Hi everyone -
We got back a week ago from an outstanding trip to the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador. It certainly lives up to its billing as one of the best places for photography on the planet. Not only do you get an enormous variety of subjects that you can't see anywhere else, you are also able to get incredibly close to all the wildlife. They simply don't care about you at all! On more than one occasion I had to step back to get a good bird photo... where else do you run into that problem?
I've been pretty much glued to my computer for the last week, sorting through the nearly 4,000 shots I took during the week. I've posted 33 of my favourites on my website: www.huyerperspectives.com
Meanwhile, here is a summary of the equipment I brought and how useful it was:
SLR Cameras: Canon 1D3 and 5D2. Obviously no complaints with these toys... they worked great. I carried both of them with a Black Rapid dual strap system, and it worked brilliantly. Many people asked me about the Black Rapid strap when they saw how well it worked for hoisting two cameras.
Point and Shoot: Canon G12 with underwater housing for snorkeling - worked incredibly well. Excellent camera to carry around at all times. I pulled it out for 'snapshot' photos on regular occasion too. I carried it in a Think Tank belt system.
Lenses:
300 mm f/2.8: I usually had this on my 1D3, and it generated about a thirdof my favourite shots. I was glad to have this focal length available, but you could get the same results with a smaller lens (like the 300 f/4, or perhaps the new 70-300 zoom).
70-200 f/2.8: My most used lens. I usually had this on my 5D2. If the 300 was too much length, I'd grab this instead.
24-70 f/2.8: I typically carried this lens in my Think Tank belt pouch, and used it quite a lot.
16-35 f/2.8: I didn't use this lens much at all. Maybe because I have the 5D2, and found that 24 mm focal length was more than wide enough when I needed it.
1.4 TC: I carried this but didn't use it much.
Filters:
The polarizer is your best friend. I usually left it on at all times (except the 300, which I don't filter). The lighting can be very harsh, with the sun traveling directly overhead.
Tripod:
My wife was very kind to carry my Gitzo traveler tripod for me, and I did grab it on several occasions when there was ample time to compose shots. It allowed me to get extra-sharp images with the 1D3 / 300 mm lens arrangement.
Other:
We were lucky to be on an air-conditioned boat, but since it is so humid out there your camera would fog up as soon as you went outdoors. So I eventually learned to bring the camera out well in advance to avoid that problem. A lot of you are probably thinking, "well, duh". But hey, I'm from Canada... heat and humidity are quite a novelty for me..!
Let me know if you'd like any more information on the Galapagos. We also spent 4 nights at a lodge in the rainforest, and I'm just starting to sort through those pictures now. Way too fun.
Jon Huyer
Calgary, Alberta
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