Lens Suggestions for BIG Cycle Tour

stiofan85

Hi Guys and Gals,

In January I'm setting off on a 16000km solo cycle tour from Dublin to Beijing armed with my wonderful Nikon D5100, kit lens, nikkor f/1.8 35mm, gorilla pod and a GoPro.

I'm expecting the scenery to be absolutely amazing, particularly when I get up high in the mountains in the east, so I was thinking of getting a wide angle lens too, but could there be a better case for a zoom lens? I'm not overly experienced so I'm not sure of what combination to bring with me.

I'm not concerned about the weight of a third lens at this point, but I'd like to be able to capture the trip as best I can, so if it's advisable to get a different lens, then so be it!

Any advice would be appreciated,

Stephen

eoglyn

I know you say you don't mind the extra weight issue, but you could replace the kit lens with a super zoom like the the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 18-200mm 1:3.5-5.6 - it's plenty wide and you have great reach. i have used one on my 5100 and found it brilliant for 90% of situations - you can just leave it on and not worry about swapping between lenses - which would be a pain when you are on the bike and want to grab out your camera quickly.

Alternatively if you want a wide angle len consider the sigma 10-20mm - there is a thread with images from it that resurfaced today.

But i think the super-zoom would be the right job for what you are looking for and you can leave the kit lens behind.

Declaration of interest: ahem... incidentally, by coincidence and totally unrelated to what i said above i happen to have both of the above lenses currently for sale on adverts.ie...

stiofan85

eoglyn wrote: »

I know you say you don't mind the extra weight issue, but you could replace the kit lens with a super zoom like the the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 18-200mm 1:3.5-5.6 - it's plenty wide and you have great reach. i have used one on my 5100 and found it brilliant for 90% of situations - you can just leave it on and not worry about swapping between lenses - which would be a pain when you are on the bike and want to grab out your camera quickly.

Alternatively if you want a wide angle len consider the sigma 10-20mm - there is a thread with images from it that resurfaced today.

But i think the super-zoom would be the right job for what you are looking for and you can leave the kit lens behind.

Declaration of interest: ahem... incidentally, by coincidence and totally unrelated to what i said above i happen to have both of the above lenses currently for sale on adverts.ie...

Thanks for the advice - I had considered the 18-200 alright for the reasons you mentioned, but I have to say I love the shots from the Sigma thread. The extra width in the shots from 10mm just add something to them.

What sort of usage would I expect out of such a large zoom? I haven't really found many situations where the kit lens zoom was too short, although there have been a few. I would have expected from a solo cycle that the opportunity to shoot wide-angle shots would be far more frequent warranting the shorter focal length.

Of course in an ideal world I'd have both, but finances are limited!

I'll await further advice and go from there! Definitely not ruling it out

vintagecosmos

I'd go for the super zoom. Imagine u are getting pics in motion. I run the odd race and have a friend with a super zoom take pics of me. The super zoom allows them to get multiple pics of me in motion over a greater distance.

Not sure if I'm explaining right. It early. But yes super zoom all the way. Between that and your 35 u would be grand. If u want to take a load of broad scenic shots a wide angle would be nice. But I think it's expensive and wouldn't see as much use as the super zoom.

Safe travels

eoglyn

It's all personal preference obviously and depends what you like to take pictures of - when you see any wildlife or if you like to snap higher up architectural details for example you'll be glad of the extra reach of the super zoom, but it sounds as if you prefer the broader landscapes, of which you will see plenty.
Whatever you decide about the lens, it sounds like an epic trip. Like the previous poster says, stay safe, and also bring plenty of memory cards.

The Ging and I

I have over the years gone from small pelican cases full of kit to one lens. A fast 35mm is my choice. Its imo a purer form of photography. No faffing around with kit. On my last cycle trip to Argentina I enjoyed the freedom and challenge of having no choice but to use what I had.

dakar

Personally, I'd go with the 35mm. I've had that 18-200 and it was always just a little, I dunno, dissapointing maybe. Jack of all trades, master of none.

stiofan85

dakar wrote: »

Personally, I'd go with the 35mm. I've had that 18-200 and it was always just a little, I dunno, dissapointing maybe. Jack of all trades, master of none.

This was my impression - maybe a wider range of uses than the kit lens, but probably wouldn't add much to my existing setup?

Since the 35mm is equivalent to 50mm on my camera body, does that not mean that 18mm on the kit lens is also equivalent to a 27mm or so? This brings me back to my original question on the wide angle - like I said, I'm not bothered by bringing the extra lens as I want to get the most from the photos on the trip. I appreciate there's "faffing around with kit", but given the choice, I think that's what I'd prefer - just my preference.

I love the 35mm btw. Love it!

dakar

I think if I were in your position, I'd probably look at having the 35 on your camera most of the time with a 10-20 (if you want to buy another lens) as your 'spectacular vista and interesting perspective' lens. It really can produce some stunning images as the 10-20 thread shows.

I'm currently trying to decide which kit to bring to New York next week (giddy!) and have pretty much settled on a 50 f/1.4 and 24 f/2.8 on my D700. Both reasonably discreet, fast, flexible primes.

One will fit comfortably in my pocket when I'm using the other. Same more or less with the 10-20 and 35.

I personally prefer my travel shots wider and/or closer rather than shot with a telephoto from a distance. I'd love to bring my ultra wide 14-24 but it *really* sticks out and says 'mug me!'

dnme

A decent bridge camera!

If you're a good photographer - you're a good photographer.
The worst thing imaginable when cycling long distances, is weight. Get rid of weight! Then there's security. Then there's all the pretty severe climates you and all that gear will exposed to.

I have a decent DSLR with lenses, but more and more I find myself using my bridge camera. The lens is excellent even at its extremes. It gives me great photos and if you're on a bike, you may not be so worried about having to use high ISO as you'll be mostly shooting in daylight.

pete4130

Check out http://cyclingc2b.wordpress.com

A friend is on a similar trip cycling. Good read for what to expect and what visa issues you might run into on your way.

The Ging and I

A dynamo front hub is worth considering for the power hungry cameras phones and even comes in handy when (and you will) get caught out later than you planned getting to a place. I leave my lights on all the time while powering up my gps.

stiofan85

Some really good advice on this thread folks, so I greatly appreciate it!

dnme wrote: »

A decent bridge camera!

If you're a good photographer - you're a good photographer.
The worst thing imaginable when cycling long distances, is weight. Get rid of weight! Then there's security. Then there's all the pretty severe climates you and all that gear will exposed to.

I have a decent DSLR with lenses, but more and more I find myself using my bridge camera. The lens is excellent even at its extremes. It gives me great photos and if you're on a bike, you may not be so worried about having to use high ISO as you'll be mostly shooting in daylight.

I'd considered a bridge camera, but don't have the funds to shell out for a good one without selling my DSLR, which I don't want to do! I think I'm going to stick with it, despite the size and weight. Hopefully I won't regret it!

pete4130 wrote: »

Check out http://cyclingc2b.wordpress.com

A friend is on a similar trip cycling. Good read for what to expect and what visa issues you might run into on your way.

Thanks for this - I had a quick look there and it looks really impressive. Will watch the videos when I get home from work. The route is incredibly similar to mine. Seems to be quite a popular route!

The Ging and I wrote: »

A dynamo front hub is worth considering for the power hungry cameras phones and even comes in handy when (and you will) get caught out later than you planned getting to a place. I leave my lights on all the time while powering up my gps.

I have a solar panel and a travel battery pack. The battery pack is good for 4 full charges of a smart phone. I get quite a long life out of my Nikon, so I'm confident enough in it to only need to charge it every few days. The GoPro eats power, and is very heavy on storage so I'll use it sparingly. For music I'll use a dedicated MP3 player - probably an iPod touch or something where I can get Spotify offline