St. Maarten/St. Barts (SXM/SBH) 2011 (continually updated)

[Cary]

Wow! It looks like a pilot at Copa is enjoying himself.

Yes, they were on different days, but I highly suspect it was the same pilot in both the takeoff and landing.

[Cary]

Air Jamaica at dusk


SXM-CLT

[mirrodie]

Cary, loving it. keep em coming.

Im thinking of a trip back, its been a few years.
question:

where di you stay?

didd you rent a car at all?

If I may, or if not comfortable, mind PMing me, whats a r/t cost to st Barts from SXM? and how long a ride?

And the million dollar question.. I know you said at one point you wished you didn't use the 70-200 for a wider lens. What lens did you use most often?

[gonzalu]

Mario, I will say this... on a FULL FRAME sensor camera, I would now use the 24-120mm f/4 exclusively while roaming the beach for different sized aircraft. While Cary answers, I used the 24-70mm f/2.8 most often on my Full Frame camera and reserved the 70-200mm for the Crop Sensor camera (but I only brought it out a few days) and of course my 14-24mm for the jumbo and A340 super wide shots.

The reason I say 24-120mm is because the variety of sizes is great and you don;t always want to be switching back and forth or carry two bodies. It also helps in composition and getting a slightly tigher head on shot and rear shot after they pass...

[mirrodie]

Using a 20D. Talk to me more :)

[gonzalu]

On crop sensor, try the Canon 18-135mm sounds like a killer range for SXM :-)

[mirrodie]

Got to look into it. Last time I went, I was cylcing between the 100-400. And while the 100-400 was nice from the hotel, it was still a pita to bring.

the question is whether to fix the 17-85 IS or just buy a 18-135m.....

[ANITIX87]

Some questions and various comments from me.

Firstly, Mario, the Canon 18-135 is fantastic for spotting. I just sold mine because I got a full-frame, but it's really shocking how good it is despite not having USM. The IS is great, the sharpness is so good it almost hurts your eyes, and the focus speed is instantaneous. I had bought it with my 50D expecting it to be my walk-around lens and to stay in the bag during spotting, but I used it extensively in ZRH, GVA, and at JFK from the cargo area. Great, great lens for the money.

Secondly, Cary, where did you stay? I really, really want to go to SXM and my girlfriend is willing to indulge some spotting but I really am concerned about whether or not there's anything to do for someone who's not going there for the aircraft. Is renting a car necessary?

TIS

[NIKV69]

I really am concerned about whether or not there's anything to do for someone who's not going there for the aircraft.

It's one of the best beaches in the world. You lay on the beach, get a tan and drink. Then at night go to a restaurant eat and drink more.

[Matt Molnar]

I stayed at the Sonesta Maho when I went this past September. Room was fine but nothing special. Staff wasn't all that helpful when trying to get a room facing the airport approach. Took half an hour to check in due to a tour group ahead of us. Two minute walk to the beach can't be beat, though.

Though most roads are single lane and in poor condition and signs are almost non-existent, the long distances and steep hills between attractions and expensive cab rides mean a car is necessary to get around. If you stay in Maho, there isn't much to see there besides the beach and the planes so you'll want to get around to see the rest of the island. I rented a Jeep Wrangler from Empress Rent-A-Car. Cheaper than the major brands, friendly, but not completely professional. Their computers had been stolen the night before, so everything had to be done with pen and paper. Then they gave me a junker with one wheel that was smaller than the other three. I drove it briefly then returned it and they gave me an almost new Wrangler without any fuss. They were nice about it, but the first car wouldn't even pass inspection in the US and they shouldn't be renting it to anyone. I'd recommend sticking to Hertz, Avis, etc. even if it's more expensive.

I believe the self-parking charge at Sonesta was $10 a day. You need to ask them about it when you check in, as there aren't any signs about it, otherwise when you try to drive out they'll charge you by the hour.

[eric8669]

Some questions and various comments from me.

Firstly, Mario, the Canon 18-135 is fantastic for spotting. I just sold mine because I got a full-frame, but it's really shocking how good it is despite not having USM. The IS is great, the sharpness is so good it almost hurts your eyes, and the focus speed is instantaneous. I had bought it with my 50D expecting it to be my walk-around lens and to stay in the bag during spotting, but I used it extensively in ZRH, GVA, and at JFK from the cargo area. Great, great lens for the money.

Secondly, Cary, where did you stay? I really, really want to go to SXM and my girlfriend is willing to indulge some spotting but I really am concerned about whether or not there's anything to do for someone who's not going there for the aircraft. Is renting a car necessary?

TIS

I've been to SXM four times, I've stayed at a Budget hotel the first time I went, La Terrece twice and Sonesta Maho on my last visit. I'm going to disagree with Matt on the Car Rental thing, you do not need a car the whole time your there. I also would not take a cab. I would take the $1 vans. The drivers are very friendly you just have to know where you want to get off as they don't have designated stops. They get you to most places on the island and if you want to explore the island a bit more, rent a car for a day. The Maho area has the beach of course, food, some shopping and some night life. Take a trip over to Phillipsburg for more shopping, more beaches, and as an added bonus you get to mingle with all the cruisers. Spend another day in Marigot for more shopping and great French food. And if you do rent a car for a day, just make a circle around the island making stops along the way, beautiful scenery, beaches. I reccomend a stop at the Butterfly preserve.

[mirrodie]

Some questions and various comments from me.

Firstly, Mario, the Canon 18-135 is fantastic for spotting... but it's really shocking how good it is despite not having USM. The IS is great, the sharpness is so good

Secondly, Cary, where did you stay? I really, really want to go to SXM and my girlfriend is willing to indulge some spotting but I really am concerned about whether or not there's anything to do for someone who's not going there for the aircraft. Is renting a car necessary?

TIS

Thanks for the advice TIS. Much look into it and consider it. Excuse my naivete, but it has no USM? Whats USM?

It's one of the best beaches in the world. You lay on the beach, get a tan and drink. Then at night go to a restaurant eat and drink more.

Really, Nick? It's a beach like any others. But not nicer than other beaches on the island. Depends on what you want in a beach.

I stayed at the Sonesta Maho when I went this past September. Room was fine but nothing special. Staff wasn't all that helpful when trying to get a room facing the airport approach. Took half an hour to check in due to a tour group ahead of us. Two minute walk to the beach can't be beat, though.
.

TIS, the first time we went, we did NOT rent a car and wifey and I did everything within walking distance of Maho beach. Between Maho beach, the restaurants and bars as well as a piano bar and casino, we had enough to do those 4 days as far as nightlife goes. Otherwise we spent those 4 days on the beach, drinking and relaxing.

The 2nd time, we DID rent a car and we had a toddler. It was nice to see the french side as well as drive around, dont get me wrong. But now that we are going back again, I am heavily debating whether or not we'll rent. Maybe I'll rent a car for 2 days....but not really feelin it. I would be very content sitting at the beach the whole time with the family

All depends on your gal.

[ANITIX87]

Thanks for the advice TIS. Much look into it and consider it. Excuse my naivete, but it has no USM? Whats USM?

USM = Ultra-sonic Motor. It's Canon's ring-driven focus that's much faster and much quieter than the old belt-driven version of USM, or and even more improved over the lenses that don't have it and use traditional slower systems. Nikon calls it SWM (Silent Wave Motor) and Sigma calls is HSM (Hyper-Sonic Motor).

Also, thanks for the advice on the island. Much appreciated!

Mario, I will say this... on a FULL FRAME sensor camera, I would now use the 24-120mm f/4 exclusively while roaming the beach for different sized aircraft. While Cary answers, I used the 24-70mm f/2.8 most often on my Full Frame camera and reserved the 70-200mm for the Crop Sensor camera (but I only brought it out a few days) and of course my 14-24mm for the jumbo and A340 super wide shots.

Manny, is the 14-24 (or, in Canon's case, the 16-35, really necessary? Can you still get 747 and A340 on the 24-70 (using full-frame)?

TIS

[gonzalu]

TIS there is no way to fit it from certain distances... And you should keep this in mind

14-24mm on Nikon side is actually 14-24mm in Canon side although Canon does not have one. Remember that there is EF and EF-S. Here is a comparison:

Nikon FX Lenses (or those without a designator) are Full Frame Lenses that also work on APS-C Crop Sensor cameras. The comparable Canon lenses are the EF line.
Nikon DX Lenses (they actually have a DX designator in the name) are Crop Sensor (APS-C) only lenses. You can used them on a Full Frame camera if they are zoom lenses but will severely vignette on Full Frame at a shorter focal length and can sometimes be used at a longer focal length (for a zoom). Canon's comparable line is the EF-S line of lenses.

So, with the above in mind, the Canon EF-S 10-22mm for APS-C crop sensor cameras like the 7D, is the only one that would match the field of view of the Nikon 14-24mm on Full Frame. On the Full Frame side, Canon's shortest zoom is the EF 16-35mm Rectilinear and would be the closest match to the 14-24mm on the nikon side. There is an amazing EF 8-15mm Fisheye lens as well that can be put to use if you like Fisheye lenses.

To put in better perspective, a Full Frame camera vs a Crop Sensor Camera can be put to use in the same circumstances but, when it comes to wide angle shooting, this is where things get interesting. If you want to stand in the same spot with both cameras and cover the same Field of View (as opposed to Angle of View) a Crop Sensor camera will have to use a much shorter focal length to put the same field in the frame as a Full Frame camera. This will obviously also change the parallax relationships in the scene. Most people don't care about parallax relationships but it is worth noting.

Now the selection boils down to that parallax effect and your taste for the end result image. You need to figure out what you want and use the tool that will deliver that look. You obviously know that if you move back far enough, you can fill the frame with a 747 using a 400mm lens. But I assume you want to capture a super-wide angle shot like this:



or this



In that case, if you want to use a 7D you will be well suited with the 10-22mm EF-S from the same spot as I shot with the 14-24mm on Full Frame. If you want to shoot with any of these

EF-S 15-85mm, EF-S 17-55mm, EF-S 17-85mm, EF-S 18-55mm, EF-S 18-135mm, EF-S 18-200mm

you will have to stand farther back to get the same Field of View but your Angle of View will change... your choice. I know that's a long winded answer to your question but I felt it was important to expand on the answer to benefit others as well. Take a look at my SXM gallery and look at the descriptions. I typically put in the lens I used so it can give you an idea.

http://bit.ly/yYaJzK

I know Cary also lists his gear on his pictures so looking at this gallery will help you even more as he uses Canon (against my advise for him to use better gear ) and will be more directly related to your question.

http://bit.ly/yEThxZ

[Cary]

Cary, loving it. keep em coming.

Im thinking of a trip back, its been a few years.
question:

where di you stay?

didd you rent a car at all?

If I may, or if not comfortable, mind PMing me, whats a r/t cost to st Barts from SXM? and how long a ride?

And the million dollar question.. I know you said at one point you wished you didn't use the 70-200 for a wider lens. What lens did you use most often?

Hey Mario - Sorry for taking so long...I was down in MIA, and didn't see your post. But it seems like Manny has covered for me, and provided his usual wealth of information :)

I stay at the Sonesta, and take advantage of their special sales. Usually, you can get a room for $100-110 a night. I would just recommend staying away from the Ocean Terrace section. I might have just gotten a dud, but the room was old, the shower had little to no water pressure, the toilet wouldn't flush without manually refilling the water tank, and there were ants everywhere in the bathroom. Plus, the music from the nightclub kept me awake until 3am every morning. The only positive was the nice view. After 2 days of complaining (which I've never had to do for a hotel before), I specifically asked to be moved to the main building, and they gave me one of the renovated rooms, which was GREAT.

I don't rent a car, but then again, I don't ever go outside the triangle between Sunset Beach Bar, the terminal, and the Sonesta/shops around the Sonesta. I only bring a rolling duffel and my camera bag, so I usually just walk from the terminal to the Sonesta (and of course, Maho Beach is only a 3 minute walk from the hotel). A taxi ride from the terminal to hotel is $10 after tip.

WinAir flies SXM-SBH for $130-230 R/T after taxes/fees. In fact, most of the cost is taxes/fees. They also charge $10 or so for credit card processing. Prices were initially higher for my flight, and then they dropped down close to the departure date. I don't know if the planes are packed in high-season, but there have been 1 pax on two of my flights (just myself), and 5-8 people on my other flights. St. Barth Commuter also flies the route, but I've never checked their fares, because I'm partial to Twin Otters :) It's a 12 minute flight, and the approach into SBH is great (a little scary coming over the hill when you're getting tossed around by strong winds).

I typically use my 24-70mm on a 1.3x crop for medium sized planes, 10-22mm on a 1.6x crop for large planes, and 70-200mm on a 1.3x crop for small planes. But that all depends on whether planes are high or low, and whether or not I want beach in the picture. SXM shooting is a lot harder than it seems. Besides the high angular speeds, you don't really know if the plane will be low enough to include the beach until a few seconds before the shot. For the Copa takeoff, I thought it would rotate down the runway, so I pulled out the long lens expecting to shoot it further away. I'm terrible at lens selection, though (blew a nice shot of the LH A380 in MIA because of it), so you'll probably have an easier time figuring it all out.

Hope this helps....let me know if you have any other questions.