San Fran, Yosemite, Death Valley and Vegas....
Discussion
End of October the above is going to be my holiday for the year.
I hope to travel light so I don't want to lug too much camera kit around.
I have an NEX-6 which is decently compact and with it I have the following 3 lenses: 16-50mm power zoom, 55-210mm tele, and 35mm f1.8 prime.
The 35 is pretty much on the camera the whole time. Its a great lens and I like being forced to think about how I am going to take the shot. The 16-50 is at least useful for its wide end and that its quite pleasant to use if you want to take video. Its also rather compact. The 55-210, well as it came in the box I couldn't say no, but its not the best thing in the world. Nothing particularly special IQ wise and pretty slow at F6.3 at the long end so I am thinking of not taking it. In fact, as there is really nothing for the NEX range that you could favorably replace this thing with (the more expensive 18-200mm isn't exactly much better) bar using a lens adapter to gain access to proper SLR glass, I am thinking of getting one of those Samyang/Rokinon full manual 8mm fisheye lenses.
I am thinking the fisheye maybe a good shout especially for Vegas at night and on the tighter streets in San Fran. Alternatively I can push the boat out (maybe) and go for the Sony 10-18mm F4. But it is twice the price!
Has anyone here been and taken photos at these places? what kit did you use and what did you wish you had taken? I have no external flash and I anticipate not needing one (plus its extra guff to carry).
I hope to travel light so I don't want to lug too much camera kit around.
I have an NEX-6 which is decently compact and with it I have the following 3 lenses: 16-50mm power zoom, 55-210mm tele, and 35mm f1.8 prime.
The 35 is pretty much on the camera the whole time. Its a great lens and I like being forced to think about how I am going to take the shot. The 16-50 is at least useful for its wide end and that its quite pleasant to use if you want to take video. Its also rather compact. The 55-210, well as it came in the box I couldn't say no, but its not the best thing in the world. Nothing particularly special IQ wise and pretty slow at F6.3 at the long end so I am thinking of not taking it. In fact, as there is really nothing for the NEX range that you could favorably replace this thing with (the more expensive 18-200mm isn't exactly much better) bar using a lens adapter to gain access to proper SLR glass, I am thinking of getting one of those Samyang/Rokinon full manual 8mm fisheye lenses.
I am thinking the fisheye maybe a good shout especially for Vegas at night and on the tighter streets in San Fran. Alternatively I can push the boat out (maybe) and go for the Sony 10-18mm F4. But it is twice the price!
Has anyone here been and taken photos at these places? what kit did you use and what did you wish you had taken? I have no external flash and I anticipate not needing one (plus its extra guff to carry).
Did this trip (the other way round) couple of years ago. The views and scenery are awe inspiring. Some big landscapes there so my only advice would be to go wide. Oh, another thing, make sure you do Artists Drive in Death Valley. Not only is it a fantastic road but the scenery is spectacular.
I'm a cack photographer, but death valley / yosemite needs big wide stuff - the scenery is just so breathtaking, and the scales are huge.
Vegas is also massive, even neighbouring hotels are 10 mins walk apart. I'm not sure a fisheye would add anything there - but in san fran, down the wharf, or in the main square-y bit, on the trams etc a fisheye would probably be pretty cool.
If you're stopping, I can heartily reccomend the steakhouse at the death valley ranch - pretty epic meat in there. When you get to yosemite, if you have any doubt as to wether emerald lake is worth the trek, it deffo is =)
Have fun!
Vegas is also massive, even neighbouring hotels are 10 mins walk apart. I'm not sure a fisheye would add anything there - but in san fran, down the wharf, or in the main square-y bit, on the trams etc a fisheye would probably be pretty cool.
If you're stopping, I can heartily reccomend the steakhouse at the death valley ranch - pretty epic meat in there. When you get to yosemite, if you have any doubt as to wether emerald lake is worth the trek, it deffo is =)
Have fun!
The scenery is amazing in all four. I did it in spring 2012 and even my Nokia Lumia 800 was cable of some pretty decent shots.
You'll definitely enjoy yourself but make sure you take something that drives better than my rented Chrysler C200. It was gutless and didn't handle at all well. Worst of all the autobox was old school and dimwitted, my 176,000 mile diesel Vectra would have been more fun in those mountains...
You'll definitely enjoy yourself but make sure you take something that drives better than my rented Chrysler C200. It was gutless and didn't handle at all well. Worst of all the autobox was old school and dimwitted, my 176,000 mile diesel Vectra would have been more fun in those mountains...
I did this four years ago then on to Grand Canyon, Flagstaff and Phoenix to fly home. All in a 10 day honeymoon! Driving down into Death Valley from Yosemite in the middle of the night was scary. We stopped for Lunch in Vegas!
I took a Canon 400D with the crappy 18-55mm kit lens, a 55-200mm and a 50mm. Wished I had a wide angle though for some of the landscape shots.
I took a Canon 400D with the crappy 18-55mm kit lens, a 55-200mm and a 50mm. Wished I had a wide angle though for some of the landscape shots.
Middle pair (Yosemite/Death Valley) you need to really consider the wide angle, otherwise your photos will look good, but won't capture the immense scale of either location.
For SF a typical walkabout lens (24-70 for example) will do the trick, in my years of living out there I really didn't need my wide angle other than when shooting some weird views of the golden gate bridge.
Vegas is the trickier one, a real mishmash of walkabout versus wideangle due to the amount of over the top madness going on.
For SF a typical walkabout lens (24-70 for example) will do the trick, in my years of living out there I really didn't need my wide angle other than when shooting some weird views of the golden gate bridge.
Vegas is the trickier one, a real mishmash of walkabout versus wideangle due to the amount of over the top madness going on.
Half Dome from Glacier Point, 15mm on 60D (10-20mm Sigma)
Yosemite Trip - 74 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Another from Glacier Point, 10mm on 60D (10-20mm Sigma)
Yosemite Trip - 61 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
And now from up there with my Sony R1, 14mm (equivalent to 24mm)
Yosemite Trip - 20 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Tunnel view (24mm on the R1)
Tunnel View (Yosemite National Park) by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Same shot at 14mm on the 60D (Sigma 10-20), and then cropped
Yosemite Trip - 82 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Yosemite Trip - 74 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Another from Glacier Point, 10mm on 60D (10-20mm Sigma)
Yosemite Trip - 61 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
And now from up there with my Sony R1, 14mm (equivalent to 24mm)
Yosemite Trip - 20 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Tunnel view (24mm on the R1)
Tunnel View (Yosemite National Park) by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Same shot at 14mm on the 60D (Sigma 10-20), and then cropped
Yosemite Trip - 82 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
For Death Valley, here's a near identical shot with both options, first up the 10-20mm on 60D
Death Valley - Jan 2012 - 188 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
And then the same shot at 24mm on the Sony
Death Valley - Jan 2012 - 45 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Death Valley - Jan 2012 - 188 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
And then the same shot at 24mm on the Sony
Death Valley - Jan 2012 - 45 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
GGB with 10-20mm on 60D
San Francisco - Jan 2012 - 51 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Then the same spot with the Sony
San Francisco - Jan 2012 - 35 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
However, from further up the hillside you can still get a wider shot even with the 24mm, the lowest it can go
San Francisco - Jan 2012 - 15 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
And don't forget that you may not be able to see much up there with any lens
San Francisco Trip - 31 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
And just for fun, here's a timelapse I shot of the fog rolling into the bay from the same location as above
http://flic.kr/p/apHjL9
San Francisco - Jan 2012 - 51 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Then the same spot with the Sony
San Francisco - Jan 2012 - 35 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
However, from further up the hillside you can still get a wider shot even with the 24mm, the lowest it can go
San Francisco - Jan 2012 - 15 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
And don't forget that you may not be able to see much up there with any lens
San Francisco Trip - 31 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
And just for fun, here's a timelapse I shot of the fog rolling into the bay from the same location as above
http://flic.kr/p/apHjL9
Look up doing a photography course while in Yosemite, even if you only do a couple of hours in a little group early one morning and they show you and tell you something about Ansel Adams' photographs. It's great fun!
Otherwise all those places are great.
Had a bit of hassle in SF while doing some street photography once, stay on the more touristy bits. Goes for Vegas too (but you've probably seen CSI, haven't you!)
Otherwise all those places are great.
Had a bit of hassle in SF while doing some street photography once, stay on the more touristy bits. Goes for Vegas too (but you've probably seen CSI, haven't you!)
K12beano said:
............. they show you and tell you something about Ansel Adams' photographs.
I think that the OP wants to travel light
Seriously - I think that A.A.'s photographs of Yosemite are acknowledged
by most to be the 'best' images of the region.
IIRC he took most of his classic images using the Cooke Tri Convertible lens
which is roughly equivalent to a 45mm FF lens at its widest and about 95mm
at its longest.
Otispunkmeyer said:
Cheers for the tips fellas
Will look into the 10-18mm then see how the money goes. Will probably sell the 55-210mm. Its next to useless for me. Worth a good £100 I reckon.
Going to trawl flickr I think see what places look like with certain lenses.
I still have the Tamron 18-200 that I bought for my NEX shortly before selling it... Just saying...Will look into the 10-18mm then see how the money goes. Will probably sell the 55-210mm. Its next to useless for me. Worth a good £100 I reckon.
Going to trawl flickr I think see what places look like with certain lenses.
rottie102 said:
Otispunkmeyer said:
Cheers for the tips fellas
Will look into the 10-18mm then see how the money goes. Will probably sell the 55-210mm. Its next to useless for me. Worth a good £100 I reckon.
Going to trawl flickr I think see what places look like with certain lenses.
I still have the Tamron 18-200 that I bought for my NEX shortly before selling it... Just saying...Will look into the 10-18mm then see how the money goes. Will probably sell the 55-210mm. Its next to useless for me. Worth a good £100 I reckon.
Going to trawl flickr I think see what places look like with certain lenses.
Its tough deciding which lens to take. I can actually rent both the Samyang fisheye and the Sony 10-18mm wide angle zoom for very reasonable money, so I may do just that to see which I am going to like using the most. Not very many photos on flickr that are taken with these lenses at the locations I am going to, so I can't really make that much of a decision. The Samyang is very wide and has that fisheye effect which to be honest is cool for a while, but for me the effect can get tiresome rather fast. I think a lens like that is something you must have in addition to whatever else you are carrying, just to give you that option of a different effect. But I am not sure such a lens should be a primary method of taking a wide shot.
So I am leaning towards the 10-18mm. Its about £570 but I have just checked out the rental prices and for the period I want they ask only £76 which I think is reasonable. I am leaning toward the rental route because at this point I am unsure how much the lens would get used after the holiday. My old Sigma 10-20mm rarely got used unless a super wide angle was required and the slower apertures stopped it from being useful in a lot of situations. So small outlay to rent, then if I like it I can buy one when I get back. If I don't think I'll use it much after the fact, then its only cost me £76.
in fact for not much more than £100 I can rent both the lenses for the period of my trip. Might be worth that.
I've shot in a lot of US national parks, and you'll need as wide as you can get. I shoot with a 5dmk2 and 17-40L.
If you are serious about trying to get some good photos then i would strongly suggest you plan your shots for the parks. There can be vast distances between locations, even within the parks. For example, getting to Dante's View from Furnace Creek is over 45mins without stopping, and Ubehebe Crater is 1.5hrs. In Yosemite, the village to Glacier Point is 1hr+. It's also worth taking note of times of day to be in certain locations.
Yosemite valley is horrendously busy on weekends and holidays between the hours of 10am and 4pm (though will probably be far better in late October!). Make the effort to be there ready for sunrise, and sunset when the light if vastly better, and there are not many people around. Also try staying later and doing star photography in either of the national parks.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthoulb/collections... <- These are some of my photos from US parks and might give you some ideas.
End of October should be perfect timing for fall colours too, so Yosemite will be impressive (though the waterfalls wont have much flow)! There's a very slight risk of Tioga pass being closed to, but it will probably be open (http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tiogaopen.htm).
If you are serious about trying to get some good photos then i would strongly suggest you plan your shots for the parks. There can be vast distances between locations, even within the parks. For example, getting to Dante's View from Furnace Creek is over 45mins without stopping, and Ubehebe Crater is 1.5hrs. In Yosemite, the village to Glacier Point is 1hr+. It's also worth taking note of times of day to be in certain locations.
Yosemite valley is horrendously busy on weekends and holidays between the hours of 10am and 4pm (though will probably be far better in late October!). Make the effort to be there ready for sunrise, and sunset when the light if vastly better, and there are not many people around. Also try staying later and doing star photography in either of the national parks.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthoulb/collections... <- These are some of my photos from US parks and might give you some ideas.
End of October should be perfect timing for fall colours too, so Yosemite will be impressive (though the waterfalls wont have much flow)! There's a very slight risk of Tioga pass being closed to, but it will probably be open (http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tiogaopen.htm).
Edited by Matt.. on Saturday 17th August 18:41
Matt.. said:
I've shot in a lot of US national parks, and you'll need as wide as you can get. I shoot with a 5dmk2 and 17-40L.
If you are serious about trying to get some good photos then i would strongly suggest you plan your shots for the parks. There can be vast distances between locations, even within the parks. For example, getting to Dante's View from Furnace Creek is over 45mins without stopping, and Ubehebe Crater is 1.5hrs. In Yosemite, the village to Glacier Point is 1hr+. It's also worth taking note of times of day to be in certain locations.
Yosemite valley is horrendously busy on weekends and holidays between the hours of 10am and 4pm (though will probably be far better in late October!). Make the effort to be there ready for sunrise, and sunset when the light if vastly better, and there are not many people around. Also try staying later and doing star photography in either of the national parks.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthoulb/collections... <- These are some of my photos from US parks and might give you some ideas.
End of October should be perfect timing for fall colours too, so Yosemite will be impressive (though the waterfalls wont have much flow)! There's a very slight risk of Tioga pass being closed to, but it will probably be open (http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tiogaopen.htm).
Whatever this man says - listen to him! His photos from there are simply amazing If you are serious about trying to get some good photos then i would strongly suggest you plan your shots for the parks. There can be vast distances between locations, even within the parks. For example, getting to Dante's View from Furnace Creek is over 45mins without stopping, and Ubehebe Crater is 1.5hrs. In Yosemite, the village to Glacier Point is 1hr+. It's also worth taking note of times of day to be in certain locations.
Yosemite valley is horrendously busy on weekends and holidays between the hours of 10am and 4pm (though will probably be far better in late October!). Make the effort to be there ready for sunrise, and sunset when the light if vastly better, and there are not many people around. Also try staying later and doing star photography in either of the national parks.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthoulb/collections... <- These are some of my photos from US parks and might give you some ideas.
End of October should be perfect timing for fall colours too, so Yosemite will be impressive (though the waterfalls wont have much flow)! There's a very slight risk of Tioga pass being closed to, but it will probably be open (http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tiogaopen.htm).
Edited by Matt.. on Saturday 17th August 18:41
I'd love to be able to help with advice kit wise. But all i can say is you've chosen a great route. In fact very similar to a 6500 mile road two week road trip i did with my brothers 4 years ago starting from Nashville TN. Yosemite is one of my favourite places I've been to. Unfortunately didn't get to sample Vegas myself. I would have thought your route will bring you near horse shoe bends. In fact I think that's near Death Valley. Only had an old Sony compact at the time unfortunately. Would love to go again with better kit.
Gassing Station | Photography & Video | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff