Calling all visitors to Iceland

[Genoma]

Are you going to Silfra Phate? Or are there other sites? Lack of life at Silfra put me off a bit (so did the cold, I'm a fair weather diver...). The reviews seem to indicate it's amazing but I couldn't quite reconcile that. I think I've been spoilt diving in the Carribean with 30 metre visibility, hot waters, sharks and lots of other marine life!

 

[smr]

We are having to drive to Jokulsarlon as we have booked the tour now, just hoping the weather holds out but if we get up early in the morning and depart around 8am that should hopefully give us enough time to get there, inclement weather included.

I did want to go scuba diving but I don't have a PADI license so we're going snorkelling and caving at Silfra instead.

Will check out your tips and photos, thanks Genoma.

 

[Phate]

Are you going to Silfra Phate? Or are there other sites? Lack of life at Silfra put me off a bit (so did the cold, I'm a fair weather diver...). The reviews seem to indicate it's amazing but I couldn't quite reconcile that. I think I've been spoilt diving in the Carribean with 30 metre visibility, hot waters, sharks and lots of other marine life!

Will be doing to Silfra yes. It's a 3 day dive package with 5 dives including Silfra.

Tbh I just want to go between the two plates and get someone to photo me touching both of them - plus the viz is meant to be insane...

Ah, I'm geared up for cold weather...scratching the itch once or twice a year in hot waters isn't enough for me...I start clucking if I go for more than a month without going for a dip! - Nothing booked in till Jan 30th at the moment though. Sad panda

 

[Genoma]

There is always Dosthill You may even get to see the pike.. lol

 

[smr]

When hiking will normal walking boots suffice or should I get Hiking boots?

I'm thinking if I get Hiking boots they'd only be needed for the Ice Caving tour but if I get walking boots they may suffice for that tour and I'd also be able to use them the rest of the week. Hiking boots I feel may get too heavy to want to do the Golden Circle / Whale watching etc. with

 

[Genoma]

Apart from a couple of nights when we ventured to some nice restaurants I spent my entire holiday with walking boots on, just weatherproofed them before I went with spray.

 

[The_Abyss]

On Friday night we'll be staying at a place in Hveragerði which is 4 hours from Jokulsarlon, so we're planning to leave at 8 in the morning in order to arrive there before the Ice Caving tour starts in the afternoon. Just hope the weather is okay.

Based on the experience of our trip, I'd take that 4 hours with a pinch of salt. It may be possible if you don't want to stop for some sights along with way or if you don't encounter any poor weather, but I sincerely doubt it. It will be pitch black at 8 am, and some of those roads, particularly if they're iced up, could add hours to your journey.

 

[smr]

Based on the experience of our trip, I'd take that 4 hours with a pinch of salt. It may be possible if you don't want to stop for some sights along with way or if you don't encounter any poor weather, but I sincerely doubt it. It will be pitch black at 8 am, and some of those roads, particularly if they're iced up, could add hours to your journey.

Did you drive from Rejk? Hvergadi is an hour closer to Jokulsarlon. We aren't planning to stop off at any of the sights on the way, we're staying overnight at a place 10 minutes away from Jokulsarlon on Saturday night and then driving back on Sunday to take in the sights.

 

[a1ex2001]

Thanks for the advice, an Icelander (is that the terminology for native Icelandic people? ) told me on tripadvisor that 75% of road traffic accidents involve 4x4s or SUVs so I am a bit weary of having to go that route, ideally I'm hoping for decent weather - especially when heading to Jokulsarlon and that a 2wd with snow tyres will suffice.

On Friday night we'll be staying at a place in Hveragerði which is 4 hours from Jokulsarlon, so we're planning to leave at 8 in the morning in order to arrive there before the Ice Caving tour starts in the afternoon. Just hope the weather is okay.

That really is a pointless statistic if you drive in the same sensible manner in a 4 or 2 wheel drive car your risk of having an accident won't change. However your risk of getting snowed in or having an accident in bad weather is always going to be higher in a 2 wheel driv as they are just not as good in the conditions. For me winter in iceland means a 4x4 just incase, we would hav been fine in a 2 wheel drive the weather was stunning but friends who went a week later would have missed the flight home!

 

[The_Abyss]

Did you drive from Rejk? Hvergadi is an hour closer to Jokulsarlon. We aren't planning to stop off at any of the sights on the way, we're staying overnight at a place 10 minutes away from Jokulsarlon on Saturday night and then driving back on Sunday to take in the sights.

We did drive from Reykjavik, but went all the way up the north of the circle to Pingvellir before heading back down to the coast and Vik and then carrying on to Hali. The Hali Country Hotel is awesome - 10 km from the Ice Lagoon and recently expanded with very modern, warm and quiet rooms. Very decent restaurant too.

You really need to rethink not stopping. Some of the sights along the route will just beg you to stop, explore, or just gape in awe. A couple of amazing waterfalls along the way, and several glaciers too. Even if you plan not to stop, you will want to.

The weather can turn really quickly. We were fortunate enough to escape much snow and ice, but we found that the wind can really slow you down, especially if you have studded tyres on which really do reduce grip. On the descent to Vik we the signs were indicating wind speeds of 32 m/s (about 70 mph I think) and the car was all over the place - gusts just skid you across the road, and when the other side of the road has a 'significant' drop you start to slow down pretty quickly! We went sideways at one point, managed it and then carried on. It was dark, and when we returned the next day we saw roughly where we had been. Brown trouser moment! (awesome though!).

 

[smr]

Thanks for the advice

I've changed my itinerary now, stopping in Hveragadi on the Thursday, checking out on Friday morning, driving to Vik where will we stop off along the way at Skogarfoss and other sights, then driving from Vik on Saturday morning to Jokulsarlon, this way we can enjoy the sights and not be rushing around, and a much shorter trip from Vik to Jokulsarlon.

Think we will plump for a 4x4 as well, as said, better safe than sorry.

Whilst I'm here I'm wondering which of these two cameras to get -

Nikon D3300 + 18-55mm f3.5-5.6G VRII + 55-200mm f4-5.6 AF-S VR DX Lenses for £459

Or..

Canon EOS 700D Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm IS STM Lens and FREE Manfrotto Sling Bag and 679B Monopod + £50 Gift Voucher @ Wex for £489.

Main uses would be Landscape, Portrait, every day and a couple of F1 events a year, which do you think is the better deal ?

 

[Phate]

Tbh in terms of body, they are much and like the same. Pick both up and see what you prefer.

The Nikon obviously gets you a 2nd lens, but I've no idea how good that lens is I'm afraid.

 

[Genoma]

I was going to answer in the same lines. I think you will find the general consensus to be that at this level, both these cameras will give very good image quality and performance (especially compared to what you are using now). Some features will be slightly better in some areas, some worse in others.

It swings in roundabouts. For me personally sometimes I wonder if the slightly better low light ISO performance + AF system on the Nikon would have been a better choice. On the flip-side (again for me personally) I really like the flip out screen on the 650D for certain conditions and there is absolutely zero reason for me to make a switch.

The truth lies more around, your ability to compose, work with the camera, creativity and post-processing will probably have a much more dramatic outcome on the quality of your pictures.

I would right down a table of the features you are more interested in and see which ones matter for you and whether it will swing you into a conclusion. Handling may be a factor too; if you have chance to pop into a shop and try them out to see which you are happier with, but no-mater which you pick, they are both excellent bodies to start out with. If you get hooked you are likely to be spending this amount again (and again) on lenses and gear anyway .

 

[smr]

Phate, Genoma, thanks for the advice, much appreciated, from what I have been reading elsewhere your comments tie in, there doesn't appear to be a lot in it, I think I may go for the Canon but I should probably try both out before making the plunge.

I held my first DSLR yesterday, a friend's / customer's Canon 7D and took a few photos with it, my first time even holding a DSLR and it was brilliant, had a big smile on my face so I feel it's something I'd definitely enjoy pursuing.

 

[Phate]

Hehehehehe I sense the start of a very expensive "Ooo lets have a looksy"

I started off like that....15 grand later...

Well, it's something like that...was the last time I added it all up anyway

 

[a1ex2001]

Phate, Genoma, thanks for the advice, much appreciated, from what I have been reading elsewhere your comments tie in, there doesn't appear to be a lot in it, I think I may go for the Canon but I should probably try both out before making the plunge.

I held my first DSLR yesterday, a friend's / customer's Canon 7D and took a few photos with it, my first time even holding a DSLR and it was brilliant, had a big smile on my face so I feel it's something I'd definitely enjoy pursuing.

I'd go Nikon if I was starting over again, purely for the Sony sensor technology which is a couple of paces ahead of Canon at the moment and they aren't showing any signs of catching up. It's not just you initial camera that you need to consider, when you make this choice your investing in a system when I first got into it Canon seemed the obvious choice but the market has changed and I can't justify the cost of jumping systems!

 

[Phate]

Thing is, without wanting to completely demolish this thread about the best country in the world...it's not as if Canon sensors/system are bad?

Whenever people ask me, "what camera to buy" I always say, "Pick either a Canon or a Nikon, it doesn't matter which, both produce amazing photos. Go to a shop, hold both, buy the one you prefer the feel of"

That really is all there is to it.

 

[a1ex2001]

Thing is, without wanting to completely demolish this thread about the best country in the world...it's not as if Canon sensors/system are bad?

Whenever people ask me, "what camera to buy" I always say, "Pick either a Canon or a Nikon, it doesn't matter which, both produce amazing photos. Go to a shop, hold both, buy the one you prefer the feel of"

That really is all there is to it.

True it's definitely not worth de-railing the thread about such an amazing place with a tedious Canon V's Nikon debate I was just stating what I would do if starting out again you are right the differences are hardly huge and I've taken some ok pictures with my terrible canon sensors

back to Iceland and to keep the thread on track I'll post these again, just because they make me smile!

Reykjavik, love this statue just dodge the photo tours who are sat there for hours and hours waiting for the perfect light!


Sun Voyager, Reykjavík, Iceland by a1ex2001, on Flickr

Vik, my favourite place the we visited in Iceland lovely little town, great scenery and we stayed at a fantastic guesthouse where the owners wife cooked amazing pancakes for breakfast!


The Three Sisters, Vik, Iceland by a1ex2001, on Flickr

and of course the Northern Lights picture, so glad I took the 14mm f2.8 with me!


Northern Lights, Iceland 2 by a1ex2001, on Flickr

Other things I'd recommend, a walk on a glacier it's great fun and educational and a snowmobile trip on the biggest ice cap outside the poles. In winter it is ridiculously quiet there were 4 of us and a guide and we felt like we were in a different world!

 

[-TA-]

It is the most magical country, we are back there over NYE for a mini-moon, after getting engaged there last feb under the northern lights.


Such beauty, texture, shapes and colours everywhere!

Some of those footprints were ours, toasty warm hot tub with a howling snow storm, was amazing!

Pic about 5 mins before I popped the question! (have a 30 inch wide metal print of this on our bedroom wall, its pretty epic if I do say so myself.. )

 

[a1ex2001]

Great set, you have a better eye than me!