Landscape Photography - Greenland

[AdamC]

Hey guys, in just over one month i will be heading of to greenland for a month month expdetion of a mixture of scientific research and adventure!! And at the moment i am trying to get together my camera kit sorted out and what a job it is turning out to be there are so many decisions to be made.

At the moment i have a Canon 350D with the kit lens which i love to bits and i am waiting to pick up a Sigma 10-20mm lens from my local photography store. Hopefully this will get the best out of the fantastic scenery that i will be roaming about.

What i want to ask all you budding experts is what sort of filters if any should i be taking with me?

Also with Greenland having 24hrs day light, well its more sort of dusk at night do you think it would be work buying a 50mm f/1.8 for low light performance when about camp taking pictures of fellow explorers?

Any camera cases you guys would recomend for the expedition as well would help matters as well!!

Thanks in advance for all your help!

Adam.

[JTL]

There is no Sigma 10-200...I assume you mean the 18-200.

This lens has served me well since March, but it is slow. It's lacks sharpness below f/8, especially at the tele end. Also, some focus hunting occurs in lower light, lower contrast situations. All of these negatives are things you just accept in such an extreme zoom at such a low price-point. But, on the positive side it has excellent contrast and color and the build quality is quite good. So, if you you want to minimize weight and have the convenience of one lens, all-in-all, it's a good choice.

But, for somewhere like Greenland where there will plenty of expansive, wide-angle shot opportunities, I would also seriously consider picking up the Canon EF-S 10-22mm as well...

[Rhys]

I would not buy such a slow lens - unless I were using a tripod as well.

I have a Tamron 17-35 and a Tamron 28-75. For landscape photos I usually use the 17-35 at 17mm. And I do use a 350D/XT.

You might find metering will be interesting in such conditions so I suggest an external meter. I think you'll find focussing is also going to be interesting so I suggest purchasing the AF module from Canon or a Canon flash (such as the 430EX) which has a built-in focussing module.

You might also benefit from extra batteries if temperatures are low. I suggest keeping one set in your pocket and one in the camera. They tend to work better when they're warm.

[AdamC]

sorry guys i mean the Sigma 10 - 20 mm f/4 - 5.6 sorry about that!!

[Rhys]

A 10-20 sounds an excellent idea. You'll need a CP with it. If you're going to get a CP or a UV filter then get the best - don't be cheap.

[aparmley]

You might find metering will be interesting in such conditions so I suggest an external meter. I think you'll find focussing is also going to be interesting so I suggest purchasing the AF module from Canon or a Canon flash which has a built-in focussing module.


Really? an external meter a requirement? can't he just adjust his exposure to his liking after reviewing the histogram ?

Really? A flash for its AF assist when doing landscapes? Did your cheese slide off your cracker?:D

[noyjimi]

Does it rain a lot in Greenland? :D Buy an all-weather bag like Lowepro All Weathers (AW) (see www.cambags.com for many reviews) and make sure it can be brought as a plane carry-on.

Bring your CPL, GND and ND filters, or just CPL if you only want one. I imagine there's plenty of landscapes (and sky and water) in Greenland, but I've never been there. :D Also have clear filters for the lenses.

Bring your card reader because unless you have a lot of CF cards, you'll need to download your image files from your month-long vacation. Bring the 50 1.8.

[Rhys]

Really? an external meter a requirement? can't he just adjust his exposure to his liking after reviewing the histogram ?

Really? A flash for its AF assist when doing landscapes? Did your cheese slide off your cracker?:D

Lol. I find with my XT that the flash helps a lot with focussing in low light. When I try to MF with my 18-55 I find the focusing ring goes beyond infinity so it's not a case of twisting to the max and being on infinity for landscapes. Thus AF assist is needed.

[cwphoto]

Really? an external meter a requirement? can't he just adjust his exposure to his liking after reviewing the histogram ?

Really? A flash for its AF assist when doing landscapes? Did your cheese slide off your cracker?:D

Andy you are 'cracking' me up - get it?; cracking?! Hardie har-har.:D



...got that 30D yet champion?