# Packing list for trip of a lifetime



## Crapking (Jul 13, 2012)

Travelling to the Galapagos Islands in a few short weeks with the wife and two teenagers, all de facto photo enthusiasts, and always love to hear how others would pick and pack our gear. In theory, there is a weight limit of 45 lbs + one 15 lb carry-on per person, which must include ALL our clothes AND gear.

We will each have our own camera body, and obviously sharing lenses, but I am curious to how the forum would change my proposed choices, and we must respect this limit of our weight (in order to get on the plane in Ecuador). Also which travel bags would get most recommended.

The trip will include a week of 2x/day zodiac boat rides with wet shore landings, so water/weatherproofing transport suggestions are encouraged.

For the plane, we use Think Tank International and Retrospective 30 shoulder carry-ons, and that takes up all our allotted carry-on weight (for the bodies, and 70-200, 100-400, 16-35 and 24-70 zooms Ipropose, laptop, external hard drives. & accessories we plan on sharing). 

Which travel / day-use bags would provide easiest access for our daily on/off water taxi/shore landings? Not sure the Retrospective is waterproof / comfortable enough for this type of use. 

Also, any suggestions/personal experiences on an underwater camera/housing for a small point and shoot possibly? We will have opportunities for snorkeling (sharks / seals are abundant photo ops) and would add a P/S if people like one enough to convince me. My 'old' P/s (Olympus 8080) has an underwater housing which is too heavy - looking for newer, lightweight options. Was debating about getting a housing for the 7d and shipping it but cost-prohibitive. 

Always fun to hear others' travel experiences/gear selections, so if you have opinions on other essentials, please add those as well, especially opinions on Gorillapod tripods, lightweight tripod/monopod heads etc. 

I am still debating the value (weight) of bringing my Induro GHB2 head (3+ lbs), Manfrotto 055 Carbon Fiber - Q90 - 4 Section tripod (another 3+ lbs) and /or monopod - versus lighter options. 

Appreciate your ideas/reminders so I don't forget anything. 

See profile for list of body/lens options - I am also CPS member who could 'evaluate' just about any lens for a week, but with trip overlapping with Olympics, selection/availability might not be great. Was thinking about 28-300, so if Neuro (or others) have experience with that, let me know. I am considering a trial of this lens to help limit my weight, but I love my 70-200 and 100-400, AND if I bring 3 white whales with me, not sure my wife will still want to be seen with me


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## RLPhoto (Jul 17, 2012)

Quite simple really. Your bodies of choice.

16-35mm <-------Optional
24-70 2.8
70-200 2.8
A Fast 50mm
2X extender 

Done. Everything else is extra.


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## Caps18 (Jul 17, 2012)

I would say the 24-70 is optional if you have a fast 50mm.

I like the 16-35mm for wide angle shots of nature and the island.

I would go with the 70-200 and an extender if taking pictures of animals that run off.

If you do some hiking, you will want to keep it light.

It is a tough call on the tripod. I carried mine for a long time without using it on my last trip, but then I had to use it for a few pictures and it made it all worth while. I wish I would have looked at smaller tripods though...

You will need to find some type of water proof bag. Look at kayak/boat dry bags. Try to find one with some padding.

I wish there was a good choice for underwater photos as well that didn't cost $1500, and don't say much about what lens you can use...


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## wickidwombat (Jul 17, 2012)

for this trip i would go and buy the sigma 120-300 f2.8 OS HSM

probably take the 70-200 too since there are 3 shooters
16-35 and
fast 50 

I would probably also take the 100 f2.8L Macro
and 3 5D bodies

plus my kenko 1.4 Tc and canon 2X TC

a gorilla pod for sure and might take a light weight compact CF tripod too


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## Rocky (Jul 17, 2012)

Can I assume that on will be on 90 ft. boat for 16 passengers for a week? If that is the case, you need seasick pill. The "wet landing is only at ONE ft of water. You will have a lot of chance to shoot wildlife close to the shore from the Zodiac. Make sure that the 70 to 200 has IS. bring towel to wipe the lens and camera at any time. As for shooting birds in the air, you will need at least 400mm. I would not use converter . You need the lens speed for faster AF and fast shutter speed. Since there are 4 of you. I would bring every lenses. 16-35 will be wide enough for your FF but marginally wide enough for the 7D. I would put the 400mm on the 7D for reach for the birds. 24-70 will be a good all around lens on any FF even for giant turtles and the sea iguanas. If you are going with a group you need to be fast moving. You are not going to have time to set up the tripod. I would bring 4 all weather camera bags (one for each person). You will need them in the Zodiac.Bring some thin pastic bag to make emergency rain coat for the lens and camera. My moto: Picture must be taken, let the equipment be damned.


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## AJ (Jul 17, 2012)

I'd bring the 16-35, 24-70 and 100-400, and I'd leave the 70-200 at home.

_Also, any suggestions/personal experiences on an underwater camera/housing for a small point and shoot possibly?
_
Try gopro HD2


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## bdunbar79 (Jul 17, 2012)

AJ said:


> I'd bring the 16-35, 24-70 and 100-400, and I'd leave the 70-200 at home.
> 
> _Also, any suggestions/personal experiences on an underwater camera/housing for a small point and shoot possibly?
> _
> Try gopro HD2



+1. On vacations like this you cannot bring extra lenses, and you need all the flexibility you can get. Zoom lenses are the way to go. I would actually do the same, 16-35, 24-70, 100-400. If only you had the 24-105L lens. Then you could go 16-35, 24-105, 100-400 and really do it all. No need for a 50 prime when you have the 24-70 f/2.8L lens. Oh well, this is just my opinion.


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## tapanit (Jul 17, 2012)

Crapking said:


> Travelling to the Galapagos Islands in a few short weeks with the wife and two teenagers, all de facto photo enthusiasts


I was there... what, 12 years ago. For photo/wildlife enthusiast, it's wonderful.
I had EOS 3 back then, 100-400L, 28-135IS and 50/1.4 if memory serves,
my wife carried EOS 300 and 75-300IS (and some short lens I've forgotten).


> We will each have our own camera body, and obviously sharing lenses
> [...]
> for the bodies, and 70-200, 100-400, 16-35 and 24-70 zooms I propose, laptop, external hard drives. & accessories we plan on sharing


That doesn't sound much for four people. I would expect that to lead to serious
fights about the long lenses, especially the 100-400, if there's more than one
person with any interest in birds. To save weight I would leave the laptop and HDDs though,
just take a lot of memory cards (I mean a *LOT* - I'd plan on at least 1000 pictures per person per day).
And plenty of spare batteries, too. (You may not be able to charge them on the boat - check in advance.)


> Also, any suggestions/personal experiences on an underwater camera/housing for a small point and shoot possibly? We will have opportunities for snorkeling (sharks / seals are abundant photo ops) and would add a P/S if people like one enough to convince me.


Absolutely! We didn't have any underwater photo gear then and have regretted it ever since. 

I'd suggest forgetting underwater housings and getting something like Canon D20 (I've got a D10, which is fine, the D20 is smaller).


> I am still debating the value (weight) of bringing my Induro GHB2 head (3+ lbs), Manfrotto 055 Carbon Fiber - Q90 - 4 Section tripod (another 3+ lbs) and /or monopod - versus lighter options.


As I recall, I had hardly any opportunities to use a tripod. If I was going again, I'd leave it at home.
A monopod would be more useful but not really essential either. For most of the time there's plenty
of light - I had no trouble shooting ISO 100 slide film handheld almost all the time.


> I am also CPS member who could 'evaluate' just about any lens for a week, but with trip overlapping with Olympics, selection/availability might not be great. Was thinking about 28-300, so if Neuro (or others) have experience with that, let me know. I am considering a trial of this lens to help limit my weight, but I love my 70-200 and 100-400, AND if I bring 3 white whales with me, not sure my wife will still want to be seen with me


I'm sure my wife would never forgive me if we went there again without at least one long white lens for each of us. 

If your kids are really into photography, you can really expect fights over the long lenses.
If at all possible, get at least one more tele lens. (I'd get two, so that there'd be one for
every person, but perhaps your wife isn't as much into long lenses as mine).
The 28-300 (never tried it) would probably be great, but as a lighter alternative, consider the 70-300L IS. If weight becomes limiting, drop the 16-35.

In any case, good luck, and have fun! There aren't many better places in the world for
wildlife photography.


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## Rocky (Jul 17, 2012)

You may have two chance to dive. Just for the fun, you may want to get a water proof camera /housing for a point and shoot. Coleman make couple of very reasonably priced under water camera.


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## pwp (Jul 17, 2012)

-Two bodies & zooms
-16-35 f/2.8II
-24-70 f/2.8 or preferably 24-105 f/4IS
-70-300L IS
-Compact Carbon Fibre tripod & ball head & cable release
-Lots of storage and backup hardware

You're right, this is the trip of a lifetime, right there in Charles Darwin's footsteps.

PW


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## Rocky (Jul 17, 2012)

pwp said:


> -Two bodies & zooms
> -16-35 f/2.8II
> -24-70 f/2.8 or preferably 24-105 f/4IS
> -70-300L IS
> ...


TWO cameras and ONE not so long zoom for FOUR shooters in Galapagos????


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## devman (Jul 19, 2012)

I'd think about picking up a GoPro Hero II camera as well - pretty cheap and can be used underwater when there is lots of light (make sure to get the flat lens) - time lapses are fun with it and the video can be pretty cool too - it's not a bad camera in good light. It gets really bad noise really fast in low light though.


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## devman (Jul 19, 2012)

Oh and it fits in your pocket easily!


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## briansquibb (Jul 19, 2012)

I dont believe they let you on the islands so a good zoom will be needed.

For lightweight I would suggest a 7d and 70-300L would be a good starting point

Other lens options

second 100-400
400 f/5.6

24-105 (on crop)

bodies: 

1D4/1DX for the fast moving critters - batteries last twice as long as others, about 2000 shots per battery
7D for light weight

Presuming you will be going back to the hotel at night:

- This will allow you to recharge batteries, so you wont need many spares
- Unload memory cards so you wont need too many spares
- the number of shots you are calculating about the same as a wedding, so no big deal

Tripod and laptop on boat? Probably not - especially as the light will be strong

Take at least 1 580/600 flash for shooting into sun - they have realistic range of about 50ft for infill

Avoid machine gunning - there will be many exciting animals there and the temptation is to take pictures all the time - wait for the better ones


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## Crapking (Jul 19, 2012)

Thanks for the advice so far, and to clarify, we will be on a boat (Celebrity Xpedition), 90 passengers, with power, all week but also doing 2 landings/day where we will be literally walking over/around the flora and fauna. Past visitors have shown photos where they are swimming with sea lions, posing with the giant turtles, land and sea iguanas, and of course many, many birding opportunities.

I did go ahead and order the 28-300 from CPS, as well as the 14 2.8 II for some artistic UWA shots I hope. 
So, lenses look like:

14, 
(16-35 or 24-70), 
28-300, 
70 - 200 2.8 IS II and 
100-400,

Now I need more advice on how to transport and keep the gear DRY as we get in/out of zodiacs on beaches every day. 
Experiences/links to backpacks would be appreciated. 

I do have one Tamrac sling backpack, and a ThinkTank Retrospective 30, but will be investing in one more-possibly a Flipside AW, depending on the forums advice 

Also the GoPro was a great idea - more portable and built in time lapse should be fun!


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## Videoshooter (Jul 19, 2012)

Pelican cases are the way to go on or around boats. I've regularly put my whole kit (including a fluid video tripod head) inside a pelican case and thrown it overboard, and balanced my tripod legs ontop of it to swim ashore. Might've even bodysurfed to the beach on my Pelican case on more than once occasion. 

In winter, just make sure you throw some warm, dry clothes and a towel in tha case as well!


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## Deleted member 20471 (Jul 19, 2012)

Maybe a LowePro Dryzone 200, http://products.lowepro.com/product/DryZone-200,1935,18.htm. I had the smaller 100 version on my trip to the Antarctica, it worked great.


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## Rocky (Jul 19, 2012)

First find out the "nature" of the Zodiac ride from Celebrity. Whether the Zodiac ride is only getting you from ship to shore or the Zodiac will also tour around the Island to let you see the fire crab, blue feet boobie sea iguana etc. along the shore. If it is the later case, you will need something longer than 200mm with IS. Long lens with IS is a must for this situation. I was using 70-300 DO IS on crop body. You have a relative big boat so it cannot come too close to the Island. We were on a 90 ft boat so we were always be able to come close to the shore. 
As I said before. The "Wet landing" is about one foot deep. None of us have ever got our gear wet. Carry a small towel. The trick is to be mobile. We were using light weight Nova AW shoulder bags. The splash while the Zodiac is travelling does get your gear wet. As for the birds, 400mm on a FF still may not be long enough. I was using 300mm on a crop body. More than half of the time The wring span ( some birds have over 3 feet of wring span) can only cover 1/3 or less of the frame.

I would bring the 16-35. There is a lot of nice and not ordinary landscape. Since there are four of you. I would bring ALL the lenses you got. It still average to be less than 2 lenses per person.


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## leftcoastman (Jul 19, 2012)

Having done a big trip, I would suggest fast and light. Being that you are going to be flying on small planes, riding on zodiacs and generally around a bunch of other tourists, you don't want to be the prick with the massive rolling Pelican case. And it sounds as though "wet" is very relative here.

Not too long ago, I completed a 2+ year round the world trip. I started with a crop body, 17-55mm 2.8, 50mm 1.8, 70-200 f4 and a tripod. I took roughly 20,000 photos over the course of the trip and this included "rough areas" like the Gobi Desert, Antarctica, Tibet, camel trek in NW India, Australian outback, rainy season on the Inca Trail and even an island trip where I had to swim to shore with my camera kit. I carried everything in a LowePro MicroTrekker and for the swim onshore, I used a rollup drybag over my gear and treaded water the 500ft to shore. 

As time went on, I shipped things back home. Gave away the tripod. Shipped the 50mm home. And frankly, I used the 70-200mm maybe 10 times over the course of 2+ years. 

Galapagos is very up close and personal. Antarctica is somewhat similar in that the penguins aren't afraid of you so if you sit and relax, they will often come right up to you. You will be surprised with how close you'll get to the animals. That said, I don't take pictures of flying birds. 

But the advice still stands. Your trip and experience will be far superior if you have less rather than more.


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## Rocky (Jul 19, 2012)

leftcoastman said:


> Having done a big trip, I would suggest fast and light. Being that you are going to be flying on small planes, riding on zodiacs and generally around a bunch of other tourists, you don't want to be the prick with the massive rolling Pelican case. And it sounds as though "wet" is very relative here.
> 
> Not too long ago, I completed a 2+ year round the world trip. I started with a crop body, 17-55mm 2.8, 50mm 1.8, 70-200 f4 and a tripod. I took roughly 20,000 photos over the course of the trip and this included "rough areas" like the Gobi Desert, Antarctica, Tibet, camel trek in NW India, Australian outback, rainy season on the Inca Trail and even an island trip where I had to swim to shore with my camera kit. I carried everything in a LowePro MicroTrekker and for the swim onshore, I used a rollup drybag over my gear and treaded water the 500ft to shore.
> 
> ...


Galagapos is all about wild life and birds. So a long lens is a must. There are FOUR shooter in the family. All his gears distributed between four of them will be very light. Honestly, I am not a fan of long lenses. The longest lens that I own is 135mm. The 17-40 and 28-135 has travelled with me to all continent and I have never feel that I have the need of anything longer than 135. Galapagos is a totally different situation. That is why I borrow a 70-300 DO IS. I am so glad that I have the lens in Galagapos. I am speaking from experience. I was there last year.


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## Caps18 (Jul 19, 2012)

I have a 1514 Rolling Pelican Case. : And you can call me what you want, but my $10k of camera gear gets around the world safely. I wouldn't worry about water with a Pelican case. You do have to worry about size and weight restrictions.

I saw this in a magazine the other day. Look at the Chattooga duffel bag, but I'm not sure how much impact protection it will have. And you couldn't sit on it, or carry multiple lenses most likely.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=chattooga+duffel

Have you thought at all about macro shots? Study up and practice a few to see how you do with them. I would guess that there are insects and flowers and the like that would be interesting.


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## leftcoastman (Jul 19, 2012)

Rocky said:


> Galagapos is all about wild life and birds. So a long lens is a must. There are FOUR shooter in the family. All his gears distributed between four of them will be very light. Honestly, I am not a fan of long lenses. The longest lens that I own is 135mm. The 17-40 and 28-135 has travelled with me to all continent and I have never feel that I have the need of anything longer than 135. Galapagos is a totally different situation. That is why I borrow a 70-300 DO IS. I am so glad that I have the lens in Galagapos. I am speaking from experience. I was there last year.



I won't argue over lens choice, because everyone is different. My photos from Antarctica, which got unsolicited purchase offers, were mostly taken with a 17-55mm. But that's just my particular style. And realistically, it's an argument with no right answer precisely because everyone is different.

My opinion still holds that you want to minimize vs. do the American thing and bring everything and the kitchen sink (I am American, btw). Pelican is waaaaaaay overkill. I SWAM to shore simply using a drybag over my backpack. And I can assure you, if you're on a hike, a small backpack will be infinitely more pleasant to carry around than a Pelican case.

And of course, your weight limitations will become a serious factor if you bring a heavy Pelican case. If you're intent on gearing up big-time, then I still would rather use my weight allocation on actual camera gear vs. overkill to carry your stuff.

I also suggest insuring your stuff. That way, you won't be freaking out constantly about damage and will be able to enjoy your trip far more.


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## 1255 (Jul 19, 2012)

just gonna throw in a +1 for the gopro2 suggestion, tiny, waterproof, decent stills, great video, outstanding possibilities for time lapse. it's a really fun little toy.


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## Joes Dad (Jul 19, 2012)

Congrats on the trip. Seems like everyone is generally on the right track in my view. I am about to do you a huge favor though. FORGET ANY AND ALL IDEAS ABOUT THE 28-300. It is a tank and it shoots soft. I tried and tried again to make it work because I wanted it to so badly, but the weight factor becomes stupid after a while and images at the long end I found disappointing. (When I say weight, understand I am 6'1" 250 - and I still found it too heavy for comfortable use.). As a single shooter, I would carry the 16-35, 24-105 and 70-200 with 1.4x. To give you perspective on my true feelings on the 28-300 weight v. value ratio, I would likely also carry my 300 f/2.8L with 1.4x instead of the 100-400, but I understand why you might take the 100-400 instead. I think dry bags in lightweight non-waterproof backpacks work great for these kinds of conditions. Given there is four of you, I would bring the tripod. Gotta be a shot there. Also, I have become a huge fan of the RRS little $99 pocket-pod. Check it out. Good luck.


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## Rocky (Jul 19, 2012)

leftcoastman said:


> Rocky said:
> 
> 
> > Galagapos is all about wild life and birds. So a long lens is a must. There are FOUR shooter in the family. All his gears distributed between four of them will be very light. Honestly, I am not a fan of long lenses. The longest lens that I own is 135mm. The 17-40 and 28-135 has travelled with me to all continent and I have never feel that I have the need of anything longer than 135. Galapagos is a totally different situation. That is why I borrow a 70-300 DO IS. I am so glad that I have the lens in Galagapos. I am speaking from experience. I was there last year.
> ...


Looks like you have quoted the wrong person. I have never suggested a pelican case. I stress being mobile and I told them I have used the Nova AW shoulder bag (from my previous post).The only reason why I suggested them to bring all their lenses is because ALL four people in the family are shooters. They already have 4 camera bodies. So 6 lenses total is reasonable. It is less than 2 lenses per person. Just try to keep peace in the family. Plus when everybody carries their own camera. It is be very mobile. 
Contrary to common believe, wild life in Galapago are semi afraid of people. Therefore you cannot get too close.
Therefore a long lens is required unless you want the sea iguana to fill 1/4 the width of you picture only and you can forget the fire crab also.


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## leftcoastman (Jul 19, 2012)

Yeah, started to quote/respond to your post, got distracted and then thought about the Pelican suggestion. 

As I was travelling alone primarily, keeping the family happy wasn't a consideration. Having seen a few families spend a whole trip yelling at each other and feeling sorry for them, maybe I should do an about face and suggest that you bring anything and everything necessary to prevent that situation!


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## Leejo (Jul 20, 2012)

I've not done this type of trip - though I envy you for being able to.
Two tips from Podcasts I have heard.

1. The Nikonians Podcast (Nikonian Doctors or similar) had an episode in which one recalled his journey to the Galapogas -
OK it's a couple of years old and you will have to translate from N to Canon gear.
They are primarily landscape photographers but non-bird wildlife is also mentioned.

2. As far as the extreme conditions associated with boating is concerned you might want to listen to Martin Bailey's podcast on his trip to Antartica. He recommended a waterproof bag - pricey but if you are shooting with Canon pro gear...


I would go for a 7D with 70-300L, and a 5D with 16-35L at least. Plus a standard such as the 24-105L, and a maybe second lens for the 7D - but there are few that are weather sealed.
If you want BiF then I'd go for either third party TC's (the 70-300 doesn't work with Canon's) or the 100-400 with a Canon 1.4x TC 
(not good with a 2x TC in my opinion).

Not sure myself if a fast fifty is required - but it's small enough to hardly notice. A good flash and the best gorilla pod would round up the minimum.
Unless you are really going to concentrate on underwater photography I would take a few rugged waterproof P&S cameras instead - it would give something for the other two people to shoot with if you are only taking two bodies.


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## tapanit (Jul 22, 2012)

Leejo said:


> 2. As far as the extreme conditions associated with boating is concerned you might want to listen to Martin Bailey's podcast on his trip to Antartica. He recommended a waterproof bag - pricey but if you are shooting with Canon pro gear...


I don't recall any problems carrying cameras in regular Lowepro bags. Waterproof bags are clumsy to open and close, not worth it in Galapagos.


> I would go for a 7D with 70-300L, and a 5D with 16-35L at least. Plus a standard such as the 24-105L, and a maybe second lens for the 7D - but there are few that are weather sealed.
> 
> If you want BiF then I'd go for either third party TC's (the 70-300 doesn't work with Canon's) or the 100-400 with a Canon 1.4x TC
> (not good with a 2x TC in my opinion).


Agreed on the 70-300L. You might make do with one wide-angle, depending on your shooting style.

The 100-400L is not very good even with the 1.4x, and with 7D it won't autofocus with it either. But by itself it works very well with 7D. As for water-sealing, I wouldn't worry about it. It's not that wet there.


> Not sure myself if a fast fifty is required - but it's small enough to hardly notice.


I carried one and hardly used it at all. (It was very useful later on the same trip on Equador mainland, though.)


> Unless you are really going to concentrate on underwater photography I would take a few rugged waterproof P&S cameras instead - it would give something for the other two people to shoot with if you are only taking two bodies.


I actually missed the "two bodies" part in the original message - probably subconsciously filtered it as impossible. I'd never think of going to Galapagos without at least one body PER PERSON and one spare in case one breaks. If I go there again I'll take two bodies and a waterproof P&S just for myself, and my wife wouldn't be caught dead without at least one DSLR and a P&S of her own.

Seriously: If the kids are even remotely interested in nature photography, buy, borrow or steal at least one more body (even a lowly Rebel). When walking on the islands you really need a camera and a long(ish) lens for every person (200mm is enough for most purposes, BIF excluded). Wide-angle lenses can be shared easier, sceneries wait for you to swap lenses.

And get one bag per SLR, capable of holding it with one long lens, so that everyone (every photographer) carries one. For yourself a little bigger bag with room for the wide-angle lenses &c. Backbacks or good shoulder/sling bags that stay put when jumping off a boat. Forget Pelicans and the like.


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## Videoshooter (Jul 24, 2012)

leftcoastman said:


> Being that you are going to be flying on small planes, riding on zodiacs and generally around a bunch of other tourists, you don't want to be the prick with the massive rolling Pelican case.



In my experience, fellow travellers have loved the fact that I always carry the portable chair/workbench/cricket-stumps/cubby house/dining table/go cart/toboggan/bomb shelter/life raft/ladder/shield/security locker/wheelbarrow/hospital bed that is my Pelican 1650 Case.

Of course, if you don't need the bomb shelter or cubby house options, they do make a range of briefcase-sized cases that are perfect for a camera body and a few lenses.


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## smr (Jul 25, 2012)

I am lucky enough to have been to the Galapagos twice - both trips were one week cruises on board a 16 berth motor yacht.

The gear you take depends on the type of cruise you are booked on. Specialist photography cruises assume you will carry all the gear (inc tripod), tend to be slower moving when on land to give time to frame that perfect shot, and the other tourists are also all keen photographers. General cruises tend to be faster moving on land and most of the other passengers will just have a point-and-shoot. If you take a tripod and keep stopping to swap lenses on a general cruise you will almost certainly start to test the patience of your fellow passengers and the guide.

So unless you are booked on a specialist photography cruise, I would leave the tripod at home and try to travel light. Both my trips were general cruises, and I found that a LowePro DryZone Rover was ideal for safely carrying my kit. It comfortably carried my 7D with 70-200 f4 IS L (sometimes with a with 1.4 extender) and a 600D with 10-22 (mainly to give me a back-up body but also to allow wide landscape shots without the need to change lens). The waterproof rucksack allowed me to be in and out of the pangas (the small boats that ferry you ashore) as quick as the other passengers and the second body meant I didn't hold up the group changing lenses. Whilst you would probably be OK without a fully waterproof rucksack, it does give peace of mind.

I found the 70-200 f4 IS on the crop sensor 7D to be ideal for most of the Galapagos wildlife, although the 1.4 extender was useful when targeting the smaller birds (e.g. the various species of Darwin's Finches).


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## Crapking (Jul 25, 2012)

You r the second to mention that bag -any problems with the zippers ?


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## smr (Jul 26, 2012)

The waterproof zip on the DryZone Rover can be a bit tricky until you get the hang of it, but I have not had any problems with it.


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## Rocky (Jul 28, 2012)

smr said:


> The waterproof zip on the DryZone Rover can be a bit tricky until you get the hang of it, but I have not had any problems with it.


I like the Lowepro Nova AW bags. The water proof cover will cover all zipper for the compartments. If you do not need it, the cover will be tucked back inside its own compartment. Then It will be used just like an ordinary bag. So you do not need one bag for dry condition and another bag for wet condition. I have used it in the heavy rain many times and jumped off the Zodiac many times also.


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## Crapking (Jul 28, 2012)

With less than a week till departure, I had to pull the trigger and got the DryZone 200. 
Travelled domestically this weekend and brought it just to test it out. Fit in regional jet overhead and carried my 1D-X, 70-100, 24-70 and 16-35 and my new shorty forty mounted, plus plenty of cable/caps/filters room, and flash, gorilla pod. Rides higher on back and has large profile but glad to have it. 
Still debating on underwater option. 
Can't decide between GoPro or an underwater P/S (D20)? 
Help


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## smr (Jul 29, 2012)

I took a PowerShot D10 on my Galapagos trips for use underwater. It did leak once (possibly when I knocked it climbing into the panga) and the screen packed up. But it soon dried out and the screen came back to life. The underwater mode on the D10 (I assume the D20 has a similar mode) cuts through the murk giving good underwater photos.


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## CharlieB (Jul 31, 2012)

If I were going - I'd bring the longest glass I owned, for the birds and wildlife. I'd bring a 24-105 or similar, and I'd bring my 28/1.8 for whatever night time fast lens and/or wide use. And I'd bring one of my M4Ps, with a 35/2.0 and some film, as backup.

I travel much, hate to be burdened with gear. 

Instead of trying to immerse my technology into my environment, with me behind it, I'd rather immerse myself into my environment, and use whatever I've got. Based on images I've got from the early 70's, when all I had was a match needle Nikkormat and a 50/2.0 lens... I can say - less is more, for me.


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