Manhattan NY, What lenses to carry?

I am visiting Manhattan for 'touristy' stuff! I am thinking of just carrying 10-22 and 17-85 to go with my 7D. I do have other lenses too which I am thinking of not carrying along (35L, 85L, 70-200/2.8, 100-400, 100L). I will carry S110, light tripod and a circular polarizer as well.

Am I making the right decision?

Any advice on what equipment (not too heavy) I should be carrying to Manhattan and possible photo locations is greatly appreciated.

Thank-you

I live in Staten Island. I've shot Manhattan a bunch of times. Once with a nifty fifty to get that cropped street look, I've used a 17-55 and a 12-24. Anything longer than hit 17-85 will probably be a waste, or better put unnecessary. I think your decision is a good one. 50mm on a crop (which I have) is a little tight. You'll probably be using your 17-85 the most. But the 50 works well for some shots.

I live in Brooklyn, and have been to Manhattan fairly often, and more often then not, it breaks down to shots where you want a really wide lens or a really long lens. Maybe it's just that I love the compressed telephoto look.

The wide zoom is definitely recommended. As for your second choice... I'd personally go with either the 70-200 or 100-400, as there's plenty to be seen from afar, but only if you know where to shoot from. So I guess if you're short on time, or haven't been there yet before, it's not a good idea to lug a big white lens around. Just like any real local, I have no idea what the locations I usually shoot at are called or their geographic position, I just get around from memory.

The 100L is small and light, so if you find the extra space in your bag, you could take that along.

The only location I can imagine the polarizer being useful is around Central Park, and maybe if you want to see through store windows.

The tripod is also likely not to see much use anywhere but in parks, because you're guaranteed to trip someone over anywhere else, and many places don't even allow them. You'll save weight and get more shots just by taking a lens with IS along instead.

Wide.

aliengin wrote in post #16210304
Wide.

+1

On full frame or crop, the 17-40 served me well in NYC. On the crop, having both the 10-22 and 17-85 is perfect.

I agree that 17-85 is probably the best for Manhattan.

Agree that 7D and 17-85 is mostly all you will need. Maybe bring along your 35mm for night shooting and shallow DOF work- especially if you make it up to Times Square

If you have never been to Manhattan, you have to realize the streets are old fashioned and super narrow, especially downtown. On top of that the building are tall. Like I said, you'll need a wide angle of you want to capture the feeling of a street in its entirety. As an example, a 50mm will look very cropped before you even crop it. You'll feel you need to step back to frame the picture in places like Wall Street, but you're already stepped as far back as you already can be. Some of those cropped looking shots are cool lookin though. Wide angle and your 17-85 should cover everything. The long reach zoom may work on the Staten Island ferry looking back at manhattan and for shots like that, maybe for some bridges if you shoot the Verrazano etc from different locations. But I can't see a long zoom being extremely useful in manhattan.

I also will preface that you should bring a uwa. You will be disappointed if you leave it home looking up at the big buildings.

sn7 wrote in post #16209832
I am visiting Manhattan for 'touristy' stuff! I am thinking of just carrying 10-22 and 17-85 to go with my 7D. I do have other lenses too which I am thinking of not carrying along (35L, 85L, 70-200/2.8, 100-400, 100L). I will carry S110, light tripod and a circular polarizer as well.

Am I making the right decision?

Any advice on what equipment (not too heavy) I should be carrying to Manhattan and possible photo locations is greatly appreciated.

Thank-you

Depends what kind of pictures you want to take

I would go wide.
You wont have lots of room to back up and take shots of large buildings or get whole storefronts, etc.

go wide.

When I go in I bring my 10-22 and 40mm. If I'm photographing people not buildings, I take one lens the 50 1.4.