What lens to take to Yosemite National Park in California?

I'm planning a trip to Yosemite National Park in California, and wanted to find out what would be the best equipment to rent?

I only have 70-200 f/4 & Tamron 28-75 f/2.5 available, and was wondering if there's anything else I would need? (i.e. wide-angle)?

Just looking for any suggestions.

I haven't had much use for a wide angle in Yosemite, but of course that's very much personal preference. I think you'll end up using the 70-200 more than anything. 28mm is plenty wide.

My sigma 10-20 has brought back some nice stuff from Yosemite. If you could...I would add it.

i would bring as wide as you have. i took my 70-200 to Yosemite but didn't use it much. most of the shots i was after were wide and i stunk those up something awful. if you're after animals or shots down into the valleys then maybe the 70-200 will have some value but i may as well have left mine home. keep in mind i just hit the tourist spots, the falls, half dome, glacier point, tunnel view, spots like that. things might be different outside the village.

+1 for the wide angle. If you want to splirge get the EF 17 TS (http://www.lensrentals​.com …-ts-e-17mm-f4-l/for-canon) for a couple of days. The only downside is you may never want to return it. You will get amazing results. With the speedy 7D you can even do handheld HDR without any problem.

Mark

yeah...i'd get something wider...even if it's just the 18-55mm IS...

Bring the two lenses you have, both will be usefull but also rent a 10-22. Sometimes you just need to get wide and zooming with you feet just isn't going to work.

I actually returned my Canon 50mm f/1.4 to fund the 17-40 f/4L, so I'd have wide during my coming trip to Yosemite later this month.

I was thinking I'd just keep the 50mm and do stitch panos everywhere, and use my 70-200mm f/4 for those longer range shots.

But ah... I wanted greater flexibility on the wider end, hence the exchange!

I think an ultra wide angle would be great for Yosemite!

Quite honestly, I have no use for an ultra-wide lens. If I want to do a really wide shot, I will usually do it with several shots stitched together because I don't need the wasted image height that often results from using an ultra-wide lens for a single shot.

There are places at Yosemite where I really wanted longer lenses than I had. From up on top of Glacier Point, for example, you will want to have some long focal lengths to frame stuff on the valley floor and across to the other side of the valley.

SkipD wrote in post #9905826
Quite honestly, I have no use for an ultra-wide lens. If I want to do a really wide shot, I will usually do it with several shots stitched together because I don't need the wasted image height that often results from using an ultra-wide lens for a single shot.

There are places at Yosemite where I really wanted longer lenses than I had. From up on top of Glacier Point, for example, you will want to have some long focal lengths to frame stuff on the valley floor and across to the other side of the valley.

i understand some don't want really wide...but is 28mm on a crop even any wide?

the reason i'd probably go for an ultra wide in this case is that it'll pair nicely with what the o.p. already has...and if you don't want really wide, get something like the sigma 10-20, or tamron 10-24mm...you can always zoom it to 17mm

DreDaze wrote in post #9906393
i understand some don't want really wide...but is 28mm on a crop even any wide?

the reason i'd probably go for an ultra wide in this case is that it'll pair nicely with what the o.p. already has...and if you don't want really wide, get something like the sigma 10-20, or tamron 10-24mm...you can always zoom it to 17mm

No, 28mm is not really a wide-angle focal length on an APS-C format camera. However, a standard zoom lens that starts at 16mm to 18mm would be sufficient for me on that format. My shortest lens for my 20D is the Canon 16-35.

I just came back from Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks.

I brought my 16-35, 50, 85, and 70-200 w/1.4 and 2x TCs. My 16-35 never left my 5d2 after the first day....my 50 and 85 stayed in the hotel room...and I rarely shot with the 7-2....possibly 5% of my shots.

Granted, I wasn't shooting birds or wildlife. YMMV. Lots of fun hikes to do in Yosemite. The lighter your gear, the better. I left my 7d and the other lenses back and had a ton of fun with the 16-35/FF combo.

Jer

My dedicated travel kit is full of stuff I don't even own. When I was at Yellowstone and Banff on my most recent vacations (two separate ones) I took a 24L, 100 macro and rented a 100-400.

When I go to Peru in August, I'm going to take a 24L, 100 macro and rent a 100-400...

I don't know what I'll take to the virgin islands, Antigua and Barbados this winter...but probably a 24L, 100 macro and 100-400.

In Yosemite I take my 24-105 and 100-400 on my 40D...my 10-22 gets VERY sparse use there