What gear would you bring on a private helicopter outing for landscapes and nature? I have all the Nikon lenses I need. I just don't know what to bring. Anyone have any experience shooting from a Heli? Thanks Daniel
Thinking about D3x 400mm 2.8 Vr or 600 f4 VR
D3 with 24-70 / 200 vr
What would you bring? I will have a unobstructed view. Thanks for all your help.
For my line of work, I occasionally need to document landscape features from a helicopter. I shoot in extremely mountainous terrain and I can tell the pilot where I need to be, so I never need anything longer than the 70-200mm. I take two to three cameras to avoid having to change lenses often. I use the 12-24mm on my DX bodies, the 24-70mm on the D700, and the 70-200mm on both. I will also use my 10.5mm fish.
I need to keep shutter speeds high to counter the heli vibrations (keep your arms off the frame of the heli if possible) and light conditions are frequently poor (e.g., low cloud ceiling) so I always toss a fast prime into the bag just in case, like the 50mm f/1.8.
The key for me is to shoot out an open window while not sticking out too far. Air speed while maneuvering in the canyons is around 50-70 mph and 70-80 mph while cruising up river, so the wind pressure on the front of the lens can be high, which is another reason to keep shutter speeds high or use VR if you have it.
To minimize motion sickness while shooting, I take some Bonine before the flight and eat plenty of crystallized ginger.
I took a tour in Hawaii of the volcano. I think I took the 70-200 and the 24-70. I ended up only using the 70-200, maybe even with the 1.7x. I'd say go long. However, I guess I was focused on lava, so your needs might vary depending on what your shooting. We were on an open door ride, so I could literally hang on the door which was cool.
My only takeaway was to shoot with the motor going. Lot's of vibration and movement. It was harder to focus on my subject. If your on a private tour, you might have more of an ability to get the pilot to work with you to allow for focus and composing. Good Luck, you will have a great time!
Wow! Thank you so much everyone. Maybe I should consider 17-35, 24-70, 70-200, 200 2.0 and 600 VR + 1.4 for the distance stuff. I wish I had something VR on the wide end, damn Nikon. Thank you for all the advise.
I've done some shooting from planes and once from a helicopter, and by far a 70-200 is the most used. If it's a private, photo flight, you can generally have the pilot get you close enough. I'd probably toss in a 24-70, but anything wider you'd have to be about hanging out of the helicopter not to get parts of it in the photo.
Also, I think a 600 would be a LOT too long - I can't imagine trying to keep it steady enough for an acceptably sharp shot. You generally open a window and shoot out. If you're next to the pilot, I don't see how you can lean back far enough not to have half the lens out the window (and I doubt there's shutter speed fast enough to keep it steady in those conditions).
If I wanted something longer, I'd think about a 300 2.8 VR. (Or your 200 with a tc)
Steve Perry wrote:
I've done some shooting from planes and once from a helicopter, and by far a 70-200 is the most used. If it's a private, photo flight, you can generally have the pilot get you close enough. I'd probably toss in a 24-70, but anything wider you'd have to be about hanging out of the helicopter not to get parts of it in the photo.
Also, I think a 600 would be a LOT too long - I can't imagine trying to keep it steady enough for an acceptably sharp shot. You generally open a window and shoot out. If you're next to the pilot, I don't see how you can lean back far enough not to have half the lens out the window (and I doubt there's shutter speed fast enough to keep it steady in those conditions).
If I wanted something longer, I'd think about a 300 2.8 VR. (Or your 200 with a tc)
I took a heli tour of San Francisco. You would be amazed at how small the space is inside a tour helicopter! I only took my D3 and 24-70. I didn't miss anything else and was able to move the camera around inside (I flew in the co-pilot seat). Even the 70-200 would have hit the windshield on some angles.
a few hints: two bodies with a 24-70 and a 70-200VR is the best combo. Note that I put the 70-200VR on a D2x to get more reach... up to you to decide if you want to add a TC or use the crop mode on the D3x if your need more than 200mm magnification on FX.
Check your shutter speed, because vibration can be an issue. Check your first pictures at pixel level (pixel peeping is REALLY important to be sure, and don't forget there are huge lighting differences between a dark building and a shot with the sky in it). I selected my settings on the ground and my first pictures were blurred. Luckily I checked quickly enough to increase my ISO to get the proper shutter speed (VR active is helping but is not enough). This is of course not really an issue with the 24-70 on a sunny day...
The best place is behind the pilot, on the other side with the door removed, and depending on the weather/temperature don't forget to wear a shirt to protect your arms, the wind can really get your arm very cold even if the temperature is reasonably high...
Be VERY careful with the seat belt, same type as in a classical airplane... a wrong move and you are not secured with all the possible consequences... as suggested foresee a piece of tape/rope/whatever to double lock it.
Next to that, have fun, it is just a wonderful experience.
And I forget: agree with the pilot on what you want to shoot, how many times you want to fly above a specific location, tell him when you are done, if you want to go up, down, left, right, slower, whatever, a short discussion can help make things clear.
With the headphones they are using, there is no problem to communicate with the pilot during the flight. It is a bit risky/dangerous to switch lenses or do anything else then taking pictures with your cameras, depending on some sudden movements (due to temperature differences for instance) you could drop something quite easily...
Changing lenses can be very dicey. Changing CF cards even dicier. You want to do everything your power to avoid ANYTHING flying out the door. Even the smallest item can be deadly to someone below. Of course, flying in L.A. I might be more acutely aware of that. For me, reading glasses were almost impossible to use, so actually reading the LCD was not really possible.
It can also be a lot colder than you imagine, especially with the wind factor. Even in warm weather a wind breaker is not a bad idea.
I worked in the Dallas District Attorney’s Office as an investigator; my primary job was tying up the loose ends and getting the cases ready for trial. One of the perks I thoroughly enjoyed was having a Dallas P. D. or Texas Department of Public safety helicopter at my disposal for photo missions. During my time at the D.A.’s office I logged a couple hundred hours taking photos for court cases. My favorite helicopter for photo missions was the Bell Long Ranger; my preferred perch was to sit on the floor of the chopper with my feet on the skids shooting between my legs. Since we were flying in a law enforcement chopper, I could fly as low as I wanted without the FAA getting their knickers in a knot and hover if I needed to so I could get the shot I needed. The last time I flew in a civilian helicopter the tab wet with pilot was 600.00 per hour, needless to say I have been flying in fixed winged craft for my aerial photos for the most part at about 110.00 per hour wet with pilot.
I photograph over the Okavango Delta from a helicopter often, and here are some thoughts.
1) have 2 cameras attached to lenses. Switching lenses isn't ideal for a long list of reasons.
2) have moderate wide angles to moderate telephoto zooms. I use a 24-70mm and a 70-200mm f/2.8 VR.
3) Shutter speed is kind here for sharp results. 1/1000 minimum, depending on rotor configuration. The more rotors your aircraft has, the better.
4) Remove side doors. Shooting through plexi isn't ideal or worth your time.
5) I am partial to Bell JetRanger and LongRanger models. Eurocopters are great to fly in, but some models don't have removable doors (they slide).
6) Find out the helicopter model ahead of time and understand the configuration.
7) a gyro is nice, but understand that it takes just as much energy from you to move your cameras as it takes to stop it. It is a better solution if you are in a non-moving helicopter, as your subject(s) are likely to not be moving much in relation to you.
8) don't worry about high ISO noise, as a sharp photograph taken at a higher shutter speed is preferable to a noise-free image that is blurry.
Have a blast! Aerial photography is one of those things that I love more than most other forms of photography, but the cost limits my ability to do it very often.
Peter Figen wrote:
Make sure they take the door off for you to give you greater visual mobility. If you're in the front seat like I was recently in a Jet Ranger, you'll have very little room. I had one body with a 70-200 and one with a 24-70 and that's all I needed. Please do not forget to duct tape your seatbelt latch closed. The airline style seatbelt buckles are all too easy to catch on a sleeve and open inadvertently. There is an incredible amount of vibration in a chopper but image stabilization actually does work even at high shutter speeds.
Here are three from a 2 helicopter shoot documenting Benny Chan's L.A Freeway aerial series. 144mm, 70mm and 180mm, not necessarily in that order.
Make sure your pilot understands what you are going after and that you understand what language works best to communicate your needs to him....Show more →
What in the world is the guy doing in the first image? What is he holding?
Ah, I forgot that Peter McKernane sold Jetcopters a while back. My bad. I don't know the pilot in the above image, unfortunately. Peter Sr. and Peter Jr. are the 'go to' guys in hollywood for helicopter and fixed wing shoots.
