Going to Canada to shot landscape

Mantis · May 8, 2011

Hi all,
Im a beginner and I am going to Canada in july, and I will be going to the rocky mountains to trek. As I said I am a beginner, I am working with a canon 550d 18-55 standard lens and 55-250 zoom lens. Im strapped for cash as Im travelling but I was wondering if anyone can suggest anything else, other than a tripod that I would need to take quality landscape shots. Do I need a UV filter, also would I need a polarised lens or is photoshop good enough for the colour. thanks in advance for the help

starcluster · May 8, 2011

Yub i would suggest a UV filters and a polarizer too!

hmm, an extra battery would help too a waterproof bag to protect your gear... a rain plastic cover for your camera to protect from any sours of water...

and if i were you! i would buy a compass or to have a Gps in case of getting lost...

fokker · May 8, 2011

Sell the 18-55 and 55-250, and get a 17-85 IS; IMO probably the best value for money (second hand) travel lens. Good focal length range and handy image stabiliser. Not fast, but for a travel/landscape lens it doesn't really need to be. If you could stretch the budget further, the 15-85 IS is even better.

Tripod would be handy, but it's more a question of can you be bothered lugging it around with you. If yes, then definitely spring for a decent one if you can, although a cheap one is still better than none.

Filters - would not bother with a UV filter (they do nothing except protect the lens and arguably degrade image quality), a CPL (polarizer) filter will be useful too for landscapes.

Probably the most useful thing you could get is a suitable bag, if you don't already have one. You'll want something waterproof and comfortable that can house all your gear. Personally I'm a fan of backpack style bags with extra room for other non-camera stuff, but your mileage may vary in a travel situation.

dxqcanada · May 8, 2011

If you do not want to lug around a tripod, consider a Monopod ... doubles as a walking stick.

PL filter is a must.

I like fokker's suggestion. When I was in the Rockies ... I primarily shot wide angle ... my only use of tele was for the wildlife.

Mantis · May 9, 2011

fokker said:
Sell the 18-55 and 55-250, and get a 17-85 IS; IMO probably the best value for money (second hand) travel lens. Good focal length range and handy image stabiliser. Not fast, but for a travel/landscape lens it doesn't really need to be. If you could stretch the budget further, the 15-85 IS is even better.

Tripod would be handy, but it's more a question of can you be bothered lugging it around with you. If yes, then definitely spring for a decent one if you can, although a cheap one is still better than none.

Filters - would not bother with a UV filter (they do nothing except protect the lens and arguably degrade image quality), a CPL (polarizer) filter will be useful too for landscapes.

Probably the most useful thing you could get is a suitable bag, if you don't already have one. You'll want something waterproof and comfortable that can house all your gear. Personally I'm a fan of backpack style bags with extra room for other non-camera stuff, but your mileage may vary in a travel situation.

In regards to Polariser filters, Im now even more confussed... there are so many and Im not quite sure which one I should get.... can you make sucggestion for me, remembering that I am unable to spend a great deal of money ( max 160 AUD, or roughly 170 USD )

Peanuts · May 9, 2011

I agree, the lenses you have aren't ideal. They'll work but you may be disappointed in the quality later. Also
definitely think about bringing a polaroid sometime the blues are fantastic. You'll need to wake up uber early to catch the alpine glow but it is fantastic. During the day it can get pretty hazy. Definitely have a tripod.

If you are coming through Calgary check out The Camera Store (yes. That's the name of the store) they have the best prices in town and I believe Canada is slightly cheaper than Australia.

fokker · May 9, 2011

dxqcanada said:
If you do not want to lug around a tripod, consider a Monopod ... doubles as a walking stick.

PL filter is a must.

I like fokker's suggestion. When I was in the Rockies ... I primarily shot wide angle ... my only use of tele was for the wildlife.

Yep, you won't use a tele lens much at all for landscapes. The trouble with shooting wildlife is that you want a really good tele zoom, and they aren't cheap or light/easy to carry. It's a bit of a compromise but if you can live with not capturing any wildlife shots then you can ditch the tele lens altogether which makes everything easier.

Peanuts said:
I agree, the lenses you have aren't ideal. They'll work but you may be disappointed in the quality later. Also
definitely think about bringing a polaroid sometime the blues are fantastic. You'll need to wake up uber early to catch the alpine glow but it is fantastic. During the day it can get pretty hazy. Definitely have a tripod.

If you are coming through Calgary check out The Camera Store (yes. That's the name of the store) they have the best prices in town and I believe Canada is slightly cheaper than Australia.

I dunno, the Aussie dollar is rockin' it pretty hard at the moment! Definitely a good time to buy.

Big Mike · May 9, 2011

Welcome to the forum. I love the Canadian Rockies...you'll have a great visit.

This is a photography forum...so most of us here are pretty focused on gear...and of course, good gear costs plenty of money. We also tend to look down on the cheaper gear (like your lenses).
Since you have twice mentioned that you don't have a lot of money to spend....I would suggest that you just use the lenses you have. The 18-55mm tends to get a rather bad reputation...but I'd say that it's at least as good or better than the lens that is on 99% of point & shoot style cameras...which means that you have a pretty decent lens. And for thing like landscapes (when you shoot on a tripod), it's not a bad lens at all.

As mentioned, a UV filter is all but useless. Digital camera have UV filters built-in...so the only reason people use them is as physical protection for the front of the lens. A bit of overkill if you ask me.

A Polarizing filter, on the other hand, is an invaluable too when shooting landscapes. Not only does it affect color, but it can control how you photograph reflections. So as an example, when shooting a mountain lake, a polarizing filter can let you see more of the rocky bottom of the clear lake...or it can let you see more of the reflection on the still water. I would definitely recommend that you get a circular polarizer for you 18-55mm lens. If it fits your long lens, that's good too...but you might not want to use it when shooting wildlife etc. because it will block some light and cause longer shutter speeds.

I would highly recommend a tripod. The main reason that people don't like the 18-55mm lens, is that it doesn't have a very large maximum aperture (F3.5 to F5.6)....and it's not at it's best at that maximum aperture. But, when you use that lens at an aperture of F8 to F11, it's much better. Of course, that will require a longer shutter speed or higher ISO. (and we usually want to avoid higher ISO because of the digital noise)....but when you use a tripod, you don't really have to worry about slower shutter speeds, so you are free to use smaller apertures and thus longer shutter speeds. And by doing this, you can get pretty good quality out of that 'cheap' lens.
While a mono-pod or walking stick is better than shooting hand held...it is not a replacement for a tripod.

Besides...good images are made by good photographers, more than by good gear.

And as mentioned, it may be easier to buy a tripod when you get here, rather than try to fly with one. But if it fits into your checked baggage, then it might be OK.

In regards to Polariser filters, Im now even more confussed... there are so many and Im not quite sure which one I should get.... can you make sucggestion for me, remembering that I am unable to spend a great deal of money ( max 160 AUD, or roughly 170 USD )

Like anything, you usually get what you pay for...but you probably don't need the best quality here. I'd suggest that something in the $40 to $80 price range will be just fine for you. Basically...just avoid the lowest priced ones, as they are likely crap.

Paul D. Van Hoy II · May 9, 2011

Be sure to also pack your patience and a lengthy explanation for border patrol - if they suspect you're a professional photographer who's entering their country for work/hire, they may pull you in for secondary inspection and interrogation...

During one of my trips across the border, I was interrogated for 30 minutes and told that unless I had a Canadian work permit, I couldn't bring the "tools of my trade" across the border.

I told the officer that I'm also an author and asked if it was necessary for me to leave my brain behind since that could be considered a professional trade tool as well...

He furled his brow and told me next time I better not bring such "professional" equipment with me or else I would not be permitted to cross... lol!

Toronto Wedding Photographer

Ginu · May 9, 2011

I would strongly suggest a tripod along with remote shutter. If you happen to be in Vancouver between July 30 and Aug 6, try to make it to one of the firework nights if not all 4

Vancouver Celebration of Light

Well worth it but you will need a remote shutter and tripod for that.

photocist · May 9, 2011

I disagree about the remote shutter. Just set your camera to a timer and problem is solved.

Just to pound the point further, tripod, polarizer, and neutral density gradient filters would help immensely, most likely in that order.

dandaluzphotography · May 9, 2011

I wouldn't shoot a landscape without at least one ND Grad in front of the lens and it has to be at least a 2 stop as a 1 stop will have almost no effect (the brighter the sky is, the less effect it will have). You can get away with no polarizer, but a tripod and ND Grads are a must.

Depending on the lens you're using, 2 seconds might not be enough time for the shake to stop once the shutter button is pressed so I would recommend using a remote shutter. Also, even though you use a remote shutter, I would still use the 2 second timer so mirror lockup works easier (one shutter press instead of two with no timer).

Danny

Big Mike · May 9, 2011

I wouldn't shoot a landscape without at least one ND Grad in front of the lens and it has to be at least a 2 stop as a 1 stop will have almost no effect (the brighter the sky is, the less effect it will have). You can get away with no polarizer, but a tripod and ND Grads are a must.

The problem with ND grads is that it's always a flat transition...and the OP is coming up to the Rocky Mountains...where it's not very likely to have flat horizons, and more likely to have very mountainous horizons.

They are great filters to have & use...but they don't lend themselves well to that type of landscape.