Best advice for very strong light

I have a trip planned to Egypt in June and was wondering which type

of filter would be best to use with my Nikon D40X to achieve the best

results in the very strong light conditions that I'm sure to encounter

in Egypt.

I'll be taking my Nikkor 18-55mm and my Nikkor 55-200mm with me which

at present are both equipped with Hoya Uv filters. Are these likely to

be enough or would a polarising filter maybe be a better bet?

I used a polarizer in Egypt a few years ago and many of the shots came out with almost black skies, so watch out for that.

I think a lens hood may be of more use - watch out for sand and dust, too; you probably don't want to be changing lenses outdoors too often.

All your precautions should focus on your own head; sunshade, sunblock etc. The camera

will do just fine, specifically since the f/16 rule still applies on earth.

Funny post, that was; and not on April 1.

And if you want to mitigate the harsh contrast of midday sun and shade, do what you

would do in Minneapolis in the sun: don't shoot at midday. Wait for the

morning/afternoon.

Cairo, Egypt = Minneapolis, MN = Cairo, IL as far as sun light goes.

<i>Cairo, Egypt = Minneapolis, MN = Cairo, IL as far as sun light goes.</i><p>? - More like Cairo = Tuscon = Baja<p>Cairo (lat 30°N) is closer to El Paso (28°N) and the Sonora Desert (31°N) as far as both sunlight intensity and climate. In Chicago the sun never gets over about 70° from the horizon, in Cairo it passes almost directly overhead in June. Summer days are shorter nearer to the equator, too (14 vs 15 hours of sunshine, 25 vs 35 minutes of twilight).<p>If you're not used to 100% cloudless skies and 0% humidity you're in for a (hopefully pleasant) surprise.<p>

You'll need good polarizers and/or UV and/or skylight filters. Skylights are pretty reasonably priced, and do a lot to reduce blue shadows (unless you're really looking for blue shadows). Polarizers will help keep skin tones and specular hilights under control, as well as give you some extra f-stops to play with. Your Hoya UVs are a good start, though. Take extra batteries and practice up on your fill-flash technique.<p>A trip to the <a href="http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/">US Naval Observatory's Site</a> can give you some sun & moon tables to help plan your days. Have fun!

The light itself won't be too intense for the camera, but there are other considerations.

A polarizer will get you better color in landscapes by reducing reflections from even sand, rocks and walls. As noted, it will darken the sky too much if you let it, due to the clear, dry air. A polarizer will also reduce haze in distant shots, which tends to be polarized.

A clear UV filter for each lens will protect it from (most) accidents and blowing sand and dirt.

You might want a cleaning kit for the sensor. The "Visible Dust" economy set (with spinner for charging) is one of the best for travel. In southwest Spain, I had to clean my sensor every two or three days due to blowing dust.

Rand,

how many stop differences do you think are in full sun at summer noon in Minneapolis or

northern Norway and in Cairo or Baja?

I suspect it is less than 1/3 of a stop and will not be noticed at all on film or sensor.

Any solar physicists who could shed light on this? Thanks.