Necessary equipment for upcoming trip?

[gentry1242]

I am going to Europe in a couple months, and was curious to find out what would be considered "essential" lenses for the trip.

What I have: (just got everything 2 months ago)
Nikon D90
18-105mm VR Kit lens
2 8GB Extreme 3 SD cards
Tamrac Camera Bag with room for camera + lens and 2 extra lenses

I am a TPF noob and am relatively new to "real" photography in general. I have begun studying how the mechanics of cameras truly work, but am still pretty much in over my head at this point.

Thus far, my 18-105 lens has handled pretty much everything I have tried to do, except for three issues.
First, I tried to focus on something closer than about 2 ft where it refused to take the picture. (not really applicable to my trip)
The second issue occurred at dusk and early night where I was shooting my dog with no flash playing at the park. I first tried the auto settings and after playing with the settings for 30 minutes, could not eliminate the motion blur. (may be a problem if shooting something with action at low light)
Third, a couple weeks ago while at the football game, I noticed my subjects did not fit the frame well at maximum zoom. (definately an issue if I want to capture something in the distance).

I am debating on whether to buy a Nikor 70-300mm VR lens for the longer range shots. I have been told that it is a "slow" lens that works best in good lighting, but for the price, you really can't do much better. The camera store said the next step up was around $2,000.

I would like to make sure that the Nikor 70-300 VR will capture architectural and scenic pictures while I am in Europe in all types of light conditions. I would also like to have the option to take action shots that do not show motion blur. Is this the lens I am stuck with for now, or is there another brand I should consider? What kind of "distance" does the 70-300 provide over my 18-105? Am I expecting too much from one lens?

Thank you in advance for your help.

 

[decado]

You might want to get yourself a multi-coated graduated neutral density filter for shots that have bright sky in it and a multi-coated polarizing filter to minimize reflections when it's sunny. Also, you might want more than 16gb of storage, especially if you're shooting raw.

 

[tirediron]

A reach factor of about 3x. The 70-300 is a very good walk-around lens for long shots. It is a bit on the slow side, but you're not likely to use it at night or indoors.

For close-focusing there's not much you can unless you want to carry around either close-up lenses or extension tubes. Your other issue sounds very much like motion blur resulting from too little light for reasonable shutter speeds.

 

[SpeedTrap]

I am going to say, that for general travel I like my 18-200. I only own this lens to travel with and I have always been happy. I do tend to cary a few filters for it and always bring a Tripod.

 

[icassell]

For me, 2 x 8GB cards would likely not be enough for a trip to europe (unless you are also bringing a laptop or other device to d/l your images as you go along). I would also suggest bringing at least one spare battery.

 

[gentry1242]

But the consensus is that a 70-300 vr would suit my needs?

 

[syphlix]

shrug... personally i'd prefer a wide lens to a tele for a trip like that...

 

[gentry1242]

I am planning on buying at least 32 more gb an I do have a spare battery.

Also, can anyone recomend a tripod that is compact and lightweight?

 

[icassell]

What do you like to shoot? I was in Italy a year ago and brought a few lenses. Most used (> 80% of the time) was the same one that I use as a walkaround here in the states -- my Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8. I also brought my Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 and a 1.4X TC. I rarely wished I had brought something longer.

 

[TJ K]

Whats your price range for that tripod 300, 800?

 

[gentry1242]

shrug... personally i'd prefer a wide lens to a tele for a trip like that...

What wide angle lens do you recommend? I have never actually used a wide angle lens. I always just zoomed out to frame my subject and then cropped the photo. Would a wide angle lens create a panoramic style photo?

 

[gentry1242]

Whats your price range for that tripod 300, 800?

I am not sure on the budget. I was planning on just using walls or benches to brace myself. I do no want something that is cumbersome. If I had to guess, I would rather spend more $ on glass, so less expensive is probably better for me.

 

[JamesMason]

A good waterproof coat. Its cold and wet over here in winter

 

[AUZambo]

But the consensus is that a 70-300 vr would suit my needs?

shrug... personally i'd prefer a wide lens to a tele for a trip like that...

Agreed. I went to Italy a few years ago and went in the opposite direction with lens selection. I already had an 18-200 lens and bought the sigma 10-20. I seriously doubt you'll need a 300mm lens, especially considering the crop factor in your camera (assuming you don't have the D700 or D3).

If it's your first time in Europe, you'll find that the streets are often narrow which doesn't leave much room for shots. Having 70mm as your widest option will drive you batty.

As far as other equipment, I agree with the polarizer (used it alot in Italy) and the grad ND filter (wish I had one in Italy). Something else to consider is a tripod...if even just a small one that you can sit on top of trash cans or something. There were several times in Italy I needed to use about a half-second exposure to shoot some of the buildings and stuff at night when a flash wouldn't have helped. I ended up with lots of blury pictures, or poorly composed pictures because I had to settle with whatever I could balance my camera on. By the end of the trip I was just using a zip-lock bag filled with dirt to steady the lens, but I still had to find something to set it on.

 

[AUZambo]

Whats your price range for that tripod 300, 800?

I am not sure on the budget. I was planning on just using walls or benches to brace myself. I do no want something that is cumbersome. If I had to guess, I would rather spend more $ on glass, so less expensive is probably better for me.

Here are some of the shots I took with my Sigma 10-20 lens:
1. This was 11mm, 1 second, ISO 400. St. Mark's Basilica in Venice.

2. Leaving the Vatican Museum (10mm, 1/4 sec., ISO 100)

3. Colosseum (10mm, 0.8 sec, ISO 100). My fee were about 15 feet from the base of the Colosseum. I was laying on my back shooting up.

4. Pantheon in Rome (10mm, 2 seconds, ISO 100)

With a 70-300 lens these shots would have been impossible.