I have a Rebel S with my biggest lens a 75-300 f5.6.
>
> Next week I will be taking my family to Cape Cod and hope to get out on a
whale watching boat.
Kim mentioned some considerations applying in Calif. My experience in the
Cape Cod area is that you will be seeing Humpbacks -- usually isolated,
sometimes with calves. They are fairly slow-moving, don't show much above
water line [compared to say, Orcas or Dall Porpoises], hard to predict, dive
deep and stay down a long time. People on the boat tend to rush to the
rail, obscure view, etc. There are rules about close approach to whales,
but that applies to boats, not to whales. Good pilot can sometimes
anticipate where they will surface, cut power and drift so that whale comes
very close [a fifty foot whale five feet from a sixty foot boat my last time
out -- no problem filling the frame]. Humpbacks are often visible well
below the surface due to luminesence from attached sea life. Don't really
need a polarizer for this -- and remember, polarizer would increase your
exposure time.
For these conditions, zoom is almost essential, and image stabilization is
so desirable that you should consider renting a 100-400 IS or a 75-300 IS.
Not safe for you or others to use a pod unless you have a private charter
because of tripping. Action too brief usually for manual focusing, but
don't be suprised if auto-focus is on near edge of splash. Hard to get a
good shot, but very satisfying when you do.
Another Bob
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