Lens For Italy

I am going to Italy in January and will be in Rome, Florence, and Venice. So my question is this, I have a 60d and the kit 18-135, which is plenty long I think but I don't think it will be wide enough or fast enough for inside and cloudy Italy in January. I was wondering if anyone had any opinion if taking just a 15-85 would be wide enough for me so I could just take one lens. Or should I go with a 11-16 2.8 (figure the 2.8 is better for the weather and indoors that I am planing on than the more flare resistant cannon 10-22), and my 18-135. I would like to just take the one lens (15-85) but just not sure if it would be fast enough or wide enough for getting the good shots inside, and if it is really overcast. Any advice would be welcomed.

another thing to bear in mind is distortion, unless you post procress each photo.
I find the 17-55f2.8 meets most of my needs for this kind of trip

Looking at my very, very, old P&S pics of St. Peter's, I'd say that 15mm, 17mm, or 18mm on a crop should be sufficient on the wide end for your needs, at least for indoors (my widest pics at that time were at the 35mm equivalent of 34mm). As for aperture, it seems 2.7 wasn't enough for flash-less photography, although back then (six years ago, so it might have changed) it seems flash was allowed both in St. Peter's and in the Pantheon.

Looking at my pics from outside, I'd definitely wish to have at least a 15mm wide lens if I went back.

There are a few places in Rome where 18 isn't wide enough - the Coliseum, Pantheon and Diocletian Baths come to mind. The 18-135 will be wide enough for just about everything else. The 15-85 may do it, but I am not sure about this. On my next trip to Italy, I plan to take my Tokina 12-24F4.
You can bump up ISO, so I wouldn't worry about the lighting in most cases if you use a lens with IS.
There were some places where you might need a faster lens, but f2.8 wouldn't be enough then. Consider a fast, shorter prime.
For me, wide was more important in Italy than long. The streets are narrow and the buildings are large.

yah I wanted at the minimum 15mm. but had not thought about the fact that without is that 11-16 might actually be slower than the 15-85 at 15mm (which is where I figure most of my pictures would be at.

and as far as a prime goes I don't' think there are any ones wide enough. I don't have any interest in shooting people so no need to zoom in on there face. but if there is like a 15mm or less fast prime I might consider that because I plan on most of my shots to be at what ever the widest setting I have is.

Just back from Italy, you will need something wide wide wide. Narrow streets etc. give lots of opportunity for great shots. Get a 10-22.

Voaky999 wrote in post #15035496
Just back from Italy, you will need something wide wide wide. Narrow streets etc. give lots of opportunity for great shots. Get a 10-22.

Do u think that the 10-22 would be fast enough? all shots will be hand held i just want too make sure i can get the shots without having to pump the iso up too high.

mine1 wrote in post #15035503
Do u think that the 10-22 would be fast enough? all shots will be hand held i just want too make sure i can get the shots without having to pump the iso up too high.

I have used the 10-22 extensively, and yes it should be quite usuable. Your 60D is for good up to ISO1600 which is more than enough in most situations. You can also bring a tripod for those low light or night scenes.

10-22mm will be awesome for Italy. You'll probably use that more than 75% of the time. Normal zoom lens (15-85 or 18-135) for portraits and candids of interesting folks around Trevi fountain in Rome. The Spanish Steps with a wide angle is awesome.

Also, get yourself a small camera bean bag that can easily be stuffed in your pocket. Some places do not allow flash photography or tripods. Place the camera on the bean bag on the floor of the church/museum and take longer exposures. A cool trick is to place your camera on the floor of a cathedral face up and take long exposures of the ceilings. Don't forget to use the timer function or remote control for shutter release.

Have a great trip! I love Italy!

Agree with most of the postings - wide, wide, wide. I use the Sigma 10-20 f/4-5.6 (almost half the price of Canon 10-22), and I don't care that it is fairly slow. Most of my outdoor shots are at broad daylight. Besides, the wide lens is used for streets and buildings, and they do not move too fast. The same can be said about your 18-135. You will use it a lot, there is no need to go longer. The buildings are big, the streets narrow. Even a 15mm is not good enough for inside of the Colosseum.

I also take a fast prime for indoors of the cathedrals. For that I have a Sigma 30mm f/1.4 which is great for that purpose. As a result, I have a 60D with usually a 17-70 attached, and two more lenses in a Tamrac bag. Well, now my wife got into photography too, so I have a backpack for two bodies and four lenses. Guess who carries the backpack when we are done with shooting?

There is one thing to keep in mind. Once I was in Rome and Florence in winter, at Christmas. It is a great time to be there - festive moods, a lot of people on the streets (mostly locals), but it gets dark early. Try to get up and out early, to get as much daytime as possible.

thanks all good suggestions. I am thinking I might want to at least get a mono pod to take and that should solve any problems I have by it being too dark I have pretty steady hands. I was really hoping that the 15-85 would be wide enough so I could get away with just the one lens but having the reach of the 135 will help with getting shots of some of the sculptures that are on top of buildings and such. Do any of you know how much of a deposit places like lens rental.com charges.

OK so I have decided on the UWA and the 18-135. Do any of you think it the F2.8 that comes with the 11-16 II (hoping the new version cures the flare problems I read the first one had) is worth losing the 10mm and 17-22mm from the canon one? Remember it is winter so should be cloudy most of the time and I also want to be able to get pictures in churches and museums.

You'll be very happy with the 11-16mm f/2.8. You'll capture some great moments with it.

Yah I was leaning towards the 11-16mm I figure it is better to be safe than sorry with the Fstop.