Lens/gear choice for trip to Germany

Take a 15-85 and be done with it

Few other options not yet mentioned:
* Rent a lens for the trip... or buy one from the forum and sell it back when you return (better yet, borrow from a friend)
* Invest in a good & comfortable backpack with easy access to equipment and a cover for rain

Also, don't forget an outlet converter to charge your batteries

justinbeisner wrote in post #16642487
So I've been given the opportunity in May to have a expense free trip to Bremen, Germany. As a high school student it's very exciting and I want to make the most of my trip and not regret lacking the necessary gear. Right now this is what I plan on taking with me:

- Gripped 60D
- Rokinon 14mm 2.8
- Tamron 17-50mm 2.8
- 85mm 1.8
- Tripod
- Possibly a slider and small steady cam for some video.

I'd leave behind the grip and the tripod. I'm originally from Europe, and as others have said, there's lots of stuff for which a longer telephoto might be useful. It's not worth buying one for a two-week trip, but if you can borrow one, you'd certainly find a use for it. If you do that, I'd suggest leaving the 85 at home and taking the telephoto instead.

When travelling, lighter is definitely better.

ceegee wrote in post #16666311
...there's lots of stuff for which a longer telephoto might be useful. It's not worth buying one for a two-week trip, but if you can borrow one, you'd certainly find a use for it. If you do that, I'd suggest leaving the 85 at home and taking the telephoto instead.

So what is is that makes a telephoto better than a normal zoom in Europe? I asked this question many times in a few European threads, including this, but never got a response.

A wide lens is needed to frame big buildings with not much room to back up, on narrow streets of old European cities. I took a long telephoto a couple of times with me, but not any more, it is more of a hassle than use.

Only times I could think if is taking photos of distance buildings or photos from a small boat or across a canal.
So that you don't have to use a 50mm end of the zoom and crop heavily.
I don't shoot longer than 100mm even on FF, I like to be close to the scene, action.

I guess if you're into detail of architecture it can be useful, or for some street photography from far away. Or pulling a castle closer etc. I go at least once a year to Germany and stopped bringing my long lens. Shorter trips I sometimes just take a P&S.

Kind of depends too, will this be more a travel around, see and meet kind of trip, or a 'photo' trip where you go out every day to take pictures. Personally I decided if I want a really nice photo of some castle I buy a postcard or book, as I probably won't be there at the perfect day/time anyway and rather move on than wait for a cloud to pass etc.

A backpack with ample room for other things is also important to me, be it a rain jacket or room for what ever I might buy that day. Mostly I find I just take a shoulder bag and my camera with one lens, but it really depends what one wants to do. When we went to Paris last year I brought my 5D3 and 3 lenses, mostly used the 24-70, rarely the borrowed wider zoom, and never the long one. Mostly I actually just used my G12, walking around a whole day with all the gear gets tiresome, some museums don't let you in with big bags, and the army of pickpockets was also not great. But I didn't go on a 'photo trip', so it wasn't that important to me. Sometimes I just had my iphone on me. Personally taking photos actively all day prevents me from soaking in the atmosphere and life. And that's what I was there for

Why not take your gear to your local town and play pretend Germany? Take just one lens and walk around (or visit some other close town) and see if you miss a wider or longer reach at all.

I live in the US, but I also have an apartment in Stuttgart and spend about 1/3 of my time there this year. I used to bring my 70-200 along but stopped.

I like with alternating enthusiasm either my 24-105L or my 16-35L (this is on FF). If I had to pick one, it would be the 24-105.

I do also bring a tripod. It's useful, partly because when I am there I am alone. My family loves it whenever I send them a shot of something with me in the picture.

Long lenses and fast primes are nice to have at home but just generally not worth the space when travelling. If you do elect to skip on a tripod, I recommend a lens with IS.