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Which Camera and why?


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I have a trip booked to the Galapagos Islands later this year. I have 19 cameras, mostly Nikon. I do not have any with a full frame sensor. I am going to rent a camera from BorrowLenses.com. I have two cameras in mind. 1) Sony Alpha a7R11 with a Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS lens, or 2) Nikon D810 with a Nikon AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens.

I carry two cameras at a time with a BlackRapid Yeti dual camera strap. One camera with a wide angle lense and one with a longer zoom lens. I guess that most of the photos will be of animals and some landscape. Advice, opinions, criticism, all is welcome. Thanks.

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I have researched the trip for the "bucket list" and here's what I found:

 

The wildlife on the Islands is very approachable according to friends that have gone. The lack of natural predators and hunting being the reason.

 

Most forum recommendations say to leave the super-telephotos behind and take a wide zoom and a 70-200.

 

Don't sell the crop-frame cameras short. I have never felt limited with the 24MP Sonys that I have shot with for the last several years and the extra reach on the long end is a nice bonus.

 

That being said, the A7RII is at the top of the game right now for resolution dynamic range.

 

Dave

Edited by pierces
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Dave, You are always kind to respond. I am leaning towards the Sony for two main reasons. One being the size and weight is better for traveling. The other reason is because it is mirrorless. Not to mention the resolution. I realize that the wildlife is approachable. At Los Gemelos, on Santa Cruz is where I may want a longer lens in order to capture finch and other birds from a distance. My only concern is that I am not familiar with Sony cameras and I don't want to test my learning curve while I'm on vacation.

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We did a small boat tour of the islands just 16 travelers. We had more wet landings than dry. Therefore to protect my gear I used a Zip-Lock plastic bag for direct travel to the island & placed the equipment inside my small backpack.

 

Best solution for me. Can't imagine you would need 2 cameras on any of the islands. I used a Nikon D7100 with an 18-55 kit lens & took a 70-300mm for more zoom. (rarely used the 70-300mm except for bird in flight. Was handy on the ship for long distance photos. Today I have a 17-70mm which is sharper than the kit lens. Still I was able to get some nice results. Basically I used the kit lens for all of the islands. A crop sensor was perfect for me. I used a sling strap to carry the camera, however most of the time it was in my hands.

 

The pangas used from the ship will also take tours near the rocks of the island to view more wildlife & birds. Absolutely no need for a zoom lens, you will be very close. Due to wind, sand, saltwater conditions, etc... I chose not to change the lens except on the ship. Be sure to wipe down your equipment with fresh water daily & dry quickly. Cleaned my lens several times during the day & only used a CPL filter for the entire trip.

 

I would suggest a decent underwater pocket camera for tough conditions & any snorkeling you may want to do.

 

Bottomline... Use what to have, no need to rent. 95% shots will less than 200mm & most will be close - ups. Even the small birds act differently than in North America. I was 67 years old on this trip & camera weight & backpack was never an issue. We did 2-3 tours each day with no issues. Burst mode was one of my best friends on this trip. Take plenty of memory cards & an extra battery. One of my favorite trips with excellent fellow passengers, good food, & lots of photo opportunities.

 

Happy Travels, John

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If you're going with a top of the line camera like the A7rii, I'd match it with a high resolution lens. The 24-240 may be good for a superzoom, but I wouldn't expect exceptional performance. Personally, I'd pair it with the 16-35 or the new 24-70 for landscapes. I'd use a crop-body as the wildlife body, and stick a good quality 70-300 or 80-400 lens on it.

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John,

Thanks for your reply! We have opted for a land based trip rather than a cruise ship based tour. We will be staying in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz for four days and Puerto Villamil, Isabela for three days. We chose this in order to experience more of whatever nightlife there may be. We will also make a couple of day trips to other islands as well. I have a Voli Dry Bag Backpack for our boating trips. I have a Nikon COOLPIX AW130 and an

Olympus TG 870 with housing and a GOPRO for the water shots.

I'm sure my other cameras would perform beautifully, but, with so many cameras, my wife gives me the stink eye every time I mention the words "new camera." I was hoping she will see how wonderful either of these two full frame cameras perform and acquiesce and agree that I do indeed "need" one. - Allan

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If you're going with a top of the line camera like the A7rii, I'd match it with a high resolution lens. The 24-240 may be good for a superzoom, but I wouldn't expect exceptional performance. Personally, I'd pair it with the 16-35 or the new 24-70 for landscapes. I'd use a crop-body as the wildlife body, and stick a good quality 70-300 or 80-400 lens on it.

 

Thanks, sounds like good advice. - Allan

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