Camera Labs

Hi

Just a few quick questions as I am sure many people went through similar considerations before. If you could take only one lens on a trip which one would you take?
I will be going overseas and have trouble deciding what lens (I want to take only one or max two) I should take with me. I am also including possibility of buying superzoom or any other (15-85, 24-105?) which I do not have so far. Which one then for my 7D?

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Canon 7D f1.8 28mm/Canon f2.8 100mm USM macro/Canon f1.8 50mm/Sigma 10-20mm and lots of other stuff...
http://ksnausphoto.com

A lot of people seem to want a superzoom as a travel lens but these are relatively expensive, heavy and compromised in image quality to accommodate the huge zoom range. They all suffer from distortion to some extent and tend to be soft at the long end. I am a Nikon shooter but my usual lens choices on a trip are my 18-55 and 55-200VR.
Ok they don't offer the best image quality but they are quite good enough for my holiday needs and they would be cheap to replace if lost, stolen or damaged. They are also very light which is a consideration with limited baggage allowances.
You do state "if you could only take one lens" but the airlines I fly with don't apply that restriction.
Go on, be a devil and take two! (or more.)

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Nikon D300 D80 D40 18-55mm 18-70mm 18-135mm 55-200mm 18-200mm 28mm 2.8f 50mm 1.8f 85mm 1.8f
Panasonic DMCFZ28 Slik Pro 700DX

I know a little about a lot, a lot about little and everything about nothing.

I will be heading overseas next year and I plan on taking the 15-85, 70-300, the flash and the 50 1.8.
The 100 will most likely stay at home.

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Canon Powershot S95, Canon 7D, 15-85, Canon 85 1.8 USM, Sigma 30 1.4, 50mm 1.8, Canon 100 2.8L IS Macro, Canon 70-300L IS USM+Kenko 1.4 Pro 300DGX, Canon 430EX II and RS 4 Classic

Dave, I was thinking about two lenses, Sigma 10-20 and the other being Canon 24-105 which gives quite nice range but it is a compromise from my idea of using just one lens. I know that when I travel changing lenses becomes something I want to avoid even more than during usual shooting at home.

Max, how do you find your 15-85 on 7D? Is it good as a walk around lens? I admit that I have read plenty of good reports about this glass but I have a problem (which can be overcome) spending one grand on EF-S stuff. Is it worth the money you reckon?

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Canon 7D f1.8 28mm/Canon f2.8 100mm USM macro/Canon f1.8 50mm/Sigma 10-20mm and lots of other stuff...
http://ksnausphoto.com

I like it and I don`t worry about the efs stuff, as I cannot see myself going to a full frame camera, unless something drastically changes.
There is always some compromise, but its basically the best general purpose lens for a cropped body.

The 24-105 is the obvious choice for a full frame camera body and is also good on a cropped body, then adding the Sigma if you want more wide angle sounds all good. But now you are spending more money and do you really need to go wider?
I guess it comes down to how important wider than 15mm is to you.

What had me sold on the 15-85 was the wide angle. Otherwise I would have bought the 17-55 2.8 IS USM, those 2mm make a surprising amount of difference.

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Canon Powershot S95, Canon 7D, 15-85, Canon 85 1.8 USM, Sigma 30 1.4, 50mm 1.8, Canon 100 2.8L IS Macro, Canon 70-300L IS USM+Kenko 1.4 Pro 300DGX, Canon 430EX II and RS 4 Classic

Im off backpacking for 2 months and decided on the 15-85mm , I can't think of many situations in my case where that extra telephoto is needed but I'm guessing it would also change on what sort of travelling you are doing and available space .

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EOS 400D+BG-E3 Grip --- EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 --- EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM --- EF-S 50mm f/1.8 --- Zeikos 0.40x fisheye adapter

My Flickr

I've recently made the dslr leap and travel is a big part of what I've brought the camera for. I brought my 550D with a 18 to 135 lens and so far I'm happy with it.

It means I dont have to change lenses (I live in the middle east and dust is a nightmare for getting onto sensors) and my camera kit is compact which means i'm much more likely to have it with me.

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Canon EOS 550D (with Magic Lantern)
18mm - 135mm Kit Lens, 50mm f1.8, Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM
430EX II Flash with Phottix Strato Wireless Tigger Set
Manfrotto 190CXPRO3 with 496 Ball Head. Gorilla Pod SLR
Canon Powershot A720IS with CHDK and intervalometer script. Pentax Optio W90

My Blog - http://www.ianganderton.wordpress.com

Any superzoom should fit the bill, but if you're out in the evenings you might be limited by the variable and slower apertures. A small light and inexpensive prime wouldn't break the bank or bust the scales as well.

I guess it depends on what you want to shoot and also day/night. The 18-200mm is the best thing I ever bought for my camera for travel and festivals. Phil's suggestion above is good if you intend to shoot in low light conditions.

Cheers

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Nikon D7000, D40X, Nikkor 18- 200 VR II, f3.5-5.6, 70-300 AF non VR, Kit Lenses.

Hmmmmmmm, interesting. Which fixed focal length lens would you suggest?

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Canon EOS 550D (with Magic Lantern)
18mm - 135mm Kit Lens, 50mm f1.8, Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM
430EX II Flash with Phottix Strato Wireless Tigger Set
Manfrotto 190CXPRO3 with 496 Ball Head. Gorilla Pod SLR
Canon Powershot A720IS with CHDK and intervalometer script. Pentax Optio W90

My Blog - http://www.ianganderton.wordpress.com

It depends on what you like to shoot - 50mm might be tight on a cropped sensor for travel walkabout if you're shooting the streets. 35mm might do the job, or maybe even a 3rd party 30mm or wider from Sigma.

I love my 35mm prime but on DX it was always not quite wide enough 'for me'. On FX it's ideal 'for me', which equates to 20-25mm on DX.

Great suggestions, guys. Thanks for that. I think I will go with 15-85 as it seems to get good reps consistently and is reasonably wide and long.

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Canon 7D f1.8 28mm/Canon f2.8 100mm USM macro/Canon f1.8 50mm/Sigma 10-20mm and lots of other stuff...
http://ksnausphoto.com