Alaska - Family Style
It's been almost a year since my Alaska trip ended.
It was one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to visit Alaska, but it was not going to be a photography adventure. It was a family vacation. There would be lots of family and pre-planned activities that may not involve any camera use. There would be no time to set up a tripod or wait out wildlife for the great shot. I did a lot of research on what an Alaska trip might be like, and took a close look at the agenda that had been planned out for us. This lead to a shopping trip at B&H, of course.
Requirements
I needed fast and light gear. I would need as much reach as possible with a long lens, but it had to be portable and easy to wield in cramped spaces. I also needed wide-angle and something close focusing, but there would be no time for true macro. In other words, compromise. It also all had to fit into a Lowepro Slingshot 202AW bag. I decided to take my Nikon D850, but the 200-500mm f5.6E that I already owned was way too big and heavy for such a trip. After several shopping sprees at B&H, this is the gear I ended up taking.
Gear
Nikon D850
Nikon AF-P 70-300 f4.5-5.6E VR lens
Nikon 24mm f1.8G ED
Nikon 50mm f1.4D
Polarizers for all lenses
Travel tripod - Vanguard VEO 3T+ with integrated Arca ballhead
Memory card - Sony XQD 128G
Extra memory card - Sony XQD 64G
Cable release
Rocket blower, micro fiber cloth
Lowepro Slingshot 202AW sling bag
In-use
I knew 300mm was going to be a compromise, and it was. But I loved the 70-300 VR for its light weight, speed and outstanding image quality. The only thing I wished I had was the 500mm f5.6E. But that was way more expensive, heavy and would not have fit in my bag. I believe 300mm is the absolute minimum long-end focal length for Alaska. I did not get as much use from the 24mm as I expected. I used it mostly at the Seward boat docks. The Alaska landscape is so vast that the 70-300 was my landscape lens also. I did not expect the 70-300 to be such an outstanding all-around lens. It even focuses close enough to get plant and flower photos. I don't believe I ever used the 50mm lens. As I expected, there was little time for wildlife photos. The exception was the boat tour of Resurrection Bay (that's where I was craving 500mm). We also visited the wildlife sanctuary, where I got a couple of captive bear photos.
Overall, I was pleased with the gear, opportunities and results. It left me wanting more, for sure.
To see more from this trip, visit my Alaska gallery