Recommend lenses for a 5-day hiking trip at Canyonland NP

[crow0806]

<p>April in Canyonlands can be either cold or very hot. If you are only going to carry one lense I would go with the 24-70 even though it is heavy. Wider would be better though. I used my 17-35 (film) more at Canyonlands than any other place I have been. A prime would be nice but I don't think it would be worth the weight. Be sure to see Mesa Arch at sunrise in Canyonlands. For a great photo of it you will need to go as wide as possible.</p>

[Mary Doo]

<p>The 24-70 provides a good range of focal lengths to fit most situations. It should be a good choice from the lenses that you currently own. Btw, I'm not sure about all this talk about weight. IMO it's not that heavy.</p>

[bakpakr]

<p>I regularly go on backpacking trips in the Smokies with a Canon 400d 10-22 Sigma, Canon 18-55, 70-300, and a 50mm prime + flash and numerous filters. I hike with the camera in a holster. Dust hasn't been a problem due to the dust reduction system. My wife the enabler of my photo addiction helps with the weight of the food. I carry the tent and the stove. I am 50 yrs old. My only concession to father time is I plan shorter mileages between camps I can see a problem with other group members becoming impatient with frequent lens changes. You might be able to find someone to partner with then catch up with the others after breaks for shots.</p>

[chris_thomson]

<p>The 24-70 certainly wouldn't be a bad choice but I'd be willing to bet you'll wish you had taken your 20mm as well. Two years ago I did a three day mountain bike tour of the White Rim Road as well as several days of camp based hiking throughout Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. I packed my 5D with a 16-35, 24-105, and a film based Hasselblad Xpan. The 16-35 and the Xpan saw the most use. I doubt I had the 24-105 mounted on the camera little more than 10% of the time. Canyonlands is awesome. Wide sweeping vistas, dramatic vegetation, and a somewhat surreal landscape makes it a photographers paradise. At least it was for me being that I'm stuck in the middle of big flat cornfield here in northeast Indiana. Seriously though, the wider the better.</p><div></div>

[eric_arnold]

<p>two words: pack mules.</p>

[jose_angel]

<p>Agree. Well, we prefer donkeys. This one have carried our food many times.</p><div></div>

[ty_mickan]

<p>not trying to be smart, I know this is a nikon forum, but to lug a big slr around with a thumping big zoom lens wouln't be anything remotely like what I would have in mind for a five day hike. <br>

 <br>

Buy yourself a Voigtlander Bessa with a couple of Voigtlander prime lenses..you can always sell when you return but I doubt that you would.  It's a hike, and your doing mostly landscape, so the extra DR will come in handy, you are working slow paced so primes are going to be advantagous, and you won't need power ie charges, solar power, batteries et al.  all this in a package that is half the weight, producing probably better IQ.  for ie..you could pick up a nice superwide heliar 15mm lens for about $250, which will blow away anything you could get from Nikon.  When you get back, take all your film to a lab and get back all your high resolution, high DR Velvia scans and then crop/tweak in CS4.<br>

 <br>

Not trying to start a flame war here, just trying to offer an alternative opinion, thinking outside the square.  After all, you have all the advice above already if you want to stick with you digicam.</p>

[avery1]

<p>I don't know if I'm saying anything new (or helpful), but this is really going to come down to personal preference. I've done 5-day trips with a good deal of up and down with a body, 24-70, 70-200, and tripod. I hope to add a 400mm to that list shortly. On the other hand, I've also done trips with nothing more than a p&s. <br>

Some things I would consider:<br>

How much other weight will you be carrying (w/ water)? Someone mentioned this, but canyonlands will potentially be both cold and hot in April. Depending on where you go, it can also be quite dry.<br>

How much hiking are you doing each day? How much vertical change? How fit are you? Will you be hiking in snow?<br>

What do you want to shoot? Landscapes? Flowers? Sunsets? Your buddies? I've only been to canyonlands once, and found it to be an amazing place for grand landscape shots. I found it to be one step below the grand canyon without any of the crowds. I didn't see much wildlife, though. Another thing to consider is that you can get those amazing landscape shots from the road, which might be something to consider when deciding whether or not to take a tripod and that fast wide angle lens.</p>

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[ShunCheung]

<blockquote>

<p>I'm planning a five day hiking trip in Canyonland National park, UT this April. I'm planning on taking my D700 camera and a tripod.<br />Any advices on lense or lenses I should take?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>As a moderator for this forum, I would like to remind everybody that if you haven't read the OP's question carefully, please read it again. He will be taking his D700 camera and a tripod to this 5-day hiking trip. All he needs is lens advice. He is not asking for additional camera advice, fitness advice, or about alternative modes of transportation.</p>

<p>If you do not have approate lens advices for the OP; i.e. lenses that work with his D700 for landscape photography, you do not have to post an answer.</p>

<p>I have been to Canyonland once. I certainly would bring a super wide lens, in addition to whatever else you may need.</p>

[steven_f1]

<p>Since you are bringing a tripod you don't need a fast lens. I would consider purchasing one of zoom kit lenses that some Nikon cameras come with. While not optically the best they are generally low cost light weight zooms. On a couple of river trips I had in the area I had problems with grit getting in the lens cause the focus or zoom ring to jam. So if a cheap zoom fails during the trip it not a big loose. I wouldn't worry too much about the wide angle capability of the lens. You can always take multiple pictures and stitch them together later on using software. Be sure to carry a spare battery and extra memory card. Also be sure to factor in the weight of the water you will be carrying.</p>

 

[avery1]

<blockquote>

<p>As a moderator for this forum, I would like to remind everybody that if you haven't read the OP's question carefully, please read it again. He will be taking his D700 camera and a tripod to this 5-day hiking trip. All he needs is lens advice. He is not asking for additional camera advice, fitness advice, or about alternative modes of transportation.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I hear your point, but I guess I'm having a hard time separating some of these things. If weight and space were no issue, the OP should take everything he owns. In my experience with backpacking, weight is very much an issue and hard to separate. That being said, the alternative modes of transportation were in jest and, one could argue, off topic (but funny).</p>

[joshua_boelter]

<p>I carry a D700, 24-70/2.8, Gitzo 3541LS, RRS-BH55, RRS L-Bracket, remote, wet cleaning solution/cloth and a polarizer for hiking. In all about 14lbs of gear in, on or attached to a backpack. I stuff the camera (with L-bracket on and hood reversed) in a ThinkTank Digital Holster 20 mounted on the hipbelt (centered up front actually). One of my reasons for carrying the zoom over primes is lens changes in the wild. Not a big deal really, but it's nice to not have to deal with exposure to the elements -- especially in the wet pacific northwest winter. The 24-70 is also a darn fine lens.</p>

[frankeleveld]

<p>My favorite lenses on the D200 when on a trip where I need to pack light are the 20mm f/2.8D and the 50mm f/1.4 or an old 55/3.5 Macro, depending on whether I need low light capability. If I need to go wider, I just shoot a panorama with the 20/2.8. Works a treat.</p>

[john_harper9]

<p>During my last hike in the Escalante, most of my shots were with a 20mm or 35mm. Inside the canyons, a wide angle is essential.</p>

[quoc_minh_dang]

<p>Thanks for all these good advices. I have been on many hiking trips so I'm very well aware that weight is a major factor. On most of those trips I just tried to see how far I could travel in a day. <br>

This time is different since I plan to make the hike also a photo trip. I guess I have about two months to decide what to carry. Appreciate all your help!<br>

Chris and Avery, your Canyonland pictures are beautiful.</p>

[bob___10]

<p>Take the 24-70. Why did you buy it if not to use it? You will not regret it.</p>

[caleb_austin]

<p>There have been some really good posts already. If I were taking the trip, and had the following lens, this would be my kit. A 20, 35, and 70-300. The 24-70 is a great lens, I have one. However it is a very heavy lens when mounted on the camera. This means if you have the camera out while hiking(which is often how I hike) then you have about 5 lb's around your neck. I would go with a 35 on the camera much of the time. When you are setting up a shot, and need a 20, then change it, and change only when needed. <br>

One tip for caring the camera while backpacking, is you can use the chest strap to hold the camera next to your body. I do this often and it works well. <br>

I would not forget the batteries. I have done a number of night shots, and find that you can go through a battery pretty quick. I take 4 total when I go for a week backpacking.</p>

<p>Most of all enjoy the trip!</p>

 

[carl_becker2]

<p>Try a couple of 5-10 mile day hikes carrying all the equipment you plan to take. I do this every Saturday when I walk my dog. I have done a lot of research to lighten everything I can. Then you can decide what you want weight wise. The main reason I don't have a 24-70mm is the weight added to the heavy D700. My one camera body has to do all. As Caleb mentions I carry the camera over shoulder in front on easy trails. I also have 4 batteries and a car charger.</p>

[maryanne_morrow]

<p>If you don't mind buying a new lens, what about the 18-200 mm f/3.5-5.6 ED VR II. It's a slightly bigger lens, but still okay for a walk around lens. Not the biggest aperture, but you're more likely to be taking landscape than portraits in this setting. It'll give you fairly wide for a zoom, but also the capability of getting closer up when you can't get closer. Thoughts??</p>