Off to Uluru - which lenses?

**p38arover** · 25th May 2012, 07:55 PM

This will be my first trip to Uluru so some suggestion on lenses would be appreciated.

I'll take my usual lens — Sigma 18-200 — and a tripod and a remote release cable for long duration exposures.

I'm not sure if it's worth taking anything else. Maybe the Pentax 100mm f4 macro.

Other available lenses:
Pentax 18-55mm DA
Pentax 35-70mm F
Pentax 100-300mm F
Takumar 28mm f2.8
Pentax-A f2 50mm

Oh, there is a wide angle screw-on lens to fit the Sigma 18-200 but it's not great quality.

We plan to walk around the rock so weight is important. If we're allowed and are physically able (my wife is just out of hospital yesterday so she may not be able to do the walks), we'd climb it, too. I'm undecided on the camera backpack. We will have a hire car.

Suggestions most welcome. We leave Saturday afternoon (staying in town overnight then flying out Sunday morning).

And, Scouse, you can't steal stuff from my P38A, our daughter is staying here to guard the place.

**vnx205** · 25th May 2012, 08:10 PM

I thought that the Olgas were just as good for interesting photographs as Uluru.

In places long lenses looking along the corridor between rocks packed a lot of interesting features into what appeared to be a very short distance.

I believe that my most effective photos were taken either with the 28mm lens or a telephoto.

That was on a 35mm camera, not a digital.

**p38arover** · 25th May 2012, 08:41 PM

The plan is to go to The Olgas and, maybe, Kings Canyon, too.

**Mick-Kelly** · 25th May 2012, 08:56 PM

A good wide angle and a good long lens should see you done. The long lens for the sunset shots from the viewing car park. The climb will surprise you. Its a lot steeper and higher than photos show and what you can see from the ground is only half of the climb.
Have a bit of a google regarding the geography of the region before you head out as there is no info there and it is a fascinating subject. We grabbed some breakfast croissants from the IGA store at the resort and went out to a viewing platform to watch the sunrise against the Olgas. From what i could ascertain the old camping area where Azaria was taken was situated close to where the sunset viewing car park is now located.
Dont get taken in with re-fueling at Curtin Springs as there is cheaper fuel at the shell servo in the resort village.

**33chinacars** · 25th May 2012, 09:45 PM

Hi Ron
The only other lense I would consider apart from your 18-200 is a 10-20 wide angle to capture the great wide expances. Beg steal borrow or even hire if you can
Yes maybe your macro and a 2x convertor to save weight
Enjoy the trip

Gary

**p38arover** · 25th May 2012, 11:04 PM

Originally Posted by Mick-Kelly

A good wide angle and a good long lens should see you done. The long lens for the sunset shots from the viewing car park. The climb will surprise you. Its a lot steeper and higher than photos show and what you can see from the ground is only half of the climb.

That's why we aren't sure we can do it. We've been doing a fair bit of walking so we may be OK for the walk around the rock and The Olgas.

Originally Posted by Mick-Kelly

Have a bit of a google regarding the geography of the region before you head out as there is no info there and it is a fascinating subject. We grabbed some breakfast croissants from the IGA store at the resort and went out to a viewing platform to watch the sunrise against the Olgas. From what i could ascertain the old camping area where Azaria was taken was situated close to where the sunset viewing car park is now located.
Dont get taken in with re-fueling at Curtin Springs as there is cheaper fuel at the shell servo in the resort village.

Thanks for that info.

**p38arover** · 25th May 2012, 11:05 PM

Originally Posted by 33chinacars

Hi Ron
The only other lense I would consider apart from your 18-200 is a 10-20 wide angle to capture the great wide expances. Beg steal borrow or even hire if you can

Pentax lenses aren't available for hire and I don't have anything that wide. I guess I'll learn photostitching!

**33chinacars** · 25th May 2012, 11:10 PM

Originally Posted by p38arover

Pentax lenses aren't available for hire and I don't have anything that wide. I guess I'll learn photostitching!

Should have bought Nikon or Canon

Now I'll sit back and wait for the rocks

Gary

**p38arover** · 25th May 2012, 11:15 PM

Perhaps. But with a Pentax I can use any Pentax lens (and many others) produced over the past 60 years - and still have vibration reduction. I was looking at the Canon EOS 5D Mk III today. It looks nearly twice as big as my Pentax (and costs a lot more than the $200 I paid for the K100D).

**Mick-Kelly** · 26th May 2012, 12:01 AM

Ron
We went there over two days in a hire car from Alice. We arrived at the rock at around lunchtime and went to the cultural centre. We then drove around the rock and went to the climb area. The climb was initially closed due to high winds but was opened while we were there. I went up for a bit of it but did not do the whole thing. I didnt feel up to it and wasnt suitably dressed. It was worth climbing up the little bit that i did though. I saw a few people frozen to the chain link fence in fear once they looked down

We then went and waited in the sunset viewing area getting there early to get a good spot. In hindsight i wished i had walked around some of the base of the rock (an easy walk) because there are some very spectacular formations and rock art i would have liked to have seen. I will go back for this one day.
We went to the Olgas the next day and there are at least two walks there. One of them (the second one you come to) is rated easy and it goes up through a valley. I did this one and loved it.
There was tons of info on the aboriginal history of the rock but there was absolutely no info on any other aspect. I was disappointed by this as i would have like to read about the european history of the rock as well and its geology.
We stayed overnight at the resort and there is a huge variety of restaurants most fairly expensive or there is an IGA store. There is also the Shell servo there.
I hope you enjoy your trip. its definitely a once in a lifetime experience.

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