Advice for trip to Hawaii

[Matt]

I am traveling to Oahu and I was hoping to get some advice. I will be shooting mostly candid shots of my family and also attempting some landscape shots (North shore, pearl harbor, etc). As I am traveling with my family I will have limited time to scout my shots and I need to travel light.

I have a flipside 400AW and the following gear:
5d Mark iii
16-35mm L
24-70mm L
70-200mm ii L
35mm 1.4L
85mm 1.8
100mm L
2x extender
430EX
manfrotto tripod

Any suggestions as to what part of my kit is a must? I figure I can get 4-5 lenses in my bag.

thanks in advance.

[Random Orbits]

5 lenses:  16-35L, 24-70L, 70-200L, 35L, 100L
4 lenses:  16-35L, 24-70L, 70-200L, 35L
3 lenses:  24-70L, 70-200L, 35L

plus flash, which I'd use at dawn/dusk/night.

The 35L is great for night/street photos, and the 70-200 is great for portraits if you have the space (which you should).   The 24-70 can be used for landscape and general walk-around lens.  If you plan on staying on Oahu only, I'd skip the tripod.  But if you were going to Haleakela for a sunrise, then a tripod is a must. 

[RLPhoto]

5 lenses:  16-35L, 24-70L, 70-200L, 35L, 100L
4 lenses:  16-35L, 24-70L, 70-200L, 35L
3 lenses:  24-70L, 70-200L, 35L

plus flash, which I'd use at dawn/dusk/night.

The 35L is great for night/street photos, and the 70-200 is great for portraits if you have the space (which you should).   The 24-70 can be used for landscape and general walk-around lens.  If you plan on staying on Oahu only, I'd skip the tripod.  But if you were going to Haleakela for a sunrise, then a tripod is a must. 

+1

[Mt Spokane Photography]

The biggest issue from locations with very bright sun is DR.  I'd bracket my exposures whenever practical so that the possibility of using hdr techniques to recover shaded and blown areas can be used.
Take some ND filters so you can use wide apertures in the bright light

[gary samples]

The thing that got me the most  when I went was take 5x the Memory Cards you think you need. a good short & med len you will be ok  have a great time

[replay0]

I went to Hawaii (Oahu, Maui, Lanai, Molokai) in February with my t2i, 16-35mm II, and 24mm II. My plan was to photograph landscape/scenery, and very little people. I used the zoom for all the landscape/scenery shots. I used the prime for the sunrise/sunset and night shoots. I have a 5D3 now, like you, and I would probably still use a similar setup. For the family shots, I'd probably bring along the 70-200L as your 3rd lens.

[nick2341]

I was there in January.

My suggestion:

16-35mm L
70-200mm ii L
35mm 1.4L
430EX
manfrotto tripod

Optional:
2x extender

I got by without a tripod most of the time and I bracketed a lot of shots. Ended up with 50 GB of pictures - kind of ridiculous haha. You can check out some of my shots here: http://www.remixedbynick.com/photo.php

[pwp]

...and most important, rent a convertible.   

PW

[robbymack]

Exciting, a topic i can consider myself an expert on. Born and raised on oahu so like Obama I am not a citizen if you ask some people. In any case my only suggestion is travel light you don't want to be bogged down with a bunch of gear. You have quite the gear list just go ultra wide with the 16-35 and pick which ever of the primes you like and maybe consider the 70-200. If it was me I'd just take the 16-38 and the 85 prime. That being said couple of suggestions, hanauma bay is cool, but only go early, 530am before the tour buses get there. North shore is a must, stop by haleiwa joes for lunch and ask for David. Best shave ice is island snow in Kailua, also the best beach in the world (I'm biased). Definitely try several "plate lunch" spots. The ubiquitous is LL drive inn, but it's not the best. Costoc (no less) has the best and freshest poke on the island.  Hike to the top of diamond head like the other tourists then also check out the Pali look out. The drive on h3 from windward to leeward is maybe the prettiest stretch of road on the planet, but no good spots to stop and take it in unfortunately. Other than that enjoy, I'm heading back to see my folks in a few weeks and can't wait for my little one to get his first taste of sand and surf.

[wickidwombat]

if your 16-35 was a version 2 id suggest that

but I think
35 f1.4 and the 85 f1.8

if you need to shoot wider for landscapes shoot a pano and stitch

less lens changing and covers all light

[cmunozs]

You should get an intervalometer!   

[wtlloyd]

Two reasons not to get a convertible. One, rain squalls pass through, sometimes 4 or 5 times a day.
Secondly, and it relates to your gear list - don't leave gear in the car when you pull up to some tourist stop. So only pack what you are willing to keep at your side or on your back, especially if you are planning to hit the highways and tour the island.
That said, I'd pack a couple zooms and a macro. The less time spent fiddling with gear, the more shots you'll get.  This goes double when traveling with family. Save the Full Monty kit for when you are on a dedicated photo trip with no obligations to interact with family.

[pdirestajr]

To me it's a bit crazy taking a bunch of lenses. I'd travel light and just go with the 24-70.

24mm is pretty wide. If for some reason it isn't wide enough for a certain shot, then you can stitch 2 images together.

70 is nice for the candids. Anything longer needed, you can always crop a bit.

The 5Diii's nice high ISO IQ will help for when you would NEED a faster prime.

Only carrying one lens will allow you to travel light, get creative, always keep your gear on you, never have to change lenses, never miss a moment, and the most important point- focus on enjoying your trip!

[serendipidy]

Some of my favs for scenic photos: Waikiki sunsets, Hilton Hawaiian Village hotel (absolutely beautiful grounds with parrots, flamingos, penguins, exotic birds, koi fishpond, etc), Diamond Head crater hike ( a little strenuous but beautiful overlook of Honolulu/Waikiki), Pali Lookout view of the windward (eastern) side, Byodo-In Temple near Kaneohe, Kailua beach, drive along the windward and North shore (some people like Jameson's restaurant in Haleiwa), sandy beach and Mokapu'u lookout (gorgeous scenic view of windward shore and rabbit island)-very dangerous surf though, Bishop museum and Polynesian Cultural center (somewhat expensive) if you're into history/culture, International Market Place in Waikiki, zoo and Waikiki aquarium are nice too. Some people take in a luau and hula show (but find a good one). Ala Moana shopping center mall near Waikiki is the best for shopping.

Hawaii can be somewhat expensive, the weather is not always sunny, and the traffic in/around Honolulu can be some of the nation's worst. Most people have the Aloha spirit if you're friendly, but there are always a few troublemakers to watch out for. The main thing is car break-ins at tourist sites, so don't leave your valuables, etc in the car (even in the trunk). It's not frequent, but enough of a problem to ruin some visitors otherwise paradise vacation.

Hope you have a great time here and leave with many fantastic shots and fond memories of a perfect vacation.

[Matt]

Thank you all for the advice and tips (or should I say mahalo). A special thank you to robbymac and Serendipity for your site recommendations and places to eat.

I think I will stick to a few lenses and enjoy the time and scenery with the family.