Camera, photos, or videos

[njasmine]

What set up you use to pictures and videos in Alaska?

 

I'm trying to see if I need to upgrade.  As of now I have a pixel 7 and DJI mavic mini first edition.  

 

Thanks 

[Heidi13]

8 hours ago, njasmine said:

What set up you use to pictures and videos in Alaska?

 

I'm trying to see if I need to upgrade.  As of now I have a pixel 7 and DJI mavic mini first edition.  

 

Thanks 

 

First thing that comes to mind is the operation of drones aboard cruise ships are banned by most, if not all cruise lines. Some cruise lines will even ban them from being brought aboard.

 

Personally, I use 2 full-frame Canon bodies (R6 & 5DIII), with each body capable of taking photos and short film clips.

[dd57]

I have been amazed at how well my Pixel 7 does in suboptimal conditions such as thru the window of a moving bus.  But if you want wildlife photos, like whale watching, I would still take a camera with as long of a zoom as possible. It doesn't have to be a big DSLR; I have a mirrorless bridge camera that goes to 400mm and did pretty well.  There are several threads on the Digital Photography board here on CC that discuss this very topic.

[Oakman58]

I agree with dd57, if you plan to take photos of wildlife bring a camera with a long optical zoom lens.

[SirTomster]

I think it depends on what you want to do.  Personally, one of my hobbies is Landscape Photography.  So I am going to bring my toys!

 

150-500mm Lens - Going to be awesome on the ship

28-105mm Lens - Great when on tours

I am debating the 15-30 - I am leaning towards leaving it at home since I am not sure it is worth the extra 15mm.

 

So that is for the DSLR.    

 

I know I will want to have some video too.  But do I want a GoPro or DJI Osmo?   They could be cool though they do not have any zoom.  When I am sitting next to a glacier in Glacier Bay, I want to record calving.  But those will be very wide and doubt they will see much.  

 

So, maybe I will just use my phone on video and not spend the money on another device.  Or even my DSLR even though its video capabilities are not the best.  Pentax K-1.

 

Decisions, decisions.

 

But I would say that you need to decide what you plan on shooting.  Then go from there.   I am a photography nut so this is a big deal to me.  For others, a simple camera might be all they need.  Or just their phone.   Not my cup of tea, but I bet more people are good with a phone than a photo nut like me.

[dd57]

9 hours ago, Oakman58 said:

I agree with dd57, if you plan to take photos of wildlife bring a camera with a long optical zoom lens.

Yes, I forgot to say optical.  Software zoom doesn't cut it.

[azappraiser]

On 8/24/2023 at 1:30 AM, njasmine said:

What set up you use to pictures and videos in Alaska?

 

I'm trying to see if I need to upgrade.  As of now I have a pixel 7 and DJI mavic mini first edition.  

 

Thanks 

 

You definitely want to check your cruise line's prohibited items list to avoid having it confiscated.

 

I'm planning to take two bodies & three lenses; Pentax K-50 & K-70, a 14mm f2.8, a 60-250mm f4, & my trusty 18-135mm.  Also packing a 1.4x Rear converter for a little extra focal length.

 

Our itinerary includes Glacier Bay; so one of the things I want to do is set the K-50 on a tripod, on the balcony, and set it to shoot at timed intervals when the ship is rotating in front of one of the glaciers.  I can then stitch the shots in post to create a glacial panorama.

 

DW isn't into all the bells and whistles, so we're looking at getting her a Kodak PIXPRO.  Decent enough specs for a travel camera, with a 16MP sensor & 24-600mm Optical Zoom.  She can shoot in program mode or experiment with other settings if she wants.  I like that I can set it to capture Raw & jpg.

[Guindalf]

We have iPhones for ‘snaps’ and I have a Canon M200 with an 18-55 for general and 55-250 is for my long lens. The latter is on a conversion ring as it was for my XSi EOS Rebel I bought for my first Alaska cruise back in 2009. 

[ahl]

I used a Nikon D5600 with my standard 18-105 mm lens most of the time in Alaska. This worked well for port calls at Skagway, aboard the White Pass & Yukon, Juneau, and Ketchikan. Tracy Arm Fjord and the Sawyer Glacier and whale watching at Juneau called for a larger lens. I used a 70-300 mm in those situations.

[Oakman58]

When my wife and I go on trips I take pictures for my own enjoyment and memories.  I don’t want to weigh myself down with a number of lenses or other heavy equipment.  My camera is a Canon SX 540 that has a 50X optical zoom lens.  I believe it’s considered a bridge camera, something between a simple point and shoot and a DSLR. 

The wildlife in these pictures were at least 200 to 300 yards aways from me.  I did crop these pics for better detail.

 

 

 

 

 

On our excursion in Ketchikan the boat we were on threw fish in the water to attract eagles.  The eagles were fairly close to the boat so I was able to get these pictures.

 

[azappraiser]

Great shots of the eagles!

[njasmine]

On 8/24/2023 at 7:09 PM, dd57 said:

I have been amazed at how well my Pixel 7 does in suboptimal conditions such as thru the window of a moving bus.  But if you want wildlife photos, like whale watching, I would still take a camera with as long of a zoom as possible. It doesn't have to be a big DSLR; I have a mirrorless bridge camera that goes to 400mm and did pretty well.  There are several threads on the Digital Photography board here on CC that discuss this very topic.

Thanks for that information I will head to that board.

[eileeshb]

11 hours ago, njasmine said:

Thanks for that information I will head to that board.

There are a few threads on that board specifically discussing kit for Alaska. 
Remember you can also rent camera kit online if you want something for a once off trip rather than  investing thousands.