NikonGear'23
Gear Talk => Lens Talk => Topic started by: Wally on August 27, 2015, 01:30:09
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I will be travelling to CO for a short 4 days road trip. Luggage will be limited due to air travel.
Hence I am contemplating what lens set to take with me (w/ 800 and Df, small tripod):
1) fast zoom 14-24 / 24-70 / 70-200 plus one TC (which one)
2) slow zoom 16-35 / 58 / 70-200 plus one TC
3) fast primes 16(FE) / 24 / 35 / 58 / 85 / 135 / 200 VRII plus TC
I tend towards 2) with 2 more fast primes. Looking forward to your comments and suggestions.
Thanks!
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16-35, 85, 200.
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If you can make a reasonable guess about what subjects you'll be trying to shoot, you could conceivably narrow that list way down.
I've gone on 4-day car-based photo safaris around the desert Southwest, taking two bodies and six or eight lenses, and ended up shooting with two lenses the whole trip.
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Thanks all. My focus will be mostly nature, landscapes, people, a little bit architecture and animals.
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14-24
24-70
70-200
TC 1.7 at least
Four days is short - you dont want to spend it changing through 6 lenses all the time
I find I always pack too much - and end up economising when I am actually shooting
Travelling with lots of gear adds to your risk or loosing gear
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The 58 on the Df, 70-200 on the D800. A fast 24 in your vest pocket and you probably are well covered.
Leaving the D800 & 70-200 behind and only use the Df is the minimalistic solution.
Bringing too much gear is a common problem.
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The universal guide of what to bring on a photo trip:ee
- Something wide
- Something fast
- Something long
- Something special
And yes lenses can fulfil multiple categories, like you 16mm FE which is something wide and something special at the same time.
When going for the primes (is there really a choice ;) ) don't be afraid to bring only few spaced roughly 2-3 times apart (so 16, 35, 85 and 200), no need to cover every focal length like them zoom boys out there :P
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Well, it really depends of what you have...
14-24, 24-70, 70-200 w or wo TC (from my experience only the TC14 is worth with this lens) is perfect, it's the most versatile, but weight a lot...
I wouldn't go with slower zooms as they tend to need higher ISO, loosing OOF quality.
You also can go with primes, namely the latest f1.8 collection plus the 70-200, with less versatility but lighter...
Whatever you choose think also about the correct bag or vest. For these type of trips, and with such a combo, I lean to vests instead of bags.
Long gone are the years when we did everything with 1~2 lenses 8)
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16(FE) / 24 / 35 / 58 / 85 / 135 / 200 is very tight, a lot of lenses I often do this...
For small kit;
16(FE) / 35 / 58 / 85 / 200
24 / 58 / 85 / 200
24 / 58 / 85 / 135
16(FE) / 58 / 135
35 / 85
24 / 58
35
58
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Thanks for all your inputs. I agree that packing too much is always an issue... But hey, why do I have these wonderful lenses otherwise!
I normally throw a couple a bags (primes / zooms / big teles) in the car and that's it ;D
My utmost goal is quality.
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The universal guide of what to bring on a photo trip:ee
- Something wide
- Something fast
- Something long
- Something special
I like this advice
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one body and a 50mm?
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There is a lot of light out west. The 16-35/4 should be just fine even though it is "slower" than the 14-24 (which is way too big and bulky).
I have the 70-200/4 which is sharp as a tack and lighter than the 2.8 version. I'd prolly add a 50 in between that, and the 70-200. Then add one unusual lens like the 16/3.5 Fish or a 60/2.8 Macro.
You need zooms in that western landscape because "foot zoom" is not always feasible. Things can be very far away or very inaccessible. And you don't want to foot zoom backwards and tumble down the side of a mountain. "-)
You don't really need a wide at all for landscapes. Just use the 70-200 and stitch together between 2-20 shots. Of course you must have the time & talent & desire to do that stitching. I tend to shoot them and then never find the time to get them stitched together!!! But if you do, then your kit is pared down to a 50, a 70-200 and a specialty lens (fish or macro or whatever).
The quality comes from your keen eye, your compositional skills, your good exposure techniques and your photographer's brain. Not from the lenses. Yes? No? Maybe???? :D
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one body and a 50mm?
Ditto.
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I would go with option 2) and don't forget a tripod!
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When I was travelling with film cameras, my kit would almost always consist of a wide prime, a standard and a telephoto, with one of them also being a lens capable of closeups. This agrees perfectly with JA: Something wide, Something fast, Something long, Something special
I'd usually carry some variation of the following:
Wide: AI 20/3.5 or AIS 28/2.8
Std: AIS 55/2.8 micro or AI 50/1.8
Tele: AIS 135/2.8 or E 75-150/3.5
This gave me enough range to cover what I wanted. I like to space the focal lengths well apart - the rule of thumb is a 2x difference - so if I need a wide lens for example, there is only one choice and I don't waste time deciding between two options. At least one lens would be f2.8 which was fast enough (this was hand-held using 100 ISO film). And with the 55 micro or 75-150 (with 3T closup lens) I was able to take good closeups also. It was important to keep the kit simple, compact and lightweight so I rarely carried more than three lenses.
How you get there with your kit is entirely up to you, but you have plenty of options. Some suggestions:
- 16-35 / 58 / 70-200
- 24 / 58 / 70-200
- 24-70 / 58 / 70-200
- 24-70 only!
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I would opt for option 2.
Last (city)trip I took 18-35G, 70-200/4.0, 24G and 58G + 1.4x TC
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Consider a minimal plan - two bodies, each with a lens, and then one extra (small) lens (i.e., three lenses total).
Add a TC if it makes sense.
Minimal kit, maximum use.
Speaking for myself, carrying more gear does not infuse me with more talent.
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Exactly. In the limitations one can excel (food for creativity). For urban travel I prefer a (fast) wide. That will cover most of the subjects and may have an additional social effect ;)
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I like to space the focal lengths well apart - the rule of thumb is a 2x difference - so if I need a wide lens for example, there is only one choice and I don't waste time deciding between two options.
This is something I like, too. Not carrying too much and always knowing which is going to be the right lens for the shot.
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It sorta depends on your mood. Much of my attraction to photography is the challenge. Always looking to capture the exceptional shot. While I accept the concept that the only thing that matters is the final image ... but for my own personal challenges in my photography I will often add a twist ... like a diving competition ... you get more points for difficulty.
If you're up to the challenge, only take some primes, the 24mm, 85mm and 200mm. The primes will make you work harder to get 'the shot', but the extra thinking required will/may result is a more successful image(s).
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... but for my own personal challenges in my photography I will often add a twist ... like a diving competition ... you get more points for difficulty....
Nice one - Thanks for sharing! ;)
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Fascinating read. I shall go for a trip very soon and landscape opportunities will present themselves. No hard trekking will be needed but extremely high altitude ( 4500 m to about 5200 m ) and pretty cold weather will be the main issue. Have been there and earlier used D610, D600, 14-24, 50 1.4 afs g , 20 f2.8 ais for wide filter work, 70 -200 f4.
This year planning : D810 with 70-200 f4, D600 with 14-24 f2.8. Apart from that the 20, 50 and a micro-nikkor f2.8 ais . In the last trip I did macro with a canon 500D diopter fitted with 70-200 but didn't like much. Macro work will be mainly exotic orchids and flowers , no critters there.
Any suggestions ?
regards
:)
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The universal guide of what to bring on a photo trip:ee
- Something wide
- Something fast
- Something long
- Something special
I really like this advice, but to it I would add:
- Something small
For me, this is usually my Voigtlander 40/2. This is as close to a point-and-shoot (size-wise) as my D800 gets.
I did recently get an Industar 50/3.5 for a whopping $28 which is even smaller, but the ergonomics of that lens are terrible, so I would not want to have to use it a lot.
And my Skink Pinhole could cover the small and special categories.
(And I guess you could count an iPhone if you wanted to...)
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Exactly. In the limitations one can excel (food for creativity). For urban travel I prefer a (fast) wide. ...
Right, going on a business trip to a city. Bringing a 24 and 105 (on the D810). Let's see what i can get, challenging (for me) for sure.
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The 24 + 105 was my classic combination for many years. These lenses are so widely separated as to what they do that one is never in doubt what optic to use.
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I'm going out to Yellowstone NP in September and as of right now this is what I'm bringing:
Nikon D500
Nikon 18-140/4.5-5.6 VR
Nikon 300/4E PF
Nikon TC-14E III
Mefoto Tripod
Small, light, versatile. I won't overthink what gear to use.
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The 24 + 105 was my classic combination for many years. These lenses are so widely separated as to what they do that one is never in doubt what optic to use.
I just got the 105 (2.5 ai), so i'm a beginner (on many levels ;D ).