The title pretty much says it all. The plane is a private four-seater (ergo lots of glass). For what it's worth, we'll be in LA/Santa Monica: - mostly flat - ocean - San Gabriel mountains in the distance - Santa Monica mountains/foothills right nearby - Catalina ~20mi off the coast - weather report calls for rain early in the week, so the regular haze should be gone
I'll have one lens: 28-70mm F2.8-4 DG
Thoughts or suggestions beyond recommendations for a parachute?
p.s. observe teh_sex
UV haze filter if at all possible.
Originally posted by: mclarkson UV haze filter if at all possible.
Sumbitch. I had a choice today between a polarized and a UV. I distinctly remember saying to myself, "Feh! When am I ever going to need to filter out haze?" :(
UV is relatively inexpensive, no? Is it worth going with the fancy German glass or is the Japanese plastic good enough?
Originally posted by: baron ruhstoff When am I ever going to need to filter out haze?" :(
You usually don't have to cut through 5 miles of it. 
Some people keep a cheaper UV have filter on their cameras at all times to protect the lens.
every lens I've ever owned has had a UV filter on it full time. It's just protection. Very cheap insurance policy IMO.
Okay, so a UV filter is in order. Is it a bad idea to have both a UV and polarized on at the same time (assuming both are clean)? By the way, I'm finding that the latter is a bit of a pain in the ass given that my lens rotates as it focuses. The best solution I've found is to keep it on auto, which provides enough resistance to keep focus while I adjust the filter.
As for settings, I'm guessing the camera's "landscape" combo will be enough given that everything is going to be at least a mile away. Yea? Nay?
Thanks, all!
I would try to avoid mixing a polarizer with other lenses. It can cause frequency diffraction, which is hard to eliminate in post.
Did you get a circular polarizer or a linear polarizer? Most SLRs should use circular pola's - because of the reason you mentioned.
The UV haze is a must for aerial photography.
Use a lens hood, too, to minimize other flare. (Also, a hood is better insurance than keeping a UV filter on it - If I'm not using a filter for a specific reason, I'd rather not have it in front of my optics - modern multi-coated lenses are much more robust than people give them credit for).
Originally posted by: rogue_designer if I'm not using a filter for a specific reason, I'd rather not have it in front of my optics
I was just sayin'.
Originally posted by: mclarkson
Some people keep a cheaper UV have filter on their cameras at all times to protect the lens.
I keep a polarizer and a uv filter on at all times. Shooting digital, it gives me some of the punchiness I was accustomed to with film.
Most important thing shooting from a plane: aim down and just a bit ahead of where the victim is running. don't forget to adjust for wind. Tracers are useful.
Originally posted by: arigato
I keep a polarizer and a uv filter on at all times. Shooting digital, it gives me some of the punchiness I was accustomed to with film.
Just be careful when mixing any filters with a polarizer - you can get nasty frequency diffraction/moire.
like what? I only use those two and gels. But i'm curious.
I hear what you're saying about needing the UV and I suppose the moire is something to think about, but I do like teh_drama of the polarizer. Given all of the (hopefully) blue sky and the fact that Cali hills tend towards muted greens/yellows, is there another way to get that same punch without resorting to selective color adjustment layers etc in post?
Of course, I suppose I could just take the damn thing off mid-flight.
Originally posted by: arigato like what? I only use those two and gels. But i'm curious.
In this case, it was a combined interference with a coating on the plane window, but I had similar issues when using polyester theatre gels, combined with polarizers. http://www.flickr.com/photos/shantiamagasu/2708253977/
Not an everyday occurrence, but the more things you stack in front of an already multi-coated lens, the more possibility for weirdness when they interact.
Wow, thass some trippy stuff... But I guess that's the advantage of digital; you get to do chimping.