Rafting the Grand Canyon; what lenses to tak

[jll]

Will be taking a 16 day rafting trip next year and would like to ask options on what lenses to take as space will be limited.  I plan on getting a water proof box (Pelican or similar), and I have a Rebel T1i with an 17-85 mm IS lense rather than the "kit" lense.  For this 'trip of a lifetime' do not want to miss any great shots! tx jll

[bmpress]

If it were me, I would want full insurance coverage on my gear since it could be sunk and/or destroyed on the trip.

[whizkid]

Just the kind of trip Canon had in mind when they made the gazoo looking D10.

[Bob Atkins]

I'd take something wide. The Canon EF-S 10-22 USM if you can afford it. If not, the Tamron 10-24 is good and quite a bit cheaper.

I think you'll need something wider than the 17mm of the lens you have, which on a crop sensor camera gives you the same angle of view as a 27mm lens would on full frame. 10mm will give you the view of a 16mm on full frame, and you may need that for views down in the canyon.

I'd also be sure to take a P&S camera as backup. You wouldn't want to be without a camera and if something breaks when you're down there, it will stay broken until you get out. There are no local repair shops!

The Canon D10 is probably one of the best choices for a rugged waterproof P&S. It's good to 33ft underwater and drop rated for 4ft drops as well as having optical image stabilization, SD video at 640x480 and a 3x optical zoom.

If you want something a bit cheaper you might want to look at the Pentax WS80 which is waterproof, has a 5x optical zoom and can shoot 720p HD movies. It's rated for up to two hours in water at depths up to 5ft.

[jll]

tx, the 10-22 was on my 'short list' (my husband asked what I wanted for Valentine's day so it is ordered and on the way).  I had planned on also taking a P&S that uses AA batteries, last summer carried a Powershot in a water proof pouch when sea kayaking and it survived several wet trips. jll

[KeithB]

Canon makes waterproof cases for most of their P&S cameras.  I have one for my A400, and when I take it to the waterpark people always ask me to take their picture since I look like one of the park's photographers!