Turtle Island Borneo, lens advice

[Rasputin]

We are going to Borneo later this year, and will be going to one of the islands to hopefully see turtles laying their eggs.

I know flash is not permitted, so I don't think my Sigma 105 2.8 will be fast enough. Any suggestions on what might work lens wise?

Thanks

[briansquibb]

Re: Turtle Island Borneo, lens advice

Nifty fifty or 85 1.8??

Unless you want to spend a lot of money?

[Rasputin]

Re: Turtle Island Borneo, lens advice

I was wondering about the nifty fifty, I am not looking to spend heaps of cash; so might rent

[briansquibb]

Re: Turtle Island Borneo, lens advice

Nifty 50 are only about £80 - and is a useful size and very lightweight for carrying in the bad. L lens are very heavy in comparision .

Difficult to know what else to recommend which is faster apart from the L lens - take a lightweight tripod so you can have a longer shot

[Canon-Fodder!]

Re: Turtle Island Borneo, lens advice

How close will you be? You might want to check with the wardens! Normally, they won't allow you too close to these events...

Nifty 50 doesn't have much of a reach. Even on a crop sensor, you'll only get an 'effective' 80mm field-of-view...

I would have thought you were better off with the Siggy 105 f/2.8 with the ISO ramped up. If that is also too short, think about hiring a 300mm f/2.8 IS! That should do it a treat! Take a look at 'Lenses for Hire'; http://www.lensesforhire.co.uk/index.asp

Good luck & enjoy the trip...

[briansquibb]

Re: Turtle Island Borneo, lens advice

Cant imagine paying £288 for a lens for a two week holiday ....

[Canon-Fodder!]

Re: Turtle Island Borneo, lens advice

Cant imagine paying £288 for a lens for a two week holiday ....

Why not? The 300mm f/2,8 IS is an (almost) £4000 lens!

All depends on what it will do for you, and what the image is worth to you!

If you want or need the reach & speed; there aren't too many choices!

[briansquibb]

Re: Turtle Island Borneo, lens advice

Why not? The 300mm f/2,8 IS is an (almost) £4000 lens!

All depends on what it will do for you, and what the image is worth to you!

If you want or need the reach & speed; there aren't too many choices!

£288 would get me half way to a L lens and after the 2 weeks I would still have it

[colin C]

Re: Turtle Island Borneo, lens advice

If I remember correctly, the turtles come ashore to lay their eggs over a couple of nights or so, around a particular full moon. With no flash or artificial light you are going to struggle to get usable pictures. The following "tongue in cheek" settings may get you somewhere near it:

ISO 102.400
Aperture: F 1.0
Exposure: A fortnight

Colin

[Rasputin]

Re: Turtle Island Borneo, lens advice

Thanks for the replies everyone, think I am going to experiment with my Sigma 105

[Canon-Fodder!]

Re: Turtle Island Borneo, lens advice

£288 would get me half way to a L lens and after the 2 weeks I would still have it

Yes; but it's 'horses for courses'...

A £600 'L' lens is not going to get you the speed & reach of a 300mm f/2.8!

£300 in the context of a long-haul vacation, and potentially a 'once-in-a-lifetime-experience' pales into relative insignificance!

Each to his own!