dane_skye

A Mamiya 645 AFD.

The 250/2 Zuiko.

Not sure if I like either your choices. IMO a OM-4Ti, a couple of Zuiko primes and a Nikon film scanner will get you better prints than either a E1 or 8080. If you are stuck on digital, I think the D70 or Reb-D are better by being cheaper and having more promising futures than the E-1 has because N and C are stronger companies for SLRs than Oly is.

Of course any camera can work, just pick the one right for you.

Good luck

Wal-Mart carries the Duracell MS-76 for around $3.50/ea. They have become my default battery on the ease of finding a Wally World.

I find that I change batteries twice a year in my OM-4Ti and my OM-4. If you have frequent drain moving the camera to the 60 mech or b setting will help when storing it.

Look at it this way, carrying a couple spare batteries is pretty easy for us and they will still last longer than those digital guys.

Curious to see what people are using as equipment for nature

photography these days, especially for landscape. What do you have

where do you want to go?

For me it's a Mamiya 645 with a 45mm, 80mm, and 150mm lenses.

Manfrotto 3021 tripod, Kirk ballhead. Filters are SinghRay.

My back up is an 35mm Olympus OM-4 with a 21mm, 24mm and 50 macro.

mostly used on long hikes.

Thinking about a 4x5.

How about you?

All-

I am looking at a first-timer trip out to Bosque del Apache this

winter. Either the first week of November or mid-December.

Normally I am just a landscape shooter and as such am pretty stocked

on wide angle lenses. My telephoto options are a 100/2 prime and top

out with a 300/4 manual focus lens (I know most birders opt for

something bigger). Will 300mm be painfully short at Bosque or will

it be long enough to get the occasional tight shot?

My 35mm gear is old Olympus OM so picking up a bigger used lens is

rather limited.

I know a 600/4 or 400/2.8 would be great lenses, but aint in my

budget.

How much lens do you need at Bosque?

Thanks for any info!

The difference is between a 28 and a 24 is not great. I use both and am happy with whichever one is attached to the lens. Only on a few occasions do I specifically switch a 24 for a 28 or vice-versa. On the other hand I often switch for a 21mm.

I would probably prefer a Pentax over a Sigma but Rob Sheppard at Outdoor Photographer loved the Sigma wide primes(of course Rob Sheppard is the Will Rogers of product testers-he never met equipment he didn't like :-))

I would say a 28 and then a 20/21 would be a better long rangs plan if you are shooting film.

Good luck!

Rob-

Yosemite is a great place to photograph. In Yosemite Valley all the famous shots are roadside pullouts and can be done within 100 yards of your car. Once in the valley there is a transit system that works pretty well. Away from the valley a car will work better. Tuolumne would give you lots of opportunities to backpack in the high country. Glacier Point is a nice day drive from the Valley. Mariposa Grove is also a nice day drive.

I second the suggestion of Mike Fryes book. Very informative and only like only $8.

Also, the Ansel Adams Gallery in the Valley is a great source of info and carries some supplies too. I was suprised to find Kodak HIE infared.

Enjoy!

Parker-

I have a Mamiya extension tube. Yes they do work and yes you have to get close to your subject. The problem I have with them is they are a real pain in the butt to mount on a lens. It always takes me a few minutes to mount one or take it off- the prong is hard to work with. Even my local store rep struggled to mount one. It is nothing like the speed and smoothness of the OM mount.

I find it easier to mount the tube on the lens and then mount on the camera. But it is such a labor intensive job I find it hard to do in the field and ruins any spontaneous moment.

I think the finicky lens mount is the only downfall of the Mamiya 645 line. The cameras are superb and the lenses very sharp.

Check with www.mamiya.com for more info.

Anywhere in the San Juans. Dallas Divide (see above comment). West Dollar Road, which is near the DD is great too. As in Red Mountain Pass.

Hope you get some clouds, when I was there two years ago it was 5 staright cloudless days.

Enjoy!

Hi

I have the week of October 3-10 to see fall color photo trip in the

north woods. Ideally a place with great color, scenic views, hiking,

with lodging/food reasonably close (wife coming along), in other

words closeset thing to a good national park experience (Isle Royale

is not an option for us). Looked at going to the Michigan UP and

the Porkies. Plan would be to stay there for 5-6 days (base camp so

to speak and hike and drive the area)and then 1-2 in Wisc or Minn.

Are the Porkies large enough to spend 5 days in?

Great sights/hikes?

Is October 3-10 too late for color?

What else would be a good fall color bet?

Thanks for any info!

Hello all-

I was looking at a fall trip to Door County, Wisc the week of Sept

28th-Oct 4th or the 4th to 11th. Is this a good fall color

destination? I have looked for pictures of the area, but have not

seen much fall color.

When do colors tend to peak in the area?

I saw the question posted below about Minnesota and have had

thoughts of changing destinations to the Duluth/Lake Superior area

based on the great answers.

For fall color, hiking, photography which would you choose, Lake

Superior or Door County?

I am thinking Door county might be too settled, not enough parks and

too touristy, and Lake superior sounds more wild.

Thanks!

This should be a fun trip! 3 days in the Valley will give you a nice taste and time to do a few things.

I have stayed in Curry Village in both the tent cabins and hard walled cabins(all have elec and lights) and enjoyed them both. With the tents I prefer the ones more away from the main area due to the noise factor. Remember thatthey all share a community bath too, so bring some flipflop shower shoes.

For food in the valley I liked the pizza place in Curry Village and Degnans Deli (great Deggmcmuffins at breakfast!)in the HQ area. There is also a store in Curry for snacks, drinks, sandwich fixins and a full grocery at HQ. By the way be sure to visit the Awhanaee to see it,but food there is very expensive-even at lunch!

Also, listen to the warning about keeping food in your car or tent as in the valley they are "smarter than the average bear"

You can pick up Michael Fryes book Photographers guide to Yosemite at any store in the park- best $8 I spent there. It has great info on spots to shoot, times of day, moon chart, etc.

There are lots of great hikes in the Valley from short strolls to the 18 miles to the top of Half Dome. I really like the short 15 minute walk to the very base of El Cap and looking up at the climbers. Nevada Falls/mist trail is a nice on in the afternoon heat. An afternoon roadtrip to Wawona/Mariposa grove and sunset from Glacier Point is pretty cool too.

By the way, there is gas in the park, just not in Yosemite Valley so watch your tank

Have fun!!

I use a 3021 and I think a ballhead is best. I have used the Bogen 3262 med ballhead-it is ok but not for big glass.

I really prefer something like a Kirk BH1. It will set you back $340 but is an awesome piece of equipment!

You might also want the shoulderstrap for the 3021 if you cannot attach it to a pack. It is a fair load but worth it.

I think ansel said he always carried the heaviest equipment he could since weight meant stability(and bigger cameras!)

Second for Homer!

Homer was the "Paris of the North" It has art galleries, the Homer spit, and the beauty of the Kenai area (green rivers, salmon, the coast, wildlife. Be sure to visit the "Salty Dawg" saloon and get some fresh Halibut steaks right off the dock! You can even camp on the beach of the spit-quite fun.

Valdez as a town is UGLY- might as well be Odessa, Texas. The area north of Valdez is nice for waterfalls and a glacier. Even better is Wrangell-St. Elias National Park (take the road to McCarthy!) but Valdez itself is a waste of time.

I also give a big thumbs up to Seward. Hiking Exit glacier is a must and you can right up to the Harding icefield! A full day boat tour of the fjords is also a great experience for vistas and wildlife.

You will love alaska!!! Have fun!!

Hello all!

I am planning a trip upto the Creede and Lake City areas of Colorado

in early July. I normally goto the Ouray-Telluride area but am

going to try something different this year.

Looking for info on good locations for landscape shots (roads,

trails, parks, etc). I am sure that 149 has lots of great stuff,

but are there any locations that really will jump out for landscapes

or flowers?

Also looking for a good place to stay in Creede, Lake San

Christobol, or Lake City areas. Small inn or the like (wife will be

with me) Looking for quiet, quaint, not luxury but not motel 6

either.

Thanks!

Jeff-

Yes, fall can be a better time to see Texas. Actually the "best" times are March and November for Big Bend and late October early November for Guadalupe mountains (fall colors). Having said that you can alo have a great trip in the "5th season" of August and September which is the rainy season in the desert. Big afternoon thunderheads and T-stoms bring the bulk of the rain then. There is often a second wave of wildflowers too. The rivers are also at their best for rafting then. Yes it is hot but the rain helps cool the place. Also the storms can be photographic and bring awesome light.

Follow this link to BBNP be sure to check the photo page!

http://www.nps.gov/bibe/home.htm

And this has some great Guadalupe stuff

http://www.rozylowicz.com/retirement/guadalupe/guadalupe.html

Whenever you get to Texas, have a great trip!!!

Jeff-

Let me confirm some of the other advice- Texas is a BIG state, that is alot for just a week. I can easily spend a week in either Big Bend or Guadalupe Mountains. A good trip would be a week between them and that will only give you the highlights.

June is HOT! About the hottest month in the desert. The summer rainy season is just about to start then and the place is parched. I have been in Big Bend in May and the night time temp never got below 92 on the desert floor!

Both parks are still pretty scenic, even in June. I would hit the two of them and avoid Amarillo and San Antonio. Palo Duro is ok, but the National Parks are much better.

Guadalupe Mountains- No store. no gas. no hotels. Be self contained. Less than 20 tent sites and there is water. Hike McKittrick Canyon one day. Climb Guadalupe Peak another. If you have more time, hike Devils Hall, drive Williams Ranch road (4x4 only!), and go watch sunset from salt flats west of park.

Best photos are of El Capitan at sunset from boulder field just west of the 180/54 split and from salt flat a few miles west of 180/54 split.

Big Bend- Camp in Basin campground. It will be cooler than the 2 desert campgrounds. Hike South Rim 1 day and maybe backpack overnight there. Hike Window for sunset photo from Basin campground. Grapevine hills balanced rock for sunup. Drive Glenn springs-River Road 1 day. Soak in hotsprings! Park has gas and stores but still be contained. Border is closed, so Mexico is off limits. You might want to raft Santa Elena canyon- 1 day.

Tim Fitzharris has a good book on National Park photography that covers Big Bend and has a shot from Guadalupe in front pages. Also both park websites have some pics.

Take lots of film and water. Camp. Go for the parks. Also, you might want to fly to El Paso and skip Dallas, amarillo, Sanantonio.

Have fun!!

I cannot answer the "right now" part, but generally anywhere in the Burnett, Llano, Marble Falls, Fredricksburg areas is great. for camping the best camping (tents only) is Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. It's just north of Fredricksburg and has great big granite domes for great backgrounds. Make a reservation with TPWD since it books up quick. Alternative places to camp are Inks Lake SP or Colorado Bend SP.

At any park you are in a campground -not in the middle of a patch, but the flowers are never far.

BTW there are patchs of Bluebonnets springing up in Fort Worth off I-30.

I would second (or third) the idea of 2-3 days in Zion and only overnight at Bryce.

Zion Canyon is the center of interest. The crowded conditions in the narrow canyon have led to a shuttle system. I found it to be great since it runs something like 6am-10pm or so, so can get in early and stay late. Plenty of stops in the right places, free, extends into town too. Makes the park alot quieter. Lodge is nice but pricey. Campgrounds are ok but close to highway. Nice lodging in Springdale, at various price levels. We stayed at the Canyon Ranch Motel, really liked it, very quiet. Fairly reasonable.

As far as photography goes, it's everywhere. I liked wading the cold Virgin Narrows, the bridge, and hiking Angels Landing. You could also venture out to the Kolob Canyon area on west edge of park off I-15, if you like to hike and explore.

Bryce is smaller and all pretty similar. I think an afternoon, evening, and the dawn shot are plenty.

If you like more remote and less developed, checkout Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Awesome country without the Nat Park crush of people.

Have fun!!!

Canon and Nikon are both good brands, much like Acura and Infiniti are good brands too. If you really want something different and still shoot film, then goto a medium format system like the Mamiya, Pentax or Hassie 645 autofocus systems. Almost all the stuff you can get in 35mm but a 270% increase in picture size. One look at a medium format slide (that will blow away any 35mm) and you will wonder what all the Nikon-Canon fuss is about.

Just a thought

Still 100% film amd proud of it. In fact thinking of going to 4x5 as my next purchase. As it is I go out with a Mamiya 645 and Olympus OM gear, so not only all film, I am also all manual focus with prime lenses!!

Digital intrigues me only from the can preview the shot aspect.

Digital scares me because cameras will become a commodity and obsolete as fast as a computer. In 1990 I remember having to spend over $2400 for a computer/12"monitor combo that was not even top notch (those were $5000). Today $700 gets a full computer combo. I think today we are at that 1990 equilivent. So maybe in a few years prices will drop significantly due to Moores law and cheap Chinese labor.

But even if dSLR prices drop, I doubt digital will have an effective lifespan past 3 years. Just expect that every 3 years to have to replace your computer, OS, Photoshop, camera, and printer.

Of course someday people will long for the days when cameras were simple mechanical toys and the glory of a Velvia chrome..........

All of those cameras are about the same in attributes and qualities. If you want a "new" one check out b+h at bhphotovideo.com or for a used model check out keh.com Both places are very trustworthy.

What features are you looking for? If you are optional about auto focus then the Pentax ZX-M is only like $150 for the body. For AF the Nikon N65, Minlota 4, Canon Rebel, and Pentax ZX-30(?) are very similar. Nikon and Canon probably have more fans here and most pro's use them. Personally I like the controls on the Pentax and Minolta bodies better than the Nikons or Canons.

My advice would be that the basic autofocus bodies you have listed are tougher to learn on since the the controls are all rather automated and the "manual operation" features are not convenient. You may want to look at a used Elan 7 or similar mid level body for Auto focus, and more featured. Or go retro and get a manual focus Nikon FM2 or FM10 (under $200 new i think), Manual focus but will be a good backup if you go Nikon AF later since lenses can be interchanged.

Good luck!

Morris-

Stowe is a great location. Any road out of town is scenic, so just drive. You can also check with the Green mountain Hiking club office in Stowe for good trails.

Some neat areas to shoot include:

Smugglers Notch-NW of Stowe nice rocky area in a pass.

Lincoln and Ap Gaps- South of Stowe and near Waitsfield. Great farm and valley shots from both. Also all three areas are on or near the Long Trail which runs for 200 miles in VT.

Trapp Family Lodge sits on a hill overlooking Stowe. It is the home of the Von Trapps of Sound of Music fame. Awesome views from here. Also a little hiking in their woods. Good sunrise location.

NE of Stowe is Lake Willoughby which has some great cliffs and ice climbing.

Some people like sunrise from North Hero island near Burlington.

I never really found a great sunset location in Vermont(well not like here in the southwest!)

If you need lodging I would give a thumbs up to the Innsbruck Inn. It is north of Stowe and sits at the end of the town hike/bike path. Decent rates for the area, a large back lawn, right on the river, a covered bridge, quieter than "downtown".

For food I loved the Whip for dinner and Gracies for lunch.

Should be a great place. Have fun!!

-dane

Short answer-yes. And with exactly those two lenses.

Longer answer- I only own primes and have amassed a collection of 7 (21/24/28/35/50/100/200) I used to lug all thoose plus 2 bodies, plus filters, film etc. Which lenses did and do I use? 24mm for probably 60% of my shots/100mm for 30% / 21mm for 10%. I rarely use any of the others.

The 24 is even a 2.8, it's lighter and super shap so why pay and lug the 2.0 version? I did break down and get a 100/2.0 and now keep the older smaller 100/2.8 as my cruddy weather lens.

By the way I read an article by the late great Galen Rowell where he said 90% of his best work were or could have been taken with a two lens kit 24mm and 85mm. So it sounds like you are on the right track!

Brooks-

Big Bend is a great park. March is a very good month to be there, it is when the spring bloom happens. Of course, the wildflowers depend on the rainfall for any bloom to even happen. 2001 was awesome but last year was a total bust due to lack of rain. The park got very little rain in 2001 into summer 2002. However since May it has gotten enough rain to make 2002 an "average" year for total rainfall (about 8 inches in the desert and 16 inches in the mountains). So I am hoping for a nice bloom!

Having said that let me warn you that weeks 2 and 3 of March are Spring Break and the park will be FULL. There are 3 campgrounds (first come) in the park and 1 motel at the Basin. Make reservations now cause it will fill up. There are also some motels outside the western edge of the park at Study Butte. Note these are all basic accomidations- there is nothing like the lodges in Yosemite or Glacier.

Big Bend is a very remote place. No radio, TV or newspapers. Cel phones do not work here. Bring everything you need (food, fuel, film, batteries etc)cause there is only very limited options in the park. Also note there is only 1 cafe in whole park and I think it's only open lunch and dinner. Also top off your gas tank frequently since it can be a long way between stations.

The park sells a 3 volume set of books on paved roads, dirt roads, and trails of the park. They are only like $2.50 each and full of great info-get them.

There are great pictures all over this park. Canyons, mountains, desert. Check the nps.gov website it has some great pics on the Big Bend In Depth site.

Some favs are the Window and Lost Mine Trail hikes in the Basin. The window rock in the Grapevine Hills. Any canyon. The hot springs near Boquillas are great for soaking weary bones in!

Other stuff to see in the "area" include the Davis Mountains about 100 miles NW of park. Nice B+Bs in town (Hotel Limpia) and the Star Parties at the observatory are really neat. In Marathon there is the classic Gage hotel. Pricey but nice.

Good luck and have fun!!

I just spent a long weekend in Guadalupe Mountains National Park in

far West Texas and can report very vivid near peak color. If you

are going, go soon. McKittrick Canyon had some awesome vivid reds

and oranges. About half the trees had turned. The color was best

along the creek and seemed like it had already past on the high

north facing canyon walls.

Pine Spring Canyon (Devils Hall) also had some great vivid color.

It has been foggy, and misty for the last 4 days and some heavy rain

came through Saturday night but it is a good color year. Maybe not

as good as 99 but much improved over last year.

Also, there is some nice color change along I-20 in the Abilene area

Enjoy!!!

dane