If you could only bring one lens?

Setun

Travelling around Japan for about 5 weeks this summer (barring any unforseen circumstances), and I only really want to bring one lens with me for convenience. It's not really a photography holiday as such - the people I'm going with wouldn't be taking any shots themselves, but I just know there'll be some moments I'll really want captured during the trip.

Just wondering what the boardsies would bring if they were limited to one lens? A tough question for many I'm sure

Covey

24-105 (if Canon)

Rhodney

24-70...

CabanSail

18-200 VR (if on a Nikon DX Body)

Having just purchased one, I would definietly consider getting a Canon G9 or G10 for the trip. It just does SO much in a small package. Really good for travelling light.

I picked up my G9 with an extra 2 spare batteries & 2 4GB SDHC Cards for about €400 delivered.

Fajitas!

On yer 40D, I'd be getting an 18-55 2.8 IS... small, light enough, descreet enough, about the same price as the 24-105 and plenty better.

Throw a 50mm 1.8 in there too and you'll be sorted!

Setun

Hmmm, will check it out alright, could come in handy.

Does anyone have any experience with the canon 28-105 f3.5/4.5 or the 50mm f1.4?

Fajitas!

That was the 1.4 you were playing with in the studio last week, tbh, I wouldn't bother with the 28-105 if you could afford the 18-55!

Stephen

Out of the stuff in my bag I'd bring my Nikon 18-105 VR. I always will find the room to bring the good old Sigma 10-20 with me though

Setun

Fajitas! wrote: »

On yer 40D, I'd be getting an 18-55 2.8 IS... small, light enough, descreet enough, about the same price as the 24-105 and plenty better.

Throw a 50mm 1.8 in there too and you'll be sorted!

That's a fine lens, but beyond my budget I think. But...

/takes out binoculars and spies on adverts.ie

Would the 50mm 1.8 do a good enough job on its own or would I be kicking myself for not having a zoomer? I've got a 17-85 but it's f4-5.6.

Covey

What do you intend to shoot?

bmcgrath

I use a EF-S 17-85 IS on my 30D. Image quality wouldn't be what I call amazing. It's quite decent enough all the same but it's the focal range it has. It's so so handy!!

I done a bit of traveling this summer and it was the only lens I used. Might be a bit slow for those low light shots but IS can help a little bit. Don't expect miracles.

Fajitas!

Daddio wrote: »

That's a fine lens, but beyond my budget I think. But...

/takes out binoculars and spies on adverts.ie

Would the 50mm 1.8 do a good enough job on its own or would I be kicking myself for not having a zoomer? I've got a 17-85 but it's f4-5.6.

I've often just brought my 50 1.4 when travelling - Or thrown in a wide angle aswell. Did me grand tbh.

Also, aren't you supposed to be in Visual Culture lectures at the moment?

Setun

Covey wrote:

What do you intend to shoot?

I suppose that's the problem in a way, it'll be a mix of landscape, portaiture, street - so a bit of everything really.

Fajitas! wrote:

That was the 1.4 you were playing with in the studio last week, tbh, I wouldn't bother with the 28-105 if you could afford the 18-55!

The 1.4 is great, am strongly considering treating myself to one. Is the 28-105 not so good in terms of image quality? Tbh I was surprised at the price on Kea's lovely new site, it's quite cheap.

Setun

Fajitas! wrote: »

I've often just brought my 50 1.4 when travelling - Or thrown in a wide angle aswell. Did me grand tbh.

Also, aren't you supposed to be in Visual Culture lectures at the moment?

/coughs
I'm eh... sick. etc.

seriously though I am a little bit ill

ThOnda

I would also recommend very good prime to cheaper zoom.
24-70/2.8L would be my choice for Canon and my trusty 28-70/4 on Pentax body.

Setun

After doing my research I think I'll treat myself to the canon 50mm 1.4.

AnimalRights

24-105L IS
Easily my most used lens.

oshead

Daddio wrote: »

After doing my research I think I'll treat myself to the canon 50mm 1.4.

Excellent choice. On the 40D it makes a great portrait lens. I use mine mainly for shots of my kid. It's the only lense I have that's fast enough to catch her running around. It's also good as a walk around lense, that is if you don't mind zooming with your feet.

Though, as a word of caution. If this will be your only lense, you may find it's not wide enough. The 18-55 2.8 IS as Fajitas mentioned earlier would be ideal if you could afford it.

Anyway, Good luck on your trip!

Dave OS

AnimalRights

Is the lens Fajitas mentioned not actually an EF-S 17-55 2.8 IS?
The kit lens that came with the 450D is the 18-55 3.5-5.6?

GhostInTheRuins

18-200mm VR

oshead

AnimalRights wrote: »

Is the lens Fajitas mentioned not actually an EF-S 17-55 2.8 IS?
The kit lens that came with the 450D is the 18-55 3.5-5.6?

Yeah my bad. As my wife would say... same, same but different...

Dave OS

Dragan

Fajitas! wrote: »

Also, aren't you supposed to be in Visual Culture lectures at the moment?

There is NO escape from you Al!!!!

thebaz

CabanSail wrote: »

18-200 VR (if on a Nikon DX Body)

Having just purchased one, I would definietly consider getting a Canon G9 or G10 for the trip. It just does SO much in a small package. Really good for travelling light.

I picked up my G9 with an extra 2 spare batteries & 2 4GB SDHC Cards for about €400 delivered.

i'm going away travelling for a month in January to Asia , seriously considering leaving my Nikon SLR at home - just bring my Panasonic lx3 (similar to G9) which i love - i wonder will i miss my Nikon when away ??

City-Exile

Canon 70-200mm IS f/2.8
One of the most versatile lenses in the world!
I absolutely love it!

Setun

AnimalRights wrote: »

Is the lens Fajitas mentioned not actually an EF-S 17-55 2.8 IS?
The kit lens that came with the 450D is the 18-55 3.5-5.6?

Afaik you can get both, the 17-55 2.8 is the best part of €800. Looks fantastic though! Wanted to treat myself to something for christmas and unfortunately €800 is above and beyond my budget at the moment.

AnCatDubh

With a 50mm prime you will of course be able to zoom with your feet but remember your 40D has a great 10mpx sensor hence for standard size prints you can afford to crop out up to half of it to reproduce something like A3 in print size. So it is possible to zoom in post processing albeit a poor relation to zooming with your feet.

Nisio

18-200 VR has worked out well for me

challengemaster

City-Exile wrote: »

Canon 70-200mm IS f/2.8

Might work for taking pics of tall buildings if you were... oh.. 1/4 - 1/2 a mile down the road or something?

If you can stretch to say, 500€ (i think) or so, get the 50mm f/1.4 and something like the sigma 10-20mm

Ricky91t

Fajitas! wrote: »

On yer 40D, I'd be getting an 18-55 2.8 IS... small, light enough, descreet enough, about the same price as the 24-105 and plenty better.

Throw a 50mm 1.8 in there too and you'll be sorted!

Serious?

challengemaster

Ricky91t wrote: »

Serious?

he's dead serious, tried to convince me to get it instead of the 24-70L back when.

Borderfox

85mm f1.2L, heavy but can cope with most everything. On a 5d of course!!

Fajitas!

challengemaster wrote: »

he's dead serious, tried to convince me to get it instead of the 24-70L back when.

Can't understand why people buy the 24-70 2.8 when they can get that if they're on a crop body tbh.

Kbeg3

GhostInTheRuins wrote: »

18-200mm VR

+1:D

ThOnda

Fajitas! wrote: »

Can't understand why people buy the 24-70 2.8 when they can get that if they're on a crop body tbh.

Did you mean "...canNOT get that..."?

Because it is lovely lens and the 70mm end on a crop body would be more suitable for portraits? :-)

Fajitas!

But you're losing your whole wide angle!

murpho999

Fajitas! wrote: »

But you're losing your whole wide angle!

But the 24-70mm is one of the best 'L' lenses out there and is way better quality then the 18-55.

It's the quality of the lens that counts not the zoom.

thebaz

How do others feal about lugging an SLR on long trips with lots of walking .. even with one lens its bulky when you have the rest of you baggage ?
something compact would be so much easier !!

Mycroft H

Id bring my inherited 70-210 f4 minolta beercan. Though it may weigh a pound and a half and seems lik its made of pig iron and quite big its still tack sharp even at 210mm. Far better then modren sony/tammy/sigma 70-300. Did i mention its twenty years old next year too? i love that lens

bren2002

I went around the world with a Sigma 24-70 f2.8, cracking lens.

ThOnda

Get a G10 - small and good focal range ;-)

oshead

murpho999 wrote: »

But the 24-70mm is one of the best 'L' lenses out there and is way better quality then the 18-55.

It's the quality of the lens that counts not the zoom.

I'd say its a good lense. But it takes a while to get used to. The IQ is probably on a par with the 17-55 IS. But the 17-55 is lighter and on the 40D it has a more suitable focal range for traveling than the 24-70.

Dave OS

gandalf

These days my 40D tends to have the Sigma 30mm f1.4 on it most times so if I was pushed to have only one lens with me that would be the one for me.

(Unless Fajitas! wants to give me that Canon 135mm I tried on Paddy's Day!)

AnimalRights

Daddio wrote: »

Afaik you can get both, the 17-55 2.8 is the best part of €800. Looks fantastic though! Wanted to treat myself to something for christmas and unfortunately €800 is above and beyond my budget at the moment.

No you can get the efs 17-55 2.8 IS or the 18-55 IS, totally diff lenses are they not?

Fajitas!

Whoops, meant 17, not 18 at the shorter end. Either way, I meant the 2.8 IS model

murpho999 wrote: »

But the 24-70mm is one of the best 'L' lenses out there and is way better quality then the 18-55.

It's the quality of the lens that counts not the zoom.

Lens quality is on par with the 24-70, it's smaller and lighter but....

oshead wrote: »

I'd say its a good lense. But it takes a while to get used to. The IQ is probably on a par with the 17-55 IS. But the 17-55 is lighter and on the 40D it has a more suitable focal range for traveling than the 24-70.

Dave OS

Dave hit the nail on the head as regards that!

challengemaster

Fajitas! wrote: »

Can't understand why people buy the 24-70 2.8 when they can get that if they're on a crop body tbh.

Well, if I did, I'd have one more thing to sell when my 5D arrives, wouldn't I?

jackdaw

Rhodney wrote: »

24-70...

yep ... that would be my choice ...

Anouilh

murpho999 wrote: »

But the 24-70mm is one of the best 'L' lenses out there and is way better quality then the 18-55.

It's the quality of the lens that counts not the zoom.

This is a useful review:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/lenses/24-70-review.shtml

I am in the same boat when it comes to travelling with one versatile lens. I use the Canon EOS 400D (Digital Rebel) and have the kit lens and a Sigma 70-300 apo macro.

Now I need to get an inexpensive lens to take indoor portraits at a wedding. While the 50mm f1.8 is often recommended, I think something with a bit of zoom, but still with the possibility of not using flash, would be the best option.

Canon lenses are not really within my budget.
Is there another Sigma or a Tamron that would fit the bill?

duffarama

My choice would be the 12-60mm lens I have for my camera, check this glowing review

http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/olympus_12-60_2p8-4_o20/

sheesh

the best answer is your fastest one
or maybe your fastest widest one 50mm on a cropped sensor might not be wide enough. I would be thinking of a 30 mm f1.4 lens would be the most adaptable.

if you can afford an f 2.8 zoom go for that just make sure you can go wide.

you can crop out stuff afterwards if you are too wide.

pippatee

+1 for the 24-105mm canon "L" lens ...never really off my camera ...

Angelo Mercone

17 to 55 F2.8 nikon

Angelo