Lens Selection for Brooks Falls

[matthew_green]

I will be traveling to Brooks Falls in September and I have heard the

debate before about lens selection. I just want to get some advice. I

have been to Katmai before but never to Brooks Camp and the falls. I

used a 400 2.8 IS lens before and liked the 2.8. I will also be going

to Denali and doing some other stuff down on Turnagain Arm. So a good

pro friend of mine told me to bring the 600. I just am wondering if

the 600 is too tight for the bears at the falls and in the general

area of the falls and camp. I want to get the famous shots but also

want to get the nice tight stuff to. I just want to have a variety. I

would like to hear from folks that have been to the falls and the

camp only and have experience. Thanks so much and I look forward to

hearing from you all.

[kferris575]

Matthew,

 

The bears are generally around the falls in July. In September, they are typically found along the rivers edge and down where the river runs into the lake. I have been there in September twice, and 500mm to 600mm was often necessary at this time of year because the bears are a bit further away than they are at the falls.

 

At the falls, it appears that 400mm is just about right (however, I have not been there in July).

 

The focal lengths noted above are based on films cameras, not a digital camera with a crop factor.

 

I hope this helps. Good luck.

 

Kevin Ferris

[cabelnoteboom.com]

I was at the falls on July 9 of this year. I used a 70-200 F2.8 on a Canon 20D the whole time I was at the falls, however, I switched to a 300F4 when I moved along the river and lake. You can see my pics at <A HREF="http://www.cabelnoteboom.com/%2D/cabelnoteboom/gallery.asp?cat=16399">CabelNoteboom.com</A><P>

<P>

Cabel

[tom_keenan]

I spent a week at Brooks Camp with my daughter in July of 2004. We camped at the campground and it was a trip to remember. My first trip to the falls was with a D1X and the 70-200/2.8 which was good only for a warm-up. In general, It was not long enough to isolate individual bears fishing or with salmon in their mouth except bears that were close to the deck. Using the D1X with the Nikon 200-400/4 VR lens was just about perfect for my taste. I had a 1.4x teleconverter in my pocket and I used it frequently. That was about all the reach I needed. Most of my keepers, the classic shots, were with the lens at 400mm with the teleconverter. The following is just my personal opinion. Regarding your 400/2.8, I would leave it home. I love shooting with the 400 2/8 wide open especially when I need the additional light. However, these guys are big animals and as I review my images, I'm much happier with the extra depth of field (ones at 5.6 and smaller). I don't think you'll shoot with it at 2.8 or 3.5. So, I would opt to save some weight and not carry the 400/2.8. If you're looking for variety as you say, I'm not sure I'd lug the 600 either. We flew in on a floatplane and camped at the campground so lugging a 600 is not something I would do if I do it again. The payback won't be there. Not like shooting birds where you can justify the pain of carrying the 600 around for a week. In summary, the Nikon 200-400 was about as ideal a lens as I would every want for the trip with a 1.4x teleconverter. Now, as I have read from a previous post, if the bears are not at the falls in September, hmmm. Remember, your pack can hold photo equipment, clothes and food. I would forget the food next time and eat in the dining room at the lodge. I thought the food was great (a bit pricey).

Tom<div></div>

[Mary Doo]

As someone mentioned, most people photograph the bears at the falls during July. However, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to find interesting actions shots in September. I brought the Nikon 70-200mm and 200-400mm and happily got quite a number of keepers both in digital and slide film (Fuji Provia 400F). I mostly used the 200-400 and put a 1.4x on it frequently. The zooms were very convenient under the shooting circumstances as there were many photographers on the platforms and it was not easy to move around (I can't imagine how anyone can "zoom with his/her feet" on these platforms). Very often I did wish to have a longer reach, but the convenience of a tele-zoom could not be overstated.

 

Here is one of my favorites. The meta data tells me that it was shot at only 200mm -- though these bears seemed to have been further away!<div></div>

[matthew_green]

Thanks for your responses. I will be using the 600 F4 IS. I also have in my pack a 16-35 2.8, 70-200 2.8, 300 F4 and both 1.4 and 2x extenders. I think that should work. Thanks for the advice and tips on Brooks Camp. I will let y'all know how it goes.