Dream with me: Alaska cruise, money is no object

[peety3]

Let's imagine you're going to go on an Alaska cruise, and you've got the biggest gift certificate LensRentals has ever seen just burning a hole in your back pocket. Assume that you've got a bag with four 1Dx bodies, or some 1D4 or 1Ds3 if you prefer, along with two gimbal-head tripods, a ball-head tripod, two monopods, and it's a 20-minute drive from your house to the cruise ship terminal (i.e. you don't have to fly, and you aren't limited in baggage count). Figure on a whale-watching expedition and maybe a bear-watching expedition. Oh, and you won't have a sherpa to carry anything for you, but it's OK to mix-and-match lenses depending on what the day's schedule holds.

What would you take?

[Joel Eade]

The latest version of the following lenses:

14mm f/1.4
16-35mm f/2.8
24-70mm f/2.8
100mm f/2.8 macro
70-200mm f/2.8
300mm f/2.8
200-400mm f/4
600mm f/4

Accessories:

2 extra Canon Camera batteries and 2 chargers
1.4 X TC III(2 copies)
2.0 X TC III
12mm and 25mm extension tubes, maybe 2 of each
580 EX II flash (2 copies) and better beamer
16 powerex AA batteries and charger
Lee Big Stopper neutral density filter system and correct lens adapter rings
Cable release
12 32gB high speed Sandisk Compact flash cards
12 32gB usb thumb drives
Card Reader (2 copies)
MacBook Pro with Lightroom and CS6 as well as an external HD for backup
Cleaning kit for lenses and sensor
Rain covers for cameras/lenses
Mulitple dessicant paks to help keep moisture down in the gear cases
2 think tank airport bags and one large "dry bag" for off ship excursions

Just a "quick" list of things that come to mind and not including personal items/clothing. I might expand it if I had to plan for real

[peety3]

Why 16-35 if you're already bringing the 14 and the 24-70?
Why 300/2.8 if you're already bringing the 70-200/2.8 and the 200-400/4&1.4?
Any consideration for the Zeiss 15 instead of the 14/2.8?

(And thanks for the input!)

[conropl]

Is there a 14 f/1.4? f/2.8 yes, but 1.4?

[HDNitehawk]

Is there a 14 f/1.4? f/2.8 yes, but 1.4?

You miss the obvious, it is a "dream" cruise

[HDNitehawk]

Why 16-35 if you're already bringing the 14 and the 24-70?
Why 300/2.8 if you're already bringing the 70-200/2.8 and the 200-400/4&1.4?
Any consideration for the Zeiss 15 instead of the 14/2.8?

(And thanks for the input!)

Why bring zooms at all. With that many bodies just put a prime on each one and get a good harness to carry two or three at once.

[conropl]

You miss the obvious, it is a "dream" cruise

Then I want a 14mm f/0.5 and a 1200mm f/1 with appropriate motorize mount so I can move that much wieght around. Or better yet, a 14-1200mm f/1 constant aperture throughout the zoom range... not possible, but one can dream.

[conropl]

Being a little more serious though, I like Joel's list; but I would add:

• 17 and 24 TSE (24 would be my priority)
• 24 f/1.4L II (sounds redundant, but I would like to do some night time work)
• Lee GND set (reversed, hard and soft versions for each) with holder
• Good Polarizer (high end B&W)
• Intervolometer... again for night shots and maybe a time laps.
• I would like to take some Zeiss just to try them.

Pat

[Joel Eade]

Why 16-35 if you're already bringing the 14 and the 24-70?
Why 300/2.8 if you're already bringing the 70-200/2.8 and the 200-400/4&1.4?
Any consideration for the Zeiss 15 instead of the 14/2.8?

(And thanks for the input!)

The 14mm is for night sky images ie astrophotography (I did mean 2.8, sorry)...Zeiss would be fine just didn't think of it
(I was thinking about the 24mm 1.4 I guess)
The 16-35 is general landscape use
The 24-70 for landscape and portraits/other images on the ship.....perfect carry around lens for full frame camera, awesome IQ
The 300/2.8 for flight shots of bald eagles....light, unbelievable IQ, blazing fast AF and perfect length for close in flight shots
The 70-200mm 2.8 just to fill in these focal lengths...too good a lens not to have on the dream trip
The 200-400 f/4 ...perfect for large animals such as whales and bears....a bit heavy for hand held flight shots

Some of these over-lap in function as you mentioned but if you damage or lose one you will have some redundancy and still be able to get the shots.

[peety3]

Being a little more serious though, I like Joel's list; but I would add:

• 17 and 24 TSE (24 would be my priority)
• 24 f/1.4L II (sounds redundant, but I would like to do some night time work)
• Intervolometer... again for night shots and maybe a time laps.
• I would like to take some Zeiss just to try them.

What are you envisioning with the TS17 and/or TS24? I've rented both in the past for other reasons, and they hadn't jumped anywhere near the top of my list for the cruise. Likewise, what are you envisioning with the 24/1.4? In my head, the "value" of a 24 would be wide-angle shots with the balcony railing in a corner for perspective, and at f/1.4 (or nearly so) only a small sliver will be focused, which in my head seems like a less-desirable shot than f/8 and tripod (in which case I have that covered with the 24-70, or perhaps the TS24).

I've done the intervalometer thing for time lapse, and liked the results: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL47E5215D4BA0EA1C That was done with a 40D and the 10-22 zoomed out to 10mm. For convenience of dual memory card slots and longer battery life, I'd love to pick up a used 1Ds3 and put our 16-35 on it for similar work, but that might be beyond my ability to justify between now and next summer.

Thanks all for the input, and keep it coming! I have a surprise to toss out, but I'll wait a few weeks before I peel back the lid on that.