lens suggestions

hey guys -

this summer my family is going to france and italy and i want to take tons of photos while im there but don't want to lug tons of lenses with me. does anybody have any suggestions?? i was thinking about the new 18?-200 lens or maybe even saving up for an L lens.

If you have the time and money, you might as well save for an L lens. You know you're going to be getting quality and clarity from them. Do you know what you're going to be shooting once you're there or are you just going to be taking any photo you can?

well as of now i don't know what i'm going take pics of but for the most part just the scenery and some attempts at some nice photos, i have a g9 to document those spur of the moment funny pics from the car. this lens is more or less for takin the shots that will show the beauty of europe.

go with two lens then 17-55 2.8 and a 70-200 2.8L IS or non

a good UWA and a b+w MRC circ polarizer then for landscapes ?

Circular polarizer is a must for the summer, assuming it is going to be a sunny holiday

Would suggest a wide angle lens as well a zoom lens, just incase you need one, also a telephoto one, but not those huge ones that people tend to go around posing with

We are going to need some kind of a budget to be really helpful. I've seen a $2600 two lens kit suggested in this thread already.

Assuming this is for a 1.6X body I suggest that the range above 100mm or so is likely to be the least critical. When I travel I seldom need anything beyond medium telephoto range. I'm going to give you a list of suggestions, I'l try to place them in order from cheapest to most expensive. Typically the cheapest ones are also going to be appealingly small and light for travel. I'm not recommending anything really onerous for travel like the 70-200/2.8 which (IMO) is too much for anything other than a photography dedicated trip.

There are a couple ways to go, depending on whether you like an ultra wide angle or not.

To start, if 17/18mm is wide enough for you then you might be fine with lenses like the Canon EF-S 18-55 IS, EF-S 17-85 IS, Sigma 17-70, Tamron 17-50 and Canon EF-S 17-55 IS (listed in order of increasing cost). The real budget and lightweight kit would have you take just one of the above lenses and nothing else.

If you really think you might want a telephoto then pair these with the Canon EF-S 55-250 IS, EF 70-300 IS or the 70-200/4 IS (in order of increasing cost).

The other path emphasizes wide over long, and gives maximum coverage in the range you are likely to want. The downside of this two lens kit approach is that it will have you changing lenses all the time as the break point between the lenses is in the heart of the wide range. Anyway, pair a Sigma 10-20 or Canon EF-S 10-22 with either the Canon 28-105 1:3.5-4.5, Canon 28-135IS or the Canon 24-105L IS.

Well, if you are just starting and have a Xsi, for instance, you get easily get something like the 28-105 if you are on a budget. Save $1000 and get the 17-55 for indoors, and maybe something longer for zoom, if you need it.

thanks for all the info

as of now i just have a nifty fifty and the tokina 11-16mm i'm lookin for a a lens with a fair amount of telefoto. as far as price range goes, i'm thinking no more than 1600ish. i've already got a cpl for my wideangle so i'd like to get a lens that is also 77mm so i can just swap out the filter.

and as long as i'm here...any suggestions for a good light weight tripods? there are just so many brands out there and i just want to hear what people have to say about them. price range...no more than 400 for the whole kit.

I went to Italy last year and took only a Sigma 15-30 and an 85 f/1.8 and never regretted it.

I have an 18-200 and for situations where you don't know what you'll be shooting, it's a pretty good choice. I have found that it's both wide enough and long enough for many tourist attractions. Just put it on and enjoy the trip without worrying about equipment. Special lenses are for special occasions IMHO.

corinmcblide wrote in post #6978152
thanks for all the info

as of now i just have a nifty fifty and the tokina 11-16mm i'm lookin for a a lens with a fair amount of telefoto. as far as price range goes, i'm thinking no more than 1600ish. i've already got a cpl for my wideangle so i'd like to get a lens that is also 77mm so i can just swap out the filter.

and as long as i'm here...any suggestions for a good light weight tripods? there are just so many brands out there and i just want to hear what people have to say about them. price range...no more than 400 for the whole kit.

Manfrotto 190XBpro is a pretty good tripod.. I'd say it's "medium" in weight. When you get into carbon fibre or whatever lightweight materials then the price goes up. I got my 190xBpro with head for $230.

As far as lenses... do you want to buy new or used? With $1600 you could buy a used 17-55 f/2.8 IS and a nice 70-200L (maybe the f/4L IS?) telephoto and have a really nice kit.

If you are willing to use your UWA lens paired up with a 24-105 f/4L IS, that would be a very nice walk-around lens with some telephoto capability and of course, "L" sharpness and IQ.

For $220 on amazon you can get the Sigma 24-60 f/2.8 which is a great lens, it's not all that wide though but you said you have an UWA (if you are willing to swap).


There are lots of possiblilities. But for travelling you might enjoy a "superzoom" lens such as the 18-200. Carrying a heavy bag around all the time might not be so nice. Another possiblity is the 17-85 IS, which has USM but not as good IS. It's really not a bad lens but since people like to compare it to lenses such as the 17-55 it's got a bad stigma to it. You can therefore find them for pretty cheap these days.