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Archive 2022 · Need Help Finalizing Lenses for Yellowstone Winter Trip

  
 
DGettisNC
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Need Help Finalizing Lenses for Yellowstone Winter Trip


Since I seem to have a problem committing to things, and keep thinking about it I figured I'd pose the question to the board:

I am heading out to Yellowstone for a week here in about a week. It will be my 2nd winter trip to Yellowstone (1st one was early-mid Feb a few years ago).

Equipment I own:
-Z9
-D850
-Z800mm
-500mmPF
-200-500mm
-105mm macro (G)
-24-70 f2.4g
-1.4tciii
-the f to z adapter mount
-20mm f1.8
-50mm f1.8

Some items I have thought about renting:
-200mm f2
-1.4Z TC (just for possible use with the Z800 in 4k120/2.3 crop mode for a roughly 2576mm view for short video clips of wolves in the distance instead of a scope with phone attachment)
-Z400mm f4.5
-300mm f2.8G

The focus for me is always wildlife, but I will probably still want to take a few landscape pics.
Last winter trip I had a D500 and D800, with a 200-500mm I owned and a 400mm f2.8G I rented. And then had my 20m, 50mm and 105mm with some filters, etc.

I'm 99% sure I want to take the 800mm out there with me and both camera bodies.
I think I will leave the 20mm, 50mm and probably the 105mm at home this time, and just take the 24-70 instead.

I've thought about maybe taking the 800mm and the 24-70mm, leaving the 500pf and then renting the 400mm f4.5 and the 1.4tc (mainly for the 800mm though).

I've thought about taking the 800mm, the 500mm, the 24-70 and then renting the 200mm or 300mm (I just have always thought a 200 f2 could be pretty cool for wildlife on large mammals - i.e. bison)



What would YOU all do in this situation?

We most likely will just spend the entire week in the northern range. I dont think we will be doing a snow coach (will technically only be there for 2 days after snow coaches start running anyway)




Dec 02, 2022 at 08:50 AM
Dragonfire
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Need Help Finalizing Lenses for Yellowstone Winter Trip


Z9 + Z800 and D850 + 24-70 has been extremely effective over the years by posters on FM.

Enjoy your trip



Dec 02, 2022 at 09:01 AM
PhotosbyKR
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Need Help Finalizing Lenses for Yellowstone Winter Trip


My gear list for choosing from is much smaller but that said, I run with my Z6 w/ 24-120 & 70-200 f4 for landscape and my D500 + 200-500 for wildlife. Last year I rented a 500pf to use in place of my 200-500 and that was great for the weight. There were a couple times where the 500 prime on a crop body was too much though and wished I had the zoom on and had to resort to awkwardly scooting around to get into the correct range for the animal without freaking it out.

With your gear I'd probably do Z9 w/ 800 and the D850 w/ the 500 and then have the 24-70 hanging around for some landscapes.



Dec 02, 2022 at 11:03 AM
SSISteve
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Need Help Finalizing Lenses for Yellowstone Winter Trip


On trips I like to go lighter so I would take both bodies ( as you have to have a backup), the 800,500pf, and forget the 105 and other lenses you want to rent. If I was to rent anything it would be the Nikon z 24-120 and Nikon Z 100-400 which is 2lbs lighter than your 200-500.


Dec 02, 2022 at 11:28 AM
RoamingScott
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Need Help Finalizing Lenses for Yellowstone Winter Trip


SSISteve wrote:
On trips I like to go lighter so I would take both bodies ( as you have to have a backup), the 800,500pf, and forget the 105 and other lenses you want to rent. If I was to rent anything it would be the Nikon z 24-120 and Nikon Z 100-400 which is 2lbs lighter than your 200-500.


Had the same thought essentially, the 100-400 would be more useful if a 1.4x is in play vs the 200-500, then take the 500 and 800 as well.



Dec 02, 2022 at 11:43 AM
Bill Graham
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Need Help Finalizing Lenses for Yellowstone Winter Trip


Every time I make a winter trip to YNP I pare down the gear list. Assuming you're flying you're limited in what you can carry on and every pound you save is a pound that has to be hauled through multiple airports.

My third winter trip was in early February, 2020 when the pandemic was just a ghost on the horizon. Here's what I took:

Cameras: D5, D500, Z6
Lenses: 800E w/1.25 converter, 300 PF, 70-200 F/4 and the 24-70 Z lens. I alternated the 300 and the 70-200 on the D500, the 800 was glued to the D5 and the 24-70 stayed on the Z6.
Support: RRS 3-series tripod with the Wimberley gimbal. On previous trips I had lugged along another tripod with the Arca-Swiss head, never used it so I left it at home on this trip. If you're somewhat landscape oriented you might want to take a ballhead along but either your Z9 or D850 will do great for that handheld with the 24-70.

My recommendations:

Put the 800 on the Z9 and leave it there. Just like cubic inches in racing, focal length is everything in Yellowstone. You're not going to get within petting distance of anything other than bison. If you want to rent the 1.4 TC for video go ahead but you'll be diffraction limited depending on video resolution.

For the D850 you can alternate between the 200-500 and the 24-70. The 200-500 will get you the mid-range and the 24-70 covers the landscape. If you need to you can crop the 200-500 to get you the DX equivalent of 300-750mm with no loss in IQ.

If you're going to rent anything I'd suggest renting a Z6II and the 24-70 f/4Z. Dedicate that to landscape and people, put your 200-500 on the D850 and leave the 800 on the Z9. The most important thing when shooting wildlife in Yellowstone is to be ready when opportunity presents. You can't be screwing around swapping lenses or fiddling with tripods while the subject is hauling ass in the opposite direction.

Hope you have a great trip, wish I could join you. My winter trips have been out of West Yellowstone on snowcoaches, no opportunity to visit the Lamar and Northern Range areas. Maybe next time....

Best,
Bill




Dec 03, 2022 at 09:10 PM
DGettisNC
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Need Help Finalizing Lenses for Yellowstone Winter Trip


OK, just to update since I "guess" I've finally committed lol

Taking the Z9 + 800PF and FTZii
Will take the D850 and 500pf too (will probably leave the tc1.4iii at home)
Rented the Z TC1.4 (to use with 800mm on video)
Rented the 300PF to get something a little shorter if needed
Will take the 24-70G as well

My friend who I will be sharing a car with the whole week and staying at the same hotel will have his 400 f2.8 FL ED and 600 F4 FL ED with him and probably a couple shorter lenses as well

So between us we'll have 300mm, 400mm, 500mm, 600mm and 800mm access



Dec 06, 2022 at 02:07 PM
RoamingScott
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Need Help Finalizing Lenses for Yellowstone Winter Trip


Car traveling is so nice, can take way more glass out each day than otherwise!


Dec 06, 2022 at 02:11 PM
mjgphotoz
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Need Help Finalizing Lenses for Yellowstone Winter Trip


Dan,

Have a wonderful trip and great images. You have it covered I think. Hubby and I went to Tetons and YE in the last week of May and first 2 weeks of June. The weather was wet, windy, cold and cloudy with occasional snow, and mud of course, but the 500 PF/D500 and Z62 and Z 24-120 were practically glued to me. I used the 300 PF I think only one time and never took the D850 out as I recall. Traveling in the SUV was the way to go. I was able to take all my lens choices which would have been more limited via air travel which we normally do. The SUV will be our vehicle of choice in the foreseeable future. There are many images to be made and things to see you will not see from the air and the extra lens in the bag get used for landscapes and things of interest.

Inside parks, opportunities occur so quickly you really have little time when driving to change up gear. Having 2 cameras, one with a prime quality zoom, makes a big difference. I have another little trick I use which of course requires an accomplice. After 30 years of marriage, Hubby is finally on the same wave length with wildlife images and knows the word STOP!

He drives and watches the front and rear traffic, I scout. I have two cameras in hand. Sitting with seatbelt buckled behind me, l am ready to bail out at a moments notice and he will go further down the road for a safe parking spot/turnaround. Sling straps do kinda look like seatbelts and the park rangers seem to look the other way as long as you are otherwise obeying all traffic and safety laws and do not exit your vehicle in too close a proximity to the wildlife. You did NOT hear this from my lips, but it sure does work in bear and buff jams.

Mary



Dec 06, 2022 at 03:24 PM
AmbientMike
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Need Help Finalizing Lenses for Yellowstone Winter Trip




DGettisNC wrote:
Since I seem to have a problem committing to things, and keep thinking about it I figured I'd pose the question to the board:

I am heading out to Yellowstone for a week here in about a week. It will be my 2nd winter trip to Yellowstone (1st one was early-mid Feb a few years ago).

Equipment I own:
-Z9
-D850
-Z800mm
-500mmPF
-200-500mm
-105mm macro (G)
-24-70 f2.4g
-1.4tciii
-the f to z adapter mount
-20mm f1.8
-50mm f1.8

Some items I have thought about renting:
-200mm f2
-1.4Z TC (just for possible use with the Z800 in 4k120/2.3 crop mode for a roughly 2576mm view for short video clips of wolves
...Show more

Landscape: 24-70 & 20 should cover the vast majority

You've got 800, 200-500 & 500 so you don't really need to rent anything imo. 400/4.5 + 1.4 doesn't make too much sense imo since you have 500 already.



Dec 07, 2022 at 02:05 PM
nineblade
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Need Help Finalizing Lenses for Yellowstone Winter Trip


Sounds like a great trip! Not much of a wildlife photographer, but at least with a recent trip in Yellowstone behind me, I did form some opinions.

-Z800mm
-500mmPF
-200-500mm
-24-70 f2.4g
-20 1.8
-1.4tciii
-the f to z adapter mount

Tough call. You might even leave the 500 or the 200-500 at home depending on how happy you are with the zoom and how much time you spend in the 200-300 range. I always felt like the 200-500 range was the prime zone in Yellowstone, so I couldn't imagine being without it, but 500PF is really hard to pass up. Bring both if you have the luggage to haul it!



Jan 13, 2023 at 07:49 AM





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