Which lens should I take to Sea World?

[Honu]

Hello everyone,

I just got my first DSLR - Canon Rebel XSI with 2 kit lenses (18-55 & 75-300). Does anyone have advice on which lens might serve me better for a day at Sea World? I'm not used to working with different lenses. I won't have any time to practice before I go and I'm hoping to travel light.

Any advice from those who have shot at Sea World or similiar places?

Thanks in advance!

 

[reg]

Well I dunno, do you want to shoot more of the buildings or "wild"life?

I say take both, that's hardly a large bag.

 

[Honu]

Well I dunno, do you want to shoot more of the buildings or "wild"life?

I say take both, that's hardly a large bag.

Definitely "wild"life. I was hoping not to take a camera bag at all, just the camera on a strap.

Thanks!

 

[WarpFactorVIII]

personally I would bring the 18-55. the 75-300 would be very nice to have on some of the exhibits due to the distance between you in the animals. It really depends on what you are wanting to take pictures of though.

 

[reg]

Definitely "wild"life. I was hoping not to take a camera bag at all, just the camera on a strap.

Thanks!

Cargo pants that day, or similar perhaps? Maybe even a fanny pack to hold the lens that isn't on the camera?

Just a thought, because trust me there's always a missed shot when you don't have a full range, so you don't have to take both but I *highly* recommend it.

 

[Josh66]

I would find a way to bring both, but if there is absolutely no way you can do that I'd bring the 18-55.

 

[realitycheck3907]

I'm with reg, when me and my wife go out shooting I usually always wear cargo pants or shorts. And just like reg said whichever is not on the camera is in my pocket.

 

[peterbj7]

I'd always take a bag anyway, so I can protect the camera when I'm not using it (travel, eating, rain, etc).

If I could only take one of those I'd probably take the long one. The shots you get with that will all be interesting and hopefully "keepers", whereas with the other lens you'll mostly be getting predictable shots. Maybe have a compact in your pocket if you've got a decent one, to take quick shots you want more of a panorama for.

JMHO of course. But I'd take a small bag and both lenses.

 

[maulrat]

I would rather use the kit lens. Usually, when people go to places like Sea World or Disneyland, they want to take photos of their kids or family with a background of they place their in. I'd have to say, opt for the wide angle. Also, if you are too close, it might be difficult to catch Shamu in the photo. After all, he is a whale.

Just noticed your using an XSi. Don't forget that you have to add in the crop factor. Grats, your telephoto lens because a super telephoto lens.

 

[Honu]

I would rather use the kit lens. Usually, when people go to places like Sea World or Disneyland, they want to take photos of their kids or family with a background of they place their in. I'd have to say, opt for the wide angle. Also, if you are too close, it might be difficult to catch Shamu in the photo. After all, he is a whale.

Just noticed your using an XSi. Don't forget that you have to add in the crop factor. Grats, your telephoto lens because a super telephoto lens.

What exactly do you mean by crop factor? That I should leave extra "room" around the subject in case I want to crop later?

Thanks!

 

[reg]

The Rebel crops photos 1.6x automatically then blows it up to 8/10 etc. megapixels, because its sensor is 1.6x smaller than a 35mm film piece, which the "mm" is based on. It's completely automatic as a matter of sensor size, even in the viewfinder. 18mm is a super-wide angle on a film camera or 5D, but only "wide angle" on a Rebel. It's also along these lines how a compact camera's lens is so small.

It gets kinda complex but that's a simple explanation as far as I can do it.

 

[Honu]

I'll probably end up taking both - I guess that's what it's all about anyways, right?

 

[manaheim]

Well, are you bringing kids? If you are bringing kids, you're probably going to want that 18-55, but I'll tell you flat-out that the 18-55 is going to make you very angry when you try to get pictures of Shamu from the 15th row up. (or your camera is going to get soaked when you do it from the first row, because you'll need to be that close to get a shot!)

If you're not bringing kids, or you can deal with trying to take the shots of them from 15'+ or so away, bring the 70-300. It's a very good focal length for getting shots of the animals coming out of the water and such. Keep in mind you're going to need to crank up that shutter because the animals will be moving fast and you'll be zoomed way in. A circular polarizer should be very high on your list of necessary gear for this day as well.

Another tip with animals in the water, you gotta try to follow them as they are shadows under water and then snap the shots off as they breach, fly, and splash. This is REALLY hard to do. Put that camera on continuous. I tend to keep the viewfinder really close but slightly off my eye so I can see more than what I'm zoomed in on... then I move the lens with the action and quickly put it to my eye the second I think they are about to breach.

It's fairly entertaining, and fairly maddening.

 

[maulrat]

What exactly do you mean by crop factor?

Simplest way to think of it is to just multiply your lens mm by 1.6

Example: 70-300mm lens = 112-480mm lens on the Canon Rebel cameras

 

[Honu]

Well, are you bringing kids? If you are bringing kids, you're probably going to want that 18-55, but I'll tell you flat-out that the 18-55 is going to make you very angry when you try to get pictures of Shamu from the 15th row up. (or your camera is going to get soaked when you do it from the first row, because you'll need to be that close to get a shot!)

If you're not bringing kids, or you can deal with trying to take the shots of them from 15'+ or so away, bring the 70-300. It's a very good focal length for getting shots of the animals coming out of the water and such. Keep in mind you're going to need to crank up that shutter because the animals will be moving fast and you'll be zoomed way in. A circular polarizer should be very high on your list of necessary gear for this day as well.

Another tip with animals in the water, you gotta try to follow them as they are shadows under water and then snap the shots off as they breach, fly, and splash. This is REALLY hard to do. Put that camera on continuous. I tend to keep the viewfinder really close but slightly off my eye so I can see more than what I'm zoomed in on... then I move the lens with the action and quickly put it to my eye the second I think they are about to breach.

It's fairly entertaining, and fairly maddening.

Just me and the wife. Good advice!