Going to Las Vegas - Thoughts Needed

Hi guys,

My wife and I are going to Vegas this weekend for a few days. We'll be in Vegas for about four days, with one day day-trip to Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon.

I will be taking along my dRebel XT and plenty of media, batteries, and my good luck POTN strap. I do need some thoughts on which lenses to take. I want to keep my outfit light and not carry around too much, since I figure we'll be walking a lot.

I have the following lenses:

50 f/1.8 = take for capturing low light indoor shots

28-105 USM f/3.5-4.6 = take, leave?

17-40L f/4.0 = definitely take for Grand Canyon

70-200 L f/4.0 = take, leave?

Also, for those of you who've been there, what are some interesting places to visit in Vegas and the Grand Canyon area that would be good for photography? I know all of Vegas is an extravaganza for photography, but anything in particular that is worth not missing?

Thanks,

Pradeep

The 70-200 is too nice to leave at home. Ditch the 28-105.

a tripod and your widest angle lens for vegas.

I took my 10-22 one year and left my tripod at home... that was a mistake.

I put money on it that your 17-40 isnt going to leave your camera.

Long won't do you very much in Vegas. The 17-40 with the 50 in your pocket would do fine on The Strip. I used my 17-85 there and it worked great. The IS worked wonders for night shots. I hardly ever zoomed to the full extent of the lens.

Hmmm...thanks for the thoughts. I agree with StealthLude that I'll probably use the 17-40 the most. But I hate lugging that 70-200 around. I'll have my pedco mini-tripod with me.

Also, are you allowed to carry camera gear into casinos? It'll be in a backpack and all.

Stick with the 17-40 and you can't go wrong. If you get a chance go to Red Rock Canyon http://www.redrockcany​onlv.org/ which is just a few miles from Vegas. Have fun.

Take ALL the lenses, leave the wife.

Take a look into the Valley of Fire and Red Rocks areas. They are both close to Las Vegas and landscapes worth capturing if they are your taste.

joegolf68 wrote in post #2359737
Take ALL the lenses, leave the wife.

Nah, take ALL the lenses, have the wife carry them.

Go try to get some shots at the Bellagio's Fountain Show......it's tricky to photograph but very worth the effort to me. You can then go across the street and take some nice night shots of the Paris Hotel and the Nevada version of the Eiffel Tower.

I would take the 17-40 & 50 f/1.8 for sure and would probably take the 70-200 just in case, even if I only used it for a few shots. I generally stay in Paris when in Vegas and highly recommend their breakfast buffet....you wont regret it!

More on a serious note, gotta take 17-40 & 50 f/1.8. I really doubt you need any telephoto, I'm sure the wife would fron on you zooming in on the pool area any way. Also, those two would be plenty heavy enough w/o the big one.

Talking about Vegas....has anyone ever checked out those famous pawn shops? Are there any good deal to be found there? Them L lens sure buys you a few of chips.

Well I haven't been to Vegas, but as a travel photographer, I'd strongly suggest that you get some twilight photographs - the deep blue sky with the city lights of the buildings make for wonderful cityscapes!

nevilleb

Same as others -take the 17-40 and 50/1.8. Ditch the 70-200. Get a tripod for sure.

They wont allow you to click inside the casinos - but no issues walking around with a camera. Evening shots in Vegas are awesome.