Orlando advice.

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stevebuk

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Steve
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Hi all,

Can someone who has been to Orlando help me with some kit advice?

We are going on a family holiday for two weeks to Disney / Orlando etc and I'd like to get some nice pictures while away.

I'm trying to decide on what to take. I imagine that carrying my 50D and lenses around will become a pain so I plan on taking my Fuji X-E1 with 18-55 and 35mm lens. My only concern is that I will not have enough reach for taking pictures of the kids swimming with dolphins and for images of the animals in some of the parks. I could also take along the Fuji X10 to get me 112mm but that means two cameras..

What do you think?

Regards,
Steve
 
Which would cause you most pain: having to carry the two cameras or going home without the pictures of the kids...?
 
When I went I took a 645zi medium format large compact style and it worked great, lovely pics, fairly idiot proof.

That was a few years back. today i would go sonyrx100, domt take too much stuff it will in my view get in the way and spoil the experience!

I did miss extended zoom though.

Have a great time!
 
There are a few large Disney threads on POTN and AVForums, you might get some ideas from those.

For what its worth ive been twice (with family in tow).
Each time i took a DSLR. The first was a Canon 30D with 17-55IS lens, plus 50mm f/1.4 for night time shots.
The second was with a Canon 40D and 24-105L f/4, and the 50mm again.

I'd say the longer reach was lacking, especially with the 17-55 lens but i didnt actually feel i missed anything.
Most things in Disney and Universal are pretty much in your face, its a very busy place (if you dont go at the right time) so a long zoom wouldn't have worked most of the time. I guess i did do better with the 24-105 for long shots but then i missed the wide end.
At no point did carrying the gear around become an issue. I took my camera bag no most rides, and for those i couldn't normally one of us was not going anyway, due to a "woosy" 5 year old lol.

Is buying a new lens an option? Something like the Canon 18-135 STM would be ideal IMO.

Im off there in Feb next year for 5 days and haven't decided what ill be taking (or what ill own by then), but at the moment it looks like ill just take my 5DMKII, 24-70 f/2.8 and 50mm f/1.4. I know that will cover everything for me.

Have a good trip no matter what. Its a great place to go, even without kids.
 
Thanks all. I wish the Fuji 55-200 was out already as that would sort my problem! Will mull over the options.

Steve
 
You mention Dolphins...are you going to Discovery Cove?

If you are they are a bit funny about people who are doing the 'dolphin swim' taking cameras in the water. Last year I had to leave my waterproof compact on the beach, and so the only photos of the dolphin swim we got were the ones the official photographer took (beware their photo packages can be pricey!).

If your not doing the actual swim and just your children are then you should be able to get some photos from the beach, but you'll probably need a good zoom! As they don't let people who aren't participating in the water.
 
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Im Going to Orlando in May this year' and will take my 5D3 + 24-105 and also 70-300"L" ... dont care if its a bit of a heavy bag to be dragging around the theme parks but i want the very best pictures possible!!!! ... i'm doing BUSCH GARDENS again and that's where my 70-300 will come in handy i hope, .. the last time i went i wish i had taked a DSLR as only had IXUS 950is

these type of holidays only come along every few years for me and the family, and you never know if it will be the last chance you get' what with soaring prices and other commitments etc, :thumbs:

theres always secure lockers at the many theme parks to put your stuff in for a few hours while you go on the rides!!!!:thumbs:
 
Hi Steve,
I went to Orlando in September/October last year and took a Samsung WB7000. It was great for zooming etc, but I am going again in December and that is one of the reasons I have just purchased a DSLR.
Trust me, I carried a bag with waterproofs, suncream, sunglasses, money, everthing in!!
This time I will be taking my DSLR camera and cutting down on the other things!
When I got back I realised that I should have had a better camera to capture those perfect moments. You can't put a price on that - especially if you have kids (I don't).
Out of curiosity, have you opted for a Disney Package? (hotel/meals etc)
 
Thanks all, Yes, Discovery Cove, so looks that camera's are off limits there.. Maybe the 50D is the better option after all. 17-50 for walkabout, 70-200 for reach and 50 1.8 for low light.... Decisions, decisions!

I've checked and my mate is taking his 5Dii, so I could of course steal that for long shots and stick with the XE-1 :-)

Ben, I am staying at a Disney hotel, but not with meals. Not sure we would get value for them and I couldn't find any offers.

Regards,
Steve
 
First time I went to Orlando I took a 1000d and a sigma 24-70 2.8. Last time I went was back in October and November 2012 and had 7d with a 17-50 2.8 non vc. Can't really say I struggled. I got the shots. And cropping a few photos sorted the over crowded shots or got me the extra zoom I needed which wasn't many.

Disney parks are huge. Wear walking shoes! I had blisters the size of a 50p coin on both feet. Universal parks or sea world are nothing compared to the size of Disney.

You can PM me if you need any example photos.

I got married in Florida and my camera / lens combo was fine too. :)
 
I've been twice and always taken a bridge and shot snapshots on my Iphone. This year Im taking the DSLR and the 24-70 f2.8. The weight doesn't bother me but im more concerned that I will have to entrust it to family members when on some of attractions. In hoping to mitigate that with some decent kit insurance.

I do however think it will be worth the planning and carrying it to get some top quality images that I've missed in previous visits.
 
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Try checking out this website forum called the dibb

http://www.thedibb.co.uk/

I used it loads before my trip last year, as it's really helpful to anything Disney/Florida related! Lots of good advice given, so there might possibly be a thread about cameras there.

Oh just another tip....Disney do this thing called photopass, where the disney togs take pics then give you a card where all the photos they've taken are loaded onto. Then after your trip you can look through them online, and any you want to purchase can be downloaded (at a price). This can be handy if you find you didn't manage to get a good photo yourself of a character meet/greet etc.
 
Yeah, the dib is a great source of Disney info, although i think some of them go a bit over the top when talking about it. No harm in joining though.

Last time we went we stayed in one of the Disney hotels (Pop century). That made a huge difference as it meant we were always within easy, and free, reach of any of their parks.
The downside is we had to use cabs for the Universal stuff.
It was snowing here when we were out there last, and its amazing to think that we could let the kids play in the pool outside our room at 10pm at night, while the UK was freezing.
God bless America lol.
 
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