Thoughts on travelling with Canon 24-105 F4 and 135 F2?

[moneybags]

Hey All,

I have an old XSi (that I plan to upgrade to FF at some point in future) with the EF-S 18-55 and 55-250 kit lenses from a few years ago and last year I also picked up a 135L F2 lens. I'll be doing three weeks of traveling next month and want to make sure I've got the best lens combo to capture the trip. After some internet research, I'm thinking of abandoning the EF-S lenses and picking up a 24-105L F4 to pair with my 135L. I'll probably be doing lots of landscape, architecture, and close-up shots at museums. I'd love to get some input from you guys and gals on this combo for travel. Thanks!!!

[jbnc_]

It's a pretty solid combo you have there and you should be able to get excellent shots if you're comfortable with those focal lengths.

Personally, I'm a big fan of fast primes (35mm or 50mm full frame equiv) and ultrawide lenses (anything near a 17mm) as I love the ability to shoot in low lighting and tight spaces.

In the next month i'd advise u carry your cam everywhere to make sure that you're comfortable with the weight and focal lengths of those lenses before you travel.

[YourBuddy]

24mm on a crop sensor isn't very wide. If you had a full frame, it'd be perfect. I wouldn't bother bringing the 135mm. I usually bring my Canon S95 for the two of us and it works great.

Decide first whether you want to enjoy the vacation or enjoy the photography experience. If you're going with friends, make sure you're fit enough to carry it everywhere and have a bag comfortable enough for it. Finally, respect people wherever you are; don't be a "street photographer".

[moneybags]

It's a pretty solid combo you have there and you should be able to get excellent shots if you're comfortable with those focal lengths.

Personally, I'm a big fan of fast primes (35mm or 50mm full frame equiv) and ultrawide lenses (anything near a 17mm) as I love the ability to shoot in low lighting and tight spaces.

In the next month i'd advise u carry your cam everywhere to make sure that you're comfortable with the weight and focal lengths of those lenses before you travel.
Thanks, jbnc. I ended up picking up the 24-105 today. I'll take it out this weekend and give it a whirl.

[moneybags]

24mm on a crop sensor isn't very wide. If you had a full frame, it'd be perfect. I wouldn't bother bringing the 135mm. I usually bring my Canon S95 for the two of us and it works great.

Decide first whether you want to enjoy the vacation or enjoy the photography experience. If you're going with friends, make sure you're fit enough to carry it everywhere and have a bag comfortable enough for it. Finally, respect people wherever you are; don't be a "street photographer".
Now you've got me thinking. What's your reasoning for leaving the 135 at home? I'm fine with leaving it and taking the 18-55 kit for the wider shots. Would be a bit lighter to carry as well.

It'll just be me and my wife, she'll be carrying the Canon SD940is. I was going to use an old messenger bag with a camera insert.

[AudiDude]

I shoot landscape, architecture, and low light.

I roll with a 7D, Sigma 10-20, Canon 50 1.4, Canon 17-40, Canon 24-70, Canon 24-105. If I had to slim down, I would run with the 10-20, 50 1.4, 24-70 or 24-105. There is no way to get a nice landscape on a crop unless you go wide, there is no way to get all indoors unless you go crop. You would need a 50 1.5/1.8 to shoot in low light situations. You need a zoom to get close when you are far away and if you try to do it in low light, you need to figure the trade off of the IS in the 24-105 vs the 2.8 of the 24-70. Also the 2.8 of the 24-70 allows creativity.

Most of my shots are with the wide:

Outside Structure

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3565/3596175706_03132202fe_z.jpg

Outside structure Abstract

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3339/4643719345_affe9a6358_z.jpg

Indoor

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2249/2429002703_58503f167b_z.jpg

Indoor Abstract

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3653/3596187756_8b84089e47_z.jpg

50 1.8 Saving the day indoors, low light

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2643/3893116655_d53884efab_z.jpg

24-105@ISO 1600 with IS saving the day (night)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2646/3893909032_c6bd8de1da_z.jpg

24-70@ISO 1600 @ 2.8 providing isolation of the (drunk) subject

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3523/3893915516_1f7c9f0ea3_z.jpg

[bhrm]

24-70@ISO 1600 @ 2.8 providing isolation of the (drunk) subject

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3523/3893915516_1f7c9f0ea3_z.jpg

win.

[AudiDude]

win.

I call that pic "Asscrack Man and Drunk Guy". There is an associated vid where you can see the full revealing process...

[gheart008]

Considering you're going to museums, I would recommend you bring some short range primes as F4 might not be fast enough for you, depending on the lighting in the museum, but chances are you'll need something faster.

[neltron3030]

I was just in NY and brought a 35mm 1.4 and 85mm 1.8. I barely used the 85.

As for not being a "street photographer"...maybe it should have read "don't be a BAD street photographer". Unfortunately, the bad ones out number the good ones 100 to 1.

[thericyip]

Lenses for traveling on a crop sensor...

On a tight budget: Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8, Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 non VC, Canon 50mm f/1.8 II
Medium Budget: Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8, Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 VC, Sigma 30mm f/1.4
$$$$$$$$$$: Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8, Canon 24-70mm f/2.8, Canon 35mm f/1.4

What I use for my travels: Canon 17-40L, 35L, 85L.

[mk5gti]

135L on a crop for travel? think twice......

[YourBuddy]

Now you've got me thinking. What's your reasoning for leaving the 135 at home? I'm fine with leaving it and taking the 18-55 kit for the wider shots. Would be a bit lighter to carry as well.

It'll just be me and my wife, she'll be carrying the Canon SD940is. I was going to use an old messenger bag with a camera insert.

Because you'd probably won't use it. Of course, you can always bring it with you just in case then leave it in the hotel if you don't need it; but that's up to you. It's kind of like how people bring tripods on vacation; they lug it around everywhere only to use it once or twice.

A P&S may be low quality, but if you understand it's capabilities and don't make take pics it can't, you'll be okay with it. I bought a DSLR to vacation ONCE and the vacation didn't feel like much just because I was too busy taking pictures instead of enjoying. My gf at that time also found me quite a drag so we left it in the hotel.

Forgoing the DSLR also helps a lot on your trip when you don't have time to go back to hotel to drop of your camera. For example, a lot of times we'd spend the whole day going out then decide to go to a club or bar. Not having a DSLR makes that possible.

[moneybags]

Because you'd probably won't use it. Of course, you can always bring it with you just in case then leave it in the hotel if you don't need it; but that's up to you. It's kind of like how people bring tripods on vacation; they lug it around everywhere only to use it once or twice.

A P&S may be low quality, but if you understand it's capabilities and don't make take pics it can't, you'll be okay with it. I bought a DSLR to vacation ONCE and the vacation didn't feel like much just because I was too busy taking pictures instead of enjoying. My gf at that time also found me quite a drag so we left it in the hotel.

Forgoing the DSLR also helps a lot on your trip when you don't have time to go back to hotel to drop of your camera. For example, a lot of times we'd spend the whole day going out then decide to go to a club or bar. Not having a DSLR makes that possible.
Appreciate everyone's thoughts. Ever since moving into our current home a few years ago, the wife and I have left all the walls bare. The plan has always been to decorate with photos from our travels. Needless to say, other things came up and the trip always had to be put on hold. Well we've finally been able to schedule it this year, so we're both hoping to have a good time at the same time focus a bit on getting some good shots. Probably won't be traveling (abroad) again for another few years.

I am actually planning to lug the tripod around, but really only for our first stop. Lots of nature and landscape. The rest of the trip will be in big cities, so tripod will be left in the hotels.

Looking forward to messing around with the 24-105 this weekend. Also saw a Canon 16-35 on kijiji for half of retail...

[moneybags]

Quick update, I've decided to go with the Canon 24-105 F4 and the Tokina 11-16 F2.8. Thanks to thericyip for suggesting the Tokina. I didn't know about this brand before this thread! Although, I found some discrepancies between online hyperfocal distance calculators and actual use...

http://forums.redflagdeals.com/hyperfocal-distance-tokina-11-16-canon-1094826/


I just picked up a Tokina 11-16 mm for taking landscape photos. I've taken several test shots using the numbers derived from several on-line and iOS depth of field apps. Specifically, when shooting at 11 mm and f8 on an XSi the hyperfocal ranges from 77 - 81 mm depending on which calculator I use. All the shots I take within this range at 11 mm and f8 come out somewhat blurry. It's not until I focus at around 1.2 m that things seem to become clear. When I set the focus to infinity, which looks to be around 2.8 m or so on the lens' focusing scale, the picture looks the most sharp.

Are there any other Tokina 11-16 owners that can comment on their experience with it's hyperfocal distance? Just wondering if the online calculators are wrong or maybe not accurate for an UWA like the Tokina 11-16? Perhaps I'm just not using it correctly? Or is my lens faulty?

[moneybags]

phew! a few things i've learned for next time:

1. get another camera body, so i don't need to keep swapping lenses. this got really tedious as i wandered and came across photo ops, but had the wrong lens mounted. stop, get other lens from bag, remove, cap, try not to get dust in body, mount other lens, put away original lens... after a while i didn't even bother anymore and let a few shots slide by.

2. bring the 135 L. there were several times when i wish i had brought it. next time it's going in my bag.

3. the tokina 11-16 is awesome!

all in all, got some pics that we really like and we both had an awesome time. thanks again to those who helped.

[tomjose]

Hey OP
any chance that we can see some pics you took of your trip? If you dont mind that is.
I particulary want to see some pics you took from the tokina 11-16. :D