Share your experiences, Alaska

[Jim Becker]

If you don't have a decent digital SLR camera look into getting one.

Oh, yea...and a long lens. The lens can easily be a rental if need be, too, as they can be quite expensive to buy, no matter what brand the camera body is. Long lens (and a monopod) will help with getting good shots of beautiful stuff that you may not be physically near to from the ship, for example.

[David Bassett]

Lisa,

congrats on the scan results!!!

As far as the trip, I'm mostly listening as we plan to do the same thing (with a family group, so all of our plans are a compromise.) In our planning we mostly stuck with tours and went with well reviewed packages because we didn't know what to see on our own. (Subsequent trips we can be more adventuresome.)

Oh, yea...and a long lens. The lens can easily be a rental if need be, too, as they can be quite expensive to buy, no matter what brand the camera body is. Long lens (and a monopod) will help with getting good shots of beautiful stuff that you may not be physically near to from the ship, for example.

Can you give a sense of what an adequate "long lens" would be? (Mostly I think in full-frame 35mm film still, neanderthal that I am. But I can find conversion factors. But, no, I'm not dropping $13K on a Canon 600/4L! )

[Paul F Franklin]

Lisa,

congrats on the scan results!!!

As far as the trip, I'm mostly listening as we plan to do the same thing (with a family group, so all of our plans are a compromise.) In our planning we mostly stuck with tours and went with well reviewed packages because we didn't know what to see on our own. (Subsequent trips we can be more adventuresome.)




Can you give a sense of what an adequate "long lens" would be? (Mostly I think in full-frame 35mm film still, neanderthal that I am. But I can find conversion factors. But, no, I'm not dropping $13K on a Canon 600/4L! )

On my trip, which was back when I still shot 35mm on a nikon, I had a 300 mm zoom and wished I had a longer lens with me many times. These days, with fast digital cameras, I'd be looking for something like the nikon z 400mm zoom with their 2x teleconverter. For travel, a zoom is more practical than a long fixed lens, and the teleconverter gives you options without a lot of extra space or weight.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I have never been. A big highlight for my mom and dad was visiting Dick Proenneke's cabin in 2013. Another highlight was getting back to Iowa in 1959 after trying to homestead in Alaska for a year. It looks awesome in Alaska! Have a great trip!

[David Bassett]

On my trip, which was back when I still shot 35mm on a nikon, I had a 300 mm zoom and wished I had a longer lens with me many times. These days, with fast digital cameras, I'd be looking for something like the nikon z 400mm zoom with their 2x teleconverter. For travel, a zoom is more practical than a long fixed lens, and the teleconverter gives you options without a lot of extra space or weight.

Thanks! That's in the ballpark of what I was thinking. (70-200 zoom * 2X converter * 1.6x sensor factor is ~640mm equivalent. Of course the guys with the 600's can go with 2X converter to get to 1200, which would be a step too far for me. At that point I'd take binoculars and make memories not pictures.)

(Lisa, I hope you don't see this as too much of a high-jack. I'll shut up now.)

[Lee Schierer]

Congrats on getting a clean bill of health.

We did the inside passage. Here are some things to take:
Camera
Binoculars,
Rain gear
Spare batteries
Insect repellent
Warm clothes if you are going into glacier bay.
A good jacket
Boots for hiking
Get a decent digital camera. You will appreciate a telephoto lensIMG_2391.jpg
Learn how to use it before you go.
Take the train ride at skagway.
Take the train to Denali and go on the long bus ride to see animals.

Be prepared for sticker shock if you eat in restaurants in Alaska.IMG_2391.jpg

[Lisa Starr]

Thank you everyone for both the congratulations and advice. We're going on a Road Scholar package (We've done several trips with them and like the programs), so much of our onshore time is covered with museums, train trip, etc. We do usually have 3-4 hours of "on your own time" many days when onshore so we'll try to take in some of the extras you folks suggest.

[Ole Anderson]

Been to Alaska three times, On none of them did Denali grace us with it's presence. My memories of the trip were the train trip out of Skagway, the glaciers calving, whale spotting and taking the cable lift to Mount Roberts in Juneau. We were also able to take the state owned train from Anchorage to Fairbanks, stopping at Denali. If you get to Fairbanks, be sure to get to the Pumphouse restaurant. Oh, the nature center in Stuart is very nice also. But the best memory is simply watching the Alaskan coast slowly slip by as you cruise, something an ocean cruise does not allow. Good photos require more than just a long lens, you need an eye for composition, and a good knowledge of your camera's settings. The video settings of most SLR's now allow you to get great action shots of the whales and other feats of nature.

At the time we took my Canon T2i and a Superzoom 28-200 lens.

[Ronald Blue]

Looks like a lot of the things that were suggested are included in the cruise. Looks like it takes you places a large ship can't navigate to or shouldn't at least. The trip should be enjoyable and memorable. I know it's a long way off until August 2023 but it will go quickly.

[Jim Becker]

Can you give a sense of what an adequate "long lens" would be? (Mostly I think in full-frame 35mm film still, neanderthal that I am. But I can find conversion factors. But, no, I'm not dropping $13K on a Canon 600/4L!

That's subjective, but the general parameters are not unlike what you know from 35mm film camera bodies. The only difference is that for DSLRs and mirrorless that do not have "full frame" sensors...the so-called crop-sensors that are at the heart of many more moderately priced DSLRs and mirrorless bodies...there is a "crop factor" of about 1.5x the listed focal length in the appearance on the shot. A 200 mm focal length is still a 200mm focal length regardless of the camera, but the smaller sensor "crops" to the center of the image because of its smaller size which makes the image look like it was shot from a 300mm lense on a full frame camera. For travel where there will be both situations that are more near as well as a need for longer distance shots, a 24-70 for the former and a 70-200 for the later are good combinations. These lenses used with a crop-sensor body boost the distance thing even more because of what I already mentioned. One can also get away with the longer lens for those needs and a simple 35mm or 50mm fixed focal length lens. The latter there is lightweight and generally well suited to street photography as well as indoor and lower light shots.

Personally, if I were taking this trip and to keep things simple, I'd bring my DSLR (which happens to be a full frame Nikon) with my 70-200 zoom plus a 50mm for good measure but would likely use my iPhone 13 Pro Max for most of the incidental and street photography because it's extremely capable. (and nothing is going to paper anyway)

[Peter Mich]

What a grand celebration plan. Congratulations on your healthy report.

[David Bassett]

... We're going on a Road Scholar package ....

Google'd them and realize I'd forgotten about them entirely. My folks did a number of their trips back when they were Elderhostel and raved about every one of them. The Alaska cruises, especially on the small ship, look incredible! You are in good hands! (And you've got me regretting our group compromise of a bigger ship. )

[Lee Schierer]

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Lisa,

Can you give a sense of what an adequate "long lens" would be? (Mostly I think in full-frame 35mm film still, neanderthal that I am. But I can find conversion factors. But, no, I'm not dropping $13K on a Canon 600/4L! )

I have two zoom lenses for my Canon T1i DSLR a 28 - 105 mm and a 75 - 300 mm. I've often wished for a 100 - 400 mm. Take extra memory cards. It is best to take several photos and sort through them when you get home. Don't forget rain protection for your camera. A plastic shopping bag works well and you can keep it in your pants pocket where it is readily accessible.

[Kyle Stiefel]

We'll depart from Juneau and have stops at: Colt Island, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Tongas National Forest, Hobart Bay, Kake and Sitka.

Congrats on the CA free! SE Alaska is a special place. I lived in Sitka for a number of years where I had my first wood shop and slowly putting together my second now. Ironically a buddy from Sitka just texted me. I don't have anything special to offer but enjoy, fjord country there, phenomenally beautiful. It is temperate, just has a lot of liquid sunshine. Have a great trip!

[roger wiegand]

I love the Nikon 18-200 VR as a travel lens. It allows me to get by in virtually every situation with only a single, relatively compact, not outrageously heavy, lens that takes great pictures.

If I won the lottery I'd supplement it with the 500mm f4 Nikkor.