p.1 #1 · Going On An International One Month Vacation With One Lens
Where are you going and what lens is your one lens.
For me, I would be traveling in Asia..
In full frame consideration, I have traditionally travelled with a prime lens, but now I’m asking myself if I should move to a 16-35mm, or 24-70mm zoom lens. My answer would have been 24-70mm, but I found this video useful:
p.1 #3 · Going On An International One Month Vacation With One Lens
My travel outfit is three primes, 25, 40 and 85 and that covers just about everything I want to shoot. Yes, there are a few times I could have used wider…not enough to bring more gear and not often at all that I’d want anything longer than 85. I would think the 24-70 would be a great choice for a one zoom system.
p.1 #4 · Going On An International One Month Vacation With One Lens
For my trip to Croatia last year I brought an S1RII with the LUMIX 28-200. Small and light with reasonable IQ and worked for pretty much everything I came across.
p.1 #6 · Going On An International One Month Vacation With One Lens
bwcolor wrote:
Where are you going and what lens is your one lens.
For me, I would be traveling in Asia..
In full frame consideration, I have traditionally travelled with a prime lens, but now I’m asking myself if I should move to a 16-35mm, or 24-70mm zoom lens. My answer would have been 24-70mm, but I found this video useful:
I don't leave for the airport without at least 3 cameras and 3 lenses, but sometimes 4 cameras and 9 lenses if someone else can carry part of it. In the old days I would have said 500/4 if only one lens.
I've photographed in all 7 continents, but in the 2020s it's mostly North America, Central/South America, Europe and Africa.
I'm not sure what species they have in Asia since it's a large area if you include all the islands.
Lenses like 16-35 or 24-70 are small so take both.
p.1 #7 · Going On An International One Month Vacation With One Lens
EB-1 wrote:
I don't leave for the airport without at least 3 cameras and 3 lenses, but sometimes 4 cameras and 9 lenses if someone else can carry part of it. In the old days I would have said 500/4 if only one lens.
I've photographed in all 7 continents, but in the 2020s it's mostly North America, Central/South America, Europe and Africa.
I'm not sure what species they have in Asia since it's a large area if you include all the islands.
Lenses like 16-35 or 24-70 are small so take both.
EBH
I don’t believe the OP is shooting animals, but rather culture and architecture…so the need for so many cameras and lenses like the 500 f4 is really meaningless here.
p.1 #8 · Going On An International One Month Vacation With One Lens
It really depends on the trip.
I’m also a three-small-primes person on most international trips and many US trips to cities. I use a Fujifilm XT5 with 14mm, 27mm, and 50mm primes, the first two f/2.8 models and the last f/2. (Angle-of-view FF equivalents are roughly 21mm, 40mm, and 75mm.) This makes for a very small kit that fits into my non-camera “personal items” shoulder bag along with my iPad, phone and assorted other things. When out shooting I often go with just the 27mm.
Yet…
I’m currently traveling since very early May. We just finished two weeks (mostly) on hte NC500 region of northwest Scotland (plus a bit of other Scottish stuff), and I”m now in Ireland for a week before doing a one-week walk in the Cotswolds and then hitting a few more British cities/towns until mid-June. Because of the landscape options in Scotland (and, to some extent, in the Cotswolds) I diverged from my norm this time and brought just the 27mm primes (for lightweight city shooting) and…
… 16-55mm (roughly. 24mm- 85mm in FF terms) and 50-140mm v/2.8 (compared to a FF 75-210mm range). The 16-55 got a big workout on Isle of Skye and onward to John O’Groats for landscape stuff. There were a few shots that benefited from the 60-140, but I probably could have found other ways to “see” them with the 16-55.
Because I don’t have the wide prime, I’ve been sticking the 16-55 in the bag in some urban locations. For example, today I used it in the Christ Church in Dublin and it did not need anything else.
What I’m saying is to not be too dogmatic about “the right lens” to take — I think it is conditional and depends on your subjects, your mode of travel, and personal preferences.
p.1 #9 · Going On An International One Month Vacation With One Lens
Last trip to Vietnam a few years back was midsummer, and I knew what that meant. My kit was the D500 and kit zoom 18-55 DX. No case, no bag, no flash. A practical decision to get the shots when dripping with sweat.
p.1 #10 · Going On An International One Month Vacation With One Lens
EB-1 wrote:
I don't leave for the airport without at least 3 cameras and 3 lenses, but sometimes 4 cameras and 9 lenses if someone else can carry part of it. In the old days I would have said 500/4 if only one lens.
I've photographed in all 7 continents, but in the 2020s it's mostly North America, Central/South America, Europe and Africa.
EBH
What the hell does that have to do with the OP's question?
Where are you going and what lens is your one lens.
p.1 #11 · Going On An International One Month Vacation With One Lens
chez wrote:
I don’t believe the OP is shooting animals, but rather culture and architecture…so the need for so many cameras and lenses like the 500 f4 is really meaningless here.
True..The only animals I shoot are my dog and a butterfly here and there. My lens preferences/subject interests are the result of years of only shooting 35mm and various MF rangefinder cameras. I’m trying to develop an interest in macro, but only because I have an interest in the 100mm Macro GM for copying film. I’ve carried two lens prime kits: 24mm/85mm and 21mm/35mm. I usually only take out one lens on a given day. I purchased a used Leica 75mm APO asph. at Map Camera and used that exclusively for my last week in Japan. So. I’m ok with missing shots and enjoy forcing myself to see through whatever I’m carrying. Only used 200mm-600mm through various Sony zooms and primes when I was shooting field sports. Those lenses are long gone. This is my first interest in zooms for travel.
p.1 #12 · Going On An International One Month Vacation With One Lens
Heh.
That is what I was getting at when I said that one’s preferences, subjects, and intentions make a big difference.
Another factor is how the photography fits with other aspects of travel. To put it crudely, is one a traveler who wants to make photographs or is one a person who travels to places solely to do photography.
I never did the former with a load like you describe, though I do carry a similar pile of gear when I travel in the US purely to do photography. For international travelers like our OP the goal is often to keep the gear load to a more manageable level. (I prefer to limit myself to carry-on luggage… though I did not quite meet that standard on my current trip.)
EB-1 wrote:
I don't leave for the airport without at least 3 cameras and 3 lenses, but sometimes 4 cameras and 9 lenses if someone else can carry part of it. In the old days I would have said 500/4 if only one lens.
I've photographed in all 7 continents, but in the 2020s it's mostly North America, Central/South America, Europe and Africa.
I'm not sure what species they have in Asia since it's a large area if you include all the islands.
Lenses like 16-35 or 24-70 are small so take both.
p.1 #13 · Going On An International One Month Vacation With One Lens
My knee jerk response to the OP would be: if it's one lens only then find a good copy of the 24-105. Thinking a bit further the question comes up as to how he generally see's the world from the perspective of composition, i.e. wide or more centered. If wide then the 24mm side might not be enough, so consider one additional lens which could either be a zoom or prime to compensate. If the OP's camera has sufficient resolution 45-60MP there is plenty room for cropping. This suggestion is from a FF use perspective. If his camera is an aps-c body there might be some rethinking depending on quality of the glass that's available. My last trip was with the Sony A6700. Turned out I was disappointed with the 16-70 (24-105 ff equiv) as its IQ towards the outer edges was not good. Currently researching what to replace that with. Most choices have a shorter FL range than I'd like.
p.1 #14 · Going On An International One Month Vacation With One Lens
I am with you that a 24-105 can be a good option on FF for some people. In the past I went that route with some success. While some narrower range lenses may be optically a little better this can be a useful compromise with a bit more reach.
schlotz wrote:
My knee jerk response to the OP would be: if it's one lens only then find a good copy of the 24-105. Thinking a bit further the question comes up as to how he generally see's the world from the perspective of composition, i.e. wide or more centered. If wide then the 24mm side might not be enough, so consider one additional lens which could either be a zoom or prime to compensate. If the OP's camera has sufficient resolution 45-60MP there is plenty room for cropping. This suggestion is from a FF use perspective. If his camera is an aps-c body there might be some rethinking depending on quality of the glass that's available. My last trip was with the Sony A6700. Turned out I was disappointed with the 16-70 (24-105 ff equiv) as its IQ towards the outer edges was not good. Currently researching what to replace that with. Most choices have a shorter FL range than I'd like....Show more →
p.1 #15 · Going On An International One Month Vacation With One Lens
I have two potential options, neither necessarily ideal. 20-70/4 or 28-200/2.8-5,6. However, subsequent to getting the 20-70, the 20-200 was released, too. (I'm not sure it might not be a "one lens" solution for me or as a suggestion. If I were to get "one" new "one.".
As it turns out,in urban areas I found the 17-28 was nicely wider, at times, compared to the 28-200 but often not nearly long enough. So, 17-28 or 16-35, not long enough. Western US, generally out doors, the 28-200 is my main lens. so, location is probably a part of the considerations.
I have an A7Riv, I might pick up an A7Rv or A7CR, the A7Rvi is out of reach for now. That said, the 61mp allows for some nice cropping and that would be nice consideration in looking to what to do for "need wider" (few choices beyond wider lens or stitching) or
need longer."
p.1 #16 · Going On An International One Month Vacation With One Lens
I’ve, in total, spent months with the Mamiya 7ii/65mm in Asia. I have no interest in a long telephoto. I spent many decades, with the exception of sports, event and model photography, shooting rangefinders. I’ve spent shy of a month in South Korea with an X2D /38V, but I also had an M11 Monochrom 21mm/35mm. My thought this time was an X2D2/35-100mm, which when cropped can provide much more reach than what I’m used to. The down side, I’ve never traveled with that much weight around my neck. To be fair, it isn’t that much different than most FF with standard zooms, but I’ve never traveled with any zoom.
p.1 #17 · Going On An International One Month Vacation With One Lens
bwcolor wrote:
I’ve, in total, spent months with the Mamiya 7ii/65mm in Asia. I have no interest in a long telephoto. I spent many decades, with the exception of sports, event and model photography, shooting rangefinders. I’ve spent shy of a month in South Korea with an X2D /38V, but I also had an M11 Monochrom 21mm/35mm. My thought this time was an X2D2/35-100mm, which when cropped can provide much more reach than what I’m used to. The down side, I’ve never traveled with that much weight around my neck. To be fair, it isn’t that much different than most FF with standard zooms, but I’ve never traveled with any zoom....Show more →
The weight of the x2d2 and 35-100 is twice the weight I carry on my wrist during travel. I just can’t fathom doing that for a day.
p.1 #18 · Going On An International One Month Vacation With One Lens
chez wrote:
The weight of the x2d2 and 35-100 is twice the weight I carry on my wrist during travel. I just can’t fathom doing that for a day.
That’s pretty much my motivation for posting. I’ve never traveled with a zoom, let alone this combination. The X2D/38mm was a joy given that this camera series fits my hand better than any camera that I’ve ever used, but a front heavy zoom all day would be a first.
p.1 #19 · Going On An International One Month Vacation With One Lens
One option to address the conflict between flexibility and weight around the neck is to carry a small prime for most use and have the zoom in reserve for a few times when you want more flexibility.
BTW, I am also in the keep- it-small-and-light camp for most travel, although I may vary the kit a bit for different trips.
bwcolor wrote:
That’s pretty much my motivation for posting. I’ve never traveled with a zoom, let alone this combination. The X2D/38mm was a joy given that this camera series fits my hand better than any camera that I’ve ever used, but a front heavy zoom all day would be a first.
p.1 #20 · Going On An International One Month Vacation With One Lens
gdanmitchell wrote:
One option to address the conflict between flexibility and weight around the neck is to carry a small prime for most use and have the zoom in reserve for a few times when you want more flexibility.
BTW, I am also in the keep- it-small-and-light camp for most travel, although I may vary the kit a bit for different trips.
Good suggestion and practical. Two cameras might work, but only one with me on a given day. The X2D2/35-100mm would be my primary camera. Perhaps, my older X2D/38v would do the trick should this and the X2D2 kit fit in my MindShift Sling Bag.. tight fit, but perhaps a smaller option would be in order. I have an A7Rvi on order for my wife, but she won’t be going on the next trip. I have the 24-50mm G for her to use, or could choose very small 17/40/90 /24GM or one of three Loxias 21.35,90. If I did a second camera, a 21 Loxia, or 24mm GM would likely be my choice. My sling bag sets the absolute limit on what camera gear I’m willing to take for international flights. 21mm on my ‘M’ gear spends at least 50% of the time on my camera during travel. This focal length is a joy to focus and with the new EVF should be quite easy to use. The 24mm served as my main lens for the 2019 women’s World Cup/Youth U.S. Girls Competition/Academy Tour in France, so this is also a reasonable choice.
My kit was the D500 and kit zoom 18-55 DX. No case, no bag, no flash. A practical decision to get the shots when dripping with sweat.
What the hell does that have to do with the OP's question? 
