Juizhaigou (China) - dilemma on what lenses to bring along

[pingkhean]

Hi,

I am going for a photograph trip to Juizhaigou, China; A land of beautiful lakes and waterfalls. I will be bringing my Canon 5DMk2 for the trip, however, I have a dilemma on what lenses to bring along. I own the EF16-35, EF24-105 and EF70-200 F4 IS. I like taking sceneries.

Do I need to bring along the Polarizing filters too being that the place is 3500 to 4000meters above sea level.

Appreciate any assistance and suggestions.

Thanks

Khoo

 

[hotchoco1ate]

Hi,

I am going for a photograph trip to Juizhaigou, China; A land of beautiful lakes and waterfalls. I will be bringing my Canon 5DMk2 for the trip, however, I have a dilemma on what lenses to bring along. I own the EF16-35, EF24-105 and EF70-200 F4 IS. I like taking sceneries.

Do I need to bring along the Polarizing filters too being that the place is 3500 to 4000meters above sea level.

Appreciate any assistance and suggestions.

Thanks

Khoo

Hi Khoo,

just a heads up, im no photography/landscape expert, but even i know the 70-200 is definitely out.

My suggestion, is that if your trip is a pure photog trip, then just take the wide angle lens you have, but if its a family outing take just the 24-105. 24 mm can still give you decent wide angles and its not too heavy compared to taking both Ls. Dont forget you still have to lug a tripod.

In the end its up to you. Well of cos you can bring both Ls and your tripod if you're travelling with your family. Afterall i think you dont want your wife or gf to keep nagging at you for bringing so many things and it gets tiring fast. To just make do with what you have.

If i were you i will just take the 16-35, just based on your love for landscape photography. =D

 

[pingkhean]

Thanks for the prompt reply.

I reckon the 16-35 will be most useful for landscape. To cover the other end, i might consider taking along the 70-200 and leave my 24-105 behind. I don't want to miss any nice shots there.

Cheers and thanks

 

[omegacs]

Don't forget the CPL.

 

[CS TAN]

I will be there in a couple of weeks too. I plan to borrow a 17-40 from a friend and also bring along my 24-105. CPL is a must with all the lakes reflection.

If you have enough time to shoot waterfalls, then bring your ND filters with you as well. But if you are joining tour group, I doubt you will have enough time to use that. Anyway, in addition to the landscape shots, don't forget about portraits shots if you have girlfriend or wife traveling with you. They are not too interested with only scenery without their face in the photo so I think my 24-105 will come in handy. Of course, to get yourself into the photos, you better bring along the tripod not to mention the long exposure shots with the ND filters.

 

[Treetrunk]

Just curious. Are you going on a tour group or F&E? I was there 2 weeks ago via tour group. Entire journey i only used/need 2 lenses. A 16-35mm(95%) + 50mm(5%).

 

[egnaro]

I will say 16-35 and 24-105 to go, 70-200 keep at home.

on 5D2, 24-105 range shd be the best standard lens range.

my last trip to samporna i brought, 12-24+
24-70 +55-250 + 50 1.8

usage, 24-70 60%, 12-24 30% 55-250 10% 50mm 0%

I am using crop body.

 

[ArcticFox]

I don't think one should eliminate telephoto lens for landscape shot. Telephoto lens offer a different perspective from normal lens. (Just bring all)

 

[mfbatzap]

IMO, I agree with pingkhean. 16-35mm to cover your wide angle needs and 70-200mm for a tighter landscape perspective. I've been to some mountainous places around Indonesia and I found my 100mm 2.8 to be quite useful at times on my crop body.

And why not throw in a 50mm 1.8 just for fun shots with your family, etc. It wont cost you any weight at all..

 

[ed9119]

You might get more help in Travel section... best of luck

Thread Moved...

 

[hypern]

Bring your CPL and ND filters. My tour group had quite a number of old people with difficulty walking, so I had time to use the filters as they take a longer time to finish the walk.

As for lenses, I was using 24mm on FF most of the time trying to take the entire waterfall in one frame, and sometimes 24mm is not wide enough as you will not have enough space to move back so your 16-35mm will be v useful if you are trying to take something similar.

Enjoy ur trip!

 

[oracle0711]

If you really need to bring only 2 out of 3 and the objective is purely photographing landscape, the uwa 16-35mm and the 70-200mm will be your best buddies to go along. Do not understimate what a telephoto zoom like the 70-200 can do. Scenic subject isolation with a 70-200 can bring out wonders of nature environment. Just a note that most (almost all) of the Mt Huang pictures (you can see them here) taken were using the EFS 18-200 (at the 70-200 end of the zoom) on a 40D.

 

[wenbin0215]

i just came back from Emeishan today.. Will be going down to JZG on tue, wed and thur..

hmm.. i am using Nikon system, but looking at my Emeishan pictures from these past 2 days, i think i will go for my 14-24 (which cannot take any filters) as well as my 24-70 in addition to my CPL and ND filters..

i tried a shot shooting a waterfall at Emeishan using my 24-70 attached with ND filter (143 secs), and i must say that ND filter should be equally important in JZG..

but to take note of the high traffic number of tour groups in all these popular attractions.. while in Emeishan, i often had to "fight" with a number of tour group people to get the shots that i want.. i can almost forsee that the same thing is going to happen in JZG as well..

well, Leshan tomorrow.. and that's all for now..

wish u have a safe trip..

 

[LukaviZ]

if you ask me, 16-35 + 70-200 + a 50mm.

70-200 on FF can cover most street shots you may need. just my opinion.

16-35 definitely for landscapes, and 50mm by any chance if you need any low light shots. the 50mm isnt going to weigh you any much extra anyway. =P

50mm also does well on the streets and any general shooting.

 

[pingkhean]

Thanks for the tips. Probably I will bring along my 24-104 plus th3 1.4x telconverter too and along with my tripod. I will be having 2 full days in Jiuzhaigou and 1 full day in Huanglong. It's a F&E trip for me and family. Hope I have sufficient time to use my tripod on the streams and waterfalls.

Do I need a ND, if I will to use a CPL and low IS0 50 at intended exposure of 1 sec or even up to 4 secs??

Cheers, and enjoy your shooting too.

 

[Andrew Tan]

I think a telephoto lens is a must. There are times you have to shoot from distance because in Jiuzhaigou you cannot simply walk out of the wooden path and get close to what you want to shoot. The Tibetans won't allow you to do that. To them it's a thousand years legacy in preserving the environment. I brought my Canon 28-300 plus my 16-35 for my last winter trip.

 

[wenbin0215]

Thanks for the tips. Probably I will bring along my 24-104 plus th3 1.4x telconverter too and along with my tripod. I will be having 2 full days in Jiuzhaigou and 1 full day in Huanglong. It's a F&E trip for me and family. Hope I have sufficient time to use my tripod on the streams and waterfalls.

Do I need a ND, if I will to use a CPL and low IS0 50 at intended exposure of 1 sec or even up to 4 secs??

Cheers, and enjoy your shooting too.

hi pingkhean.. u just need about half a day in Huanglong.. for me, i took the cable car up and walked about 2km plus to 五彩池.. then from there, i walked all the way down to the exit..

u definitely need a CPL for the waterfalls and the lakes in both Huanglong and JZG.. for me, i only use my ND filter when there is not much people at the waterfall spot.. take note that u will be jostling with a lot of other tourists for the same photographic spots in both places..

take note that the designated route is not very ideal for very long exporures (if u are intending to use ND filter) as the bridge is always prone to minor vibrations where there are other people walking around.. today in JZG, i used my CPL from start to finish, and i only took out and used my ND filter once.. u might also not have the luxury of time with ur loved ones with u..

this is considered a peak period in Huanglong and JZG, and temperature can be below freezing point in the morning.. pls bring along sufficient winter wear.. cheers!

 

[pingkhean]

I am flying to Chengdu by AirAsia.

Can i bring aboard my tripod; Manfrotto 732CY (carbon), very light weight 0.97kg and about 20inch in length? I have a carrying bag.