Anselm- Whoa! I think you will have plenty of lens coverage with the gear you've got. Instead of sinking a bunch of money in a specialty lens like the 16 mm, I would make sure I had: 1) a solid tripod and great tripod head 2) a circular polarizer 3) loads of film and 4) air time. *Get the best tripod head you can afford. You will have to buy several attachment plates eventually, and you might as well start off on the right foot. I am sure you have a tripod already, but make sure you bring it no matter how much trouble it causes packing! *I love the Nikon CP. Big Nikon glass is very expensive, buy the largest size to fit the 80-200 and use step-down rings for the other lenses. Liberal use of the polarizer will produce nearly black-blue skies that make the red rocks look like Mars. *I have shot Kodachrome, Elite, E100S/E100SW, Provia and Astia in Canyonlands National Park. Provia is my universal film choice now. Don't forget you will have to have all that film processed when you get home. I consider this to be the worst part of the post trip hangover. You might consider having some test rolls processed at the pro-lab in Moab to make sure everything is working all right. Not a bad idea to stop by this lab anyway to see all the great ideas for photos up on the walls. With all the risk of monster airport X-rays you might want to have all of your film processed here if you find a lab you like. *If you can afford it, charter a flight from the Moab airport. For a few hundred dollars you will be astounded at what you can see. I recommend a trip down to the Confluence (Green and Colorado Rivers converge) - over Upheaval Dome (impact crater - think Armageddon) - back to Arches (well . . . arches), you can do all this in two hours or less. The pilot will also have some recommendations, you won't be the first person they have taken out to see the sights. If you are really clever, you will convince the pilot to take the door out of the plane for you. No sense spoiling those world-class Nikon optics with a 1/4" of Cessna Plexiglas. Make sure they duct tape your seat belt so you don't fall out reaching for a new roll of film. Flights over the Grand Canyon will be much more business like. Not much chance of wind in your hair there, but still worthwhile. If you are shooting through Plexiglas watch out for killer reflections. I have ruined entire rolls of film with my own reflection this way. Other posters to the list might be able to suggest a special filter that will reduce the green tinge shooting through Plexiglas occasionally produces, but I have no idea. Shooting from an airplane is one place where a 35-70 2.8 is almost perfect, but the 28-70 would be even better. I have never had much use for anything wider than a 24 mm or longer than a 70 mm in the air. Your 20 mm will probably be too wide (too much airplane) and your 50/60 mm will be too tight/restrictive (not enough flexibility). The zoom is great because you don't want to change lenses too much with an open door, and the speed is great because wide apertures and resultant fast shutter speeds help reduce the effect of vibrations inherent to small planes. Depth of field isn't really a big issue because everything is adequately far away (and moving!). As with any photography, avoid mid-day flights . . . the light will be too flat. Feel free to email directly if you would like . . . Good luck. Jason
