Tripod for Alaska Cruise?

I will be cruising the Inside Passage next month, and am wondering whether or not to take a tripod. My primary camera is a Sony Alpha SLT A-65, and I will be shooting mostly scenery and wildlife. While the shore excursions do not readily lend themselves to using a tripod, would it be useful in shooting photos from the deck of the ship, or would I be better off simply using a faster shutter speed? Since this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to capture the beauty of Alaska, I would like to have the best images possible. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

At most bring a good Monopod with a adjustable head and that is if you have a big lens. With all the crowds a tripod would of been a real pain for me when I went. The experience there is what lead me to go into the Sony mirrorless series to save weight.

As John said, the crowds on a tour boat or on the railing during a glacier day pretty much rule out a tripod. A monopod might help but keep in mind that it also connects you to the boat and vibration from a tour boat's engines can be pretty noticeable. With a faster shutter speed, stabilized lens or sensor, and slightly bent knees, you should have little trouble getting clear shots. In any situation where you can't plant and stay in one place to shoot, any 'pod is more of an encumbrance than a benefit.

This was shot from a tour boat traveling at nearly 50 mph over open ocean at we approached the destination on a lava tour in Hawaii. Bent knees, ISO640, f/4, 1/1250s and stabilized lens.

More to the point, stationary but bobbing boat in Alaska, ISO 100, 1/640s, f5.6, handheld with stabilized sensor at 200mm (effective).

Dave

I took a tripod on our trip to Alaska. We did a 7 day DIY trip before getting on the ship at Seward. Only used the tripod once during this portion of the trip. Used the tripod a lot during the inside passage & our stop at the Hubbard Glacier. However this was all from our cabin veranda. Photos turn out well & did not fight any crowds on the upper decks. If I were to do this trip again, I would not take the tripod. Good luck, John

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions, which are very much appreciated.

Another suggestion to add to Dave's: put your camera on burst mode and shoot short bursts (esp. for whales). As you first press the shutter button, you may be moving the camera into position or have moved it with the press, but the 2nd and 3rd shots are more likely to be in focus. For whales, you don't know as they break the water when the peak action will be reached. These shots might have been 10-15 shots in.

Last year for our Alaska cruise I carried my Velbron DF 60 for video cameras that I have had for years to use on our veranda. The deck is usually too crowded for a tripod in Glacier Bay but handy if you have a rainy day like we did. The Velbron is a rock-steady tripod but was long and heavy to carry in my suitcase. I recently bought for our Baltic cruise next month on a popular auction site a smaller carbon fiber 61" tripod that is half the length of the Velbron folded and about two pounds lighter. Two additional pluses are that it can convert to a monopod, and it has an ARCA-style ball mount that accepts the plates for the clips I use for carrying the cameras.

Another suggestion to add to Dave's: put your camera on burst mode and shoot short bursts (esp. for whales). As you first press the shutter button, you may be moving the camera into position or have moved it with the press, but the 2nd and 3rd shots are more likely to be in focus. For whales, you don't know as they break the water when the peak action will be reached. These shots might have been 10-15 shots in.

 

 

 

Great idea . . . thanks for the suggestion!