Lenses for Italy Trip

[royalephotos]

Hi all,

I'll be heading to Italy at the end of the summer, and I want to take the opportunity to buy a few lenses. I've mostly been playing around with some of my friends' lenses, so I don't have anything at the moment. (for all intents and purposes)

Right now I just have this planned:

Tokina 11-16mm

Canon 50mm 1.4

I have my 18-55 i guess, but I feel like I need something more "general" with the line-up (or maybe just longer). Advice? Other lens suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[SnappingShark]

Canon 24-105 F4 will replace all those Beside the wide

 

[jaomul]

Welcome to tpf

You got to figure how much you want to spend and carry. You are I assume using a canon crop.

In your case I might be tempted to either buy a superzoom, something like a sigma 18-200 or 18-250mm, ditch the 18-55 and use it with the other 2, covering ultra wide 11-16, low light 50 f1.4 and a general walk around with good range with the siggy.

Either that or I'd add a zoom, maybe a canon 70-200 f4 or a tamron 70-300mm vc

YMMV

 

[PaulWog]

Canon 24-105 F4 will replace all those Beside the wide

What a terrible lens on crop.

 

[kalgra]

I just went on my first trip to Europe a few weeks ago and was faced with the same dilemma. In the end I only took two lenses my 16-35 and 24-70. Im glad thats all took because thats all I needed. Honestly the 24-70 stayed on 90% of the time. However I was on FF. With your crop camera I would just take the 11-16 and 18-55 you already have. I assume these are not fast lenses so considering that the 50 won't take up much space if you think need a faster lens Id maybe take that as well but I certainly would not take any more.

I felt two lens was too much at times and found myself leaving the ultrawide behind if I knew I wouldn't need it.

 

[table1349]

Canon 24-105 F4 will replace all those Beside the wide

What a terrible lens on crop.

Tell me, how do all those other photographers get such nice shots with the 24-70, 24-105, 70-200 on crop bodies?

 

[PaulWog]

Tell me, how do all those other photographers get such nice shots with the 24-70, 24-105, 70-200 on crop bodies?

I think you are confusing lenses with experience. An expensive lens or camera doesn't make the photographer great.

Could you remind me when anyone was talking bout the 24-70 f2.8-ii or 70-200 f2.8-ii? Very strange of you to bring those lenses into the argument as if the 24-105 is in the same category.

The Canon 24-105 f4 IS is an over 10 year old lens. It does not perform terribly well wide open on today's DX sensors purely in terms of IQ and price. I can't imagine why someone with a DX sensor camera would purchase one at such a high price.

 

[table1349]

Tell me, how do all those other photographers get such nice shots with the 24-70, 24-105, 70-200 on crop bodies?

I think you are confusing lenses with experience. An expensive lens or camera doesn't make the photographer great.

Could you remind me when anyone was talking bout the 24-70 f2.8-ii or 70-200 f2.8-ii? Very strange of you to bring those lenses into the argument as if the 24-105 is in the same category.

The Canon 24-105 f4 IS is an over 10 year old lens. It does not perform terribly well wide open on today's DX sensors purely in terms of IQ and price. I can't imagine why someone with a DX sensor camera would purchase one at such a high price.

Canon EF Zoom 24‑70mm F/4L, Canon EF Telephoto Zoom 70 ‑ 200 mm F/4.0.
Who brought the f2.8 in. Wasn't in my post.

You are confusing cost with quality. The only thing the sensor size has to deal with is the field of view it sees. Canon doesn't have DX sensors or DX lenses. They have EF and EFs lenses and FF or APS-c sensors.

I take it that you have used the Canon 24-105 on you Nikon and tested it for your self? Apparently you 24-105 experience seem to differ from quite a number of people on the IQ of the 24-105 on a crop body. The IQ is actually sharper on the crop than on the FF since the soft edges are not present on the APS-c sensor field of view.

 

[PaulWog]

Canon EF Zoom 24‑70mm F/4L, Canon EF Telephoto Zoom 70 ‑ 200 mm F/4.0.
Who brought the f2.8 in. Wasn't in my post.

You are confusing cost with quality. The only thing the sensor size has to deal with is the field of view it sees. Canon doesn't have DX sensors or DX lenses. They have EF and EFs lenses and FF or APS-c sensors.

I take it that you have used the Canon 24-105 on you Nikon and tested it for your self? Apparently you 24-105 experience seem to differ from quite a number of people on the IQ of the 24-105 on a crop body. The IQ is actually sharper on the crop than on the FF since the soft edges are not present on the APS-c sensor field of view.

The discussion is about value. You know? Cost and quality. It was difficult to know which 24-70 and 70-200 lenses you were referring to.

The 24-70 f4 L is also a terrible choice for crop. The 70-200 F4 is a different case.

The lens (24-105 f4 L) does not perform better on crop sensors. You can refer to DXOMark, and take a look at the performance numbers. You can also take a look at the graphs. I take it you're the type who completely disregards DXOMark, so here's another example for you. Distortion will almost always be lower on a crop camera, but sharpness and some other factors will never be higher. Uniformity of sharpness may be higher on crop cameras across the frame, but not with the 24-105:

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens Image Quality

You can continue to disagree. That is fine. I'm here to make a point. Specifically, I am concerned about good, correct information... ultimately, I wouldn't want to see someone throw away over $1000 on a lens. Aside from the image quality on crop, the range (24mm at its widest) is not particularly useful for crop. There are zooms that perform as well or better, that zoom wider, and cost less, for crop cameras. I won't be returning to this thread. My points have been made.

Hi all,

I'll be heading to Italy at the end of the summer, and I want to take the opportunity to buy a few lenses. I've mostly been playing around with some of my friends' lenses, so I don't have anything at the moment. (for all intents and purposes)

Right now I just have this planned:

Tokina 11-16mm

Canon 50mm 1.4

I have my 18-55 i guess, but I feel like I need something more "general" with the line-up (or maybe just longer). Advice? Other lens suggestions?

Thanks!

I think this really depends on what you want. A zoom (something like an 18-135, or 17-70, or thereabouts) may be useful to you. Personally I don't like fairly slow zooms. If you like your 18-55 though, then there's a good chance you might want a similar lens that extends to 105mm or slightly longer.

The Tamron 70-300 VC is an alright lens with very few alternatives in terms of price, performance, and weight.

I suggest you try to play around with various focal lengths and lenses. Figure out the apertures, and focal lengths that you like. Figure out the types of things you like to take photographs of. You might want a 150-600 lens. You might want a 70-200 f4 or f2.8. You might want an 18-35 f1.8, or a 17-55 f2.8, or an 18-135 f3.5-f5.6. There are lots of lenses that might make a great choice, but it depends on your own needs.

 

[table1349]

We can play review match all day. Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Review Look at the charts.

Exactly why is the 24-70 a terrible choice IYO? Because you forgot how to move your feet? Unless you are in a studio setting or cramped quarters the difference between a FF sensor and a APS-c is about two paces. As for DXO or any other review, they are useful to a point. For me REAL WORLD experience counts. I have owned every one of the Canon lenses mentioned, used them on both my FF bodies and my APS-c bodies extensively. Don't have the 24-105 anymore as I need fast glass a good portion of the time and my 16-35, 24-70 and 70-200 give me the zoom range when I want the convenience of a zoom on either FF or APS-c. The only two EFs lenses I own are the 11-16 Tokina and the 17-50 Tamron. Both are my go to, hope they don't get broke but if they do oh well, lenses when I hang a 7D MkII above the basket at a BB game. Otherwise I prefer top quality primes. Especially in the studio.

If you don't like FF glass because it is expensive and/or you never plan on going FF fine. Say so. But the idea that an EF lens performs poorly on an APS-c body by virtue of the sensor size alone is only a diversion.

 

[royalephotos]

Thank you all for the responses. I'll step aside from the discussion regarding the crops, 24-105, etc. but please feel free to continue, a good read.

Sorry, yes, Canon build! (Hence the Tokina Canon build, and the Canon 50 yep!)
I want to move away from the superzooms, just for the future. Not saying that I can't use superzooms! but they obviously have their own drawbacks, and I'd try to minimize those just for future use.

Reading all of your suggestions, I was thinking along the lines of: Tokina 11-18, Canon 50, and Canon 70-200. A little much, but I'll be using these lenses quite extensively later as well. Any replacements for those that I should maybe look into?

Also: Tokina f/2.8 should be good enough for interior low lighting right? (cathedrals etc.) And a polarizer for the canon 70-200 is probably the best bet?

Thanks y'all!

 

[jaomul]

Just keep in mind there are many good options, but do you want to carry everything you own on a holiday trip?

Your tokina is practically as good as it gets for a wide angle. I actually think both posters talking about the 24-105 have a good point. I had it and think it's a great lens on ff and crop, but I'd prefer to have something wider so that I have more covered the days I only want to carry one lens.

The sigma 17-50 f2.8 OS is excellent and a good walk around lens.

 

[table1349]

You will definitely want the 11-16. Many of the great cathedrals, museums etc. do not allow flash. You might want to look into a compact monopod. You might also want to look into renting a lens.
Supplies and photography equipments rental house in rome - Italy Photography Productions

 

[Peeb]

My tripod weighs about 2 lb. I would not go on vacation without it!

 

[kalgra]

I don't know if Italy is the same way but In France I was not permitted to use even a very small monopod. Luckily my wide angle had IS so I was still able to get some pretty decent shots hand held at 1/15th but ISO was still high 6400-12800.
I was lucky in a few instances and was able to go lower. But Gryphonslair is right the cathedrals were where I used and needed the wide angle the most.

Word of advice, I found I was able to get away using a monopod if I didn't ask and just played dumb. Perhaps no one noticed, but if I asked they always said no.