Lenses for Antarctica

Fbimages said:

Hi all,
I am going to Antarctica via South Georgia and the Falklands in October and I am looking for advice on what to take with me. I will be bringing my R5 and R3 as well as my Fuji GFX. The real question is on lenses. Here is the list of the ones I will 100% pack:

-EF 100-400 ii
-RF 28-70
-EF 1.4x extender
-GF 23 (eq 18mm)
-GF 45 (eq 35mm)
-GF 250 (eq 200)
-GF 1.4x extender
That is already a substantial amount of kit, but I am hesitating on two other:
-EF 500 f/4
-RF 70-200

My biggest hesitation is on the EF 500mm as it would be the first time I leave it behind on such an important trip, but I don't know if I am going to have lots of use for it, as things will spring up on me and I need flexibility more than reach.
Has anyone been down there and could share his view on what to expect?
Many thanks to you all!
Felix

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No one has replied so I'll make a suggestion. The EF 100-400mm ii is an excellent lens but for the trip of a lifetime like the one you are going on, which I would love to do, it might be worth upgrading to the RF 100-500mm which does give extra reach and importantly works brilliantly with the RF 2x TC. You won't miss the EF 500 f/4 so much.

Fbimages said:

Thanks Alan, I was starting to feel lonely!
I was thinking about the 100-500, there are a lot available used for a good price. I know one compromises on aperture throughout the range vs the EF 100-400, but considering the light in Antarctica, I don't think that is too relevant. Maybe I should rent one for a bit and see how it goes

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Don't worry aperture. A 500mm f/7.1. puts as many photons per penguin as does a 400 mm f/5.6! It's the amount of light that gives noise, not the iso dialed in. So, use a higher iso (1.7x) to give the same shutter speed at f/7.1 as for f/5.6 and your image won't be any noisier.

May I ask which lenses it ended up being?
My trip starts in March and I'm always thinking about whether it should be one of the Supertele or whether the RF 100-500 will be.
I want to film a lot there and have bought an R5C especially for this trip.
I think I'll take the RF 24-105 F4, RF 100-500, RF 800 f11, RF 16 and the EF 35 1.2L. Especially because you can't put anything on the ground anymore and then a Supertele weighing over 3 kg is a huge drain.

How was your trip, (I am going to go in January) what lenses did you take and how did it work out?

JeffB said:

How was your trip, (I am going to go in January) what lenses did you take and how did it work out?

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It was my most wonderful trip so far, like being in a dreamland. The iceberg landscapes and the fascinating wildlife, bathed in a wonderful light.
The combination of the RF 24-105 L and the RF 100-500 L on two cameras was exactly the right choice. This made it possible to adapt very quickly to changing situations. You could perhaps use a little more in the wide-angle range, especially with the icebergs, but with the 24 mm you are already well on your way. The RF 800 F11 also performed very well in the sub-range, as there was sufficient light available.
As you are only allowed ashore for a very limited time with the Zodiac's, the light weight of the teles was more important to me than the slightly larger aperture of the Superteles, which I left at home. This allowed me to quickly adapt to the changing wildlife. I would choose exactly this combination again on my next trip.
The two L lenses had also been exposed to seawater during the Zodiac trips and had to do their job on land in a snowstorm. But neither the R5 nor the lenses let me down.
It is important to clean the lenses and the camera from the water after every trip. And above all, it is advisable not to change the lenses while you are out and about.
If I can help in any way, please feel free to ask any questions. I hope you have as great an experience as I had.

Thank you for the reply,

I am jealous, you had the opportunity to walk on Antarctica. Since we be on a cruise ship we will not be able to so.
However we will going on excursions to a couple of penguin colony's on the Falkland Islands.

This is my game plan.

I will be bringing
2- Canon R5s
Canon RF 15-35 2.8 L
Canon RF 24-70 2.8 L
Canon RF 70-200 2.8 L
Canon RF 100-500 F4.5-7.1 L

For the excursions, (due to the weight of the lenses and how close we are going to be to the penguins)
I was planning to use the 2 Canon R5's, one with a 15-35 and the other 70-200 or 24-70.

The RF 100-500 I was planning to use from the balcony on the ship.

Any suggestions on this setup are appreciated.


Did you have any problems with lens condensation?
If so how did you deal with it?


Thank you

Jeff