Lens recommendations for watching whales

[rokkstar]

Ok, for my birthday tomorrow Sam has booked for us to go whale watching!! I can't wait.

Has anyone been and does anyone have any lens recommendations? Obviously I'll take all I have, but I'm thinking longer lenses would be better?
I can just see me changing lenses right at the moment it breaches and I miss the shot of a lifetime.

Cheers

[stubbsy]

Matt

Congratulations for tomorrow. Great gift

I know you don't really want to hear this, but IMHO the best lens will be a 70-200 VR followed by an 80-400 VR and then (at a pinch) the 24-120 VR since they'll cancel out the movement of the boat. (and you'd use the Active VR mode). The advantage of a long zoom is you get the shot without the need to be super close. 70-200 VR would be preferable because its 2.8. I knwo when CD and I sailed on the tall ships earlier this year that the 70-200 VR was used almost exclusively by both of us to get our shots (although I changed a few times to 24-120 VR to get some close up shots).

[rokkstar]

Matt

Congratulations for tomorrow. Great gift

I know you don't really want to hear this, but IMHO the best lens will be a 70-200 VR followed by an 80-400 VR and then (at a pinch) the 24-120 VR since they'll cancel out the movement of the boat. (and you'd use the Active VR mode). The advantage of a long zoom is you get the shot without the need to be super close. 70-200 VR would be preferable because its 2.8. I knwo when CD and I sailed on the tall ships earlier this year that the 70-200 VR was used almost exclusively by both of us to get our shots (although I changed a few times to 24-120 VR to get some close up shots).

I dont have any of those lenses
I'll just have to make do with my sigma 70-300. I'll stand on Sams shoulders and get her to counteract the movement of the ship

[Glen]

Congrats for tomorrow Matt. I agree with Stubbsy on lens choice. What is your choice of, 50 or 18-70?

[birddog114]

Ok, for my birthday tomorrow Sam has booked for us to go whale watching!! I can't wait.

Has anyone been and does anyone have any lens recommendations? Obviously I'll take all I have, but I'm thinking longer lenses would be better?
I can just see me changing lenses right at the moment it breaches and I miss the shot of a lifetime.

Cheers

Congrat! the 200-400VR is well suitable for this purpose!

For Sam:
Sam, do you hear this? Matt wants one for his BD, I think you'll make him smile on his BD with this little toy.

BD to you

[stubbsy]

One other thing.

Experiment with putting your gear inside a plastic bag so only the business bits are exposed. Do this at home before you go (I tried it at sea only to discover I had nothing to tie the thing up with and had to improvise ). The plastic bag will minimise the salt spray on your gear.

[birddog114]

One other thing.

Experiment with putting your gear inside a plastic bag so only the business bits are exposed. Do this at home before you go (I tried it at sea only to discover I had nothing to tie the thing up with and had to improvise ). The plastic bag will minimise the salt spray on your gear.

Bring some rubber bands and plastic bags.

Where is about you're going? local Sydney or up to Port Stephens?

[rokkstar]

Good idea about the plastic bags, thanks for that.
We are going local in Sydney Birdy, and I'll definately mention the 200-400 VR to Sam

[wile_E]

Depending on how far out to sea you go, a couple of sea sickness tablets may not go astray either...

[birddog114]

Depending on how far out to sea you go, a couple of sea sickness tablets may not go astray either...

I told him already: few plastic bags to accompany:lol:

[PiroStitch]

I dare you to go in that hoff outfit

[birddog114]

I dare you to go in that hoff outfit

PiroStich,

There will be a judgement day!

[rokkstar]

I dare you to go in that hoff outfit

PiroStich,

There will be a judgement day!

 LOL
"Erm, sorry guys, no whales today"
"Why not"
"The bloke in the Hoff outfit has scared them all away"

No, the Hoffmeister comes out only for Sam....ooooh she is such a lucky lady.

[sirhc55]

Happy Birthday Matt - as a lens recommendation I would suggest a Nikonos

[leek]

With vast experience of whale watching (no - seriously... I do...)...

I think that you will find that they will either be doing dramatic things like breaching in the mid-distance (in which case a 70-300 or similar would be useful) or they will come up very close and you will get quick glances of them on the surface (in which case, the kit lens, 12-24 if you are fortunate, or a 50mm prime would be ideal)...

[big pix]

Happy Birthday Matt - as a lens recommendation I would suggest a Nikonos

I am with chris on this one.......and happy birthday.......