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06/28/2011 07:41:03 PM · #1 |
Hey Guys,
I will be traveling to Europe later this year and looking to buy a cheapish (400 or under, new or used) lens for all around pictures while on the trip. I was thinking of a fixed focal length like a 50mm or 35mm. I need something on the smaller side and lightweight. My biggest component I look for is really sharp pictures.
I have a Nikon D700
Thanks for your tips in advance. |
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06/28/2011 10:55:18 PM · #2 |
| I enjoy using primes, and they're great for some applications, but I wouldn't suggest them readily for travel beyond the fact that they are small. Travel means lots of different scenes and locations, which requires flexibility, which is not what a prime excels at. What sort of shooting do you tend to do, and what sorts of places are you looking to shoot in? A small kit for travel always means compromises, so it's important to see what you're willing to compromise. |
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06/28/2011 11:02:25 PM · #3 |
| When I went to Germany, I only took my 28-75 Tamron (I don't have a lot of lenses). Someone over there, who I was working with, let me borrow their Tamron AF 18-270mm F/3,5-6,3 Di II VC LD Aspherical [IF] . It was an excellent lens for the job. |
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06/28/2011 11:50:27 PM · #4 |
I have this lens but it's for crop sensors. I currently own the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f3.5-5.6G ED VR, and just love it. It's a bit hefty, but comparable to the Tamron, and for a zoom, it's pretty sharp. It tends to vignette a bit at the extreme ends, but distortion on the wide end is minor, and can be fixed, if you don't like the look. I just returned from a trip with it, and although I didn't take it out nearly as much as I thought I would, I have traveled with it in the past and it's incredibly versatile. |
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06/29/2011 07:23:14 AM · #5 |
Originally posted by corywiley:
Hey Guys,
I will be traveling to Europe later this year and looking to buy a cheapish (400 or under, new or used) lens for all around pictures while on the trip. I was thinking of a fixed focal length like a 50mm or 35mm. I need something on the smaller side and lightweight. My biggest component I look for is really sharp pictures.
I have a Nikon D700
Thanks for your tips in advance. |
Work with what you have and spend the new lens money on your holiday, the 24-85mm you have will be fine :-)
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06/29/2011 10:17:44 AM · #6 |
Originally posted by Sevlow:
Originally posted by corywiley:
Hey Guys,
I will be traveling to Europe later this year and looking to buy a cheapish (400 or under, new or used) lens for all around pictures while on the trip. I was thinking of a fixed focal length like a 50mm or 35mm. I need something on the smaller side and lightweight. My biggest component I look for is really sharp pictures.
I have a Nikon D700
Thanks for your tips in advance. |
Work with what you have and spend the new lens money on your holiday, the 24-85mm you have will be fine :-) |
What he says.
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06/29/2011 10:49:19 AM · #7 |
I would check into renting a prime or zoom wider than your 28. If you plan to arrive and depart from the same city, you might find a rental service on line before you go, and reserve it for when you are there. Streets are very narrow in many places and a very wide would allow you to shoot building fronts and interiors in close quarters.
There is a good reason to think about possibly buying a 50, f1.4 or 1.8 for low light, like when you are riding in a train or bus, so you can shoot the scenery in morning or evening light at higher shutter speeds. It's good for low light evening and morning street scenes in town as well. 50 on a full frame will give you an angle of view that is about right for shooting scenery that's fairly close, and still keep details at the horizon large enough to be of value in images. I lost my 18-70 over a waterfall the second day on a trip to Montana, and found that my old manual 35 f2 seemed to be the handiest for riding and shooting with an APC sensor camera, so 50 would be about the same angle of view on the full frame.
A good little P&S cam is a great thing to have for backup, and for shooting without making the subjects edgy if you like to shoot people pix. They do macro very nicely too, without having a lot of extra gear along.
I would shoot a click of my address, email and phone # first on each memory card, so that if you lose your camera you will at least have a chance that it will be returned.
Have fun, stay safe, and let the photos happen. Don't worry about the shooting too much. The photos will be great, whatever you are using.
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06/29/2011 11:06:30 AM · #8 |
I've traveled to Europe many times on business and the first trips, I took my DSLR and a selection of lenses. For later trips, I took my Canon G7 and found that it was much better suited to the task.
I'd suggest you consider putting that $400 into a camera that you can carry with ease and is less obtrusive than a DSLR.
Message edited by author 2011-06-29 11:14:01. |
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06/29/2011 03:05:51 PM · #9 |
I would agree with Mike and Dan. What you have will work. If anything go smaller.
Unless you are going on a dedicated photo safari with other shooters, or by yourself, hauling a bag full of equipment gets heavy, and stopping to compose a shot, change lenses, ect. wears on your companions, and on the shoulders. The upper end P&S cameras are pretty amazing, a lot of gear that fits in a shirt pocket.
Message edited by author 2011-06-29 15:06:14. |
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06/29/2011 05:13:42 PM · #10 |
I was lucky enough in recent years to go to the UK on business, and to get a couple of weekends out of those trips. I spent most of the free time walking around London with my camera(s), with a couple day trips to Brighton.
The first trip I took only my Canon G9, as I was not supposed to get a weekend there at all--trip got extended and I found myself in London with only that. It was July, so long days and longish twilight (lucked out on the weather). While I wished I had brought my dslr, the G9 did a reasonable job. I have since upgraded to a G10, which would have performed slightly better. The Canon G12 should be far better, with better low-light performance. The G9/G10 are just not good in low light at all.
The second trip, in September of the same year, allowed me to plan a bit more, add some vacation days, etc. So I took my g9 and my D80, with the 18-200mm f3.5-5.6. This worked much better overall, but again I had issues with the low light capabilities: the D80 gets noisy fast as you bump ISO, and the f3.5 lense speed was not good enough for hand-held shots in shaded/shadowed London streets as the sun got low, and nearly useless at twilight. When I came home, I bought a 50mm 1.4 in anticipation of a third trip that never materialized.
Now, though, the cameras are better. With my D7000 or your D700, you probably need not worry about low light as much. The lens you have should do well for you. A fast prime might be a nice addition in general, particularly for any indoor museum shooting. But, again, your 2.8 should be fine. I now also have the 28-300mm f3.5-5.6 that  tanguera mentioned--LOVE that lens. It would certainly be my Walk Around lens on a vacation, and I'd have a faster lens in the bag for darker venues (cathedrals, etc). It is more than double your $400 target though.
If I had the gear you have and was heading to London again, I would consider either a fast 50mm or 35mm prime, or a canon G12. Lugging a DSLR everywhere can be either tiresome or inconvenient or both. The G12 is a lot like a mini dslr, with a lot of capability packed into a small package--you still have full manual control and RAW files. Either a fast prime or the G12 should be within your target price range.
Sometimes, leave the camera in the hotel room safe--otherwise you might see most of Europe only thru a viewfinder! :D |
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06/29/2011 08:29:34 PM · #11 |
| With all the talk over the G12, I'd throw the LX5 into the mix as a very realistic suggestion, as well. |
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