Jason - GREAT video! Thanks so much for all of the detail. I'm a hobbyist photographer and I went on my first Alaska Cruise in July 2017 with my wife. I'm going again in July 2024, this time we're taking our 2 children (10 and 14). I had a Canon kit for my first trip - 5D IV, 24-70 f/2.8, 16-35 f/4, and a rented Tamron 150-600. The kit worked quite well and I'm very happy with what I captured. The long focal length of the Tamron lens helped me capture some memorable moments that included bears, eagles, and whales. In hindsight, I agree with your comments about ultrawide lenses - I could have done without the 16-35. One major downside is that I was lugging a bulky and heavy kit across the ship and on excursions. I switched to Fujifilm in 2022, after deciding that the size of my full frame kit prevented me from being as agile as I needed to be on family trips. My kit for this trip is: - Fujifilm X-H2s (Fuji's flagship modern APSC body) - Fujifilm 18-120 f/4 (my go-to general purpose and travel lens) - Fujifilm 70-300 f/4-5.6, with 1.4x Teleconverter I'll have my iPhone 14 Pro as well, which should cover any ultra-wide scenarios. Also, I have the Peak Design Capture Clip. I used it on my backpack strap on a trip to Europe last summer (very similar to the way you showed your setup in the video). It was very comfortable and allowed me to quickly free my hands while on the go, despite getting some curious looks from locals. You may also consider a backpack cross strap, like BlackRapid Backpack Breathe. I alternated between this and the Capture Clip; the better option just depends on how "open" the walking you'll be doing. When moving in crowds or through tight spaces, the Capture Clip is best, since the camera sits within your profile. But if you have open spaces, such as hiking, the Backpack Breathe is a better balance, and having the camera hang to one side isn't a problem. Thanks again for your great video - and have a great trip!
You know, great point for reminding me about the Black Rapid Straps. I have one, and I haven't used it in so long I totally forgot about it until you mentioned it.
Using a telephoto for landscapes is a good option as you won't get that many very wide angle landscape scenes with a typical cruise/land tour. Tele's allow you to zoom into the most interesting part and you can still stitch together a pano very easily even with handheld.
It's actually a good option in a lot of situations aside from cruise ships, as a telephoto compresses the landscape and changes the perspective on what you see. That said, I don't think a lot of people, at least newer photographers, think of doing that. Some kind of seem to get trapped with the idea that you shoot landscapes with a wide and that's it.
I'm not a photographer but I love taking pictures. I actually work in IT. I am going on my first Alaskan cruise in about next week. This was very helpful.
I have not, but it's something I'd like to do at some point. Actually taking a car up there and exploring is on my bucket list. I'd really like to get up to see Denali and the Kennicott mine in Wrangle-St. Elias NP&P.
@@PointsInFocusback I 2013 I did the Bellingham Washington to Haines journey I loved it. Goes through a lot of channels the cruise ships don’t go through such as the Wrangell Narrows. Something I highly recommend doing at least once
We are doing our first Alaska Cruise and land excursion to Denali this summer. I’m going to bring 2 bodies (don’t want to be changing lenses in the field if I can help it), Sony A73 and A74 and 3 lenses; Sony 16-35GM, Tamron 28-200 and Tamron 50-400 plus a tripod. After watching your video I’m wondering if I need the 16-35. I could always shoot panos with either of the other lenses. Hadn’t thought about a polarizer filter but that’s a good idea for sun reflections on water, ice. Not much of a tripod shooter but I have a Peak travel tripod and it is very compact so if I have room I will take it in my suitcase. I use the Peak camera clips with their hand strap and that works well for hiking. I will pack everything in my Atlas Athlete backpack which I can take as a carryon. Can’t wait.
That sounds like it's going to be an awesome trip. I haven't been to Denali yet, that's on my list one of these days. I've never heard of Atlas Packs before, they look interesting. I'd love to see how they compare in person to my F-Stop hiking pack, but that's a $500 test that I'm not going to be doing anytime soon. It's never the cameras that bankrupt you, it's the millions of other nearly as expensive stuff you need for them that does.
I have the tamron 18-300mm on Fujifilm x mount so an apsc. Ff equivalent would be 28ish to 450mm. Do you think this is a good one lens solution? Thanks in advance
Did that trip in 2015, I brought a Canon 6D, a 7D MK II, Tamron 150-600, Canon 24-105 F4 and a Tokina 16-28 2.8. Yes, birds or any wildlife was mostly shot with the 7D MK II, but most of the time the landscape was 90% 24-105. I would returned, and intend to do so, with an R5, RF15-30, RF 24-105 and my RF100-400, I might purchase another RF camera to be able to use both at the same time, like you said, don't over gear yourself, you won't use it. Also, bring binoculars and a flash, I am a big flash user.
Hey, just saw this video, but isn't the r5c equally weatherproof as the r5? Those vents shouldn't go into the body internals, I recall it being stated it's the same as the r5. Thanks, looking forward to your delightful informative answer
If that's true it's news to me. I've never seen anything official from Canon that says the R5C carries any weather sealing at all. They clearly call that out on the R5's product page, but not anywhere on any of the R5C product page. At least not on Canon USA's site or Canon Europe for that matter. Admittedly, I'd love to be wrong about that. If you have a link to something official from Canon about it, I'd love to see it.
Can you post links of exactly what you need for the go pro time lapse. I leave for alaska in 7 days. I have the go pro but none of the other things and I have no idea how to do this but really want to try. My first cruise ever. Thanks
I use an older version of one of these amzn.to/3V7vI1f (*), though I just ordered one of those for this trip. You'll also need a 1/4-20 threaded GoPro mount adapter (like one of these amzn.to/3K7IDKc [**]). I also recommend using a long (~10 ft,3m) USB cable and a USB charger or battery bank to keep the camera running during the day. I don't have a specific recommendation here, the GoPro doesn't require much from the USB side of things so you don't have to go crazy there. My cables are like 8 year old generic 10' A-to-C cables, whatever was cheap on Amazon at the time. I use an old iPhone charger when I'm in the room or a generic USB battery bank when I'm not to keep the camera running all day. On the camera, I use the time lapse movie mode. Depending on the version of your camera, the exact way to set things up will be different. But I use an interval of 0.5 seconds (the fastest that it can do) at the highest resolution I can run it it at. Set the angle of view to whatever gives you the widest view without including a lot of the ship in it. I also try to limit the max ISO to 1600 or 3200. Right now, with the amount of daylight, I'll leave the camera on over night. Right now you should have sunsets around 9 PM, and sunrise is around 4:30 AM, with it never quite reaching full night. I'd suggest walking through the setup at home once you get the stuff to just to get it down. Also take the first day as practice, even if you're going up the inside between Vancouver Island and the mainland. Hope that helps. * Affiliate link ** I haven't used this specific one, but any of this kind of 1/4-20 threaded socket to GoPro mount will work. Also an affiliate link.
@@PointsInFocus this totally helps!! I have all that in my cart now!! I have the Go pro 12 (I just got it and have no idea how to set it up or anything. I planned to figure that out before the trip but that hast happened so far. What kind of a card do you use in it? I will need to get a few of those also
In the past I've used 128GB cards, but a lot of that footage was shot at 2K not 4K. My 12-day cruise in 2017 came to just under 80GB in 2K, so that would require around 320 GB or so in 4K. That was continuous shooting 24 hours a day for the entire trip. With that in mind, I'd say either 512 or 1TB cards would be my preference. I'd probably go for a 1TB card if they're not too pricey for you. That said, I forgot to look at what my previous footage was shot in and I didn't buy new cards for this trip, even though I'm going to be shooting in either 4K or 5.2K. Ooops. Oh well, too late to do anything about it now.
![What to Pack for an Alaska Cruise [PACKING LIST]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZwuzCzZxo3s/mqdefault.jpg)
Jason - GREAT video! Thanks so much for all of the detail.
I'm a hobbyist photographer and I went on my first Alaska Cruise in July 2017 with my wife. I'm going again in July 2024, this time we're taking our 2 children (10 and 14).
I had a Canon kit for my first trip - 5D IV, 24-70 f/2.8, 16-35 f/4, and a rented Tamron 150-600. The kit worked quite well and I'm very happy with what I captured. The long focal length of the Tamron lens helped me capture some memorable moments that included bears, eagles, and whales. In hindsight, I agree with your comments about ultrawide lenses - I could have done without the 16-35. One major downside is that I was lugging a bulky and heavy kit across the ship and on excursions.
I switched to Fujifilm in 2022, after deciding that the size of my full frame kit prevented me from being as agile as I needed to be on family trips.
My kit for this trip is:
- Fujifilm X-H2s (Fuji's flagship modern APSC body)
- Fujifilm 18-120 f/4 (my go-to general purpose and travel lens)
- Fujifilm 70-300 f/4-5.6, with 1.4x Teleconverter
I'll have my iPhone 14 Pro as well, which should cover any ultra-wide scenarios.
Also, I have the Peak Design Capture Clip. I used it on my backpack strap on a trip to Europe last summer (very similar to the way you showed your setup in the video). It was very comfortable and allowed me to quickly free my hands while on the go, despite getting some curious looks from locals.
You may also consider a backpack cross strap, like BlackRapid Backpack Breathe. I alternated between this and the Capture Clip; the better option just depends on how "open" the walking you'll be doing. When moving in crowds or through tight spaces, the Capture Clip is best, since the camera sits within your profile. But if you have open spaces, such as hiking, the Backpack Breathe is a better balance, and having the camera hang to one side isn't a problem.
Thanks again for your great video - and have a great trip!
You know, great point for reminding me about the Black Rapid Straps. I have one, and I haven't used it in so long I totally forgot about it until you mentioned it.
Using a telephoto for landscapes is a good option as you won't get that many very wide angle landscape scenes with a typical cruise/land tour. Tele's allow you to zoom into the most interesting part and you can still stitch together a pano very easily even with handheld.
It's actually a good option in a lot of situations aside from cruise ships, as a telephoto compresses the landscape and changes the perspective on what you see. That said, I don't think a lot of people, at least newer photographers, think of doing that. Some kind of seem to get trapped with the idea that you shoot landscapes with a wide and that's it.
Fantastic video mate!
On my recent cruise to Alaska, I've used the Sigma 60-600mm, the range is great for such trips.
That's also an awesome range to use. In some cases even better than the 100-500 I like.
I'm not a photographer but I love taking pictures. I actually work in IT. I am going on my first Alaskan cruise in about next week. This was very helpful.
Awesome video have you ever tried the Alaska Marine Highway ferries. They able to go through channels that cruise ships aren’t able to
I have not, but it's something I'd like to do at some point. Actually taking a car up there and exploring is on my bucket list. I'd really like to get up to see Denali and the Kennicott mine in Wrangle-St. Elias NP&P.
@@PointsInFocusback I 2013 I did the Bellingham Washington to Haines journey I loved it. Goes through a lot of channels the cruise ships don’t go through such as the Wrangell Narrows. Something I highly recommend doing at least once
We are doing our first Alaska Cruise and land excursion to Denali this summer. I’m going to bring 2 bodies (don’t want to be changing lenses in the field if I can help it), Sony A73 and A74 and 3 lenses; Sony 16-35GM, Tamron 28-200 and Tamron 50-400 plus a tripod. After watching your video I’m wondering if I need the 16-35. I could always shoot panos with either of the other lenses. Hadn’t thought about a polarizer filter but that’s a good idea for sun reflections on water, ice. Not much of a tripod shooter but I have a Peak travel tripod and it is very compact so if I have room I will take it in my suitcase. I use the Peak camera clips with their hand strap and that works well for hiking. I will pack everything in my Atlas Athlete backpack which I can take as a carryon. Can’t wait.
That sounds like it's going to be an awesome trip. I haven't been to Denali yet, that's on my list one of these days.
I've never heard of Atlas Packs before, they look interesting. I'd love to see how they compare in person to my F-Stop hiking pack, but that's a $500 test that I'm not going to be doing anytime soon. It's never the cameras that bankrupt you, it's the millions of other nearly as expensive stuff you need for them that does.
I have the tamron 18-300mm on Fujifilm x mount so an apsc. Ff equivalent would be 28ish to 450mm. Do you think this is a good one lens solution? Thanks in advance
Yes, I think that would be perfectly fine.
The Peak clip setup is awesome. Get some practice clipping and unclipping!!
Yea, I've been playing with out off and on for the last couple of months since I got it.
@@PointsInFocus I use that and the peak hand strap. That’s it. For hiking it’s great for me.
Did that trip in 2015, I brought a Canon 6D, a 7D MK II, Tamron 150-600, Canon 24-105 F4 and a Tokina 16-28 2.8. Yes, birds or any wildlife was mostly shot with the 7D MK II, but most of the time the landscape was 90% 24-105. I would returned, and intend to do so, with an R5, RF15-30, RF 24-105 and my RF100-400, I might purchase another RF camera to be able to use both at the same time, like you said, don't over gear yourself, you won't use it. Also, bring binoculars and a flash, I am a big flash user.
Great point on the binoculars.
Hey, just saw this video, but isn't the r5c equally weatherproof as the r5? Those vents shouldn't go into the body internals, I recall it being stated it's the same as the r5. Thanks, looking forward to your delightful informative answer
If that's true it's news to me. I've never seen anything official from Canon that says the R5C carries any weather sealing at all. They clearly call that out on the R5's product page, but not anywhere on any of the R5C product page. At least not on Canon USA's site or Canon Europe for that matter.
Admittedly, I'd love to be wrong about that. If you have a link to something official from Canon about it, I'd love to see it.
Can you post links of exactly what you need for the go pro time lapse. I leave for alaska in 7 days. I have the go pro but none of the other things and I have no idea how to do this but really want to try. My first cruise ever. Thanks
I use an older version of one of these amzn.to/3V7vI1f (*), though I just ordered one of those for this trip. You'll also need a 1/4-20 threaded GoPro mount adapter (like one of these amzn.to/3K7IDKc [**]).
I also recommend using a long (~10 ft,3m) USB cable and a USB charger or battery bank to keep the camera running during the day. I don't have a specific recommendation here, the GoPro doesn't require much from the USB side of things so you don't have to go crazy there. My cables are like 8 year old generic 10' A-to-C cables, whatever was cheap on Amazon at the time. I use an old iPhone charger when I'm in the room or a generic USB battery bank when I'm not to keep the camera running all day.
On the camera, I use the time lapse movie mode. Depending on the version of your camera, the exact way to set things up will be different. But I use an interval of 0.5 seconds (the fastest that it can do) at the highest resolution I can run it it at. Set the angle of view to whatever gives you the widest view without including a lot of the ship in it. I also try to limit the max ISO to 1600 or 3200.
Right now, with the amount of daylight, I'll leave the camera on over night. Right now you should have sunsets around 9 PM, and sunrise is around 4:30 AM, with it never quite reaching full night.
I'd suggest walking through the setup at home once you get the stuff to just to get it down. Also take the first day as practice, even if you're going up the inside between Vancouver Island and the mainland.
Hope that helps.
* Affiliate link
** I haven't used this specific one, but any of this kind of 1/4-20 threaded socket to GoPro mount will work. Also an affiliate link.
@@PointsInFocus this totally helps!! I have all that in my cart now!! I have the Go pro 12 (I just got it and have no idea how to set it up or anything. I planned to figure that out before the trip but that hast happened so far. What kind of a card do you use in it? I will need to get a few of those also
What kind and size of a micro SD card do you need to do the time lapse? is a 256 enough or more like 1TB?
In the past I've used 128GB cards, but a lot of that footage was shot at 2K not 4K. My 12-day cruise in 2017 came to just under 80GB in 2K, so that would require around 320 GB or so in 4K. That was continuous shooting 24 hours a day for the entire trip.
With that in mind, I'd say either 512 or 1TB cards would be my preference. I'd probably go for a 1TB card if they're not too pricey for you.
That said, I forgot to look at what my previous footage was shot in and I didn't buy new cards for this trip, even though I'm going to be shooting in either 4K or 5.2K. Ooops. Oh well, too late to do anything about it now.
@@PointsInFocus Perfect!! I also sail in less than a week so im rushing!! Princess Sapphire!! Thanks!!
Thanks for the video. I would definitely take a couple of charges with me.