Lens rental recommendation for an Alaska brown bear photo workshop

[ricardo00]

For those of you following along who might transit through Anchorage some day, I’ve never had an issue with stock at Stewart’s in Anchorage. Sure, they don’t carry the $10k+ lenses, but they can order them for you. I was in a few weeks ago to trade in some gear, and they had all the non-exotic Z lenses and every Z camera in stock with the exception of the 180-600. And looking at their rental gear, it looks like you could get a 180-600 or the Tamron 150-500, which are both pretty useful up here. The staff is great, and if you go in during the high season you almost always will see a tourist stopping in to pick up rental gear or to ask for help with a camera they brought but don’t actually know how to use. For a niche specialty store in an out of the way state with a total population less than many US cities, I think they punch way above their weight.

I was there in the summer, so maybe they had rented out all their stuff? As for the problem I was having with my lens, all the person I talked to said was send it to Nikon. Not very helpful when you are leaving the next day for a "bear safari" (we were going to Lake Clark).

 

[KimH]

If you have extra time in Juneau, be sure to go to the Mendenhall Glacier. There are some black bears that hang out there:

https://flic.kr/p/27BYG9U

Also go to Eagle glacier, lots of bald eagles there:

https://flic.kr/p/27FXfME

Thanks. We've rented an airbnb and one of them is a photographer so I've been DMing with him. They see eagles daily from their balcony and black bears pretty regularly. We will definitely go to the Mendenhall Glacier.

 

[ricardo00]

Thanks. We've rented an airbnb and one of them is a photographer so I've been DMing with him. They see eagles daily from their balcony and black bears pretty regularly. We will definitely go to the Mendenhall Glacier.

We were very close to the black bears! So the 70-200mm would be best for that. Hmm, maybe you need that Sherpa after all for all the lenses.

 

[JulieE]

In Juneau think about eating at Tracy’s Crab Shack and taking the tram to see the views. If you are into nick-nacks or need some post cards the town itself has lots of souvenir shopping. There are also some shops with lovely native handicrafts. I thought the baleen baskets were particularly interesting.

 

[John Navitsky]

it’s probably been 30 years, but still salty about the tex mex place in juneau going out of business

 

[KimH]

it’s probably been 30 years, but still salty about the tex mex place in juneau going out of business

I feel that way about a lot of restaurants!

 

[cr_wildlife]

Sonething long, either 600mm TC or 600
PF and 100-400mm zoom. I think that will cover everything. If you ant to shoot landscapes, then add the 24-70mm zoom.

 

[Gayle]

I live in Alaska and I have gone over to McNeil River Sanctuary a few times for bear viewing/photography. Last time I was there, 2 others had the 600 f/4. There were many times that it was too much reach, and they pulled out their cell phones. I have great shots using a 70-200 with a 1.4 teleconverter, and also my 200-600, and even with 200 mm, sometimes that was too much reach. I would take a zoom in the 100-400 mm range and not worry about the speed. Not sure what is meant by low light? Other than cloudy or overcast days, you won't need to worry about light in Alaska during bear viewing. I use my 200-600 f/5.6-6.5 without any problems. You can always increase the ISO without noise concerns because of the newer noise reduction software.

 

[Jadiehl]

I'm a dog photographer so the main lenses I use are z70-200mm f/2.8 and z135mm 1.8. I am going on what is probably a once in a lifetime trip to Alaska to photograph brown bears. We will not be doing much hiking and we won't be on any sea planes. I am an older, smaller framed female so I am concerned about traveling with heavy gear. I'm looking for lens rental advice. I'd love to rent the z600 f/4. It is available through LensRental.com and I could ship it and pick it up in Alaska. The rental cost is over $1800 so the price coupled with the weight of the lens gives me pause. I have Nikon z and dslr cameras that I can take. The instructor recommends a 600mm and ideally the f/4 because we'll most likely be shooting in low light. I want to be happy with my photos.

What lens would you recommend? The z400 4.5 (with a teleconverter)? The 500mm PF (I've seen comments on facebook that people love this lens.) The 600mm 6/3 (will I be happy with 6.3?) The 600mm f/4 and get to the gym more?

I'm trying to find someone locally (Charlotte NC) who has a 600mm f/4 lens that I can at least see and hold to see if it's something I can manage. My local stores don't have one.

If you look at the weight in the specs for the 600mm lenses compared to your other lenses you may be able judge from there.

 

[markymark]

I'm a dog photographer so the main lenses I use are z70-200mm f/2.8 and z135mm 1.8. I am going on what is probably a once in a lifetime trip to Alaska to photograph brown bears. We will not be doing much hiking and we won't be on any sea planes. I am an older, smaller framed female so I am concerned about traveling with heavy gear. I'm looking for lens rental advice. I'd love to rent the z600 f/4. It is available through LensRental.com and I could ship it and pick it up in Alaska. The rental cost is over $1800 so the price coupled with the weight of the lens gives me pause. I have Nikon z and dslr cameras that I can take. The instructor recommends a 600mm and ideally the f/4 because we'll most likely be shooting in low light. I want to be happy with my photos.

What lens would you recommend? The z400 4.5 (with a teleconverter)? The 500mm PF (I've seen comments on facebook that people love this lens.) The 600mm 6/3 (will I be happy with 6.3?) The 600mm f/4 and get to the gym more?

I'm trying to find someone locally (Charlotte NC) who has a 600mm f/4 lens that I can at least see and hold to see if it's something I can manage. My local stores don't have one.

I’d go with the 24-70 f/2.8, 70-200 f/2.8 & the 180-600 f/6.3, that way you’re covered for every eventuality & going quite lite.
Saying that I wouldn’t go anywhere without my 600mm f/4 TC lens, but as mentioned it is quite heavy but the image quality makes it worth it for me.

 

[KimH]

If you look at the weight in the specs for the 600mm lenses compared to your other lenses you may be able judge from there.

Thanks, I have. The problem is I want to look of the 400 2.8 or 600 4.0. But I’ve never seen one of those in person to be able to try them out. I can handle my 70-200mm just fine and it seems like 4-5 lbs more shouldn’t be much but I think it is.

 

[Jadiehl]

Thanks, I have. The problem is I want to look of the 400 2.8 or 600 4.0. But I’ve never seen one of those in person to be able to try them out. I can handle my 70-200mm just fine and it seems like 4-5 lbs more shouldn’t be much but I think it is.

Yes, you may be able to handle the additional weight but I no longer can… Good hunting!

 

[KimH]

I’d go with the 24-70 f/2.8, 70-200 f/2.8 & the 180-600 f/6.3, that way you’re covered for every eventuality & going quite lite.
Saying that I wouldn’t go anywhere without my 600mm f/4 TC lens, but as mentioned it is quite heavy but the image quality makes it worth it for me.

Wish I had someone to carry / lug the 600mm f/4 around for me! ha

 

[BillW]

Wish I had someone to carry / lug the 600mm f/4 around for me! ha

If you really want to bring a 600 mm TC and you can handhold it for shooting, I think carrying it around may be manageable.

I bought the 400 mm TC lens last week. At 104 ounces, it’s a bit lighter than the 600 mm TC (115 ounces). To get used to the weight of the 400 mm TC, I’ve used it with my Z9 and added the 2x TC (9.6 ounces). Adding the 2x TC makes the lens combo weigh 113.6, or just 1.4 ounces less than the 600 mm TC.

I’ve taken the lens with Z9 and 2x TC out for several 1 1/2 hour walks. I’ve held the lens with one arm, and no other support, while walking. So far, that leaves me with a bit of soreness in the arm; but getting better.

On an actual photo trip, my plan is to use a Black Rapid strap to support the weight of the camera and lens when I am walking but not shooting it. I’ll generally have a hand under the lens to keep it from swinging (and as a failsafe). Black Rapid indicates that its strap system can hold pro cameras with heavy exotics. In a vehicle or in a zodiac, I may not have to carry the weight of the lens.

If you are walking to a place without shooting along the way, you might also carry it in a photo backpack. Not sure what the situation is in Haines. Maybe have a light zoom like the Z 100-400 out for the walk.

I have found I can shoot this combo (400 mm TC + 2x TC + Z9) handheld without too much trouble. My previous heaviest lens is the Z 800 mm PF. And on a trip, my setup will be a bit lighter than what I have been practicing with. I will normally not have the 2x TC on the lens (although it is nice to have access to 800 mm when desirable). I can also drop a pound of weight by using my Z8 body rather than a Z9.

One concern is holding the lens in shooting position waiting for action with no support. It may be hard to do this for long periods. I may bring a monopod to help with this. And on my next trip, we will do some shooting from a blind/hide. Here I may bring a tripod and Flexshooter Pro head to hold the camera and lens.

That said, I also think the Z 600 mm PF and Z 100-400 mm lenses would make a great, lightweight kit for this trip. I’d throw in a Z 1.4x TC.

Good luck. Sounds like a great trip.

 

[TCzPhotos]

My choice would be the 600pf. the 400+tc puts you at f/6.3. You might also get the 100-400 {a great lens).

I use the Z8 with the 600 6.3 as well as a Z6ii with the 100-400 and I am very satisfied with the weight and image quality. I think your going to want to pull back from 600mm at times. The 180-600 would be a simpler, less expensive way to go, but I don't think the image quality would be the same, and it would be more weight to handhold, but less weight to carry.

 

[KimH]

Hand holding that lens isn’t an option. I’d use a tripod.

 

[Butlerkid]

Hand holding that lens isn’t an option. I’d use a tripod.

or monopod ?????

 

[DaveC]

I'm over 75 years old and lost a LOT of strength with some health issues. Right now I'm shooting a Z8 with the Z180-600. That's a lot lighter than your looking at, but I mainly want to say that I use a monopod. It's a sturdy Gitzo with a Wimberly MH-100 side mount gimbal. That combo dug into my shoulder when I carried it for just a short distance . I put a short piece of 1 1/2 inch foam water pipe insulation onto the monopod where it rest on my shoulder and I can carry it for a long time without any ill effects on my old body parts. I can now keep the lens on a subject with no problems. Good luck, and show us some of your shots when you get back!!!

 

[KimH]

I'm over 75 years old and lost a LOT of strength with some health issues. Right now I'm shooting a Z8 with the Z180-600. That's a lot lighter than your looking at, but I mainly want to say that I use a monopod. It's a sturdy Gitzo with a Wimberly MH-100 side mount gimbal. That combo dug into my shoulder when I carried it for just a short distance . I put a short piece of 1 1/2 inch foam water pipe insulation onto the monopod where it rest on my shoulder and I can carry it for a long time without any ill effects on my old body parts. I can now keep the lens on a subject with no problems. Good luck, and show us some of your shots when you get back!!!

Thanks so much. I do have a monopod that I plan to take. The other debate I was having with myself was taking a tripod since I will have 2 camera bodies with 2 different lenses.... decisions decisions