Which two lenses to bring to my NYC trip!

Hey guys,

It's been a long time since I've been here and I'm glad to be posting again. I'm going to be going to NYC from Oct 18-22 and I will be bringing my 5DII with me. Unfortunately, I don't know what lenses to bring.

I'm torn between 4 setups, so please vote and provide any input possible. FYI. I'm a primes only shooter - 24L, 35L, 50L, 85L, 135L.

Torn between these setups.
1) 5DII + 24L + 35L
2) 5DII + 24L + 50L
3) 5DII + 35L + 50L
4) 5DII + 35L + 85L

I'll be visiting:
- 9/11 memorial park
- Battery Park
- Central Park
- 5th Avenue for shopping
- Broadway for shopping
- Top of the Rock at the Rockefeller Center
- Taking Staten Island Ferry to view the Statue of Liberty

ALSO IF YOU HAVE ANY TIPS such as PLACES TO EAT, PLACES TO VISIT, TRANSIT TIPS, THAT WOULD BE GREAT! THANKS GUYS!

Thanks in advance!

I'd take the 24 and the 85, just so you have the greatest range possible. I'd also add a Glock .40 caliber to the list.

i went to new york last november and found that wider focal lengths were more useful so you probably want your 24L. you will probably want this lens for the fountains in the 9/11 memorial park and city/landscape in general. photos below were taken at 10mm on a crop (16mm on full-frame) for your reference.

i would have thought that would want a variety - one wide - one longer. if it was me - i would want the 24 and the 85.
NYC can be fun, and what you want to see is very dependant on your personality. I liked the lower east side delis, the sundaes at "seredipity", the architecture of the banking district, museum row on the upper west side (guggenheim, the Met, MOMA - please notice that each of the museums have/had a day per week where [general] entrance is free), broadway is a phenomena to see, and lots more ofthe typical touristy places. There are 52 Michelin restaurants in NYC alone - so fine and expensive dining can easily be had... B&H, Adorama, The Strand Used Book Stores are living legends. macrobiotic dining in THE VILLAGE is an experience.... hell....there are as many experiences as you can imagine. I know nothing, however of the nightlife (not a big fan nightlife person...sorry)

Another vote for the 24 and 85!

I agree with gibbet1, you want the widest you have if only one additional prime, you want the biggest range between them. I like the union square farmers market on friday and sat and there are always street fairs throughout the weekend. High line park and some of the nearby restaurants are good.

b&h is a nice stop if you have never been there. note, b&h and adorama close before sunset on Fri and are not open on Sat. adorama also has rentals with a weekend package. 24-70II or 70-200II for 40 dollars from thurs night to monday morning might convice you too reconsider zooms. they also have a 21 zeiss for a little more.

they got rid of the 1 day pass for MTA (buses and subway), which was a really good deal, though since you will be around for 5 days it will probably be worth it to get the 7 day pass for 29$ normally 2.50 a ride. all of your sites that you listed are pretty accessible via public transportation. you can always taxi, sire a pedicab, or walk

Marloon,

I would suggest the widest you have for the awesome cityscape; your 24L II and either the 50L or the 85L. I prefer the 50L over the 85L for a day out in the city. Its more stealth, a bit quicker to focus and weather sealed (looks like its going to rain for most of the day here on Friday, October 19th)

The city is not as dangerous as some people say it is but be smart about where you walk and hold onto your smartphone tightly if you're going to use it.

Looks like you have your activities planned out quite well. If you've never been to BH Photo, make a trip there, its a toy store for us photographers (don't blame me if you walk out with a 200 f/2L:lol. www.bhphoto.com (A, C, E train to 34th street, or walking distance from the empire state building)

If you're going to be using our mass transit system. Ask for a subway map and use www.hopstop.com to plan your commute.

Restaurants?
Not sure what you like. I recommend Del Frisco's for steak, Lombardi's for pizza, the Burger Joint in Le Parker Meridien hotel for burgers.

If you have some time, check out the world trade center area/financial district. If its not too chilly, have a meal at Southwest NY by the Hudson river with your lady. (www.southwestny.com)

Let me know if you have any questions, happy to help!

gibbit1 wrote in post #15133041
I'd also add a Glock .40 caliber to the list.

Thanks! Might be hard to cross the Canadian Border from Toronto to NYC with that. I could possibly buy that there right? HAHA. JK.

03062k3 wrote in post #15133426
i went to new york last november and found that wider focal lengths were more useful so you probably want your 24L.

Statue of liberty from the staten island ferry is pretty far so if this is important to you then you might want your 85L.

as for places to visit or eat:
- chelsea market is nice, has a great seafood stall in the seafood market and is next to high line park which is pretty neat
- halal chicken and rice from one of the street vendors is absolutely amazing
- korzo haus has some pretty neat european-influenced burgers, mac and cheese and other foods

Thanks for the tips and the wonderful photos! They really help to decide on what lenses to bring. I might go strapless during my walks there but I will definitely be bringing my retro 5 with me.

ceriltheblade wrote in post #15133468
NYC can be fun, and what you want to see is very dependant on your personality. I liked the lower east side delis, the sundaes at "seredipity", the architecture of the banking district, museum row on the upper west side (guggenheim, the Met, MOMA - please notice that each of the museums have/had a day per week where [general] entrance is free), broadway is a phenomena to see, and lots more ofthe typical touristy places. There are 52 Michelin restaurants in NYC alone - so fine and expensive dining can easily be had... B&H, Adorama, The Strand Used Book Stores are living legends. macrobiotic dining in THE VILLAGE is an experience.... hell....there are as many experiences as you can imagine. I know nothing, however of the nightlife (not a big fan nightlife person...sorry)

Thank you sooo much for this! I am definitely visiting all of those places while I am there! There's so many things to do there that I am trying to Jam Pack them all into one day! hahaha

jimewall wrote in post #15133558
Another vote for the 24 and 85!

Thanks for your input.

lilkngster wrote in post #15133590
I agree with gibbet1, you want the widest you have if only one additional prime, you want the biggest range between them. I like the union square farmers market on friday and sat and there are always street fairs throughout the weekend. High line park and some of the nearby restaurants are good.

b&h is a nice stop if you have never been there. note, b&h and adorama close before sunset on Fri and are not open on Sat. adorama also has rentals with a weekend package. 24-70II or 70-200II for 40 dollars from thurs night to monday morning might convice you too reconsider zooms. they also have a 21 zeiss for a little more.

they got rid of the 1 day pass for MTA (buses and subway), which was a really good deal, though since you will be around for 5 days it will probably be worth it to get the 7 day pass for 29$ normally 2.50 a ride. all of your sites that you listed are pretty accessible via public transportation. you can always taxi, sire a pedicab, or walk

Thanks for the great tips! I will definitely be getting a Weekly Pass! I will also be heading down to B&H AND Adorama! I want to get a couple of things... What those are, I just don't know yet. HEHEHEHHE

DL.Photography wrote in post #15133608
Marloon,

I would suggest the widest you have for the awesome cityscape; your 24L II and either the 50L or the 85L. I prefer the 50L over the 85L for a day out in the city. Its more stealth, a bit quicker to focus and weather sealed (looks like its going to rain for most of the day here on Friday, October 19th)

The city is not as dangerous as some people say it is but be smart about where you walk and hold onto your smartphone tightly if you're going to use it.

Looks like you have your activities planned out quite well. If you've never been to BH Photo, make a trip there, its a toy store for us photographers (don't blame me if you walk out with a 200 f/2L:lol. www.bhphoto.com (A, C, E train to 34th street, or walking distance from the empire state building)

If you're going to be using our mass transit system. Ask for a subway map and use www.hopstop.com to plan your commute.

Restaurants?
Not sure what you like. I recommend Del Frisco's for steak, Lombardi's for pizza, the Burger Joint in Le Parker Meridien hotel for burgers.

If you have some time, check out the world trade center area/financial district. If its not too chilly, have a meal at Southwest NY by the Hudson river with your lady. (www.southwestny.com)

Let me know if you have any questions, happy to help!

Thank you so much for this! One of the first stops that I am going to will be B&H and Adorama. LOL. My hotel is actually near the port authority stop and it is a 7 minute walk to B&H - my favorite and most hated store EVER (favorite because its a online toy store and most hated because i keep throwing them my money - Any tips regarding shopping with them?)

I'm thinking of visiting the financial district. what are the things that I should see there!

Also, is there a line up for the staten ferry? I was thinking of bringing a 50, but it'll probably suck on the ferry in terms of taking a photo of the statue of liberty haha. I definitely don't want to bring 3 lenses (24, 50 and 135). That's definitely too much! any more tips would be great!

FOR EVERYONE:

- THANKS FOR ALL OF YOUR TIPS! KEEP THEM COMING!

I HAVE QUESTIONS...

1) Nightclubs - anyone know of any good ones?
2) I really want to visit the financial district! Asides from the Raging Bull, what specific sites should I be visiting...
3) any other specific sites that I should go to? Thanks guys!

Nightclubs? I'm not much of a club person, I much prefer a rooftop lounge; more classy in my opinion. And if you want to get in, wear shoes and a button down shirt at the very minimum (no sneakers or tshirts for guys)
Try 230 Fifth www.230-fifth.com,
Hudson Terrace http://hudsonterraceny​c.com/,
Gansevoort Hotel Rooftop http://www.hotelgansev​oort.com/restaurants-bars-lounges/

I work in the financial district so I don't find it very interesting lol, but if you must. Check out the Raging Bull then go over to Trinity Church on Broadway to get greeted by the Occupy Wall Street protesters (they're back :rolleyes Walk into Wall Street and you'll find the New York Stock Exchange.

I also suggest the World Financial Center/Winter Garden. There's shopping and a lot of great restaurants. I suggest SouthWestNY so you can enjoy a meal outdoors by the water (get the sliders and crab cakes, they're awesome )

BTW, the line for the 911 memorial is really, really long, and I suggest you get there really if you don't want to wait forever.

Other activities? You can check out Chinatown/Little Italy as well for some great food and inexpensive souvenirs. Also, there's ton's of great museums, American Museum of Natural History (by central park), Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

I had a friend visit recently and he was so confused by our transit system. Make sure you plan out your day and figure out what train to take in advance!

BTW, I plan on visiting Vancouver soon so I'll want some advice from you!

I voted for 35L and 85L, but the combo of the 24L and 85L (not a voting option) is just as interesting. And make sure you go to MOMA!

I, too, voted for the 35 and 85. I think the 24 is a bit too wide for street photography, if you'll be doing any. You may also want to consider bringing a tripod, if you aren't already.

As for places to go, B&H and Lombardi's have already been mentioned and I agree.

Other options:
- The Doughnut Plant on the Lower East Side. Just yelp it and you'll understand.
- Brooklyn Promenade. You'll get an awesome view of the Manhattan Skyline.
- Kid Robot in Soho. It's a ridiculous toy store with crazy figurines of bunnies wearing mustaches,etc.
- Evolution Store also in Soho. Fossils, amber, mammoth hair, shark teeth, etc. It can get expensive. Awesome decor, though.
- Williamsburg. Home of the hipster. Maybe nab some vintage clothes while you're there.

EDIT: If you have access to Google Maps, plan your routes through them. A lot more helpful than hopstop since it shows you where you are.

Also, go to the Hayden Planetarium. If you see Neil DeGrasse Tyson, tell him Leo says hi. (Don't. He doesn't know who I am)

In regards to the financial District, there's not very much to see. Lots of tall buildings and lots of people. I will say that you must before sunset. After working hours, it's a ghost town down there. You can go visit the Fed and the Stock exchanges if that's your thing.

Oh guys, I've decided to bring a 5DII + 24L + 50L + 135L. I opted for the 135L instead of bringing a 430EX flash. Thoughts? This will be a very tiring photog trip as I will be changing lenses often. I'm afraid that the 24L will be a little too wide for my taste, but I'll take the limitations as they come.

DL.Photography wrote in post #15136121
Nightclubs? I'm not much of a club person, I much prefer a rooftop lounge; more classy in my opinion. And if you want to get in, wear shoes and a button down shirt at the very minimum (no sneakers or tshirts for guys)
Try 230 Fifth www.230-fifth.com,
Hudson Terrace http://hudsonterraceny​c.com/,
Gansevoort Hotel Rooftop http://www.hotelgansev​oort.com/restaurants-bars-lounges/

I work in the financial district so I don't find it very interesting lol, but if you must. Check out the Raging Bull then go over to Trinity Church on Broadway to get greeted by the Occupy Wall Street protesters (they're back :rolleyes Walk into Wall Street and you'll find the New York Stock Exchange.

I also suggest the World Financial Center/Winter Garden. There's shopping and a lot of great restaurants. I suggest SouthWestNY so you can enjoy a meal outdoors by the water (get the sliders and crab cakes, they're awesome )

BTW, the line for the 911 memorial is really, really long, and I suggest you get there really if you don't want to wait forever.

Other activities? You can check out Chinatown/Little Italy as well for some great food and inexpensive souvenirs. Also, there's ton's of great museums, American Museum of Natural History (by central park), Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

I had a friend visit recently and he was so confused by our transit system. Make sure you plan out your day and figure out what train to take in advance!

BTW, I plan on visiting Vancouver soon so I'll want some advice from you!

Thanks for all of these tips! I am going to nap for maybe 2 hours and then keep planning up until 4 in the morning to make sure my trip is jam packed with boat loads of sights. There are TOO many things to do in NYC! It's driving me nutso! I will be back before the end of March for a 2 week trip, so I'll fill in the gaps of what I missed out on - mostly the museums.

Oh and I forgot to buy an umbrella, I'll have to see if there's on here, if not, I'll grab one there.

Thoughts on my Itinerary so far.

Thursday:
- Arrive at 5.30pm
- Check in hotel by 8.30pm
- Head to 9/11 Memorial Pools
- Head to see the Charging Bull
- Trinity Church
- Head home before midnight

Friday:
- Wake up at 8
- Head to B&H at 9 - look around, buy a graduation gift for myself
- Head to 9/11 Memorial for an 11am reservation for the museum (worth it?)
- Get on the C train to port authority and go over to times square to get on the N train to head to serendipity 3 near 5th Ave
- Head down 5th Ave for some quick shopping (Apple Store, Uniqlo, Zara, H&M, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks - all of that fancy ya-hoo... you know...)
- Head home by 3pm to drop all of the compiled garbage home
- Come back to Midtown by 4pm to go to free friday nights at MOMA
- Have dinner (recommendations for dinner NEAR MOMA?)
- Either go to the top of the rock OR go to time Square - it's raining so yeah...

Saturday:
- Central Park in the AM
- High Line Park in the afternoon
- Chealsea Market OR Little Italy
- Take the Staten Ferry to look at the statue of liberty (use the 135L)
- Go back to SOHO for more shopping
- Head home
- Go out at night for some nightlife

Sunday:
- No CLUE YET.

Monday morning
- NO CLUE YET.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Alterations! I'd love your input!

nightcat wrote in post #15136289
I voted for 35L and 85L, but the combo of the 24L and 85L (not a voting option) is just as interesting. And make sure you go to MOMA!

I am definitely going to MOMA on Friday Night!

Rashkh wrote in post #15136718
I, too, voted for the 35 and 85. I think the 24 is a bit too wide for street photography, if you'll be doing any. You may also want to consider bringing a tripod, if you aren't already.

As for places to go, B&H and Lombardi's have already been mentioned and I agree.

Other options:
- The Doughnut Plant on the Lower East Side. Just yelp it and you'll understand.
- Brooklyn Promenade. You'll get an awesome view of the Manhattan Skyline.
- Kid Robot in Soho. It's a ridiculous toy store with crazy figurines of bunnies wearing mustaches,etc.
- Evolution Store also in Soho. Fossils, amber, mammoth hair, shark teeth, etc. It can get expensive. Awesome decor, though.
- Williamsburg. Home of the hipster. Maybe nab some vintage clothes while you're there.

thanks for these recommendations! I love Kid Robot! LOL. I wanna go to Saturdays NYC too hahaha.

Rashkh wrote in post #15136718
In regards to the financial District, there's not very much to see. Lots of tall buildings and lots of people. I will say that you must before sunset. After working hours, it's a ghost town down there. You can go visit the Fed and the Stock exchanges if that's your thing.

So from what I hear, the financial district is more of a day thing. I gotta alter my schedule. Maybe I will just go see the manhattan skyline on the thursday night.

We start our trip at around 8.30pm on a thursday night
(Recommendations on what to do around that time?)

Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge; top of Empire State Building; boat tour around the island.

We found the City to be much safer, cleaner and friendlier than we expected. We were walking around 5th Ave at 1 in the morning, and felt perfectly safe.

Ideally I'd vote for 24L and 70-200mm f/2.8L IS, but since you are prime only and didn't list your 135L I voted for 24L and 50L. For me 85mm is a weird focal length that I really don't use.

From ALL the lenses you listed I'd make a 5th selection and vote 24L and 135L. Then stop by B&H head quarters and pick up a 40mm pancake for times like this when you want something around the 35mm FL but don't want to risk the cash