sm23221 Posted September 30, 2007 Share #1 Posted September 30, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) What would be the best lens to use for a helicopter tour over the Grand Canyon? 28mm? 50mm? Thank you in advance to those who have shot from a helicopter (with a door) with an M8. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted September 30, 2007 Posted September 30, 2007 Hi sm23221, Take a look here Helicopter flight. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
rwfreund Posted September 30, 2007 Share #2 Posted September 30, 2007 Nor important than the lens, I think a strap is in order. :-) 28 and wider I think, to be serious -bob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hookeye Posted September 30, 2007 Share #3 Posted September 30, 2007 Did some of that many years ago with a film based camera. Not the Grand Canyon though. Your choice of lens depend on how low you will be allowed to go. The lower, the wider. I would bring a 21, a 35 and two camera bodies. Then I would want to do a proper pre-flight briefing with the pilot so he understands what to do, your hand signals or - if you have intercom, so much the better. The best would be if you could actually sit in the doorway with a safety harness. You will be so much more free to swing around and choose your images without getting the door or the parts of the copter in the way. We are looking forward to seeing your pictures;) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisC Posted September 30, 2007 Share #4 Posted September 30, 2007 Err long - not wide. ............... Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted September 30, 2007 Share #5 Posted September 30, 2007 I flew over Kauai in a doorless helicopter. I used my M7 with 50 and 90mm lenses. Go wider and you have bits of fuselage and rotor in all your shots. Regards, Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
guy Posted September 30, 2007 Share #6 Posted September 30, 2007 I'd second the idea of taking at least one long lens with you. You can take advantage of the "compression of distance" effect to stack up lots of landscape features within the frame. If you're right down in the canyon, wider is going to look great, but if you're at any kind of a distance the 21mm (for instance) may start to give you the impression that you're actually miles away! Of course what you really wanted was advice for just one lens. But like Hans says, that's going to be very dependent on your flight path. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertwright Posted September 30, 2007 Share #7 Posted September 30, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) with wide you risk the chance of getting the blades frozen in the picture,-it happens. No doubt the pilot will tell you this, but even tho the door is on, if you are sticking the camera out the window or out of a bubble the airspeed outside is 100+ knots, it can jar the camera out of your hands if you forget about it. So caution there. I have found moderately wide is useful or even normal lengths, but again the grand canyon is huge- so you could shoot very wide and not get "it all". I think the problem is going to be contrast and time of day-you have a huge lighting differential between the lit and shadow sides., and difficulty resolving that. Wider is only going to exacerbate that, leaving you with a flat and lifeless picture possibly. I would try to be selective and get the view you want on a slightly longer lens, normal perhaps. but you will be having fun so no worries. Also, you will probably have a headset so you can talk to the pilot, he can help you tremendously, he can roll the aircraft so that the blades are out of the frame if you want more horizon. It is best with the door off so you can avoid the skids too. Just try to keep everything in the bag on the floor between your feet, those lenses are tiny, and if you can take the door off get the pilot to give you two seatbelts or perhaps even gaffer the clasp shut (a little scary if you have to get out in a hurry, but the other side is just as scary) because it is easy to snag the clasp with a camera strap and voila-you are not strapped in. Best advice is time of day is everything in this, the rest you will figure out quickly. Remember your sunny 16 rules as the meter will likely be fooled, altho with digital it is easy now to dial in to the right exposure. Don't lean on the aircraft for steadiness, it will be vibrating. Also certain crosswind conditions will cause more vibration than others, the pilot can only do so much there. Pick a high shutter speed and enjoy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted September 30, 2007 Share #8 Posted September 30, 2007 Duct tape your set buckle. so you don't fall out. Don't laugh i do it all the time when i shoot aerials of course the door is open too. 50mm and a 35mm might be the best lenses. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted September 30, 2007 Share #9 Posted September 30, 2007 Airsickness tablets? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sm23221 Posted September 30, 2007 Author Share #10 Posted September 30, 2007 Thanks for all of the advice! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanG Posted September 30, 2007 Share #11 Posted September 30, 2007 You said the door would be on? Do you know what kind of helcopter this will be and how you'll be able to shoot through an open window? I always have one or both doors off. I general fly low and thus want to keep forward motion rather than hovering. Having both doors off means that you can circle a subject and shoot in whatever direction is best for the wind. I've done a fair amount of this type of work but recently I started turning down helicopter work for safety reasons. One of my clients, Josh Freeman, was killed in helicopter crash last year and even though I like flying in them, I see no reason to risk it. NTSB: Chopper That Crashed Not Equipped Properly - News Story - WRC | Washington In this case, the weather turned bad and the pilot wasn't qualified for instrument flying. And local photographer Bill Weems, his client, and assistant died in a helicopter crash some time ago. This was due to poor maintenance. The "unnecessary" passengers should not have been on board. So do not take flying in a helicopter lightly. Do your best to make sure the pilot is top rate and the equipment is in perfect condition. I use a proper harness and have my cameras tethered to the aircraft. Taping the seatbelt can be problematic. We've all done it but it must be in a way that the tape can be pulled and released in an emergency. My best friend, Cameron Davidson, shared his advice in this article. (Cameron is probably one of the most experienced aerial shooters in the world.) First Time Aerials Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fin Posted October 1, 2007 Share #12 Posted October 1, 2007 At last! - a post that I can answer with a bit of expertise! I fly helicopters for a living and my advise is to get in touch with the pilot -or at least the company and find out the flight profile for the trip (how low/ close to the terrain - bearing in mind that the Grand Canyon is more of a 3D flight proflie - do they go?). Also explain the reason (mission?) for your trip - panoramic views of the canyon, detailed aerial shots of the rock strata etc etc - most pilots will be happy to oblige. There will be many variables with regards to visual and camera FOV so, with the M8, I would suggest a 24 (or 28 or 35), a 50 and a 90. The best thing about helicopter flying is, depending on the Density Altitude (altitude corrected for temperature), - you can get the pilot to stop in mid air to get the shot you want. Don't be overawed by the situation and be forthcoming with your requests - most pilots love showing off to get you the shot you want (I do certainly) - and if they say it can't be done - then, generally, it can't be done! Have a great trip! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sm23221 Posted October 1, 2007 Author Share #13 Posted October 1, 2007 One of my clients, Josh Freeman, was killed in helicopter crash last year and even though I like flying in them, I see no reason to risk it. Didn't want to hear that! BTW, some guy jumped out over the Grand Canyon from a sightseeing helicopter several months ago to commit suicide - but I don't plan on doing that and hurting my M8. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.