Well, if the idea is to just wander and travel around, I would make do with the 135 + 1.4TC.
In my case, I am going to India in a few weeks, I travel light, but for tele, I bringing an E-P1 and pany 45-200, which gives me 400mm equivalent. I really don't shoot much tele for travel photography, but even if I did, I could not imagine needing longer than 400mm equivalent.
For elephants, you will find that you can walk right up to them, they are kept around towns for the tourists, there really are no indigenous elephants in Thailand (or if you can find them, but they are acclimated to people). For monkeys, they are also right there close in most cases. 135/ 135 +TC should do the job. Birds? not really my department, can't speak much there. The only SE Asia birds I ever shot were in the Kuala Lumpur sanctuary (quite an excellent experience) but that is not in the mountains of northern Thailand. Hey, bring what you want to bring, but travel in general isn't that easy, its hot, humid and you just can't leave something of that value in the hotel room.
If you can afford hiring a car & driver and stay at the Four Seasons, well, then you will probably be fine. I don't know how you travel. But, have fun, Thailand is an interesting place to shoot, bringing low light lenses is a great idea, more important than long lenses, IMO. Have fun!
I went to Thailand quite a few times (though not as much as Lars, of course), and found that my 300l f:4.0 was too short, even with a 1.4xTC. for wildlife.
From BKK you can book KHAO YAI National Park and KAEN KRACHAN National Park. Take at least two days each.
I will send some documentation by email to you right away.
Hans
Nov 20, 2009 at 02:34 AM
Lars Johnsson Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
sirimiri wrote:
Am I the only one that found this SE!-->FI? quote amusing...
What's amusing about that It's not really a surprise that the big stores that sell photo equipment in Bangkok, sell a lot more lenses than the ones in Finland. After all Thailand is a rather big country with nearly 70 million population. And Finland has about 5 million. And there live a lot more rich people in Thailand than in Finland
Nov 20, 2009 at 06:34 AM
Lars Johnsson Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
Khun Hans wrote:
From BKK you can book KHAO YAI National Park and KAEN KRACHAN National Park. Take at least two days each.
I will send some documentation by email to you right away.
Hans
Yes he can book those two from Bangkok. And from his home in Finland also. I know they have many birding tours to both those places. Especially Kaen Krachan is excellent for birding. But also Khao Yai. But to shoot good pics he really have to leave the day before and stay overnight inside the parks. So he can shoot at the sunrise. http://www.thaibirding.com/
Some elephants are lighter than others. There were a couple other local of note but I forget without going back to the shots. http://www.changbeer.com/ Winter is closing in here, dreaming of travels....
Nov 20, 2009 at 09:08 AM
Lars Johnsson Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
pixelman wrote:
Some elephants are lighter than others. There were a couple other local of note but I forget without going back to the shots. http://www.changbeer.com/ Winter is closing in here, dreaming of travels....
Yes Chang Light.
They also have a saying in Thailand. ""No real men drink Chang Light""
To Lars
Have looked at some (quite many actually) of your pictures. Very nice work indeed.
Do I need a guide in the National parks or will I make it on my own?
( Bor på Åland och är helsvensk, men detta är ju ett intenationellt forum, så jag tycker att diskussionen bör vara på engelska. Jag vill ändå ge dig ett stort tack på svenska för den kunskap du delar med dig av. )
Nov 20, 2009 at 03:54 PM
Lars Johnsson Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
If you need a guide depends on the park, and what kind of photo you like to take. But you need to stay overnight to do some really serious shooting. Most parks open like 6-7 in the morning and close before sunset. You also have to pay a fee when arriving. If you like to shoot birds there are great places without going to the parks.
I'm not a birder, but I've been to Thailand I think a 300 would be great, but the key for you is how many hours are you going to have available to shoot wildlife. I would hate to fly all the way over there and use it for 3 hours. Even if I got a few amazing shots, I'm not sure it would be worth all that stress. From the sounds of it, your trip doesn't sound like it's centered around photography.
A compromise is the 300 f4. If you can stand loosing a stop of light and euro grand or whatever it costs you can have your cake and eat it too. You can help the world economy, still have a 300, still have a free hand for manly or ladyboy beer
Singha, that's it. I couldn't remember the name but didn't want to prowl files just to find the name of a beer lol. Comes back to me now the chant of the vendor on the train heading south. Singha Beer..... I recall Ankor from next door. Poor OP guys lens questions sidetracked by beer.
My apologies, Lars - I didn't mean it in an unkind way. Two photographers from the Scandanavia/Baltic region, are speaking to each other over an internet forum, in a 3rd tongue (English) talking about a place on the other side of the world, but both talking about photography equipment. It's a cascading chain that I found humorous - your phrasing made it sound like it's a "Species" to be found there ;-) "Canonicus Diametrae Albus "
Lars Johnsson wrote:
What's amusing about that It's not really a surprise that the big stores that sell photo equipment in Bangkok, sell a lot more lenses than the ones in Finland. After all Thailand is a rather big country with nearly 70 million population. And Finland has about 5 million. And there live a lot more rich people in Thailand than in Finland
I'd never bring a lens like that to a "poor" country
you can either have it stolen, which is the best outcome
or they hurt/kill you then steal it
a lens like that is more than year of income for them
Been to Thailand many times and when I visit the national parks I usually have my own rented car. I always bring my 100-400 and many times my 500 f/4 as well.
Brgds,
Dave
It's not really a surprise that the big stores that sell photo equipment in Bangkok, sell a lot more lenses than the ones in Finland. After all Thailand is a rather big country with nearly 70 million population. And Finland has about 5 million. And there live a lot more rich people in Thailand than in Finland
( but SINGHA )