Travel/Gear advice needed...

Ok - here is the deal...me and Jackie are leaving for Mexico on Friday. Mainly to have a 'honeymoon-redeux' as our initial honeymoon was way to short in 2005. We are planning a trip to Tulum to see the Mayan ruins and maybe a couple other things locally. Right now, I have packed my 40D, 24-105, 12-24, and my 70-200F2.8L...my question is:

Do you think that I will really need/use the 70-200? All together my backpack is already heavy enough and I just do not want to lug more crap around if I will not end up using it. What do you guys think? I'm only taking my Kata H14 holster and shove it in my backpack, not my crumpler. The 70-200 is in it's own padded case for travel in the backpack.

Keep in mind that the majority of the time, I will not use the gear...as I be laying passed out on the beach/pool...

I think I will mainly use the Toki or the 24-105. On my last trip to Germany I only took the toki and the 24-105 as well..

Any feedback is appreciated...Thanks, Ollie

Did you find you missed a longer focal length on your last trip? If you're not going for the photos you will likely not miss the extra length as much as you will dislke the added weight...

What do you use it for now? If you use it mainly for sports, then no. If you use it for landscape shots, even occasionally, then the answer is yes.

At times I wished I had the extra focal length back in Germany. I ended up with 600+ pix during that trip. I have not been to Tulum so I do not know what to expect. As it is mostly architecture, I think the wide angle would be the best choice. I was just wondering what people recommend from their past experience on trips they took. Decisions....hmmmmm

blueM wrote in post #5559549
What do you use it for now? If you use it mainly for sports, then no. If you use it for landscape shots, even occasionally, then the answer is yes.

Mainly motorsports and car shoots. Occasionally for some nature shots...

Jim G wrote in post #5559505
Did you find you missed a longer focal length on your last trip? If you're not going for the photos you will likely not miss the extra length as much as you will dislke the added weight...

Maybe Jackie might want the extra length on their 'honeymoon-redeux' ..

^^ HA! I will make sure to ask her...

1. You will love it there.

2. When I went to Tulum I had a Canon A95 and found that I wasn't wanting any more length... wish it could have gone wider. So I'd leave the 70-200mm at home...

Leave the tele zoom at home, find yourself a 17-something or an 18-something so you have a wide angle lens...24mm on APS-C is scarcely wider than 'normal' lens for the format!

Your lens selection depends on your specific needs.

I don't like hauling my 70-200f2.8L around the world due to size and weight, however due to the versatility of the lens it always comes with me. When I was to 'go light' I pack a 1Ds and 1D kit, or a 5D + 20D kit, and a 16-35f2.8 and 70-200f2.8. I find I can shoot nearly anything with this combo.

I do at times travel with only primes (14f2.8, 24f1.4, 50f.14 and either the 85f1.8 or 85f1.2), but typically throw in the 70-200f2.8 as well for the 200mm reach. The way around this is the 135f2 w/1.4x, which gets me a 189f2.8, but again, then you have to buy another lens.

I shoot wide, very wide, for the majority of my work, but there are a number of images that can only be created by a longer lens.

Leave the 70-200 at home. I've been to the Copan ruins in Honduras - wide is more useful.

Awesome! Thanks for all the feedback guys! much much appreciated!

Ollie