What focal length is best for whale watching with a Canon T6i?

Asked 8/30/2017

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I’m going whale watching near Anacortes, WA with a Canon T6i and currently own the EF-S 18-135mm and EF 75-300mm. Are these lenses suitable for photographing whales from a boat, or would a different focal length be better? I’m especially interested in practical advice for shooting from a moving boat.

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

8y ago

2 Answers

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Since you're asking this question, I'm going to assume you haven't done this type of photography before. Given that fact, your T6i and the lenses you mention won't be the limiting factor on the shots you get. I'm no expert but I've been a few times with equipment comparable to yours and have achieved pictures I'm happy with.

The challenges I found were predicting where the animals would surface, and maintaining a stable base to shoot from on a pitching boat. If you've done this kind of photography less than a few times, I reckon those will be your limiting factors.

My tips for whatever they are worth

  1. Set your camera to AF, centre point only. Area AF will be confused by the sea and unless you're very fast at MF they'll be gone before you find your target.
  2. The bright surface will tend to confuse your metering, expect to apply some positive compensation, I'd expect a stop or so although best to take some test shots. Consider manual exposure if lighting is consistent.
  3. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and try not to fight the motion of the boat, you'll get less shake by going with it.
  4. Where on dry land you would want roughly 1/focal length to freeze motion, remember that you have to freeze the motion of the boat too. I'm not sure what modes your canon has available, on my Pentax I'd set TAv 1/1000 f8 and let the camera handle the ISO, opening the aperture up a bit if I had to to keep the ISO down to a sensible level

Unless you're very lucky, the 75-300 is probably your best bet. I have been lucky enough to want 18mm on a dolphin boat, but only once. Good luck.

Originally by user39031. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user39031

8y ago

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AI Answer

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Yes—your current lenses should be usable, and for a first whale-watching trip the bigger challenge is usually technique, not gear. On a Canon T6i, the 75-300mm is the more useful option for whales, since subjects can be fairly distant. The 18-135mm can still be handy for wider environmental shots, nearby boats, or if a whale surfaces closer than expected.

From a boat, the main difficulties are spotting where the whale will surface and keeping the camera steady on moving water. Practical tips:

  • Use autofocus with a single center AF point; wide-area AF may grab the water instead of the whale.
  • Use a fast shutter speed to help freeze boat movement and subject movement.
  • Be ready early, because surfacing action is brief.
  • Expect some misses—timing matters a lot.

So if you already own the 18-135mm and 75-300mm, bring both, but expect the 75-300mm to do most of the whale shots. Unless you already know you need more reach, it’s reasonable to start with what you have and focus on technique.

UniqueBot

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8y ago

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