Hawaii Vacation... What Am I missing?

convergent wrote in post #15225903
I would not bring all that gear on your list... it will end up weighing you down and impacting your relaxation and enjoyment. IF you bring the 5D3, I'd probably just bring a general purpose lens like the 24-105, and maybe a 75-300. The 5D3 has such amazing high ISO and resolution that you should be able to get what you want, even in low light. I don't have a 75-300 (yet), so I'd probably be inclined to bring my 135L and TC1.4, which is a nice light package to get the long shots when needed, and is a great portrait lens too. So for me, I'd through in the 24-105, 135L, TC1.4, and maybe my Sigma Fisheye because that's always good for some fun shots.

I took the 5D II, 24-105, 16-35, 70-200, Tripod, Pano head, Nodal Slide, cleaning pads/cleaner (DO NOT FORGET THAT!), 2 Lee Foundation Kits and plenty of filters. Also took the G12 and Olympus TG-1iHS underwater camera.

What would have impacted my relaxation and enjoyment would have been NOT bringing all the equipment and not being able to do landscapes.

The time of year you'll be coming here is when we get large surf on the north shore of Oahu. You can always rent a long lens from Hawaii Camera. In essence you'll have whales and large surf to keep you busy as well as the landscape.

For Oahu I would bring your
Canon 35mm f/1.4L
Canon 135mm f/2L
Canon 24-105mm f/4.0L IS
Canon 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 III
bring a tele-zoom, you'll never know when you need it

Oahu nowadays I only carry my 17-40, 35 2, 135L
And we're actually heading to Maui tomorrow and my plan is to only bring
17-40, 35 2, 100-400

I've been on Oahu numerous tiumes, although quite a few years ago but the Big Island more recently. First of all I think I would onlt take the two zooms. In general you will find plenty of light and minimal opportunities for indoor opportunities. They do exist, but the 24-105 will cover them adequately.

Polarizer, absolute necessity. Graduated neutral density nice but not absolutely a must.

As to underwater stuff, I suggest you just visit a Walmart, Sams Club or Costco and get a cheap throwaway underwater film camera. It will probably set you back about $8. They work quite well and you will have absolutely no worrries about camera damage. I have used them at depths to about 12-15 feet and got good exposure. When you get them processed, preferably on the island (no security x-ray issues), ask for a contact sheet and digital images burned to a CD. Got youngster's, get them one as well!

One trip we enjoyed the last time was a submarine ride. Google "submarine ride Oahu" for some details. The sub actually went down to about 95 to 100 feet and we were able to see some artifacts from the Pearl Harbor attack. The sub seats people on a long group of seats and everyone has a port hole for viewing. Interesting lesson on light - I was wearing a red shirt and as various wavelengths of light were filtered with increasing depth, the shirt appeared blue to my wife. I think we were down about 60 feet and she said "I thought you wore a red shirt today." Imagine the surprise when I looked down and saw it was blue! Flash pictures showed it as red but available light it came out blue.

Like coffee? Starbucks sells 100% Kona coffee until about 11 AM for an extra $1. Good stuff.

Take (or buy) something to protect equipment from rain - showers come and go quickly without much notice. They're usually very light and people dry quickly - so most people simply ignore the showers ... but camera/lens might be effected.

My last serious trip was three weeks in Japan. I stressed over what gear to haul and ended up taking the following (besides tripod) in a Think Tank Urban Disguise 60.

5DM2 w/BGE6, RRS plate
15 2.8
16-35 2.8
24-70 2.8
50 1.2
85 1.2
70-200 2.8
580 flash
Gitzo 3530 w/Arca Swiss ballhead, RRS clamp

Never/rarely did I carry everything and I utilized a fanny pack. I opted for the 5DM2 for the video aspect and weight benefit over 1-Series bodies. lol

If I were do that trip again and/or not on assignment, I might leave the 24-70 at home. But in the big picture, I deal with a heavy carry on and later don't regret.

Much of that trip was 'urban'... well, so is Honolulu. But if I was headed to the 'nature' aspect of any Hawaiian island, I'd pack a similar kit. My three lens set which can cover a large percentage of situations include super wide zoom (16-35), a fast med wide to normal (50f1.x), a macro/medium tele (100f2.8).

re: your list, if you're wanting to trim it back, leave behind the 75-300 and maybe the same for the 24-105. (I'm not a fan of slow/variable aperture lenses).

Be cautious, polarizing filters are easily over used here. There are ops for the use of a tripod and a dense ND if that is your thing.

Just use common sense while at the beach with a camera. No special equipment is needed. I've swapped lenses feet from the surf thousands of times and if you don't drop a lens, it's all good. FWIW, I don't use filters unless it's for effect (not for protection).

You are arriving during the humpback's vacation. How much lens do you need while on water? My experience has been that 500/4 is not long enough at times, while a 50 was not wide enough.

Enjoy your trip and the planning!