Scott Stoness Offline Upload & Sell: On
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I have done this trip about 10 times. It is fantastic. Typically I saw/photographed >15 bears a day.
Here is some brief thoughts:
- a longer lens is better because if you use short you will be shooting down on them because the tundra buggy is so high
- I have used 100-400, 500/f4, and 600f4. You can't bring it all. Either 100-400 alone or 200-400/f4 or 600 with 100-400 is what I would suggest. I rented a 500 from lensrentals for this trip when they delivered to Canada and it was great but 600 is better. Sometimes they are really far away and 600/1.4 is better. If you had infinite choices/money I would take 600v2, 1.4x and 100-400 and 5dsr.You don't need fast fps but you need the best high iso performance you can get. I have used the 7d and 7dii and 5diii. All are good but I like the 5dsr now because it can crop big and has good iso. But 1dx, 1dxii or 5div would be good too. Again if resources were infinite I would take a 5div and 5dsr or both because the ability to crop and high iso performance is important and fps is less important.
- tundra buggies have a viewing area at the back. I recommend choosing a seat near the back to be first out and be close to your equipment
- the space on the tb is quite tight so you need a solution to hauling a big lens for when they are far away and switching to shorter when they are close. The best solution is a spouse/friend who is not a photographer so you can use some of their space and put your 600 in the seat. Or two seats.
- it will be cold but not super cold. There is a heater on the bus but you will want to stand out for 20minutes. Long underwear, touque, good gloves that are sensitive to permit adjusting focus.
- monopods or tripods won't work because the bus move every time someone moves. Best to handheld.
- manage your shutter speed to at least 1/500. Crank up the iso. Take a camera that has good high iso.
- snow cause you to underexpose. I usually go +1/2. And check my histogram a lot.
- my strategy wide open, aperture priority, is +1/3 or so autoiso, spot focus, meter under c3, autoservo. Blast some off. Check histogram, adjust +1/3 to avoid blinking. Then if time permits move to aperture priority, shoot with quick settings while checking histogram to right. This maximizes chance of right exposure and if the bear hangs out longer, best composition.
I have stayed, gone single day.... PM me if you have any questions.
Scott
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