USA and dust!?

Bretagnez

Bretagnez

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Nick
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As it stands, I'm off to the USA this summer for a two week fly drive sort of thing around the West Coast. LA, Las Vegas, San Fransisco, Phoenix, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Yosemite etc etc.

Now, I know it's a long way away yet but I got thinking about equipment.

My original thought was to buy a lens like the Tamron 18-270 but in the end I thought I'd regret not taking my 17-70 and 70-200.

So, my question is how do I get around the dust factor of lens changes? Most of the time I'd plan on keeping the 17-70 on camera but dust is bound to get it anyway I reckon.

I'll be taking a cleaning kit, but will it be a case of doing it every night?
Anyone had any experience with photo trips and ways to get round this?

Was also thinking about buying a Sigma 30mm 1.4, would this be a worthy addition to the collection?

Cheers for taking the time to read this and apologies for all the questions! :gag:
 
I've done all of those locations, monument valley was the dustiest, but only because the valley floor is very dry and vehicles kick up a lot of dust.
I didn't have any problems with dust, and didn't bring a cleaning kit either! (I had a 30D at the time, so no fancy sensor cleaning built in.). I changed lenses reasonably often, but not in an obviously dusty location.

You'll have a great time. I'd highly recommend a balloon trip in Monument valley, you'll get to see it from another angle ;) There is only one company running balloon trips there, and only one per day.

Have fun. :)
 
User Name said:
I've done all of those locations, monument valley was the dustiest, but only because the valley floor is very dry and vehicles kick up a lot of dust.
I didn't have any problems with dust, and didn't bring a cleaning kit either! (I had a 30D at the time, so no fancy sensor cleaning built in.). I changed lenses reasonably often, but not in an obviously dusty location.

You'll have a great time. I'd highly recommend a balloon trip in Monument valley, you'll get to see it from another angle ;) There is only one company running balloon trips there, and only one per day.

Have fun. :)
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Ahh that's a relief. Thanks for the information :thumbs:. I'll check out the balloon trip, thanks very much for that - sounds fantastic!

Any other tips on things to see?
Cheers :)
 
It can't be dustier than a motocross meeting :D

Try things like - find somewhere not quite so dusty to change the lens, hold the camera "hole down", give it a quick couple of puffs with a rocket blower and stuff the lens on quick.

Make sure you take the proper dust off kit with you to do at night. The Arctic Butterfly is superb (assuming you manage to avoid the grease on the mirror assembly!!)

Remember that in bright sunlight you will see more dust because your camera will be selecting small apertures (which is where the dust is visible)... another way to get round this is to use a reasonably dark ND filter, which not only will make your photos look nicer (rather than harsh sun blasted) but also open up the aperture making the dust less visible.

Enjoy your trip :D
 
desantnik said:
It can't be dustier than a motocross meeting :D

Try things like - find somewhere not quite so dusty to change the lens, hold the camera "hole down", give it a quick couple of puffs with a rocket blower and stuff the lens on quick.

Make sure you take the proper dust off kit with you to do at night. The Arctic Butterfly is superb (assuming you manage to avoid the grease on the mirror assembly!!)

Remember that in bright sunlight you will see more dust because your camera will be selecting small apertures (which is where the dust is visible)... another way to get round this is to use a reasonably dark ND filter, which not only will make your photos look nicer (rather than harsh sun blasted) but also open up the aperture making the dust less visible.

Enjoy your trip :D
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Maybe not :lol:

Oh yeah, I've heard about Arctic Butterfly. I'll have check that out.
That never even crossed my mind, but as you say, it's very true. That'll be something worth looking into, what kind of strength would you reckon - vaguely?
Thanks for that :thumbs:
 
Well, they don't take up a lot of room, so personally I'd kit myself out with 1, 2 and 3 stops and a CPL for those moments when you want that bright blue desert sky to be bright blue.

That might set you back a bit, especially if you take more than one lens and they take different size filters... of course, consider buying the bigger size and get a step down ring (assuming the size difference isn't ridiculous!) or just stick with filters for you wider lens and not the 70-200... you probably won't use it much anyway.
 
Yeah, that's very true. Already got a CPL and a couple of step down rings but I'll probably just get them for the 17-70mm because, as you say that's probably the lens I'll be using the most.

I'm looking forward to it far too much already and it's still 5 months away! Cheers :)
 
Dude I would leave the camera at home, your not going to have time to stop and take photos on that drive never mind change lenses.

A few ideas of the times it takes to drive
San Fran to LA via the pacific coast highway is a 12-13 hour drive if you do it in one go.
Vegas to San Fran is another 10 hour drive
Vegas to Phoenix is about 5-6 hours
LA to Vegas is 3-4 hours if you don't get any accidents in front of you

Ohh and Phoenix to anywhere that there is civilisation is either back to Vegas or head west to San Diego now that is a real fun drive. 334 miles of a single road along the border with Mexico and a few border control stops yeah real good fun.

Driving to the Grand Canyon, silly, get a helicopter from Vegas done and dusted in a few hours get some great shots of the Vegas strip from the air and the canyon and Hoover dam and that big lake. Car hire also doesn't let you drive down the roads to get to the canyon as they are private land and not really suitable for cars anyway and it takes ages by road.

If you do get to phoenix go to the heart attack grill in Chandler just south some really good photo opertunities in there, search for it they do have a website ;)
 
Cheers for the response, it's not myself that is driving.
I'm going with the family :) but it's like an organised thing where we drive certain distances and stay in arranged places along the way, a lot of the places we are staying in 2 nights etc.
It's not straight to the locations mentioned above, they are just the main attractions on the route.

We did the same in Iceland in Summer 2007, but obviously Iceland is probably a slightly smaller scale!
Very lucky! :D

Will definetley check that out, ta.
 
I've done US desert and canyon road trips and had to spend an hour a night sensor cleaning. But the 5D is an infamous dust magnet anyway. I'd start the day with a perfectly clean sensor, then on checking the day's shots in the evening find dust spots maybe half a dozen shots in to the day without even a lens change. So a daily clean may well be a waste of time and you'll have to spend your time despotting in software anyway.

By all means have a quick puff with a blower or something. Probably the best cleaning aid I've bought is a Visible Dust Sensor Loupe. I wouldn't be without it.

Places to go - you're going to be time-limited, but Bryce Canyon is a must. If you're intending on seeing the Grand Canyon from the car, then the best place is south side, eastern end, about an hour from Page. Lots of parking places with great views. North side is a long drive for a limited and no better view. That glass bridge at the south west end is by most accounts poor value for money and time getting there. And they won't let you take photos. Get a flight if you can, either from Vegas or Grand Canyon Airport.

If you're in the Page locality then see Antelope Canyon, just outside the town.

Lots of people rave about Zion Canyon, but I've always found it to be mediocre in comparison to places like Bryce and Antelope.

Vegas area - Hoover Dam and Valley Of Fire State Park. In Vegas, go up the Paris hotel Eiffel Tower observation deck. Best views in the city. There are little cutouts in the grid to poke a lens through. Don't be worried if it's crowded up there. The average tourists soon drift away and you can get to your chosen photo spot. Go up twice - day and night. The night will give you spectacular views of the Bellagio fountain display every half hour across the road. Dispose of the family so you can be left in peace to get the hang of those night time fountain exposures. You may need a couple of displays. There's a volcano fire one at the Mirage, maybe every hour - not sure. The Stratosphere has great views but it's a bit distant from the main drag and its lights. Have a look at the cheesy tacky wedding chapels between the main strip and the Stratosphere including a drive-through one.

In San Francisco make your way up to the Marin Headlands - the hills overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge towards the city. Use Google satellite pictures to find the road off the bridge through the tunnel under the main highway and up the winding road in to the hills. Coit Tower - the cylindrical white tower with great views. A DUKW or Mr Toad antique bus tour - great and informative way to get a general look round. And no doubt you'll be doing an Alcatraz tour. Tickets need to be bought well in advance - weeks. Do it online. You can also book the city tours online too.

That's it. Have a good time.
 
Just buy/hire a second body if you can to avoid changing lenses.
 
MisterE said:
I've done US desert and canyon road trips and had to spend an hour a night sensor cleaning. But the 5D is an infamous dust magnet anyway. I'd start the day with a perfectly clean sensor, then on checking the day's shots in the evening find dust spots maybe half a dozen shots in to the day without even a lens change. So a daily clean may well be a waste of time and you'll have to spend your time despotting in software anyway.

By all means have a quick puff with a blower or something. Probably the best cleaning aid I've bought is a Visible Dust Sensor Loupe. I wouldn't be without it.

Places to go - you're going to be time-limited, but Bryce Canyon is a must. If you're intending on seeing the Grand Canyon from the car, then the best place is south side, eastern end, about an hour from Page. Lots of parking places with great views. North side is a long drive for a limited and no better view. That glass bridge at the south west end is by most accounts poor value for money and time getting there. And they won't let you take photos. Get a flight if you can, either from Vegas or Grand Canyon Airport.

If you're in the Page locality then see Antelope Canyon, just outside the town.

Lots of people rave about Zion Canyon, but I've always found it to be mediocre in comparison to places like Bryce and Antelope.

Vegas area - Hoover Dam and Valley Of Fire State Park. In Vegas, go up the Paris hotel Eiffel Tower observation deck. Best views in the city. There are little cutouts in the grid to poke a lens through. Don't be worried if it's crowded up there. The average tourists soon drift away and you can get to your chosen photo spot. Go up twice - day and night. The night will give you spectacular views of the Bellagio fountain display every half hour across the road. Dispose of the family so you can be left in peace to get the hang of those night time fountain exposures. You may need a couple of displays. There's a volcano fire one at the Mirage, maybe every hour - not sure. The Stratosphere has great views but it's a bit distant from the main drag and its lights. Have a look at the cheesy tacky wedding chapels between the main strip and the Stratosphere including a drive-through one.

In San Francisco make your way up to the Marin Headlands - the hills overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge towards the city. Use Google satellite pictures to find the road off the bridge through the tunnel under the main highway and up the winding road in to the hills. Coit Tower - the cylindrical white tower with great views. A DUKW or Mr Toad antique bus tour - great and informative way to get a general look round. And no doubt you'll be doing an Alcatraz tour. Tickets need to be bought well in advance - weeks. Do it online. You can also book the city tours online too.

That's it. Have a good time.
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Fantastic, thank you very very much for taking the time to type that up! I really can't wait now!! :D:) Some great tips there, cheers. LV at night sounds pretty inspiring stuff!


Strobemonkey - Thanks, sounds like a decent enough idea too! Cheers.
 
Well in my humble opinion, you won't get any more dust in most of those places as you would get here.
 
More advice HERE

HTH

David
 
If you go to Antelope, (and I'd strongly suggest it's worth a detour) go to the lower canyon, it's quieter and much more photogenic......but less well publicised.
G.
 
Wow, that's a heck of a long trip in two weeks. A few months back I did a circular tour from Vegas in two weeks with stops at Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Moab (for Arches & Canyonlands), Monument Valley, Canyon De Chelly, Grand Canyon and back to Vegas. We did just under 2000 miles on the road and although it didn't feel like a rush, there still wasn't really enought time in some places to make the most of them.

Some good info' from MisterE there although I disagree about Zion being average. I love a good hike though and the climb up Angel's Landing was breath-taking (in both senses) and beat anything Bryce could offer. Bryce is easier to appreciate though as the main views are accessible from the road whereas Zion was walkers dream as you have to work for the views.

If you are staying overnight in Monument Valley and fancy a beer and a massive and quality steak I can personally recommend the Swingin Steak in Mexican Hat in Utah just outside the Navajo Nation (hence the beer). EDIT-Oh and don't forget to stop at mile marker 13 on Scenic Highway 163 for the other cliche shot of Monument Valley. It's on the way to Mexican Hat.

Back to the original question, I did quite a few lens changes on my 5D and 30D while out there and didn't suffer too badly from dust. A quick squeeze on a rocket blower followed by a wipe with a sensor swab and eclipse fluid did the trick on the two occasions I needed to use it.
 
ranarama said:
Some good info' from MisterE there although I disagree about Zion being average. I love a good hike though and the climb up Angel's Landing was breath-taking (in both senses) and beat anything Bryce could offer. Bryce is easier to appreciate though as the main views are accessible from the road whereas Zion was walkers dream as you have to work for the views.
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I can't disagree with this. Zion doesn't give you the scenery from the roadside. Given that there is quite a distance to cover in a relatively short time, with family in the equation, I think a drive through Zion will be all that is possible. And it's just not that exciting.

Similarly, a simple drive through Yosemite with little detour/exploration will be all that is possible. There are lots of places I'd like to recommend, like the Mokey Dugway drive north of Monument Valley, Sequoia National Park, Arches, Canyonlands, Dead Horse Point and more. But Nick's only going to get a taste of things on this trip. I can guarantee he'll come back with plans for a second one - and more.
 
ranarama said:
Wow, that's a heck of a long trip in two weeks. A few months back I did a circular tour from Vegas in two weeks with stops at Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Moab (for Arches & Canyonlands), Monument Valley, Canyon De Chelly, Grand Canyon and back to Vegas. We did just under 2000 miles on the road and although it didn't feel like a rush, there still wasn't really enought time in some places to make the most of them.

Some good info' from MisterE there although I disagree about Zion being average. I love a good hike though and the climb up Angel's Landing was breath-taking (in both senses) and beat anything Bryce could offer. Bryce is easier to appreciate though as the main views are accessible from the road whereas Zion was walkers dream as you have to work for the views.

If you are staying overnight in Monument Valley and fancy a beer and a massive and quality steak I can personally recommend the Swingin Steak in Mexican Hat in Utah just outside the Navajo Nation (hence the beer). EDIT-Oh and don't forget to stop at mile marker 13 on Scenic Highway 163 for the other cliche shot of Monument Valley. It's on the way to Mexican Hat.

Back to the original question, I did quite a few lens changes on my 5D and 30D while out there and didn't suffer too badly from dust. A quick squeeze on a rocket blower followed by a wipe with a sensor swab and eclipse fluid did the trick on the two occasions I needed to use it.
Click to expand...

That's a very similar distance to what we are planning to do, glad it didn't feel too much of a rush but I have no doubt that I'll go back eventually!!
We are staying overnight at Monument Valley, so we are definetley going to go check that place out - sounds good.

Fair enough, what I want to hear! Much rather be enjoying myself than cleaning my sensor :lol:
Cheers for the help and tips :thumbs:

@ Michael - I have no doubt that I'll be going back in the future, I seem to love the place already and I'm not there yet :cuckoo:.

What a place this forum is, so much knowledge :cool:
Cheers!
 
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