Off to the Kimberley in July

[enduro]

Well, I am off on a hiking trip to the Kimberley in early-mid July 2012 for 13 days and have sponsorships from two major outdoor companies. In turn for providing supplies for the expedition, they are wanting some nice shots of their gear in action.

I plan on taking: either the 7D or the 5DMkIII (most likely) and the 24-105L. I also have a 750g Slik tripod I picked up that I will definitely be taking that!.

There will not be a cloud in the sky and I will be following a river and the graduating rapine walls for petraglyphs, artifacts and the like.

Given I will be pretty much carrying EVERYTHING: What would be on you wish list?


I'm thinking about:
77mm Hoya CPL
LEE Big Stopper
maybe a the LEE ND Grads.
would love to take the 400mm f/5.6L if I can take the weight - will do my best to fit it in!!!!
Some lens cleaning wipes.

[Black Dog]

A bag load of CF cards, otherwise a small download and storage device. In your cardholder pouch use a system to differentiate between used and fresh CF cards. I use a face up/face down system. Clean cards are label up, when full the go back label down.


I would consider a small bean bag, they weigh nothing and allow support for resting the camera or lens on rocks etc where not feasible to use the tripod. Speedlite Flash in case you want some fill in those early morning or late shots. Also a cable or electronic release to prevent camera shake for same. Hotshoe bubble level for any panoramas on the fly.

An aftermarket good comfortable shoulder strap for the camera. factory ones tend to chafe after a while.

That's my suggestions of the top of my head.

[zeroharm]

Well, I am off on a hiking trip to the Kimberley in early-mid July 2012 for 13 days and have sponsorships from two major outdoor companies. In turn for providing supplies for the expedition, they are wanting some nice shots of their gear in action.

I plan on taking: either the 7D or the 5DMkIII (most likely) and the 24-105L. I also have a 750g Slik tripod I picked up that I will definitely be taking that!.

There will not be a cloud in the sky and I will be following a river and the graduating rapine walls for petraglyphs, artifacts and the like.

Given I will be pretty much carrying EVERYTHING: What would be on you wish list?


I'm thinking about:
77mm Hoya CPL
LEE Big Stopper
maybe a the LEE ND Grads.
would love to take the 400mm f/5.6L if I can take the weight - will do my best to fit it in!!!!
Some lens cleaning wipes.

Definitely the big lens, fit it in somewhere.. You may just regret it if it can't go and have fun...

[bricat]

A "sherpa"

[Babu]

Hi Enduro
My wife and I will be in the Kimberley for the last week of June and the first week of July.
We're cruising from Broome to Darwin and making shore excursions each day. However, we did it on land in July '97 from Darwin to Perth by 4WD- quite a bit of bush-camping (no facilities) and swimming in gorges. I believe there are a number of wilderness lodges now, including one on Mitchell Plateau.
When you said you'll will be pretty much carrying everything, it brought back a vivid memory of a lone Japanese female tourist trundling all her gear in a wheelbarrow along the Gibb River Road. I'm sure you will be more organised and will travel lighter.

If I were you I'd take the 5D III & 24-105 if you are primarily shooting outdoor equipment, landscapes, artifacts etc. Are you planning to take any aerial shots from a helicopter? Will you need anything wider than 24mm?

Your 7D & 400mm combo would be handy if you were shooting red-tailed black cockatoos, corellas, crocodiles etc.

The CPL and NDs are a good idea, especially with waterfalls, skies... and I liked some of Black Dog's suggestions (plenty of storage & bean bag).

As per usual, on our trip, we'll take a 5D II & 7D (both gripped & L-bracketed); 24-105, 100-400 and 17-40. A Lowepro Vertex backpack houses all this and associated extras (spare batteries, CF cards, notebook.....) and I've managed to hike with it over all kind of terrain, though it is heavy.

So, if you don't want to be too encumbered, I guess the upshot of this is that you need to figure out what gear is essential to capture what you will be there to shoot. Do a trial pack and feel how heavy that is. Then, if you can cope with more weight and there's still room in your bag, put in the next most useful lens. The 400/5.6 won't autofocus with the 1.4x TC will it (f/8)?

[enduro]

I'm pretty sure what I will be taking. The thread just helps me get excited!

5DMkIII
24-107mm f/4L
LEE Big Stopper
77mm CPL
36mm Kenko tube for macro with the 24-105
750g Slik Tripod
plenty of cleaning cloths

Maybe the 400mm f/5.6L (a big maybe and will be the first thing I leave out)

I do tend to find when I am out hiking with a group I get little chance any wildlife photography.