Trip to Europe

Dsb · Nov 24, 2011

Hey everyone. First post. I'm not usually a travel photographer ( usually take portraits and sport pics) but I'm going on a trip to Europe and need advice on gear. I have a rebel t3i and am debating getting a 10-22 lens versus buying a small point and shoot or small interchangeable lens camera. Any thoughts? Would love to take great shots but really don't want to lug around a big camera. Thanks.

BastiaanImages · Nov 24, 2011

Whenever I went on holiday and I only took my girlfriends point-and-shoot I was always disappointed with the results. The question is what is more important, enjoying the European cities and scenery or coming home with a great set of pictures. When you take your dslr you'll spend more time looking at the aperture/shutterspeed/etc. settings than looking at the Eiffel tower. p.s. Also visiting The Netherlands?

Dsb · Nov 24, 2011

Amsterdam, germany France Switzerland

Drake · Nov 24, 2011

BastiaanImages said:
Whenever I went on holiday and I only took my girlfriends point-and-shoot I was always disappointed with the results. The question is what is more important, enjoying the European cities and scenery or coming home with a great set of pictures. When you take your dslr you'll spend more time looking at the aperture/shutterspeed/etc. settings than looking at the Eiffel tower. p.s. Also visiting The Netherlands?

Yup, it kind of depends if it's going to be a photography trip or family holidays. If it's the first one, than it really depends what you are going to shoot and how you like your shots. If it's going to be a lot of cities, then I guess the 10-22 would be a nice piece of glass to have, but a standard zoom will be just as important. If it's just a fun trip, your T3i is still a good camera to have. Mounted with a standard zoom it isn't really too big. You probably won't be satisfied with the quality of images from a P&S, and a new interchangable lens camera will set you back a few hundred dollars you could spend on some DSLR gear instead.

Big Mike · Nov 24, 2011

Welcome to the forum.

I'd suggest taking the good camera and lens.

The Canon 10-22mm is a fantastic lens. I recently sold mine because I upgraded to a full frame camera, but I was very sad to see it go.
You might also consider something like the Sigma 10-20mm. It's a very similar lens, but a good deal less expensive.

iski12345 · Nov 28, 2011

Why not take the SLR and a point and shoot. My wife and I are planning a trip to Europe and we plan on taking both. Its not like the point and shoot will take up more space. Hope you have an excellent trip.

Infinite_Day · Nov 29, 2011

Having gone to Scotland this past June and currently planning a trip to Ireland for next June, my personal experiences lead me to also suggest that you take both a dSLR and a P&S. We did not take a P&S which I think was a mistake in retrospect. My wife got angry several times in Scotland because I kept fiddling with the camera trying to get exposure right. Sometimes a P&S is just more liberating when you want to explore and enjoy the atmosphere. A good wide angle is one of many things I was lacking in Scotland and I think a good telephoto is also handy if you are going to be doing any wildlife. A P&S is handy if you want to give your camera to a passer-by to shoot a photo of you and your wife - I typically don't like handing thousands of dollars of dSLR to a stranger and lugging around a tripod for shooting shots with a timer can be a pain. Just a couple of thought that I hope help some.

thereyougo! · Nov 29, 2011

I'd just take the DSLR and just (heaven forbid!) use more auto features. Using Aperture priority will speed things up while still giving you control. Have it dialed in at a default of f/11 and perhaps have your ISO at around 400 so you don't need a tripod unless inside a dark space. It will be quicker but an Auto on your T3i will be better than on a p&s. I took both once and never used the p&s

borisnikon · Nov 29, 2011

I would take both and plan your days, so if your having a quick look around a city you could take the p & s but if you know you are going somewhere that interests you, you can take the dslr.

GeorgieGirl · Nov 29, 2011

I always take both. It's simple to keep the P&S in your pocket.

In my opinion the 10-20 is too short of a range for travel, but I have the Sigma and think its a great lens.

Frequent Traveler · Nov 29, 2011

I live in Europe and you will *definitely* want your better photo gear on-hand PLUS a p&s.

Derrel · Nov 29, 2011

Take whatever you think you can carry and actually USE. That to me would mean both a Rebel AND a P&S digital. Before heading over, I would also suggest brushing up on your European. Everybody over there speaks European, so you'll probably want to get a English to European/European to English phrase book!

Frequent Traveler · Nov 29, 2011

On another note, make sure you have plug/voltage adapters for your battery charging needs. Believe it or not, not all devices have the global current capacity so make sure before you plug in your device/adapter.

thereyougo! · Nov 30, 2011

Frequent Traveler said:
On another note, make sure you have plug/voltage adapters for your battery charging needs. Believe it or not, not all devices have the global current capacity so make sure before you plug in your device/adapter.

Europe runs from 220/240v so there will be plenty of current capacity. We're not some backwater you know!

BastiaanImages · Nov 30, 2011

Dsb said:
Amsterdam, germany France Switzerland

That's a great northern European trip. When in Switzerland I strongly recommend the Lake of Geneva, I went there last year and (when sunny) I think it is one of the most beautiful places in the world.