Beginner Iceland trip advice

JD007F

JD007F

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James Franklin
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Hi guys,
I have recently upgraded my canon 500d to the 760d and I'm heading to Iceland in January to see the northern lights etc.
Was wondering if there any advice people could give to make sure I get the best pictures whilst I'm away!

Many thanks James.
 
What lens do you have? Where are you staying/visiting?

We are going in February can't wait! Unlike you I'm being very pessimistic and planning on seeing cloud so anything better is a bonus!
 
Craig_85 said:
What lens do you have? Where are you staying/visiting?

We are going in February can't wait! Unlike you I'm being very pessimistic and planning on seeing cloud so anything better is a bonus!
Click to expand...

Hi Craig,

I've got Tamron 18-270mm F3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD.

We are staying Reykjavik staying in the centrehotel arnarhvoll for 4 nights. We seeing the northern lights like I said and the golden circle tour, plus blue lagoon and we haven't planned the last day yet. Maybe snowmobiling or whale watching etc.
Haha I can't wait to go and got my fingers X for great clear weather [emoji85]lol
 
You'll probably need to add either a tripod or superclamp to keep the camera still and a remote release (£5 from ebay). These shots take 5 secs plus.

Then you'll need a few camera batteries as they don't last long at low temperatures and a ziploc bag with some silica gel packets. Put the camera in the bag everytime you change its environment - it stops condensation.

Finally, if you can, put some electrical tape on the focus ring and camera body, then set your focus on something on the horizon and mark up the tape so you can return to that focus in the dark. Works best if it's the location you'll be shooting at.
 
JD007F said:
Hi guys,
I have recently upgraded my canon 500d to the 760d and I'm heading to Iceland in January to see the northern lights etc.
Was wondering if there any advice people could give to make sure I get the best pictures whilst I'm away!

Many thanks James.
Click to expand...

Northern lights are not very bright, plus you don't want shutter speeds getting too long or you'll have star trails. So tripod and the widest lens with the lowest f/number you can get hold of. Even then you'll have to push the ISO. Search for guides on this.

The Lights are illusive. A friend recently went on an expensive 5-day photo-specific trip, at the best time, armed to the teeth with gear. He was then raced around on long drives chasing sightings, but found nothing but cloud. He actually came back with zero images :(
 
Okey dokey guys this is all great help! May I ask where abouts is best to get the Ziploc bag as I'm guessing it's just a freezer bag your on about?
Also for the northern lights would it be best to use the go pro? If I get half decent weather lol.
Many thanks for the help keep the advice coming. [emoji1360]
 
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Sainsbury's, Tesco etc. will probably be the easiest place to get big ziploc bags. Look near the clingfilm and foil.

On a 10 day trip last year, we had one decent night of clear skies and that coincided with a very strong aurora show - the curtain effect was visible with the naked eye just before the sun set so we hightailed it back up to Gulfoss from Geysir for it. Even the locals thought it was a spectacular show. One other evening was relatively clear for a while and there was a glimmer of green and pink but nothing too spectacular.

I used a Tamron 14mm f/2.8 and a Sigma 8mm fisheye f/4, with exposures ranging from 3s up to 30.

This was 30s with the 14mm at ISO800
079079 by gpn63, on Flickr

and this was 3 with the fisheye at ISO3200
091091 by gpn63, on Flickr

both with a D750.

Mrs Nod shot this with my X30 Fuji compact from the car park at the hotel. A bit noisy but still not bad for a compact! (ISO2000)
008008 by gpn63, on Flickr

I had 3 batteries but only needed one - although it's not warm there, it's not as cold as you might imagine (at least near the coast - it's surrounded by the Gulf Stream, much like the UK.) I had no problems with condensation but the lens did get drops of water on it from the spray up at Gulfoss and the droplets froze onto the lens instantly! Cut shooting a bit short but that allowed me to use the Mk 1 eyeballs and grey matter storage to catch plenty. Went back to the hotel and just caught the end of supper (a bowl of soup was all they could rustle up for us) before heading out into the car park for some more eyeballing.
 
There's a few threads on here about Iceland, from memory Jon Sargisson Merc and Zeb are the contributors to look up - good advice, and great images - and you're very lucky, Iceland is the most spectacular place I've ever been, and I'd go back at the drop of a hat!

And the Reykjanes peninsula (just outside Reykjavik) is fully of opportunity...
 
Well thts great info Nod ill certainly be taking note of your info thank you.
Looks like I may have to get S spare battery to play safe. I'm not expecting miracles when I go but if I can come away with a few good photos would be great. I know the golden circle shouldn't be to bad for photo chances as you got the waterfalls and loads of scenery to capture. But if all fails get the go pro out or the iPhone haha.

Thanks guys I will also have a look on here for other people's threads about Iceland. Cheers hopefulM
[emoji1360]
 
Far better to have spare batteries and not need them than to have none but then need them! Keep the spares in a pocket where they'll stay warm from your body heat and put any apparently exhausted ones in a similar pocket - when the tired ones warm up, they'll have some more useable charge.

Had some fun with the waterproof Nikon 1AW so a GoPro or clone isn't a bad idea.
 
Where's the best place to get spare batteries? Also do I get the canon replacements or are there other brands tht are just as good?
 
Hi guys,

I've been looking on the 7days website for batteries I need for my 760d but I can't seem to find any. Am I being simple [emoji85] I need LP-E17 batteries. That correct?
 
There are a few on eBay. May be worth a punt if you can find a seller with good ratings.
 
Hi guys,
What's the best filters to have for this trip as there is a lot of water ice and sun if it comes out lol

Many thanks James.
 
Polariser. The only filter you actually can't do without.

Shoot brackets even if you think you don't need them and check your histogram.

Everything else can be done in pp.
 
pp = Post processing eg photoshop

brackets = Capturing multiple shots of the same scene at different exposure values. So, one (or more) slightly under-exposed and one (or more) slightly over-exposed what you would normally take. Some cameras can do this automatically for you, others not in which case you need to adjust the 'EV' value manually. If you have only taken one shot of that magical scene and then find the exposure wasn't quite right, this gives you more choices. It also gives you more options for post-processing.

As for the filter which combines both UV and polarisation, I've used their plain 'polarising' filter and so long as you understand how and when to use a polarising filter it's a good filter and the brand usually comes well recommended.
 
Morning,
Okey dokey thats great thanks Chris. I just wanted to check before replying thinking I knew and then sounded like a numpty but that's ideal. That's understandable so just gives you more chances of getting the perfect pic.

Also I was looking do they do covers for the screen or do you guys not tend to bother I just thought as I'm in Iceland It may steam up and wouldn't be able to see what I've taken etc? Or is just me over thinking?
 
JD007F said:
Also I was looking do they do covers for the screen or do you guys not tend to bother I just thought as I'm in Iceland It may steam up and wouldn't be able to see what I've taken etc? Or is just me over thinking?
Click to expand...
Yeah but no but... No. Mostly.

Things don't steam up because they're cold. They steam up because they're cold and they're brought into the warm. Like my glasses every time I go into a shop in the winter. What's happening is that the air that comes into contact with the cold object is cooled, perhaps quite significantly so, and cold air can't hold as much moisture in it as warm air. So you have warm air with moisture in it, you cool the air, the air can no longer contain that amount of moisture, and hence you get condensation on the cold object.

So whilst you're actually out shooting in Iceland, this isn't going to be a concern. Condensation is only going to be a problem after you've been outside shooting and you bring the gear into a warm building or a warm car. I hope it's obvious that a screen or filter or something isn't going to prevent condensation; you'll just get the condensation on the screen or filter instead of on the camera or lens.

The best approach is to have a ziploc bag to put the camera in. Put it in the bag whilst you're still outside in the cold, squeeze as much air as you can out of the bag, and then seal it. When you go into the warm, you'll still get condensation, but on the outside of the bag where it won't affect your equipment.
 
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JD007F said:
Okey dokey cheers Craig. Sorry to be a pain but I'm not up with the short terms like pp and shoot in brackets? Sorry to be a pain if you don't mind expanding a little please I'm the basics man lol

Also would this be an ok filter http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-hoya-62mm-uv-hrt-circular-polariser/p1519048

Many thanks
Click to expand...

No worries;

KernowChris said:
pp = Post processing eg photoshop

brackets = Capturing multiple shots of the same scene at different exposure values. So, one (or more) slightly under-exposed and one (or more) slightly over-exposed what you would normally take. Some cameras can do this automatically for you, others not in which case you need to adjust the 'EV' value manually. If you have only taken one shot of that magical scene and then find the exposure wasn't quite right, this gives you more choices. It also gives you more options for post-processing.

As for the filter which combines both UV and polarisation, I've used their plain 'polarising' filter and so long as you understand how and when to use a polarising filter it's a good filter and the brand usually comes well recommended.
Click to expand...

What he said!
 
StewartR said:
Yeah but no but... No. Mostly.

Things don't steam up because they're cold. They steam up because they're cold and they're brought into the warm. Like my glasses every time I go into a shop in the winter. What's happening is that the air that comes into contact with the cold object is cooled, perhaps quite significantly so, and cold air can't hold as much moisture in it as warm air. So you have warm air with moisture in it, you cool the air, the air can no longer contain that amount of moisture, and hence you get condensation on the cold object.

So whilst you're actually out shooting in Iceland, this isn't going to be a concern. Condensation is only going to be a problem after you've been outside shooting and you bring the gear into a warm building or a warm car. I hope it's obvious that a screen or filter or something isn't going to prevent condensation; you'll just get the condensation on the screen or filter instead of on the camera or lens.

The best approach is to have a ziploc bag to put the camera in. Put it in the bag whilst you're still outside in the cold, squeeze as much air as you can out of the bag, and then seal it. When you go into the warm, you'll still get condensation, but on the outside of the bag where it won't affect your equipment.
Click to expand...

Yeah that's fine I did wonder weather it would it not. But I've got some of those bags already to go so that's ideal[emoji1360]thank you.
 
JD007F said:
Okey dokey so is it better to have just a plain polarised filter instead of having uv and polarised ones. This one below is just polarised

http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-...nsparency-circular-polarising-filter/p1029571
Click to expand...
What do you think you want a UV filter to do for you?

Unlike film, digital sensors are not sensitive to UV. So whilst there's an argument that a UV filter will help your image quality when using film, by cutting out UV and thereby reducing haze, that doesn't apply to digital. These days people just use UV filters as lens protectors, and you can actually get protective filters that are basically the same but don't filter out any UV.

Whether or not you should use a protective filter is a question which some people get very worked up about. Putting a cheap piece of glass in front of your expensive piece of glass isn't obviously a good idea in terms of image quality, and there are some situations (night lights, astro) where it can be positively harmful. On the other hand some people think it's worth having a filter to protect the front of the lens, especially in harsh environments such as when there's dirt or salt spray in the air. There's no simple right answer.
 
I strongly recommend getting a UV or clear filter to protect your lens! Iceland can be unforgiving to your Camera gear.

My Hoya Pro-ND filter on my 18-55 got scratched and damaged by flying black sand at Vik Beach in February 2015 (extremely windy) which thankfully meant no damage to the lens itself.
 
I'm in Iceland in early January hoping to get the Aurora too.
I'm taking 2 bodies, 3 lenses and a tripod.

The advice here is sound, and useful for me too.
Thanks guys
 
smr said:
I strongly recommend getting a UV or clear filter to protect your lens! Iceland can be unforgiving to your Camera gear.

My Hoya Pro-ND filter on my 18-55 got scratched and damaged by flying black sand at Vik Beach in February 2015 (extremely windy) which thankfully meant no damage to the lens itself.
Click to expand...
Oh yeah. A sandstorm is definitely one of those environments where you're better off with a protective filter.
 
Evening guys,
Iceland trip went fantastic was the most amazing place in the world. The unfortunate thing was it was cloudy every ruddy night :-( but we had such crisp days which was lush. I'll pop a few pics up below feel free to say my bad points and any good if u can find some haha

6174660976_IMG_0865.JPG6174660976_IMG_0787.JPG6174604016_IMG_0721.JPG6174633296_IMG_0672.JPG6174633296_IMG_0663.JPG
 
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