Disneyland Camera Advice

I'm going with the family (wife and 2 boys) to Disneyland for 2 days. I live in San Diego so it's only an hour drive and will go back again in December (per the wifey). So, I'm tempted to not even bring my body and rely my iPhone but my gut is telling me to bring a body and one lens.

So, I'm debating about bringing the 5d + 50mm 1.8 as it's light, low light capable, and have to think a little before shooting. The other option is the 5d + 24-70mm which gives me great flexibility and is my workhorse lens albeit a little heavier. What are your thoughts?

I say the 24-70. I don't think the 50 is wide enough at Disneyland, even on FF. The things you tend to shoot at Disneyland tend to be closer to you, so I think the 24-70 would be more useful.

Take the 5D and get the 40mm stm. It's cheap, lightweight, and sharp on FF. f2.8 should be enough in low light.

Shortly before my 30th birthday, I and a group of co-workers I was with on a project in LA decided we had to see Disneyland. For the day, I was toting an all-metal Canon EF camera with FD 35-70 f2.8-3.5 on it and perhaps 8 rolls of film. By the time we packed it in about 6PM, my shoulder was killing me, but other than that, I was in good shape. At 66, I wouldn't THINK of taking my 5D3 and anything other than a prime, perhaps 35, 40 or a 50. That's about it. As I've seen it before and can always dig out my slides from 1977, I'd travel light. I might even go with just my new 'bang around' G15. Even in full auto, the JPG results are great!

Your 24-70. I love my prime lenses but the difficulty with using a prime in Disneyland is you can't always move to where you want to take the shot from. The zoom gives that added flexibility. I took my 24-105mm f/4 and it covered what I needed just fine.

Definitely take the 24-70 over the 50. At Disneyland, I often found myself using 16mm over 24mm but that's mainly because I had it available. I'd make 24mm work for me now, looking back at it all my portraits are super distorted HAH!

Do your pictures mean anything to you? Bring your body with a carry around lens of some sort.

I think I would take the 24-70 despite it being heavier. Zooming with your feet might not be an option as the place tends to get crowded.

Anyone that decides to shoot with an iPhone should be banned from the forums

Zoom. You could stick the prime in the car and swap when it gets darker, or just in a pocket

Staszek wrote in post #16885263
Definitely take the 24-70 over the 50. At Disneyland, I often found myself using 16mm over 24mm but that's mainly because I had it available. I'd make 24mm work for me now, looking back at it all my portraits are super distorted HAH!

^^This, for the added versatility. And forget the 40mm f2.8 over the existing 50mm f1.8, I just don't see benefit over the zoom.

agreed on the zoom; you're going to need it. I used to take my backpack with some homemade trailmix, water bottles, camera, fast prime, and zoom

Of course everyone will have a different opinion. I have been to disney many times over the years. I use to bring everything. Last year I bought, and brought only my canon g1x to disney, then Vegas trip, and have wonderful pictures. In February, I only brought my sony rx100, slide into my cargo shorts, and again have great pictures. If your going on rides, etc, it is a pain with gear.
My first suggestion is go pick up a canon g15, S110, or something similar, all reasonably priced, better but more expensive would be a canon g1x, or sony rx100, If bringing your existing gear, I would bring just the 24-70....looking at my pictures, they were all under 50mm..

My last trip in February, I noticed probably 70% using there phones, 25% advanced point shoot(g series type stuff or similar), and 5% walking around around with dslr's...just my observation.

Going to disney with my family is a 12 hr day. Do you want to carry a backpack full of gear, or a dslr around you neck for 12hrs? Some do, I have, but not anymore.

effstop wrote in post #16885049
I'm going with the family (wife and 2 boys) to Disneyland for 2 days. I live in San Diego so it's only an hour drive and will go back again in December (per the wifey). So, I'm tempted to not even bring my body and rely my iPhone but my gut is telling me to bring a body and one lens.

If you want to make a few nice photos and still have a good family experience, buy or rent a decent point-n-shoot (NOT an iPhone - it has a fixed focal length) for the trip.

Make the experience fun for the whole family.

Now, if the whole family is "into photography" in a way that makes the purpose of the trip actually for the photography then it makes sense to haul bigger better camera equipment and a good tripod.

Gregg.Siam wrote in post #16885310
Do your pictures mean anything to you? Bring your body with a carry around lens of some sort.

I think I would take the 24-70 despite it being heavier. Zooming with your feet might not be an option as the place tends to get crowded.

Anyone that decides to shoot with an iPhone should be banned from the forums

Amen!

mark2009 wrote in post #16885469
Of course everyone will have a different opinion. I have been to disney many times over the years. I use to bring everything. Last year I bought, and brought only my canon g1x to disney, then Vegas trip, and have wonderful pictures. In February, I only brought my sony rx100, slide into my cargo shorts, and again have great pictures. If your going on rides, etc, it is a pain with gear.
My first suggestion is go pick up a canon g15, S110, or something similar, all reasonably priced, If bringing your existing gear, I would bring just the 24-70....looking at my pictures, they were all under 50mm..

My last trip in February, I noticed probably 70% using there phones, 25% advanced point shoot(g series type stuff or similar), and 5% walking around around with dslr's...just my observation.

^^^^THIS^^^^

I've been a couple of times with the kids. As crowded as it can get, and if you want to get on rides with your kids (as opposed to being their dedicated photographer) this would work way better than lugging around a dslr all day.

I'll play devil's advocate. Bring the 50mm.

Yes it's a fixed focal length lens. Yes, you'll have to think a bit more. This is a vacation. If you were shooting "The Architecture and Fantasy of Disneyland", the 50mm probably wouldn't work. It's a vacation though.

You want pictures of your kids and your wife, and she'll want pictures of your kids and you. You'll also want pictures of your kids with the characters. 50mm will work fine. For shots of the Disneyland property, you should have little trouble composing pictures with the 50mm, though you might have to work a bit with the Castle.

The 50mm will get you an extra 1.5 stops over The Brick, though there are certainly limitations going down to f/1.8. No matter, you get some extra light. You might even bring a flash with a diffuser (Sto-Fen or similar) for night portrait shooting with your kids and characters. What you lose in flexibility with a zoom you can make up in nice bokeh by going wide on aperture with the 50.

Whatever you take for a lens, have fun! It's a family vacation.