Advice needed. - lenses / filters for Hawaii?

I have been shooting film and digital for only about a year or so. I

was hoping someone could give me some advice on what lenses and

filters to take on vacation to Hawaii.

 

Current setup: Nikon N80 + Nikon 80-200mm F2.8 AFD

 

 

I have been thinking about purchasing a 50mm F1.8 and a Nikon

circular polarizer and then bringing along a digital point and shoot

to cover the wide end.

 

I am planning on shooting Fuji Provia 100 whenever people will be

photographed and Velvia 50 at all other times.

 

Any suggestions?

 

John

A circular polarizer filter (for both lenses) might be a good idea.

 

 

 

And try to keep your equipment a few feet above the beach level -- sand (and/or lava grit) is not really good for your gear.

I was in Hawaii the last 2 weeks. And only brought in the basic travelers kit. F70 + 24-120mm f3.5-5.6D with Agfa Optima films and Fuji Provia 100F. A canon S60 for candid shots.

What I wish I brought. If you have a lot of time in your hands photographing hawaii... take a tripod.

The lens was adequate but there were a couple of times I wish I had my 17-35 but you can work around it or just have to deal with it.

Your 80-200 f2.8D would great to cover some telephoto moments. If you want to capture surfers it would be ideal and even better if you got 300mm. If you are going to walk around waikiki with 80-200.... you will stand out.

With filters I wish I had ND filter with 1-2 stop and circular polarizer.

I will be posting some of my Hawaii photos within these next few days.<div></div>

Thanks for the replies so far.

 

Mitz,

 

I'm sure you're right about standing out when shooting with the 80-200mm attached and walking around Waikiki. So I am thinking about buying the 50mm F1.8 to use most of the time. If I am going budget, and I definitely am, is the 50mm going to serve me well?

 

John

In Hawaii (I have lived and vacationed there) you are definitely going to want a wide-angle lens. I recommend atleast 28 (that is what i had while i was there and it worked pretty well). For surfing pictures, I only had 200 and it wasnt enough. If you dont want to get another lens on the long end, you might think about a 1.4x tc (so you can still autofocus). I dont know that a 50 would do you much good. Most shots in a place like that are either true wideangle or true telephoto. Not sure what your budget is, but if that digital P&S isnt very nice, you arent going to be happy. You are going to want to frame some of your WA stuff. Is the P&S up to it? I might think about a WA lens for your n80. You have several options depending on your budget like a nikor 28-105, 24-85 2.8-4, 24-85 3.5-4.5, or 24-120 VR. Check www.adorama.com for these prices, but they range from ~$280 to $550 after rebate. The 24-120 would probably rarely come off the camera. If your budget was really small, you could even get a 28-80 (~$100)and it would take better pictures in that range than some P&S (depending on what you have).

 

sorry i rambled.

 

bottom line... you need a valid WA option. You will miss a LOT if you dont.

If your going on a tight budget, the 50m f1.8 will serve very well. It is an excelent lens, a useful focal length, and cheap. I would also suggest, if you can afford it, getting the 24mm f2.8. Most of the digital P&S cameras start at a 35mm perspective and I think you will really want a wider lens. Both the 24mm and 50mm lenses will accept a 52m filter which means that you only have to purchase one circular polarizer. Also, I don't think that buying the Nikon branded circular polarizer is a must, Tiffen and other name brand filters are just as good and cost less. Use the difference in price to buy a few more rolls of film.

 

Don't let the price of the circular polarizer stop you from buying one. I know that paying nearly as much for a filter as for the 50mm lens may seem extravagent but they will do things that no other filter will. For one thing, it is well known for making a blue sky really pop. Something else a polarizing filter can do is cut down on surface reflections on leaves and other plant matter, and this even works on cloudy days. When you cut out these reflections, it really makes colors pop. I like to rotate the filter while watching thru the viewfinder until I see the colors at their best.

 

You will also want some kind of tripod or monopod. Using a polarizing filter will cost at least 2 stops of light and this means that you may be looking at some long exposure times. Shooting K64, or Velvia 50, and losing 2 stops to the polarizer means that you may be shooting at shutter speeds of 1/30 to 1/60 second in direct sunlight, in overcast conditions you may be shooting as slow as 1/4 second. Not being a fan of high speed films, I always make sure to have a tripod of some description handy. Even one of those palm sized fold up tripods can be useful, just find a handy surface to rest it on, the side of a tree will even work.

 

You may also notice that I assumed that you would be shooting everything with a slow slide film. That is because if I were taking a trip to an area as scenic as Hawaii, the only film I would shoot is slide film. I would leave the Provia 100 at home. I think that with only one camera you should concentrate on only one film. Having a partial roll of the negative film in the camera when you come on a fantastic waterfall, or landscape view, means that you either have to waste the remaining negative film by rewinding, or shoot with the less suitable film. Processing is a hassle, prints can be a nightmare to get in some areas, but the quality is fantastic, AND slide films scan just as easily as negative films. If you are not familiar with these films, do some trial shooting BEFORE your trip so you are familiar with how they respond. Slide films can be notoriously fussy about exposure so remember to bracket when in doubt.

Brent is absolutely right. I haven't been to Hawaii in years, but back when I went I bought a Nikkor 20mm just for the trip. Glad I did, because I used it for at least 20% of what I shot. You don't want to overdo it, but there are so many scenes where a wide is essential. A P&S won't impress you for those shots. IMO, shooting surfers and the like is pretty speciallized stuff, and my 200mm just didn't come close. You should also learn how to meter unusual scenes, as some of the lava flows can fool you- they can be pretty dark! Beautiful light, but also some incredible contrast ranges, depending on where you go.

i say of course the 17-35 but its expensive :-)

a good one would be 18-35/3.5-4.5 about $420 from b/h.

the 50/1.8 i think so cheap hey why not .. $90

 

i equal a prime of 20 but these tend to be same price as the 18-35 (or more) but u may want the zoom for its flexibility.

 

or i 2nd, the zooms of 24-120, 28-105 (?)

another vote for the 50mm 1.8. i have one, and it's been a great performer for the money. have fun.

I appreciate all of the responses. While some of my questions have been answered and some of my intuitions confirmed, now I have even more to consider.

 

After some thought, I have come to a couple of conclusions.

 

I plan to bring my P&S (Olympus c-5060 [27mm-110mm equivalent]) primarily for family snapshots. I do not own any filters for this camera, nor do I intend to buy any. I do have plenty of storage for the 5megapixel files though. I have been very happy with this camera to this point. Then again, the idea of not being able to enlarge wide-angle pictures beyond 5X7 or 8X10 is definitely a concern.

 

As far as the 50mm goes, I am thinking that it should not be high on my list of priorities despite its low cost. It seems to make more sense for me to have a lens to handle wide-angle shots. If I can find a reasonably-priced used 20-35mm in time for the trip, I will buy it. If not, I will go for either the 20mm 2.8 or the 24mm F2.8.

 

Here?s another question though: Is it feasible to use a step-up ring on 52mm-diameter lenses in order to make use of a 77mm circular polarizer? (The reason I had mentioned the Nikon is that it is said to be thin and a bit oversized so as to be useful with wide angle lenses. I only want to have to buy one of these filters since they are a bit expensive.) Because I expect to own a wide-angle zoom in the near future, and in order to save money, wouldn?t it make sense to step up so that I would be able to use the polarizer (and other filters) on all of my lenses?

 

Lastly, I had considered the 18-35mm, but I am concerned with the speed of this lens because I intend to shoot slow slide film, as has been suggested by someone previously in this thread. I would love to get my hands on the 17-35mm or even a used 20-35mm.

 

My budget is small, and I have keep in mind that I am planning on purchasing a film scanner so as to be able to economically print certain shots and share them with family.

 

Further suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

 

John

does the printer really provide a large savings when u print yourself after counting the cost of the printer, ink, good paper?

 

i would like to know this and prob he poster too. what type of filters would u suggest to get some amazing hawaiian photos?!

 

Thanks.

I just came back from a week in Hawaii (Oahu) with my N70, 17-35/2.8, and 85/1.4. I used the 17-35 for over 90% of my shots. I strongly recommend a wide angle, 18-35/3.5 if you can't afford the 17-35/2.8 or find the 20-35/2.8. The 18-35/3.5 is fine since you'll be shooting at around f8 anyways, even with slow film like Velvia. I just couldn't live with its distortion and coma flare in the corners. It should do fine in Hawaii though.

 

If I could do the trip over again, I may buy a F100 and some ND filters. What I found really limiting was the N70's 1/125 sync speed. Even with slow film like Velvia, trying to use fill-flash in daylight with Hawaii's strong sun makes it impossible. Of course, you could bring along a reflector, but who does that for candid shots?

 

Anyways, have fun in Hawaii, and you may want some Provia 400F as well just in case for night shots.<div></div>

Oh, and a ND grad may not be bad idea. It may have helped this shot with the sky. But a ploarizer may have worked fine as well...<div></div>

I am leaving for Kaui This coming Sunday morning for my honeymoon, and am taking the following:

 

D100, plastic tripod (gotta be light for travel), Sigma EX HSM 14mm f/2.8 (for landscapes), nikkor 50mm f/1.8 (for everything else), 52mm Circular polorizer.

 

I don't think ill need anything else. I wish I had a 35 or 28 instead of the 50 however. If i were shooting on 35mm, I think 50 would be good. But on my D100, i suspenct the 50 will often times be too tight.

Thanks again for all the insights on what lenses and filters to take to Hawaii.

 

I found and purchased a Nikon 24mm F2.8D lens today to handle the wide-angle shots that I know I will find in Hawaii.

 

My only remaining question is this:

 

Which circular Polarizer should I buy?

 

Is a CP useful on an 80-200mm? If so, It seems logical to buy a 77mm CP for the tele and then simply use step-up rings to utilize it with the 20mm prime lens.

 

Right?

Just got back from Kaui (my honeymoon). I used my 50mm f/1.8 on about 30 pictures, and my sigma EX HSM 14mm for about 550 others. the 14 is a must have :)