Riviera Maya vacation

Hey guys,
I need your competent advice. We plan to spend a week at a Riviera Maya resort in October. My idea is to rent a couple of lenses in order to fill-in the gaps in my collection (50/1.4, 85/1.8, 18-55 IS - but hopefully I'll rent a wider and nicer-quality lens than the kit lens). Oh, I'm shooting 40D!

1. I'd like to play with some wide angled panoramas so I'm torn between 10-22/3.5-4.5 and Tokina 12-24/4. Also would you recommend renting a ND filter for those long exposures.

2. I'd like to rent a L-quality walk around one so I'm hovering between 24-70/2.8 and 24-105/4? Pls, keep in mind that I'm taking lots of portraits of my toddler. Also, since I'm currently pregnant I'd like to get a couple of decent shots/portraits of myself.
(my 50mm +85mm are great portrait lenses and I love them dearly, but I'm somewhat apprehensive about having to change lenses at the beach in close proximity to a hyperactive toddler. Also I find the L-lenses weather sealing appropriate in these conditions)

3. I've no experience renting lenses so any input of yours would be much appreciated. Is it OK to take a rental abroad if it's insured? What type of insurance I need to keep all my bases covered? Should I go for a local rental instead one of the net-based ones and what are the pluses?

Pls, excuse my awkward English, it's my 3rd language so I tend to be not quite colloquial.
Thank U!
Different suggestions are welcome!

First, have you chosen your resort for the trip? I fnot, I could recommend a great one if you want a quiet, beautiful spot!
As for the camera/lens questions...
1 - I took my 40D and my Canon 10-22 on our trip in March, and it performed wonderfully. The 100-22 is a great choice for UWA.
2 - I would recommend the 24-105 as it is a lighter lens (670grams v 950grams) and has IS. However, if you plan a lot of low light or indoor shots you might want the 2.8 on the 24-70.
3 - Can't help you there - sorry!

We were in the area in April (Playa del Carmen but it's all very close in same vicinity).

I took only 17-50 and it was more than enough for the trip. Honestly I don't see a reason to go wider, unless you do Mayan ruins (if you're pregnant this may be too much for you). So if you have a single general purpose zoom, that should suffice. If all you have is 50 and 85, I'd take 50. When you're on the beach, there's plenty of space to back into if you want to take a nice landscape shot.

I wouldn't rent a lens, if it gets stolen you'd be SOL. Not that theft is widespread there but it does happen. It also seems to be very resort specific.

I would also try and change lenses as little as possible while on the beach. Just as a precaution. A single sand particle inside a camera can do lots of damage.

Have fun on your trip !

The Riveria Maya area is beautiful, I was there a few years back. The ruins at Tulum (?spelling) are incredible and not far away.

1. I've rented the 10-22 and ended up buying the Tokina 12-24. Both are great lenses, but the price, build quality and constant aperture are what swayed me to the Tokina. And for me, I've never had an issue with the wide end only being 12mm.

2. I'd recommend the 24-105 for the longer focal length and IS. Not too mention it's noticeably lighter.

3. I've rented multiple times from lensrentals.com. They have great service. IF you are planning on taking it out of the country, just give them a call/email and check to see if its ok and if the insurance would cover theft.

The wide angle, 24-105 and 50mm will have you covered, and I would imagine the 24-105 will be on the camera most of the time.

Filters, I'd go with a Circular Polarizer, it will really bring out the blue sky and help with reflections in the water. A 77mm would fit the all zooms you mentioned.

I have a friend with a house in Akumal that I visit at least twice a year, so I'm reasonably familiar with the area. It's one of my favorite places in the world.

I usually travel with a Tamron 17-50 or sometimes a 24-105 on my 40D. The 17-50 gets the most use. A canon 17-55 would also be a good choice. I rarely find myself using the 10-22 but it can be great for ruins or the water parks.

Now that I have a 15-85 I'd probably just take that and a 30 or 50mm prime for low light and night shots.

Forget the 24-70. You'll get tired of carrying it around. Try to keep your kit light and easy to carry.

Take a circular polarizer filter and have fun.

Your advice is much appreciated! Thank you!

I would object with the 24-105L recommendation.
I've been to Riviera Maya and I think you need fast lenses for the night time.. I think f/4 would be too slow in many cases.. day time is fine, but night time I would miss f/2.8
When I was there, I enjoyed taking pictures in the daytime, but night-time was also great... the problem was the lighting and flash made the pics too P&S like (hard to bounce flash off walls when you're outside in the open)... I would recommend even fast prime if you can like a 24L or a Sigma 30mm f/1.4
I guess it all depends on how much you're willing to spend and carry.

Don't forget a decent light weight tripod. All your lens will benefit from it.

Not sure what your weight tolerence is. I would hate to walk around with 24-70 + 40D in Cancun.

Some possible combos:
1) 50 f/1.4 + Sigma 17-50 f/2.8 IS + Canon 70-200 F4/IS + tripod
2) 85 f/1.8 + Canon 24-105L + Canon 10-22 + tripod

Square shape GND filter is much more useful than ND filter. I would definitely suggest one. Polarizer might come in handy for the mid-day shot at pyramid.

Should be a fun trip.
If at all possible, consider taking a back-up camera body just in case.
I was down there in February with my 40D.
It was quite humid. Shortly after swapping lenses while visiting
a Mayan ruin, the 40D died. (error 99)
I'm not sure if it was the humidity or not, but when I got home I sent
the 40D to Canon for repair, and they replaced the shutter assembly.
It did not have a particularly high exposure count prior to failure, so
I'm suspicious that swapping lenses in a humid environment may have been a bad idea.
Fortunately, I had a back up point-and-shoot (Panasonic Lumix TZ-5).

Anyway, its a good idea to have a "Plan B"!

Have a great time!!

Keltab wrote in post #10674722
First, have you chosen your resort for the trip? I fnot, I could recommend a great one if you want a quiet, beautiful spot!
As for the camera/lens questions...
1 - I took my 40D and my Canon 10-22 on our trip in March, and it performed wonderfully. The 100-22 is a great choice for UWA.
2 - I would recommend the 24-105 as it is a lighter lens (670grams v 950grams) and has IS. However, if you plan a lot of low light or indoor shots you might want the 2.8 on the 24-70.
3 - Can't help you there - sorry!

What is the place you are recommending?

Hacienda Tres Rios - it is in the middle of 300+ acres of nature preserve.
more than a dozen cenotes (natural springs), great food, and very peaceful. It is about an hour south of Cozumel. Easily in reach of several Mayan ruins areas also. Plus, probably the best feature for the resort itself - the staff are amazingly friendly, go out of their way to make sure your happy, and they all smile!
My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
If you want more info, just PM me.