European river trip recommendations

[David Eckels]

On a once in a lifetime trip, we will be floating down the Danube from Budapest to Amsterdam and I am thinking about equipment. Right now I've settled on my D7100 with the Nikkor 28-300 mm FX and Nikkor 10-24 mm DX lenses. Of course extra batteries and memory cards will be included along with a monopod, but I'm wondering about lugging my Manfrotto tripod or an HD Gorilla. Any other suggestions? I feel bad about leaving my D800E behind but I am thinking I will appreciate the reach I can get with the D7100.

[Peter McLennan]

I'd take them both.  What if the 7100 fails ?  "Once in a lifetime", right? 

Also, you can have the wide on one camera and the long lens on the other.  Beats lens changes any day.

As for the extra reach of the 7100, can't you just crop the D800 for the same result?

[Ray]

As for the extra reach of the 7100, can't you just crop the D800 for the same result?

Not quite, Peter. The D7100 is 24mp. The D800 cropped to the same FoV as the D7100 results in approximately 15mp or maybe 15.5mp.

However, I agree it would be better to take both cameras, the D7100 and the D800.

David, I've been on that river cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam. You'll probably go on lots of bus tours to places like Cesky Krumlov, Budweiser, Melk Abbey, Cologne cathedral etc.
 
Carrying two cameras should not be difficult. I carried a Nikon D700 with 14-24 zoom, and a Canon 50D with two zooms, the Canon 17-55/2.8 and the 100-400 IS zoom. I didn't bother with a tripod.

It's a fascinating trip. Best of luck.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

On a once in a lifetime trip, we will be floating down the Danube from Budapest to Amsterdam...

Ahmmm... that would be "up" 

[David Eckels]

Ahmmm... that would be "up" 

Of course you are right! I assumed it emptied to the sea, which it does but to the east! As always, thanks for the correction

[stever]

both cameras absolutely.  I've been on the Danube and a number of other river cruises with a combination of Canon crop and FF bodies shooting mostly the 24-105 and 100-400 on the river and 17-40 for the FF in cities (lots buildings close together, church interiors, etc).  when you're shooting on the river, asking the captain to go back for a do-over  doesn't get a favorable response.  all kinds of things (and opportunities for picking out details as well as scenic come up way faster than you can change lenses.

since you can't go back I advise to start shooting early when something interesting comes along and keep shooting - you really can't predict which angle is going to work out best.

i'd recommend a tripod or at least a table top as there can be some spectacular night shots.  castle hill in Budapest , the chain bridge, etc are spectacular at night.

[tom b]

Ahmmm... that would be "up" 

The Danube flows up? You have got to be joking!

Cheers,

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

The Danube flows up? You have got to be joking!

I assume you are joking, but since there was no smiley, I could not tell. The OP sentence was (emphasis mine):

we will be floating down the Danube from Budapest to Amsterdam

So, no, Danube does not flow up, but David's boat will be going upstream.

On second thought, perhaps from Australian perspective, what's up is down and vice versa?

[IanB]

It's worse than that, though - up or down, the Danube doesn't go anywhere near Amsterdam!

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

It's worse than that, though - up or down, the Danube doesn't go anywhere near Amsterdam!

But the boat does! If I am not mistaken, that would be a Danube-Main-Rhine rivers cruise.

[dbolt]

I took that trip last fall with a 5DM2 and a 7D, with 24-105, 12-24 and 70-200 with TC.  I used the 5DM2 almost exclusively with the 24-105.  The only subjects for the 7D and the 70-200 were birds from the ship.  Only used the 12-24 inside the ship.  If I were doing it again, and I'm not, I'd rent a T/S 24mm. 

Hope this is helpful.  Have a great trip.  There are lots of subjects.  And, more churches than you can count.

[PhotoEcosse]

Are you doing it with Viking?

We are doing the "short" one from Basel to Amsterdam in August (up the map but down the river!!!).

For me the problem is not so much how much gear I can take on the boatie but, rather, how little I need to take to stay within the very restrictive airline carry-on baggage weight restrictions on the flights from and to Edinburgh.

I'll probably just end up taking either the D800 or D800E, together with the 28-300mm Nikkor. Maybe slip a 20mm f/2.8 prime into the wife's handbag when she's not looking. Certainly no tripod or monopod.

[Ray]

As I recall, there's not much awareness of travelling upstream or downstream because the huge number of locks on the route tends to create a river that's more like a canal. I can't resist also mentioning, being very familiar with that popular piece of classical music by Johann Strauss, The Blue Danube, that I was rather shocked and dismayed to discover that the Danube is in fact a rather muddy river.

The cruise ship I was on, passed through almost all the locks on the route during the night. I was surprised to learn just how many locks there are. I can't remember the exact figure but certainly dozens. I recall seeing only a couple or so, during the day time.

I attach a few snapshots showing the sort of locks one will encounter. These are not meant to be great works of art of course, but merely documentary shots.

However, those who are concerned about the ethics of photo manipulation might notice an apparent perspective distortion in the images due to the use of a wide-angle lens. This manipulation and apparent change in perspective is entirely the fault of the lens manufacturer. I am blameless.

Of course, I could have revealed the true and real perspective by cropping the images more, but have desisted. 

[David Eckels]

Thanks for all the replies and geography lessons Understand the suggestion re T/S lens but don't feel I have time to develop comfort with one. I have decided on the D7100 with 28-300 and 10-24 along with a Nikon 1 v2 (10-100) and F-mount adapter. I'll leave the monopod and Gorilla. It's not Viking, but Tauck (along the Danube, Main, Rhine). If I can post anything from the ships WiFi, I will. Thanks again!

[Tejpor]

As I recall, there's not much awareness of travelling upstream or downstream because the huge number of locks on the route tends to create a river that's more like a canal. I can't resist also mentioning, being very familiar with that popular piece of classical music by Johann Strauss, The Blue Danube, that I was rather shocked and dismayed to discover that the Danube is in fact a rather muddy river.

The cruise ship I was on, passed through almost all the locks on the route during the night. I was surprised to learn just how many locks there are. I can't remember the exact figure but certainly dozens. I recall seeing only a couple or so, during the day time.

I attach a few snapshots showing the sort of locks one will encounter. These are not meant to be great works of art of course, but merely documentary shots.

However, those who are concerned about the ethics of photo manipulation might notice an apparent perspective distortion in the images due to the use of a wide-angle lens. This manipulation and apparent change in perspective is entirely the fault of the lens manufacturer. I am blameless.

Of course, I could have revealed the true and real perspective by cropping the images more, but have desisted. 

Ray, the river will be blue on clear days - the reflections will give it color. It will be more obvious when the Danube gets really wide, not the beginning (i.e. after Austria).

So I do not know where you have been, but one of the most (if not the most) photogenic regions of Danube at Budapest and Visegrád are very far from what you called "canal".

[Ray]

Ray, the river will be blue on clear days - the reflections will give it color. It will be more obvious when the Danube gets really wide, not the beginning (i.e. after Austria).

So I do not know where you have been, but one of the most (if not the most) photogenic regions of Danube at Budapest and Visegrád are very far from what you called "canal".

I traveled the length of the Danube, Main and Rhine rivers from Budapest to Amsterdam in 2010. The weather was variable, the flow of the rivers variable, and the muddiness of the water variable. However, I do remember being surprised that the Danube was so muddy at the Budapest end of the route, and I did notice that the rivers were often fairly still, as on a canal.

If water is clear, it will reflect the color of the sky, whether the sky is blue or grey. If water is a muddy brown, it will not reflect the blue of the sky.

Attached are a few more snapshots. O1 shows the muddiness of the Danube at Budapest on a relatively fine day with some blue sky and some clouds. The view is from Pest towards Buda.

The other two snapshots are of the Main River at Miltenberg. The muddiness was not so apparent there, but the river did seem more still, like a lake or a canal.

[Tejpor]

I traveled the length of the Danube, Main and Rhine rivers from Budapest to Amsterdam in 2010. The weather was variable, the flow of the rivers variable, and the muddiness of the water variable. However, I do remember being surprised that the Danube was so muddy at the Budapest end of the route, and I did notice that the rivers were often fairly still, as on a canal.

If water is clear, it will reflect the color of the sky, whether the sky is blue or grey. If water is a muddy brown, it will not reflect the blue of the sky.

Attached are a few more snapshots. O1 shows the muddiness of the Danube at Budapest on a relatively fine day with some blue sky and some clouds. The view is from Pest towards Buda.

The other two snapshots are of the Main River at Miltenberg. The muddiness was not so apparent there, but the river did seem more still, like a lake or a canal.

It seems you had a really windy weather at Budapest, with huge waves. Nothing is reflected of course, not even the buildings.

This image below is more typical of Danube:
http://www.futas.net/fotok/2008/plus-budapest-marathon/budapest-marathon-135.html

I can assure you that the Danube there is far from still water. It is quite dangerous actually with strong currents, minimum depth of 2.5m (someplaces 10m), and flow speeds of 1.8 to 8 km/h.

[Ray]

I can assure you that the Danube there is far from still water. It is quite dangerous actually with strong currents, minimum depth of 2.5m (someplaces 10m), and flow speeds of 1.8 to 8 km/h.

My main point was that the Danube is not blue. I accept there may be parts that are flowing faster than other parts. I remember also mentioning, jokingly, to the tour organizer on the ship that I was disappointed that the Danube is not blue. She laughed, and replied along the lines that many tourists get that impression, and added that the Danube is never, or rarely blue; or at least she implied that this was the case.

However, I stand to be corrected. I was there on only one occasion for a few days at a particular time of year.

[Tejpor]

Sure, no problem Ray.  I hope you can get to Budapest again.  In the blue hour the panorama is incredible!

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

It ain't Danube, but it's surely blue