Antarctica - how much photo equipment do I need/ how much would you bring?

[Viewfinder_vandals]

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Only Q 

[Phil75]

Forgot: I clearly recommend replacing the D700 body with a modern one that offers up-to-date IQ and weather sealing, if you want to maintain the Nikon zoom. 12 MP from today's perspective isn't quite suitable for such an extraordinary trip. Years ago I traveled to southern Patagonia with an Eos40D with 24-105/f4 and 70-200/f4. Whilst the lenses still are great from today's perspective and were ideal for that trip, one clearly can see how much the sensor technology has advanced since then. It would be well invested money.

Use protective filters, its' bloody windy and sandy there, and you also don't want sea spray directly on your front lenses all the time, because you will need to wipe the salt water off regularly.

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[Le Chef]

I have never been to the Antarctica but I have an acquaintance who took so much camera equipment with him to Antarctica that he had to take his bubbe to carry it all for him. In the end he barely used a 1/4 of what he took with him. Just because you have it doesn’t mean you have to take it with you.

My inclination would be to take the Q2, spare batteries, UV and ND filters, and tape over the microphone and speaker holes. Done.

Edited January 17, 2023 by Le Chef

[Einst_Stein]

I would pack as much as I can pack, and take only the must-have for each session -- of course, include the spared for just-if.  

This might mean two bodies, one with wide or normal, the other with zoom.  

[stuny]

I was suggesting just the Q (with spare batteries) earlier since the animals have not learned to fear humans, and you can go right up to penguins, seals, sea lions, skua and so forth, so a long lens will probably stay in your bag..  

However, you should have a back-up camera (and batteries) in case the Q fails.

[Orguy]

I just ordered the ewa underwater housing, thank you jaapv!

When I ordered, they strongly advised that I add a Silica Gel pack inside the housing (particularly taking it into the cold environment). Seems sensible, so I added this to the order:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/17351-REG/Ewa_Marine_EM_CD_5_CD5_Camera_Dry_Desiccant.html/qa

 

**One more thing**:

given the nature of this Antarctica trip, a tripod doesn't seem necessary. Agree?

 

[BrassMonkey]

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Which EWA waterproof housing best fits the Q2 ?

[NigelG]

I haven’t been to Antarctica (yet) but I would probably also test out shooting all of your various options and suggestions whilst wearing a pair of gloves…

Edited January 17, 2023 by NigelG

[david strachan]

When I went in about 2002, I was suprised how mild it was.  Temps were around -3degC, with beautiful sunny weather...then up the Chilean fjords to Santiago.

Only took two cameras... a "prosumer" style digital Canon and a 6x6 folding film camera. 

Everything was very comfortable and no splashing in the Zodiacs...could easily get some ice berg for my whisky! Took lots of pics from zodiacs.

Telephotos just not needed.  Many on-board pics of passengers and the ship, and distant moody ice bergs.  Lots of penguin pics with nice backgrounds... 50mm or 35mm equivalent.

Had 600 passengers aboard the "Marco Polo"...we hit an underwater pinnacle and had to run back to Ushuaia for hull welding.  We ate nearly a ton of ice cream between 600 passengers.

Would love to do again...paid a small premium for my own cabin.

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Edited January 17, 2023 by david strachan

[jaapv]

1 hour ago, BrassMonkey said:

Which EWA waterproof housing best fits the Q2 ?

I seem to recall that it can be found on the EWA website. Otherwise their customer service will be happy to help you. 

[stuny]

Excellent idea for the silica gel pack, which I always use for photography when SCUBA diving.

Very important tip - The Drake Passage (between the Beagle Channel in Ushuaia and Antarctica) can be the roughest waters on earth - and it might be calm or mild.  But just in case get a prescription for Trans-Dem Scop.  That's the patch to wear on the skin behind your ear which delivers scopolamine through the skin for motion sickness.  If the crew thinks the waters will be rough put on the patch an hour before getting to it.

[Daniel C.1975]

Am 17.1.2023 um 23:36 schrieb david strachan:

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Just saw it. And as cool as it is to have ice from a real ice-berg in your drink, I really have to say (imagine a thunderous god like voice): "YOU SHALL NOT PUT ICE INTO YOUR SINGLE MALT!"

Great pictures and for an even greater experience. 

Edited January 19, 2023 by Daniel C.1975

[Orguy]

On 1/18/2023 at 8:09 AM, stuny said:

Excellent idea for the silica gel pack, which I always use for photography when SCUBA diving.

Very important tip - The Drake Passage (between the Beagle Channel in Ushuaia and Antarctica) can be the roughest waters on earth - and it might be calm or mild.  But just in case get a prescription for Trans-Dem Scop.  That's the patch to wear on the skin behind your ear which delivers scopolamine through the skin for motion sickness.  If the crew thinks the waters will be rough put on the patch an hour before getting to it.

Yes, I already have the patches. Another less obvious thing is Paxlovid. I just came back from a Christmas cruise out of NYC on a ship with 3,000 people. Who would have imagined I would come down with Covid on this cruise? - well I did. I begged the medical facilities on board to get Paxlovid from them. They said they had it but they ignored me and just wanted to isolate me and get me off the ship ASAP. I had to get home and get it from my physician a few days later (therefore probably less effective). Therefore, I plan to ask my doctor if he is willing to give me the Rx to bring just in case, as a prophylactic measure. 

[RoySmith]

7 hours ago, Daniel C.1975 said:

Just saw it. And as cool as it is to have ice from a real ice-berg in your drink, I really have to say (imagine a thunderous god like voice): "YOU SHALL NOT PUT ICE INTO YOUR SINGLE MALT!"

Great pictures and for an even greater experience. 

I concur, but it is surprising how much 1 or 2 drops of water can open up the taste of a fine whisky !

[stuny]

9 hours ago, Orguy said:

Yes, I already have the patches. Another less obvious thing is Paxlovid. I just came back from a Christmas cruise out of NYC on a ship with 3,000 people. Who would have imagined I would come down with Covid on this cruise? - well I did. I begged the medical facilities on board to get Paxlovid from them. They said they had it but they ignored me and just wanted to isolate me and get me off the ship ASAP. I had to get home and get it from my physician a few days later (therefore probably less effective). Therefore, I plan to ask my doctor if he is willing to give me the Rx to bring just in case, as a prophylactic measure. 

If your regular physician won't do it, try a physician who specializes in travel medicine.

[Doug Trabaris]

On 1/16/2023 at 1:32 AM, Orguy said:

I am going on a cruise to Antarctica in March and I will be on the continent for five days. We will be sailing, kayaking, hiking and paddling Zodiacs. I wonder if it would be a mistake to take only my Q2? I know closeups of animals are impossible, but most photos are more interesting to me if they show some context. I also have an old Nikon D700 with a 24-120 zoom lens I could bring, but of course the image quality doesn't match the Leica.

 

What would you suggest? 1) Content myself with only the wider angle Q2, albeit croppable 2) also bring the D700, or 3) rent some good equipment up to say with a 600 or 800 mm lens? I sure have grown to love the simplicity and convenience of carrying only the Q2 - but am I squandering the photo opportunity of a lifetime by doing so?

I just returned from Antarctica a few days ago. I brought a zoom lens for my SL2-S (90-280), and it made a huge difference for wildlife and shots of distant land. 

[otto.f]

Ask MarkP too . https://www.l-camera-forum.com/profile/21776-markp/

Edited February 10, 2023 by otto.f

[aryaah]

I was in South Georgia Island and Antartica in November-December 2022. We were on our ship, 63 passengers, for 16 days and thankfully flew back from Antarctica to South America avoiding the Drake Passage traverse.

I used a Leica Q2 and Canon R3 with 100-500mm Zoom. We were instructed to stay al least 5 meters away from the wildlife and not sit or kneel on the ground. This advice was due to concern for avoiding the dissemination of Avian Flu. The penguins are very curious and will approach you even when trying to keep an appropriate distance. The fur seals can be aggressive and unpredictable at times, and therefore keeping your distance is important, especially since their bite can be quite dangerous. They also can move rather quickly so caution is suggested. We generally stayed on paths which were marked and monitored by our guides to assure safety. The zoom range was great and allowed for close-ups, scenery, clusters of wildlife, juxtaposition of various seals and penguins, and birds.

The Leica Q2 is perfect for scenery but the 28mm focal length is not ideal for wildlife. I used the Leica Q2 for photography from our ship to capture icebergs and beautiful scenery. The Q2 would be easy to manage in a kayak. You can bring a small dry bag to hold and protect the camera while kayaking. Easy to attach to the kayak for easy access.

A camera with a 100-400mm or 100-500mm zoom is ideal for land and zodiac excursions. There are instances where a landing is not feasible due to an abundance of seals on shore thereby not permitting a disembarking area. Photographing the shore and abundant wildlife from a zodiac is facilitated with the aforementioned zoom ranges. It also allows photographing swimming seals, penguins, birds, and if you're lucky, whales. I would not bring a telephoto of 600-800mm length. Too cumbersome and limited in flexibility.

You do not need an underwater housing for camera gear. I used a 20 liter waterproof backpack, made by Overboard, to protect my camera gear and carry additional personal items, while on a zodiac excursion and when traveling to a landing. We encountered swells at times and did receive splashes but this backpack was excellent for protection. It also allows easy access to equipment given the rolltop opening.  The backpack will hold both the Q2 and R3 with zoom, if desired. Most travelers had backpack of this general size. You can also use a dry bag within a backpack to allow waterproof protection. I also used a dry sack while seated on zodiac excursions to protect my camera/lens but still keep the camera strap around my neck. This allowed quick use of the camera when needed and covered the equipment when not photographing. I returned the camera to the backpack, which was at my feet, when I didn't anticipate use for awhile or when returning to the ship. It also served as a storage place for my gloves when using my camera.

I left the Leica Q2 on the ship, when traveling in a zodiac or on land, since the Canon R3 and zoom were perfect for all my photography. We were able to leave our backpacks on a tarp near the landing site, which made carrying a camera more comfortable when walking.

Antarctica is a unique opportunity and therefore renting the desired gear, to achieve the ideal experience, is a reasonable option.

Extra batteries given the cold weather. Carry one inside your garments to keep it warm.

Use gloves which allow easy use of your camera. A thin liner glove, under a more protective waterproof glove, would help. We were most cold on zodiac excursions due to the wind chill factor. 

We did have a suggested weight limit for luggage and personal items and therefore I was attentive to maximizing my equipment use.

Agree with the use of a transdermal scopolamine patch since the seas can be rough at times. Our ship had a readily available supply of meclizine for seasickness but I suspect the patch would allow a more sustained benefit.

Enjoy your travels!

 

 

 

 

Edited February 11, 2023 by aryaah
Additional suggestion.

[Hans-Dieter Gülicher]

Thank very much for this excellent information aryaah. Comming from Chile by ship I will be there in October/November this year.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica Q

[Herr Barnack]

It seems that telephoto lenses are not really needed, according to those who have been to Antarctica; an 80-200mm or 70-300mm zoom and a late model DSLR body for insurance, perhaps.  A 600mm or 800mm super telephoto?  Perish the thought!

Take only as much equipment as you can comfortably carry in a small to medium sized photo backpack; a backup camera for your Q2 is a must have IMHO.  Regarding a pack, the Wandrd Prvke 21 liter camera pack would be my choice:  https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1633424-REG/wandrd_pk21_gn_3_prvke_21l_backpack_v3.html

Edited February 22, 2023 by Herr Barnack