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Since no one suggested 24mm f2.8, I guess I will. I have the AIS version, not AF-D but I

think

the respective performances are probably equally good. The reason why I like 24mm f2.8

on

a Nikon DSLR is because it is the closest - in terms of field of view - to a 35mm lens for

film.

Not too wide and not too narrow. A great lens for the kind of travel/street photography

that I

do often. And slap it on a DSLR, it's small and doesn't get too much attention.

 

Given the ease of changing ISO on these DSLRs, I don't think f2.8 is a handicap at all.

Although, if Nikon releases a AFS-D 24mm f2, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. I am also hoping

for a DX 16mm F2.8 prime release some day, but that's another story.

Many people suggested buying the 45mm pancake lens because of its tiny, RF-lens-like

stature but remember 45mm on D70 becomes a semi-longish 67mm. I would say get a

24mm F2.8D - though bigger than the 45mm this is still a very light and small lens in the

Nikon lineup - and with the D70 crop factor it becomes a 35mm lens. 35mm as a focal

length is more versatile for unobtrusive street photography, which is what RFs are great

for in the first place.

Whether Nikon sticks with DX for five or fifteen years is beyond anyone's guess, but I am all for DX (as supposed to a full-frame counterpart) if:

 

1) DX makes it easier for Nikon to make smaller, lighter camera bodies because of smaller power requirements and physical constraints, as well as smaller, lighter lenses (esp. wide angles);

 

2) Nikon releases some reasonably-priced wide DX primes with 52mm filter threads, esp. the DX equivalent of 24mm or 28mm primes;

 

In this sense, the DX sensor and F mount go hand in hand; the smaller sensor size is a blessing in disguise for the F mount, which was heavily criticized by many as being too limiting in diameter for producing exotically fast lenses for 35mm film (like Kwanon's EF mount). My guess is with DX, the F mount gets a new lease in life.

 

So to really answer your question, I think the only thing you can assume longevity (or immortality?) with Nikon is the F mount. But enjoy its DX variation while you can.

Nobody seemed to have mention the Tango dance halls of Buenos Aires yet: these are usually dark venues that leaves a photographer begging for fast film and fast primes. The 50mm would do nicely there.

 

And for general street/vacation type photos, the 28-70mm F2.8 would be perfect, albeit a bit too heavy.

 

So there you go: 50mm and 28-70mm, plus some ISO400+ slide or bw film for indoors.

 

The 24mm stays home this time, but next time you might want to add a 85mm f1.8 or 105 f2 to your arsenal so you can have the fairly compact trio - 24mm, 50mm and 85mm - out on trips like these. An added plus: they share filter sizes too.

Good: Wear a white T-shirt when shooting with white L lens, black T-shirt for black L lens.

 

Better: Work out and bulk up your arms and chest with enough muscle so that the camera

and L lens combo appear small compared to the photographer.

 

Best: sell the L gear and go small body (10D or smaller) and prime lenses incl: 24mm F2.8,

35mm F2, 50mm F1.4, 85mm F1.8, 100mm F2 (and 75-300 IS for long situations.)

Quick rules of thumb:

 

1. Avoid the Nathan Road shops (the ones with the neon signs) from Tsim Sha Tsui to

Mongkok.

 

2. Exception to rule 1: Fortress, Broadway. These are reputable chain stores; however,

being chain stores they usually do not have the best prices, nor carry very specialized

photographic equipment.

 

3. Some Stanley St. stores in HK are OK (e.g. Kwong Tai) but I found camera prices there

in general higher than my favorite store, Man Shing of Mongkok. Man Shing is small (and

they specialize only on photo/video products only) but selection is good, and their service

is excellent as Man Shing employees are not pushy.

(Wing Shing is related to Man Shing so I expect service there to be as good as Man Shing.)

If Nikon today still made all their current film and digital SLRs the way they made the F3,

they would go bankrupt very soon because no one would need to buy new cameras (other

than those who always chase the lastest specs) because their Nikons would refuse to break

down.

 

My F3 (not HP) was bought second hand around 1988 and still going strong even after a

few mishaps (dropping it on concrete, etc.). It's still ticking today, rain or shine.

Definitely bring a permanent marker, so you can write short, special notes on a film canister (e.g. push process to ISO 200, the roll with that winning landscape shot, etc.) These things should be written as soon as the roll is finished because they can be easily forgotten after 5 or 10 rolls of shooting.

 

Try not to limit yourself to one camera. Cameras come and go, especially when you travel. Get a FM3a as many suggested, and bring along the F65 - it's light enough to be a backup.

I sure hope they are coming out soon with a less expensive version of a 24mm F1.4L.

 

On my wish list is a

24mm F2 or F1.8 USM.

 

The F2 is must as I find it is the minimum for the low light work I

usually do when paired with ISO400 film.

 

I don't need the USM for focusing speed per se, but rather the full-time manual feature (that usually comes with the USM) to touch up focus without toggling the AF/M switch.

I was in Yellowstone back in July. Flew into Cody and rented a car. When we got to Yellowstone it was already past 6pm and without a reservation for any campground we found ourselves a motel in West Yellowstone as all the camps were full.

 

The next day we decided we wanted to stay at Norris campground so we got there before 9am and drove around the campground until we found someone leaving.

 

If you can get to Yellowstone early in the day (before 10am), I would say your chances of getting a place in a non-reservable NPS campground is pretty good. If you are arriving past noon then it is wise to reserve ahead the non-NPS campgrounds.

 

I am not familiar with RVs but I recall Norris only had a few spaces for extremely oversized RV vehicles so if you are renting one of those you might want to check ahead to see if the campground of your choice can accomodate your vehicle.

 

Enjoy your trip!

Wildlife in HK? When I first saw the title for the question I almost thought it was a joke! Didn't even know there was a WWF bird watching site there, though.

 

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So much red tape for the Mai Po site! Guess you could always shoot dolphins at Ocean Park (the HK equivalent of Sea World) for a start. Don't need permits there.

 

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The eleven years living in Hong Kong as a kid the most exotic wildlife I have seen were always in Cantonese restaurants, in a cage or on a plate. Nowadays whenever I get a chance to visit HK I always admire the herd of business people charging down a busy Central street with cell phones in their hands. That's wildlife to me!

Jeremiah: I think you are referring to the image of the little bird shot that was shot with the TC 1.4x and EF 300mm f/4 IS, a high quality fixed focus lens, and not the EF 75-300 IS USM.

Sorry to answer your question with a question, but which part of the Amazon will you be visiting? Is it safe to assume that you will probably be flying into Manaus, the capital of the Amazonas state and heading on to the rain forests from there? If so, I can relay your question to my friend who is from Manaus, and she may be able to give you more information regarding that area.

 

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In any case, have you thought about how to haul all your gear? Seems like you are bringing quite a lot (a medium format and 2 lenses, Canon EOS bodies and 3 or 4 lenses?). If it helps, check the camera bag suggestions in photo.net. If there isn't too much walking to do it is probably ok; otherwise, I suggest trimming down weight as much as you can and maybe just bring one format.

 

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And since you will almost using a boat, find out from the Nature Conservancy whether you will be in canoes and small boats. If so, then you might consider hauling your gear in waterproof hard cases like Pelicans.

 

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Also, taking out insurance for your gear might not be a bad idea.

Dear Wee,

 

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After reading the many excellent replies offered by folks here on photo.net, I feel that they are answering the question more in terms of the wilderness backpacker (afterall it is the nature photography forum here), but as your second reply indicates, you are more thinking in terms of travel backpacking in general and not limited to just wilderness/back country backpacking. Hence, even though many folks have suggested that you leave your big and heavy 70-200 2.8L at home and while it is great packing advice for hiking or climbing mountains, it is arguably less valid for travel photography because such a lens offer flexibility and quality in a situation where a light load is less critically important (though it would still help).

 

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I can totally sympathize with your problem. When I went to China for 3 weeks and tried to carry a big internal frame backpack with a separate (and very heavy) camera bag, the results were disastrous. Problems arise when I get off a train and try to catch a taxi with my backpack on and my camera bag hanging off one of my shoulders. My back and hips are supporting what seems to be a ton already, it is too much (and unbalanced) when I try to add on a 20 pound camera bag on one of my shoulders and walk even just 100 meters.

 

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As for the solution(s) to our gear-hauling problems when we already have one big backpack, I was also thinking, as someone had already suggested here, that putting the camera and a zoom lens (like 28-105) attached into a topload zoom bag for quick access, and the rest of your lenses in padded cases in your main backpack is probably the best way to go.

 

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As for the padded lens cases, instead of buying them, I was thinking maybe we can take advantage of the lens cases offered by the lens manufacturers. Both Canon and Nikon supply lens cases when you buy a decent lens, and I believe most of those cases are probably padded enough to withstand shock. An added benefit of those cases is that they are usually designed for the lens you bought so they fit snugly. Though I would probably not store the cases with lenses in them at the dead bottom of the pack since I tend to unconsciously set my pack down roughly sometimes.

 

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Like you, I'd probably want to get a small, foldaway daypack so I can take day trips with my gear when I get to my destination and leave the big pack behind. Or a photo vest might be able to solve the problem, though trying to fit a 70-200L into a photo vest pocket may not be a comfortable solution.

 

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Another potential problem with this packing-all-my-gear-in-one-backpack solution is when I have to check in the backpack before my flight but I don't want to leave $2,000 worth of lenses at the mercy of the baggage handler. One solution is to buy a backpack that is small enough to carry on and fit in the overhead bin; the other solution, again, is to carry a separate, foldaway daypack for this situation.

 

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All this however, is just pure speculation. I am still waiting for my next trip to test it out and if it works or not.

 

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Good traveling to ya all.

I read a lot about camera manufacturers sealing their top of the line camera bodies (Eg. F5, EOS-1n) against rain. My question is in general how well do *lenses* resist rain? It seems to me water can easily seep into most lenses quite easily and should be covered when shooting under rain, even if the body is not.

 

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What is the consensus here? Do most readers here cover their camera and/or lens shooting on a rainy day?

Any horror stories to tell?

 

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Thanks,

 

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-- Ivan

Short Answer: because I can't draw.

 

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Longer Answer: When I take a hike in some beautiful mountains or down along some exotic coast, my eyes record what I see most likely in a way no one else will ever see. And I have the utmost urge to record what I see on those trips, to create my own expressions and interpretations of nature. Hence I will never buy calenders and books featuring nature shots for "enjoyment" -- they are not mine. Even if my photos are considered crap by every one else in this world, it is still mine and it gives me satisfaction.