From Brooklyn to Alaska with the Sigma 16-300mm

Brooklyn to Alaska (BK2AK) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to giving a diverse group of youth life-changing experiences. Their goal is to immerse young people from Brooklyn in the Alaskan wilderness, forging deep, lasting connections with nature and each other. As a 13-year-old camper, that trip sparked my own enduring love for the outdoors. This has led me to join the 2025 group of campers and document their journey in the beautiful great outdoors.

For the documentation trip with BK2AK, the Sigma 16-300mm F3.5-6.7 DC OS | Contemporary for Fujifilm X Mount was an indispensable piece of gear. When packing for the Alaskan wilderness — a place that demands adaptability — versatility is everything. No other lens could offer such an enormous focal range in a package so light and compact. It was, quite simply, the no-brainer choice for covering everything from intimate moments to sweeping landscapes.

Over the course of two weeks, my time in Alaska was spent hiking mountain trails, walking across glaciers, taking a scenic plane ride, and spending countless hours sitting in a raft slowly rowing down a river. Paired with the Fujifilm X-H2, this superzoom stayed mounted for nearly the entire trip. The 16mm end was wide enough to capture the entire group goofing off in a cramped cabin, while the powerful 300mm reach allowed me to isolate the peak of a distant mountain or film a fellow raft floating 50 feet away. The ability to transition instantly from a wide-angle group shot to a telephoto shot of the nature around without changing lenses made it exceptional for this project and particular traveling situation.

As someone who primarily shoots with prime lenses, I was genuinely impressed by the image quality. The Sigma 16-300mm rendered massive rock formations with striking sharpness, yet could also capture the minute details and texture of a small flower or a tiny spider hunting on its web. It made photography fun and expressive, freeing me up to focus on the story rather than gear.

My main learning curve came from the lens’s variable aperture. While the shifting F-stop required extra vigilance with exposure — particularly when zooming during a shot — it ultimately became a valuable lesson in managing dynamic lighting conditions. Despite that minor challenge, my time with the 16-300mm F3.5-6.7 DC OS | Contemporary was overwhelmingly positive, proving that sometimes, one lens can truly do it all.

Pack lighter and explore more.

16-300mm F3.5-6.7 DC OS | Contemporary