What lens for Open door Helicopter ride Cape Town

[Flemming Morgan]

Thanks to @Callie recommendation my wife and I have booked an open door helicopter ride over Cape Town. As it´s open door I can only use one lens so would like some recommendations. I was thinking of the 70-200 f2.8 as I am worried a 24-105 f4 will actually be too wide because of the height. IMy wife isn't a photographer but I could try giving her the 24-105 as a back up. Callie showed me some amazing photos taken by a fellow South African photographer so I am hoping for something similar!

 

[Callie]

Flemming
I got this off the web:
What is the best lens to shoot from a helicopter? Mid-range zooms such as a full-frame 24-70mm f/2.8 (16-55mm APSC equivalent) are the ideal lens for aerial photography. Prime lenses are an excellent option when shooting in low light conditions for their faster apertures, but zoom lenses provide you with greater flexibility when composing your shot.22 Feb 2023
My gut tells me the 24-120.
Enjoy your trip!

 

[Flemming Morgan]

Many thanks Callie!

 

[Calson]

Thanks to @Callie recommendation my wife and I have booked an open door helicopter ride over Cape Town. As it´s open door I can only use one lens so would like some recommendations. I was thinking of the 70-200 f2.8 as I am worried a 24-105 f4 will actually be too wide because of the height. IMy wife isn't a photographer but I could try giving her the 24-105 as a back up. Callie showed me some amazing photos taken by a fellow South African photographer so I am hoping for something similar!

My first choice would be the 70-200mm lens and second choice the 100-400mm lens. Be sure to get a good seat as I paid for a helicopter in Hawaii and the pilot to balance the aircraft stuck me in the back row and the person who matched his weight was given the premium seat beside him. Complete waste of money for me. The devil is in the details as they say.

 

[Charles Loy]

Complete waste of money for me. The devil is in the details as they say.

Gosh, that was a bad deal for you.

Another suggesting toward the 24-120 f4

 

[Carmel Nikon]

I did the open door in HI (big island) years ago with a mid-range zoom on an open door helicopter flight. Loved it. At points, the helicopter banked to allow me to get good images of waterfalls and volcanic activity, and a seat belt straining under my body's weight was the only thing between me and a very personal visit with what I was photographing. I remember thinking that was a very bad time to change lenses, and stuck with the one I had on the camera.

 

[Replytoken]

Make sure you remove and safely secure small things like lens caps before flight. You do not want anything getting sucked up into the rotors.

Have fun,

--Ken

 

[EJK]

Years ago, I had a photography job that involved no-door helicopter flights. Cameras were plain prism Nikon F's, lenses were 50mm f1.4 or 55mm f1.2. A 24-120mm lens would have been perfect! Had no need to change lenses in flight, but changing film could be 'fun'... Hope you have a great experience.

 

[RecalcitrantRon]

Open door helicopter!? Does Nikon make a lens with a parachute built in?

 

[Winston Churchill (Sir)]

It depends greatly on which trip you will do.
My guess is it is with one of the companies on the waterfront - which do trips around the Peninsula or over Table Bay, it depends on how close the pilot sticks to the coast line. They usually do, as they have a set flight path and time, which means they have to motor to go round in the allocated time. And they don't go high! (thats a relative statement )

Obviously if you do a private flip where you dictate the time etc - it might be different.

To give you an idea, see attached

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You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.

 

[Winston Churchill (Sir)]

If you are keen on bird photography, you may want to also visit Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. I go at least once a week at this stage. Weather is changing, and depending when you will be here, you are welcome to give me a shout if you need more info in and around Cape Town

 

[Flemming Morgan]

My first choice would be the 70-200mm lens and second choice the 100-400mm lens. Be sure to get a good seat as I paid for a helicopter in Hawaii and the pilot to balance the aircraft stuck me in the back row and the person who matched his weight was given the premium seat beside him. Complete waste of money for me. The devil is in the details as they say.

Many thanks for the advice. What a shame you got such a bad deal.

 

[Flemming Morgan]

It depends greatly on which trip you will do.
My guess is it is with one of the companies on the waterfront - which do trips around the Peninsula or over Table Bay, it depends on how close the pilot sticks to the coast line. They usually do, as they have a set flight path and time, which means they have to motor to go round in the allocated time. And they don't go high! (thats a relative statement )

Obviously if you do a private flip where you dictate the time etc - it might be different.

To give you an idea, see attached
View attachment 87700
View attachment 87701

View attachment 87705
View attachment 87706

Many thanks (Sir) Winston! This is very useful and congratulations on these shots. I definitely need a wide angle. I see these were taken at 14mm.

 

[Flemming Morgan]

If you are keen on bird photography, you may want to also visit Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. I go at least once a week at this stage. Weather is changing, and depending when you will be here, you are welcome to give me a shout if you need more info in and around Cape Town

Many thanks! Will definitely do so if time permits. It’s quite a tight schedule.

 

[Warren D]

I'd go with the 24-120, it's my favorite for shots from the air unless you want close-up pics of a particular object.

 

[Bennvdm]

It depends greatly on which trip you will do.
My guess is it is with one of the companies on the waterfront - which do trips around the Peninsula or over Table Bay, it depends on how close the pilot sticks to the coast line. They usually do, as they have a set flight path and time, which means they have to motor to go round in the allocated time. And they don't go high! (thats a relative statement )

Obviously if you do a private flip where you dictate the time etc - it might be different.

To give you an idea, see attached
View attachment 87700

Wow, Elsa, that 1st shot is epic.

 

[Calson]

A helicopter in the states needs to be certified to fly with the door off for non-commercial flights. Most in California where I live do not go the extra expense. A friend has a license and we have rented small helicopters and flown around the SF bay area and down the coast. I used the 70-200mm most of the time and lens changes in the tight confines of the helicopter were very difficult to do.

With small boats and fixed wing aircraft I hire the entire craft so there are no other passengers and I decide where to go and how long to stay in an area. Well worth the additional expense when all things are considered.

 

[Flemming Morgan]

A helicopter in the states needs to be certified to fly with the door off for non-commercial flights. Most in California where I live do not go the extra expense. A friend has a license and we have rented small helicopters and flown around the SF bay area and down the coast. I used the 70-200mm most of the time and lens changes in the tight confines of the helicopter were very difficult to do.

With small boats and fixed wing aircraft I hire the entire craft so there are no other passengers and I decide where to go and how long to stay in an area. Well worth the additional expense when all things are considered.

Thanks Calson

 

[Jadiehl]

It depends greatly on which trip you will do.
My guess is it is with one of the companies on the waterfront - which do trips around the Peninsula or over Table Bay, it depends on how close the pilot sticks to the coast line. They usually do, as they have a set flight path and time, which means they have to motor to go round in the allocated time. And they don't go high! (thats a relative statement )

Obviously if you do a private flip where you dictate the time etc - it might be different.

To give you an idea, see attached
View attachment 87700
View attachment 87701

View attachment 87705
View attachment 87706

Love the first shot!

 

[Darrellhar]

I've never been to Cape Town but my wife and I did a similar doors off flight in Kauai several years ago. I would first suggest you search internet for photos taken from a helicopter in Cape Town as that will give you an idea of what you would be looking at and what focal range best matches your shooting style. Sounds like you may have started that already. For our flight I ended up taking 14-24 but that was because I knew we were flying over a lot of water falls and wanted to be sure I got entire scene in shot. Obviously shooting wide makes things look small so there is a trade off. Plus shooting wide means you will often get blades in your shot. Keep in mind that you will be fighting both rotor wash and general shake from helicopter so make sure you don't let your shutter speed go too low. You are going to need to set it higher than you think you will. Obviously with longer lens you will need to set shutter even higher and you will need to be careful to not get your lens in rotor wash as it will cause a lot of shake. I'm sure they will tell you dos and don't as far as what you can bring but typically lens hoods aren't allowed and camera has to be connected to you somehow (I'm sure you already knew that). I hope you have a blast. It was the highlight of our trip to Hawaii for me.