What lens to take to the top of Longs Peak?

[RbnDave]

Next week I might climb Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. I don't want to carry all my camera gear all the way to the top but I would like to get some good shots. I think I am going to take my Tamron 28-75, but what else should I take? I think I might want my wide angle Tokina 17mm. Would I be better off taking a telephoto instead? I don't know how useful a wide angle will be on top of a mountain. I have a Sigma 70-200 f 2.8 and a Canon 100-400 IS. I think I would have room and energy to carry one of them, but if I take one of those, I am leaving my 17mm behind. Any opinions? Last time I climbed a mountain I got a good shot with my 70-200 so I am hesitant to leave it behind. Also, what if I see some mountain goats or bighorn sheep? I'll want the 100-400 then.

Who knows, maybe it will snow and I won't get to climb the mountain at all. Anyone been to Rocky mountain National Park in late September?

[Kenski]

Next week I might climb Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. I don't want to carry all my camera gear all the way to the top but I would like to get some good shots. I think I am going to take my Tamron 28-75, but what else should I take? I think I might want my wide angle Tokina 17mm. Would I be better off taking a telephoto instead? I don't know how useful a wide angle will be on top of a mountain. I have a Sigma 70-200 f 2.8 and a Canon 100-400 IS. I think I would have room and energy to carry one of them, but if I take one of those, I am leaving my 17mm behind. Any opinions? Last time I climbed a mountain I got a good shot with my 70-200 so I am hesitant to leave it behind. Also, what if I see some mountain goats or bighorn sheep? I'll want the 100-400 then.

Who knows, maybe it will snow and I won't get to climb the mountain at all. Anyone been to Rocky mountain National Park in late September?


Where did that post go from the Olympics with that 1200mm lens... For some reason, this lens comes to mind... lol

http://www.pbase.com/image/33066908.jpg

[Imperitus]

I recently took a trip to the very same peak. :)
Take the wide angle. Definitly the majestic mountains, expesialy if you get good sky, demand a wide shot.
You can also stitch together a wide... I did a few that way since I don't own a good wide.

The only thing you will want the telephoto for is the occasional wild life...

If that's your gig you will need a realy long telephoto. :)

[tnelms]

Take the wide angle definitely. Elk are everywhere right now so you're likely to get a chance at some good shots of them also, maybe even a moose or bear. You might be able to get a decent shot with the 70-200 but I would prefer the 100-400 myself. You're coming at a good time, lots of wildlife out and about this time of year.

[robertwgross]

For driving around in the park, you can use just about any good lens and get results. For wildlife, the longest lens are necessary. But, when driving, you aren't so concerned about the weight. When you get off on foot, you'll likely need to confine your selection to only a single lens with the broadest zoom range. One minute you may be shooting a wide panorama off the summit, and the next minute you may be shooting wildlife. However, you are unlikely to see any wildlife along the climbers route (the Keyhole, perhaps). If you see any wildlife at all, it is likely to be a marmot or chipmunk. Bigger animals tend to stay farther away from people whenever possible.

When climbing in August in California, I was glad that I had my Canon 28-200 zoom. I got my best pika photo up around 13,500 feet elevation. Pikas are so small that you need a lot of lens.

---Bob Gross---

[RbnDave]

Thanks guys! I think I'll bring the wide angle. I'll save the telephoto wildlife photos for a different day.

I have 10 days to spend in Colorado or just in Rocky Mountain National Park. Where should I go to get some elk photos, or any type of wildlife? My 100-400 lens has so far only been used on cows and zoo animals. I can't wait to get to a national park.

Also, do you recomend any easy access places for early morning light or evenning light to get landscape shots. I've done the national park thing before and it takes me a couple days to scout shots for early morning light. I hate to waste precious mornings looking for a photo and miss all the good light while driving. Are there any good spots that I could get to from the east side of the park without having to get up too early before sunrise?

My plan is to spend the early hours of the day getting landscape shots, hike during midday, and then find some animals in late afternoon and early evening.

Of course, climbing longs peak will be an all day trek.

Thanks again. I can't wait. I'm flying to Denver on thursday and I don't have to come home until the following Saturday. Do you think I'll see the leaves changing color?

[Miika]

There will be much more to look at in a wide angle shot compared to a tele shot.

Miika

[tnelms]

You can get some nice elk photos in RMNP. Moraine Park is a good area if you go in the Beaver Meadows entrance. The area around Horshoe Park is another good area if you go in the Fall River entrance. The best time for viewing them is early in the morning or late in the afternoon, around 4:30-5:00pm. We went up last Friday and had good luck from around 4:00pm on and being a week day there wasn't so many people. At Moraine Park you will likely need a longer lense than you will around Horshoe Park. We were within 30-40 feet of them at Horshoe Park which is plenty close. At Moraine Park we were probably 200-300 yards away, they were up near the tree line. Also got a few picks of a coyote around Moraine Park. There are also some fields around Longs Peak on Hwy. 7 where the elk tend to congregate. Actually almost anywhere in or around Estes Park is good. Late in the afternoon you can even find them on the golf course in Estes Park.

When we were there last week the aspens weren't really changing yet. There are better places in the state for fall colors than RMNP too, they don't have a lot of large aspen groves. I hope you enjoy your trip here, next week is suppose to be really nice. Be careful up on Longs Peak, we lost one up there a week or two ago. Got separated from his group and they didn't find him until the next day, he died from exposure.

[DocFrankenstein]

You don't have to climb a mountain to get some elk photos. Take the wide angle.

[nosquare2003]

I've never been to Longs Peak so I may be wrong...

Isn't telephoto very useful for mountains shots?

I agree that weight is a problem, however.

[nosquare2003]

I just did a search of Longs Peak and I believe that a telephoto is very useful.

A wide angle is very useful for landscape and I have no objections. However, a wide angle will make mountains smaller. A telephoto will compress the mountain layers (the nearby and the distant peaks). (Sometimes some kind of mist helps the effect.) Moreover, a telephoto will help to concentrate on interesting part.

What I'm trying to say that WA for landscape while tele for wild life is not correct in my dictionary.

[RbnDave]

tnelms,

Thanks for the great info. I should be able to find some elk now.

I've been surfing the net tonight looking for where is the best place to find fall colors. It looks like I'll be spending a few nights down in the San Juan Mountains. Also looks like I might hit it right around the peak of the colors or just a few days early. I can't wait.

Dave

[RbnDave]

nosquare,

That's what I was thinking. I've used telephotos to take photos of distant mountains before. Maybe I'll haul one of those up to the top also. Or maybe the 75mm end of my Tamron 28-75 will compress the scenery enough.

Here's a mountain photo I took last March at 200mm. A wide angle would have been useless for this shot. A tripod would have been helpfull though :lol: .

http://www.pbase.com/rbndave/image/27661094.jpg

[RbnDave]

PS

I might not get to climb longs peak after all. I just read portions of the trail are closed due to ice. Winter comes early up there I guess. Maybe it'll melt again before this weekend.

[robertwgross]

With or without camera gear, it would be tough to do it with or without ice for this weekend. Generally, when you are coming from near sea level, you need to spend at least a night or two sleeping at a moderate elevation before you can continue rapidly to a 14,000-foot peak. Coming from Ohio, I would suggest spending three nights at 8000-10,000 feet before trying to summit.

---Bob Gross---

[tnelms]

Haven't been to the San Juans in a while, but it should be about right there for the aspens. Catch them near sunrise or sunset and there's nothing more beautiful! Beautiful country even if they aren't fully turning yet though. Of course the others are right about using the telephoto for scenic shots also. I use both depending on the situation and what I'm looking for at the moment. I would definitely take the lighter one on the climb though :P

[nosquare2003]

RbnDave, I feel your pain...(tele+tripod or none)...