Newbie going to Yellowstone - equipment bundles, how much is too much?

mfccoach · Feb 21, 2015

Good day folks: I am heading to Yellowstone later this year and am pondering my first DSLR. I am down to a Nikon or a Canon, however both offer equipment bundles that look impressive. I have a feeling that given my lack of experience, I will probably not use most of the components and I will regret dragging them along. I would appreciate thoughts on what are the critical few components for my trip.

weepete · Feb 21, 2015

Well I'd say you want a tripod, possibly a monopod wide angle lens, long telephoto zoom. A polarising filter is a worthwhile addition and if you are comfortable using them a set of GND filters and ND filters (1, 2, 3, 6 and 10 stop) and a remote shutter release.

I'm going on a photography trip too and that's going to be the backbone of my kit I'm taking myself.

AKUK · Feb 21, 2015

Hi there,

Nowadays, DSLRs of the same price range are pretty much identical in most aspects. They will of course differ in some features and specification but, by and large you most likely won't regret buying one over the other. What I would say is make sure the camera is sufficient for what you want to do with it. I have a guide to buying your first DSLR that was recently featured on Photography Monthly, which may prove useful to you in making your decision as it may cover aspects you hadn't previously considered.

As for what equipment you are planning on taking, that will depend largely on what you are wanting to photograph. If it's solely landscapes, then the kit lens coupled with a tripod (look for one with a detachable leg that can be used as a monopod), ND filters, graduated ND filters to balance the exposure of the sky with the foreground and circular polarizer for taking the reflections off of water surfaces and saturating colours more, would be ideal.

If you want to also shoot wildlife, then a lens with substantially more pull than the kit lens, would be recommended. I would suggest something in the 70-300mm region as a minimum. If wildlife photography is something that really sparks your interest and is what you are going there to shoot, then it may be worthwhile just investing in a one of the Sigma or Tamron offerings that will zoom to 500-600mm, giving you very good reach. There is no point on spending money on a shorter focal length lens, only to discover it doesn't suit your needs fully and having to sell it at a loss, only to buy one of the powerful super-telephoto zooms anyway.

If you can let us know what you are planning to shoot and even the types of shots you want to take, we can offer a more detailed equipment list for you.

UjaiDidida · Feb 21, 2015

Hi there and welcome.

The first thing to consider is to know what are you going to shoot and how are you going to spend your time with your camera.

If you are a simple shooter, a mirrorless like EOS M is enough for you to get a high quality images like an slr. It has the same control like a typical DSLR but only lack of the viewfinder to keep the size small.

If you are a bit advanced then get a DSLR with few lenses. Telephoto lenses give you the ability to zoom while the wide lens let you capture at shorter focal length. Having a lens with a wide range of focal length from as wide as 18mm to 200mm is great as a walk around lens so you don't have to change your lens frequently.

Anything more advanced might require you a tripod.

Derrel · Feb 21, 2015

Nikon D5300, 18-140mm VR lens, 70-300mm AF-S VR-G lens, circular polarizing filter for the 18-140mm lens, small tripod, plenty of memory cards, and a medium-sized fanny pack that will carry the 70-300 VR in a water bottle pocket; not too surprisingly, there are many fanny packs that have water bottle pockets that WILL hold the 70-300 lens perfectly, snugly, and safe from drops and accidental fall-outs. I have two such fanny packs, and both make carrying the above type of kit super-easy.

My feeling is that when traveling, you want to keep the kit simple, and light, and compact, and that is what the D5300 + 18-140mm VR + 70-300mm VR kit is designed to do. If you want a lot more reach in telephoto, you'll need to spend another $1,000 or more. The NEW 80-400mm AF-S VR Nikkor is rebated now, with a $400 rebate thru the end of February,and is a realllllly good lens. But bigger and heavier than the 70-300 VR is.

chuasam · Feb 21, 2015

Bundles suck! Why not get something small and fun. Really enjoy the trip instead? The Lumix Lx100 or Fz1000 would be good to start.

RCourson · Feb 21, 2015

I've shot in Yellowstone and a long lens is a must! If you can't afford to buy one right now do yourself a favour and invest in renting one for the trip. You won't regret it. You'll be able to get some good shots of the Pronghorn, Bison, Moose, and Elk with the shorter glass but for Bears you'll more than likely need the reach of the longer lens.

wfooshee · Feb 21, 2015

99% of the stuff in "bundles" is useless crap that needs to be tossed as soon as it arrives.

Body and lenses, maybe a flash. The filters and adapters that come in those bundles aren't worth using. Neither are the tripods I've seen as part of packages like that.

Buy your stuff a la carte. It's cheaper than buying a package full of stuff you throw away and then have to replace if you want good items.

As for Yosemite, wide angle to get the landscapes. A long lens is nice to get closer to something like the falls, or somebody rock-climbing, but for shots of the rocks themselves, not so useful. Wildlife, on the other hand..... a good long lens is a must!

Dave442 · Feb 21, 2015

I was last in Yellowstone in 2011. Used the 18-70 (which would be the 18-140mm today that Derrel mentioned), 70-300mm and the 35mm f/1.8DX. Also had carbon fiber tripod and a ball head, CPL filter (very good for seeing down into those colorful springs), two extra batteries with two chargers, a few memory cards and some camera cleaning items. Used a small backpack style bag. Laptop and external hard drive. I would liked to have had a super wide and a longer telefoto, but what I had worked well and always had it with me. There is no shortage of things to photograph no matter what lens you have with you.

Ran into a teenage girl with the 14-24mm f/2.8 and asked her how long she had been using the lens, said she had just rented it for the trip (rental sounded like a good idea for that lens as we had what I think was hydrogen sulfide blowing over us at the particular spring).