Any advice would be appreciated as to gear and the relative merits of telephoto zooms vs primes etc for a trip to Ecuador encompassing a boat around the Galapagos Islands and staying at a lodge overlooking the Amazon. I have not experienced the conditions of rain forests. My 100-400mm II + 5DSR and Sony RX10IV will clearly be coming with us. Will the 400mm DO II be useful?
I went to the Galapagos in November last year. Wildlife there is not shy and a 70-200 was my primary choice with occasionally the 24-70 coming out as well. Both used on a 7d2 so ìf you are shooting FF you might want to consider a bit more.There are masses of birds though so a 400 would not go astray. There are strict rules about approaching animals but you can still get very close. I also had a 10-20 for landscapes but tbh i hardly took any. Can't help you with the amazon though. You always have to consider how easily it is getting the gear into and out of zodiacs especially if it is a little rough. And the weight restrictions to the Galapagos were pretty strict from memory. So you will have to pack with thought. And don't forget something for underwater. I only had a gopro and got some amazing footage but really with i had taken even a little underwater stills camera. The turtles, seals and iguanas were an amazing sight.
Thanks for that. It's what I guessed for Galapagos. The 5DSR has the same effective "reach" as for APS-C, and I find the 100-400mm II, with a 1.4xTC where necessary, very good. It's the Amazon that is the big unknown for me.