quote:

Originally posted by Mikus36:
Locations include Stephens Passage, Juneau, Endicott Arm/ Dawes Glacier, Sitka, Ketchikan and Victoria BC
Wildlife and whale watch excursions. Possibility of a heli excursion -wife wont go on that one.

Be aware in Juneau the Mt. Robert’s tram is currently closed with no definitive date on reopening. They had an accident with injuries and it is undergoing repairs. Mendenhall Glacier is incredible and there are several different excursions to see it. Everything from riding a bus to the visitor’s center to riding a helicopter and landing on it. We did a canoe trip out to it and that was amazing.

In Ketchikan taking a day trip on the smaller boats out to Misty Fjords is on my bucket list. Yes it seems counterintuitive to get off of one boat and onto another. But the smaller boats get into places not accessible by the larger ones and get a lot closer to glaciers and wildlife. Also check out Tsongass Trading Company. It used to be across the parking lot from where the cruise ships docked but I think Ketchikan turned one of the old canneries into a new cruise ships dock. First floor has got all the typical Alaskan tourist souvenir stuff. Second floor has prospecting equipment, hardcore camping gear, guns, fishing equipment, knives, axes, all the stuff you need to look like Yukon Cornelius. It was hilarious after the initial disembarkment watching all of the crew from the cruise ship empty out and make a beeline for Tsongass.

We did a fishing charter on one of the trips to Juneau and had a great time. We thought, why go on a whale watching tour when we can watch breaching Humpback Whales while fishing? Your experience may vary greatly.

Another thing we did when shore excursions didn’t immediately leave from getting off the ship was skip breakfast, get off the ship as soon as we could and find someplace local for breakfast. Sourdough pancakes and reindeer sausage beats the hell out of a cruise ship breakfast buffet.

On our two Alaska cruises most of my wildlife shots came from the optional rail extension of the cruise. Several cruise lines have their own cars on the Alaska Railroad and offer a rail portion of the cruise from Seward to Fairbanks. Each day ends with an overnight stay at a resort. Two of the stops are Talkeetna and Denali National Park. Denali is where I got most of my wildlife shots.

Similar scenario here, headed to a Denali train trip then a Juneau-based cruise this summer as my first time in Alaska.

I can't help with specific Nikon lens suggestions (went micro 4/3 Olympus long ago) but I do echo the ideas above about getting (or renting) a long lens to bring along on the trip. For the long shots, I'm bringing a 150-600 zoom and a 1.4 teleconverter. I do enough birding that it made sense to buy the beast, but if you are only doing long shots on this trip, renting - as pricey as that can get - could be worth considering, vs. buying if it would then only sit on a shelf collecting dust.

Ditto to the recommendation to take a smaller boat excursion to get close to the glaciers and whale watching.

We regretted not doing it on our first Alaska cruise. So we paid the money on the second cruise, and it was well worth it.

My choice for Alaska would be the Nikon Z50II two lens "kit" for 1400 dollars with a 16-50mm f3.5-6.3 VR and a 50-250mm f4.5-6.3 VR. That yields a perspective of 24-375mm in a Kit that weighs in under 4 lbs. BTW those "kit" lenses may feel like toys but the image quality they produce ranks with the finest lenses made. Nikon got real serious about insuring that every Z mount lens delivers superb image quality. BTW if I want to go really long I do have my 150-500mm Tamron but at nearly 4 lbs. I wouldn't want to lug that beast around too far. I also have the 17-70mm Tamron under consideration. It's an excellent lens but at 1.2 lbs. it's rather heavy.

As for the "slower" aperture, that doesn't bother me a bit. The Z50II is quite good at higher ISO's and I have DXO PhotoLab 9.8 with DeepPrime 3 to sort out any 25,000 and 52,000 ISO shots.

Following this thread for recommendations as well. I’m also doing a Holland America cruise out of Seattle the following week.

Using ChatGPT more and more these days so decided to see what it suggested as I continue to ponder what gear to bring on what will likely be a “once in a lifetime” trip. We are now less than a month away from departure and my analysis paralysis isn’t getting any better.

Told it what gear I have, what my excursions were and it came up with a pretty comprehensive and logical breakdown…

”Alaska Inside Passage Photography Kit Recommendation/Comprehensive Camera & Lens Plan

Itinerary: Glacier Bay • Mendenhall Glacier & Whale Quest • White Pass Scenic Railway • Shipboard Photography

After evaluating all of my Canon equipment, the recommended system is built around **two primary cameras** with an optional third convenience camera.

The goal is:

* Maximum landscape quality
* Instant wildlife capability
* Minimal lens changes
* Redundancy in case of equipment failure
* The highest probability of capturing every photographic opportunity.

Rather than minimizing gear, this kit prioritizes always having the right tool immediately available.

Primary Camera - Canon EOS R5 Mark II

Purpose:
* Landscapes
* Glaciers
* Ports
* Ship
* Family photos
* General travel photography

Advantages
* Outstanding 45 MP resolution
* Excellent dynamic range
* Superb autofocus
* Outstanding weather sealing
* Excellent image stabilization
* Large cropping capability

This will produce the majority of the "wall-worthy" images from the trip.


Wildlife Camera - Canon EOS R7

Purpose
* Whales
* Eagles
* Bears
* Sea Lions
* Mountain goats
* Glacier details

Advantages
* 1.6× crop factor
* 32 MP sensor
* Excellent autofocus
* More pixels on distant wildlife
* Extends the RF 200-800 to an effective field of view similar to 320–1280 mm

For Alaska, this is one of the best wildlife bodies Canon makes.


Convenience Camera (Optional) - Canon EOS R10

Purpose
* Ship interiors
* Casual walking
* Evening exploration
* Lightweight carry

This camera is not required. It is simply convenient when walking the ship instead of carrying the larger cameras.



Lens Recommendations

1. Canon RF 10-20mm F4/L - This is the signature Alaska landscape lens.

Ideal for:
* Glacier Bay
* Mendenhall Glacier
* Fjords
* Waterfalls
* Ship interiors
* Dramatic skies
* Mountains


2. Canon RF 24-105mm F4/L - This is the everyday lens/Primary walk-around lens

Perfect for
* Ports
* Walking
* Family photos
* Travel
* Dining
* Scenic overlooks


3. Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8L - Initially this seemed optional. After reviewing the itinerary, it becomes worthwhile.

Best use:

White Pass Scenic Railway.

Reasons:
* Compress mountain scenery
* Waterfalls
* Bridges
* Curving train shots
* Landscape details

This is not an everyday lens.

Recommendation: Bring it, use it selectively.


4. Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM - This lens exists for one purpose: Wildlife.

Perfect for
* Whales
* Eagles
* Bears
* Sea otters
* Harbor seals
* Distant glacier details

Recommendation: Absolutely bring.


Lenses to Leave Home

RF 14-35mm f/4
Not needed. The RF 10-20 completely replaces it.

RF 24-240mm
Excellent travel lens. Not necessary with this two-body setup.

Sigma 16-300
Useful, however, it duplicates too much of the existing system.



Why the RF 24-105 f/4 Instead of the f/2.8?

The f/2.8 is one of Canon's finest lenses, however...

For Alaska:

Advantages of the f/4
* Almost 1.5 lb lighter
* Easier to carry
* Better balanced
* Image quality nearly identical outdoors
* Smaller and less conspicuous

The f/2.8 only becomes clearly advantageous for:
* Indoor events
* Portraits
* Evening photography

Since most photography on this trip is outdoors, the f/4 is the better travel choice.



Daily Shooting Plan

Sea Days
Camera 1: R5 II/RF 24-105
Camera 2: R7/RF 200-800
Optional: R10/Sigma 10-18


Glacier Bay

This is the most important photography day.
Camera 1: R5 II/RF 10-20
Camera 2: R7/RF 200-800
Nothing else required.


White Pass Scenic Railway
Recommended: R5 II/RF 24-105 along with R7/RF 70-200
Leave the 200-800 onboard unless wildlife is expected.


Mendenhall Glacier
Morning: R5 II/RF 10-20
Later: Switch to RF 24-105
Wildlife: R7/RF 200-800


Whale Quest
Camera 1: R5 II/RF 24-105
Camera 2: R7/RF 200-800
Do not substitute the 70-200.


Expected Lens Usage

Approximate percentages
RF 24-105: 45%
RF 200-800: 30%
RF 10-20: 15%
RF 70-200: 10%

These numbers reflect likely shooting time, not importance. Although the RF 10-20 may account for only a small percentage of your shots, many of those are likely to become your signature landscape images.



Final Packing List

Canon R5 Mark II
Canon R7
Canon R10 (optional)
RF 10-20mm f/4L
RF 24-105mm f/4L
RF 70-200mm f/2.8L Z
RF 200-800mm


Leave Home:
RF 14-35mm
RF 24-240mm
Sigma 16-300


Overall Assessment

This equipment combination provides essentially complete photographic coverage for an Alaska Inside Passage cruise.

Ultra-wide landscapes: Outstanding
General travel photography: Outstanding
Wildlife: Outstanding
Low-light capability: Excellent
Lens changes: Minimal
Redundancy: Excellent
Overall versatility: Exceptional


Final Recommendation

The core two-camera system of R5 Mark II + RF 24-105mm f/4L (or RF 10-20mm when the scenery calls for it) and R7 + RF 200-800mm is the foundation of this kit and is exceptionally well matched to your itinerary. The RF 70-200mm f/2.8L Z earns a place in your luggage because of the White Pass Scenic Railway and for creative telephoto landscape work, even if it isn't carried every day.

The R10 with the Sigma 10-18 is a worthwhile luxury if you enjoy having a lightweight camera for casual time around the ship, but it isn't essential to achieving excellent photographic coverage.

Bottom line: This is a professional-grade travel kit with very few compromises. It balances image quality, wildlife reach, landscape capability, and practical field use extremely well, and I would expect it to handle virtually every photographic opportunity you'll encounter on your Alaska cruise.”


I have to say, I agree with the rationale. Thankfully space/weight isn’t an issue for me since there is no air travel involved. I can bring a complete kit and only carry what is needed for each portion of the trip.

^^^^^^ Damn, you've got a lot of stuff.

I'm bringing one body and one lens, unless I pickup a second lens just for this trip aka, everything I own.

I'm pretty sure I will pick up a distance lens but i'm still not sure what it will be.

Just an fyi. Many of the major online camera shops will rent lenses to you. I have done it a couple of times and it has worked out well…

quote:

Originally posted by smlsig:
Just an fyi. Many of the major online camera shops will rent lenses to you. I have done it a couple of times and it has worked out well…

I'll look into this, thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by SpinZone:
^^^^^^ Damn, you've got a lot of stuff...

Shhh! Don’t tell my wife.


Seriously though, I’ve been lucky enough over the past 10 years or so to make money doing real estate listing photos as a side gig. Wife is ok with me putting “hobby” income back into my hobby. Would never have been able to get the level of gear I have if it came out of the real budget.


When I went to Africa a couple years ago I was afraid I went overboard with gear (definitely went overweight with the carry-on) and I used everything I took. With wildlife and scenery combined, having a dual camera set up comes in handy for going between the two without having to switch lenses. Particularly so in instances where dust or moisture is blowing around.

The holy grail is when your hobby, funds your hobby.

I used to shoot a lot of film when I was younger, now I just carry a DLSR with me to look cool.

I have a 24-120 lens on it, but have been rethinking that choice since I got it.

A couple of thoughts.

I have a 10-20mm lens and I find it more of a novelty lens. There are times that it is great, but most of the time even in Alaska, it’s too wide. It’s small, light and takes up very little space in the bag which is where it usually stays.

You might want to rethink leaving the 24-240 at home. Sounds like an excellent versatile walk around lens. Walking around in port you probably aren’t going to want to carry 2 camera bodies. With that lens you’re good for landscapes and then you’ve got the telephoto to capture closeups of Bald Eagles dumpster diving in the parking lot of Burger King in Ketchikan. One lens here would replace your 2 lens solution for White Pass Railroad. The rail cars are going to be crowded, only carrying one body and lens would be advantageous than a bag full of gear.

Your Glacier Bay 2 lens setup of 10-20mm and 200-800mm leaves a big hole between 20 and 200. Glacier photography can be tough. At times you want wide angle for overall views, but then you want telephoto to zoom in on formations and colors. The fortunate part of glacier cruising is it’s not fast action on and there’s ample time to change lenses if needed.

quote:

Originally posted by 2000Z-71:
A couple of thoughts.

I have a 10-20mm lens and I find it more of a novelty lens. There are times that it is great, but most of the time even in Alaska, it’s too wide. It’s small, light and takes up very little space in the bag which is where it usually stays.

You might want to rethink leaving the 24-240 at home. Sounds like an excellent versatile walk around lens. Walking around in port you probably aren’t going to want to carry 2 camera bodies. With that lens you’re good for landscapes and then you’ve got the telephoto to capture closeups of Bald Eagles dumpster diving in the parking lot of Burger King in Ketchikan. One lens here would replace your 2 lens solution for White Pass Railroad. The rail cars are going to be crowded, only carrying one body and lens would be advantageous than a bag full of gear.

Your Glacier Bay 2 lens setup of 10-20mm and 200-800mm leaves a big hole between 20 and 200. Glacier photography can be tough. At times you want wide angle for overall views, but then you want telephoto to zoom in on formations and colors. The fortunate part of glacier cruising is it’s not fast action on and there’s ample time to change lenses if needed.

The 10-20mm is a fantastic lens, maybe wider than needed for some landscapes but I found my 14-35mm not quite wide enough in Moab so I welcome the extra FOV. The R5 is 45mp, so lots of room to crop if 20mm is too wide. Also, on the R7 that 10-20mm becomes 16-32mm on a 32mp sensor. R7 is a bit noisy due to smaller pixels, but outside with f/4 isn’t a problem.


The 24-240mm is a good walk around with great range and I got some great pics with it in Africa. It made sense for that trip on one body while I had the 100-500mm with 1.4x TC on the other. RF 100-500mm is limited to 300mm+ with a TC so that pairing gave me 24-700mm range with just a relative small gap between 240-420mm. The 24-240mm will stay at home though due to the overlap with my 24-105mm and not much expectation of need in the 200mm+ for wandering around.

The 200-800mm is single purpose of Glacier bay from the boat and the whale watching excursion at Mendenhall.


Most likely my walk-around for anything else on land will be the R7 with my Sigma 16-300mm. 32-420mm equivalent in a small package and not nearly as obtrusive as a FF body with FF lenses. Paired with my iPhone, should handle anything.


Decisions, decisions, decisions…

quote:

Originally posted by 2000Z-71:
A couple of thoughts.

I have a 10-20mm lens and I find it more of a novelty lens. There are times that it is great, but most of the time even in Alaska, it’s too wide. It’s small, light and takes up very little space in the bag which is where it usually stays.

You might want to rethink leaving the 24-240 at home. Sounds like an excellent versatile walk around lens. Walking around in port you probably aren’t going to want to carry 2 camera bodies. With that lens you’re good for landscapes and then you’ve got the telephoto to capture closeups of Bald Eagles dumpster diving in the parking lot of Burger King in Ketchikan. One lens here would replace your 2 lens solution for White Pass Railroad. The rail cars are going to be crowded, only carrying one body and lens would be advantageous than a bag full of gear.

Your Glacier Bay 2 lens setup of 10-20mm and 200-800mm leaves a big hole between 20 and 200. Glacier photography can be tough. At times you want wide angle for overall views, but then you want telephoto to zoom in on formations and colors. The fortunate part of glacier cruising is it’s not fast action on and there’s ample time to change lenses if needed.

The 10-20mm is a fantastic lens, maybe wider than needed for some landscapes but I found my 14-35mm not quite wide enough in Moab so I welcome the extra FOV. The R5 is 45mp, so lots of room to crop if 20mm is too wide. Also, on the R7 that 10-20mm becomes 16-32mm on a 32mp sensor. R7 is a bit noisy due to smaller pixels, but outside with f/4 isn’t a problem.


The 24-240mm is a good walk around with great range and I got some great pics with it in Africa. It made sense for that trip on one body while I had the 100-500mm with 1.4x TC on the other. RF 100-500mm is limited to 300mm+ with a TC so that pairing gave me 24-700mm range with just a relative small gap between 240-420mm. The 24-240mm will stay at home though due to the overlap with my 24-105mm and not much expectation of need in the 200mm+ for wandering around.

The 200-800mm is single purpose of Glacier bay from the boat and the whale watching excursion at Mendenhall.


Most likely my walk-around for anything else on land will be the R7 with my Sigma 16-300mm. 32-420mm equivalent in a small package and not nearly as obtrusive as a FF body with FF lenses. Paired with my iPhone, should handle anything.


Decisions, decisions, decisions…

Couple of issues for those doing the Alaskan cruises this summer:

Tracy Arm Fjord - check and see if there are any updates to your cruise itinery if it included glacier cruising in Tracy Arm. They had a landslide in the fjord triggering a major tsunami. Many cruise ships are avoiding it due to the instability.

Noro Virus - we're seeing a higher number than avaerage cruise ship passengers ending up in the ER here in Anchorage this summer. Noro Virus has been a thing, Covid is sill a thing. These are in addition to our usual slip and falls resulting in broken hips, CHF paients crumpng and terminally ill patients on their bucket list trip finding out what the limits of their immune ssystem are. Don't go if you aren't physically able, carry a small bottle of Purell with you and use it.

quote:

Noro Virus has been a thing, Covid is sill a thing.

And if you are sick, DON'T get on the ship!