Headed for the glorious Galapagos Islands? Lucky you! Invariably, you’ll want to photograph every thrilling moment of your trip. From ocean views to dreamlike volcanic landscapes to stunning animal and marine life, the Galapagos are the photographer’s ultimate fantasy. The best cameras for Galapagos travelers, as well as other electronic equipment, ought to comfortably accompany you throughout your journey and help you make lifelong memories to share with family and friends back home.
Photography is a highlight of any trip to the Galapagos Islands or to Mainland Ecuador. The best advice when it comes to camera equipment, is to bring a camera and a format that you are very familiar with and know will give you the results you are looking for. Please note that the specific items we detail in each section of this video have been carefully selected to enhance your Galapagos experience.
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THE BEST CAMERAS FOR THE GALAPAGOS & OTHER ELECTRONICS
Photography is a highlight of any trip to the Galapagos Islands or to Mainland Ecuador. The best advice when it comes to camera equipment, is to bring a camera and a format that you are very familiar with and know will give you the results you are looking for. If you buy new camera equipment for your Galapagos Islands cruise, we highly recommend that you take time to become familiar with your new gear before you head out on the trip. And bring plenty of memory cards.
For amateur photographers, while a good zoom lens can come in handy and render excellent up-close results, you probably don’t need anything larger than a handheld lens that does not require a tripod in the Galapagos, and that’s because it’s fairly easy to get close to wildlife. For more experienced and professional photographers, you will want to bring a series of lenses, including a long lens for wildlife photography, as well as a steady but relatively light tripod.
Because snorkeling is a highlight of any Galapagos adventure, the Islands are a great place to bring along a camera with an underwater housing like a GoPro, or even a water-proof case for your smartphones. The Islands are an excellent place to make home videos, so having a camera that you can use above and below water that shoots both photo and video is a good idea.
Important note on camera equipment:
Sand and seawater are the enemies of any optical or electronic instrument. Please keep this in mind when considering what equipment to bring. A good safety measure to take for any photographic equipment is to bring dry bags or large high quality zip lock bags with a zipper locks to keep your camera in, especially when crossing to shore.
Here is a final list of some additional recommended items to pack:
- A Good digital SLR camera
- An International outlet converter (plugs on our boats are 110V Type A, with 2 flat prongs – this is the standard plug for North America)
- Two or 3 high capacity memory cards for your camera (if you plan to shoot a lot of video, plan to bring more)
- Extra batteries
- Sturdy camera case
- Dry sack (you can use same one we recommended on the Gear section)
- Netbook, iPad or small laptop to download photos (optional)
- Sport or waterproof sunblock (SPF 30 or higher) – this is essential for the equatorial sun in the Galapagos.
- Binoculars
- Insect repellent (for certain times of the year in the Galapagos) – But if you are traveling to the amazon you will certainly want to bring insect repellent as well.
- Reusable Water bottle
Finally, while Quasar provides all its guest with reusable water bottles at no costs, depending on the cruise company you are traveling with, you will certainly want to bring a reusable water bottle as well. We want to minimize the use of plastic in the Galapagos Islands. For the full list of what to pack for a Galapagos luxury cruise, ready more here - Galapagos Packing List