much time changingthe lenses during the trips.
The below are thelenses am planning to take for the below specific tour.


Hobbiton : Pentax 28-105WR

Milfred Sound cruise: Pentax 28-105WR & Samyang 14mm (If it arrives before the trip to NewZealand)
Glenorchy: Pentax 28-105WR& Samyang 14mm (If it arrives before the trip to New Zealand)
Tamaki Maori Village: Sigma 35mm 1.4 Art (Since this isevening tour). Its heavy lens but good for low light.



Am not sure if Pentax 100mm WR 2.8 and Pentax 77mm Ltd will be of much benefit compared to other lenses



Most of the family pictures will have to be taken with tripod andremote shutter and hence I would like to have some tips on that front.



Thanks,
Matt

[UncleVanya]

I don't have a K-1 and I haven't shot full frame in a long while. So bear that in mind. I also haven't been to New Zealand although my 70+ year old mom and her husband have. Neither of them are great photographers but both do some. Unless you plan on Macro - the DFA 100 is probably not required. The 28-105 should give you most of what it can do other than some shallow DOF. The FA 77 is a lovely portrait lens and a low light friendly lens but unless you plan a lot of portraits I would think you could skip it on this trip. The 35 f/1.4 is nice but heavy - would you consider getting an FA 50 1.4 (not the DFA) or an FA 35 f/2? Both of these are very light and small and would make good travel lenses for this setup. If you think macro may be needed you could try the Raynox close up lenses on the 28-105 or the primes. This isn't as flexible but it is light and easy.

Personally when I had a trip to Europe in 2016 which involved my two kids, my wife, her dad and her mentally disabled brother - I opted to carry an enthusiast level point and shoot with a killer lens (Panasonic LX-7). The new Panasonic LX-100 mk II is an option you might consider as an alternative - I think the K-1 and the lenses you are taking will make great photos - but the mix of the 2 year old makes me think you will have little time for this. You have already indicated that NOT changing lenses during the trip outings will make things easier; taken a step farther - don't take them if you can't use them.

[bobbotron]

I did a bike tour in NZ in 2007, it's a stunning place, I wish I could go back. Generally there will be a lot of light, the 28-105WR is a great choice. A 14mm would be good for some of the wide views. A tripod is a good call but honestly I didn't need one for most of the time I was there. There are a lot of tourists most places, you have to worry about the tripod being in the way, etc.


I'd say 28-105, 14, maybe the macro.

How many days will you be there, which Island?


Important gear -> HIKING SHOES and a rain jacket. There are so many good hiking opportunities, some short, some long. Bring thee hiking shoes.


People are friendly there, if you are friendly and talkative you might just find some cool sights off the beaten track. The tourist industry is huge and varied, but you don't need to spend $$$ for most of the sights.

---------- Post added 09-28-18 at 11:06 AM ----------

There's lots of funny stuff built, probably back in the early 1900s. It's a quirky place, keep your eyes open and you never know what you might see... :^D








Make sure to go to the Kauri museum if possible!

[amstel78]

I was in Auckland a couple of years back for work. I was still shooting with Canon back then, but most of everything I took I did so with just one lens; a Tamron 28-75mm. If I was to go back now with my K1-II, the only lens I'd take with me is the 24-70.

[jspillane]

I prefer primes, but if you want a simple solution the obvious one is the 28-105. No wide apertures would annoy me, though - so personally, I would probably take the 28-105 and either the 77 ltd or the Sigma 35mm, depending on what focal length you prefer as a standard. The 77 is usable as a general walk-around, albeit a little longer than one might like - but it's light, small and sharp. The 28-105 can cover everything else and has WR if you think you'll be exposed to the elements much.

I think that generally speaking when traveling, less is more. I never take a tripod unless I know I am going to have extensive time dedicated entirely to photography- when I do I find they mostly sit in my room. For a trip like this, I would probably take the 43mm + the 100mm DFA WR Macro, just so I have a WR and telephoto option.

[koekie]

The 28-105 should be fine for most stuff.

I used K-70 with pretty much only the 16-85 on Milford Sound cruise, except for the parts where you get close to the seals on some of the rocks. There I used the 55-300 PLM. But the boats do get very close to the seals, so with 105mm and perhaps some cropping you should be fine. If they are there during this time of year in the first place. By the way, the boats tend to sail through or close to some waterfalls, so the WR part of the 28-105 might just come in handy. And generally you will get rain from time to time anyway.

The 14mm is probably also great for some wide angle shots. With all the gorgeous landscapes in NZ the 14mm is probably the best choice for a second lens to bring. It is the 14mm f/2.8 right? In New Zealand you should try some astrophotography with the K-1 too, which is where the 14mm is also great. Dark skies and great backgrounds are easy to find in New Zealand. Those night skies are almost better then the feast you already get during the day

Dont think I would bring much else.

[Theov39]

I just did a two week trip in New Zealand back in July. I had a Pentax K-3 so not full frame but the equivalent range lenses to what you are suggesting. If you have a child to look after you need to travel light. My suggestion is the wide angle and the 28-105. That will easily cover 99% of your needs. In Milford Sound I did use a 300mm lens for close up shots of the snow-covered mountains but I don't think that is essential.

Unless you specially want to do macro photography i wouldn't take the Pentax 100mm WR macro lens. The range is already covered by the 28-105. Having said that, I enjoyed taken close up shots of plants and wished I had it with me.

The 77mm range is already covered by the 28-105 so unless you like the particular rendering of the 77mm lens I would leave that at home.

Given that you are carrying a separate video camera (why not use the K1?) I would only take two lenses at the most but if you do take a third make it the 100 WR as that can double up as a nice portrait lens.

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Last edited by Theov39; 09-28-2018 at 09:27 AM.

[CDW]

Keep in mind that you will be required, at least in US airports, to now unpack all of your camera gear, place it in a tray for inspection and Xray. A real PITA.

[JensE]

My choices are similar to yours and are family-proven on numerous trips. Often no time to fiddle with things and the 28-105mm reliably delivers. If space/weight is at a premium, leave the 35mm/1.4 and maybe bring a 50mm/1.7 (or the 1.8) instead, if you have one. The wide side of the zoom will likely still be usable even with low light and you still have the fast 14mm.

[JohnX]

NZ is a great country with so much to see and shoot, so whilst I understand why you would want to take all/most of your DSLR kit when I went I bought a high-end, long-zoom bridge camera and took that instead of all my Pentax kit, and have absolutely no regrets.

Ok, the IQ wasn't as good, but I went there primarily to have fun with my family. What I took weighed much less, my wife was happy to use, I didn't have to think at all about which lens to use, etc.

[Dericali]

If it's just general photography and you don't have any specific areas of focus (e.g. astro, fine portraiture or macro) I would take just the 28-105 and none of the other lenses.

Why? Sure, you will miss some opportunities, but having just one lens is way more efficient in terms of what you are carrying. The 28-105 on the K1 fits in a pretty small bag. It also reduces time spent changing lenses, worrying about what lens to use etc. Once you're there, you just have the one lens on your camera and can get straight to shooting. Plus, the 28-105 covers a fairly wide field of view, if it's raining (and it rains a lot in New Zealand) then it's WR (unlike the primes you are suggesting). You can shoot with fairly high ISO for evening shots, but honestly New Zealand is mainly about the nature and day time activities, I don't think you'll miss much by not doing a lot of low light photography. I'm not sure about the tripod - do you use these often? if not, then leave it home.

[bobbotron]

I definitely think there's something to be said about bringing less gear. Hauling a lot of lenses gets annoying quickly, especially if you're trying to keep up with other people. One nice zoom (which you have) does the trick for most of it.

[matroxication]

Thanks everyone for the valuable tips.

Based on everyone's suggestion, 28-105 will be default lens on K1.

I do have Sony RX100 Mark 1 and may use it with selfie stick. I will be staying 4 nights in North Island and 5 nights in South Island. The only reason am taking tripod is to take pictures with family with landscape using remote shutter and it would be no use on the cruise tour though. I do have 50 F1.4 manual lens but am comfortable with the ones with auto focus especially when taking pictures of my kid.

Am hoping to get a good copy of Samyang 14 f2.8 lens prior to my departure or else will have to rely on 35mm or 77mm as my secondary lens.

I have 4 x 64GB SD cards (2 x Sandisk Extreme pro, 1 x Sandisk Extreme & 1 x Lexar Pro 600x) and am bit confused if to use it in mirror or in sequential. Am planning to take an external hard disk and laptop so that I can copy the pictures on daily basis but again it depends on the time i have left for the day.

I do have an external flash (Metz 58 AF2) but am excluding it on the list since I dont think I would require flash. Can be argued for fill flash but it adds weight and I have to carry spare batteries as well.

AEE s71 action cam is good for videos since I can turn it on and leave it on my head or on chest level so that the camera records what I see. Am also planning to rotate it with my wife so that I will be covered in the video as well

[Sandy Hancock]

I reckon you've already got it pretty much worked out.

The 28-105 is a no-brainer. New Zealand can be very wet - especially the west coast of the South Island.
I would certainly want something wider in my bag as well. I hope your Samyang makes it in time....
Switching to the 35/1.4 would be a great idea for the village trip.

I'll be cruising around NZ over Christmas/New Year, so I'm very keen to learn how things go for you!

[Wasp]

I will be that guy who suggests taking the primes and leaving the zoom at home. Okay, the macro can stay if weight is an issue. Swop lenses and zoom with your legs. That is the way that old school real photographers work.

Nah, ignore the above. Just take the zoom and the ultra-wide.