Urgent help!!

ygil707 · Feb 24, 2013

So I am leaving in two days to the Grand Canyon. I will be taking my canon 60D camera body plus my 50mm lens and I will be renting the 10-22mm. My question is should I bring my 24-105mm L or rent the canon 70-300mm instead. The reason I am thinking of renting this instead of an L lens is because of the weight issue. I will be hiking with these lenses so I can't take another that is too heavy. I've already rented before the 100-400mm and found it too heavy to take on long backcountry camping. Please let me know what you all think! Rent 70-300 or just take my 24-105... Thank you

texkam · Feb 24, 2013

Take the 24-105 and leave the 50, for you'll have that focal length covered.

ygil707 · Feb 24, 2013

I'm taking the 50mm regardless but I am wondering about the 24-105 or rent 70-300. I want to take the 50mm because of the 1.8 aperture.

texkam · Feb 24, 2013

Go with the "L".

KmH · Feb 24, 2013

The Canon EF 50 mm f/1.8 II needs to be stopped down at least 2 stops (f/3.5) to where it starts to deliver good sharp focus. The focus sweet spot is f/3.5 down to about f/11.

The Canon EF 50 mm f/1.8 II delivers some of the worst, nervous, jittery, 5 sided, looking bokeh of any camera maker 50 mm f/1.8 lens.

PagesPhotography · Feb 25, 2013

I'd probably take the 24-105...

07Vios · Feb 25, 2013

Are you primarily going to be shooting landscape scenery? Why do you feel the need to bring your 50mm f1.8?

07Vios · Feb 25, 2013

But if you are planning on shooting wild life during the day (good lighting), the 70-300 might be better to bring just simply for the focal length reach. I have no experience with that lens though.

KenC · Feb 25, 2013

If you're talking about the 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS USM (non-L), the weight is pretty close to that of the 24-105, so you're really not saving your back. You would obviously get much more reach, so if that is the most important consideration for you, then the decision is easy. I would want a wide angle down there because there are places where you won't be able to back up.

I like primes, so my choice would be a 24 (or maybe 20), a 50 and a 100, which collectively won't be that hard to carry, but I know most people don't go all-prime. FWIW, the 50 is as sharp as any lens I've seen when stopped down a bit, and I never use mine near wide open so the issues of softness and bokeh are irrelevant. If I want a narrow DOF shot, I'm more likely to use a longer lens so I don't have to get as close.

ygil707 · Feb 25, 2013

It's horrible but I'm set on taking the 50mm cause i just got it lol. Well I think I will take my 24-105, my 50mm, and I will rent the 10-22mm

. Thanks for everyone's advise! I'm very excited about this trip !!!

bratkinson · Feb 25, 2013

texkam said:
Take the 24-105 and leave the 50, for you'll have that focal length covered.

^
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What he said!

Having been at the Grand Canyon, before I got back into Photography, I was completely awe-struck by how deep and wide it is. And that was from the visitors area 'up top'.

When I had a 60D, the 24-105 was (and still is) my favorite lens. I'd go with the 70-300 as the second lens and that's it. Light weight and overlapping zoom ranges, which is one of my main lens owning criteria. No UWA and no 50.

ceejtank · Feb 25, 2013

ygil707 said:
I'm taking the 50mm regardless but I am wondering about the 24-105 or rent 70-300. I want to take the 50mm because of the 1.8 aperture.

Can I ask why you want the 1.8 aperature? If you're going to the grand canyon, I'm assuming here, but you will be hiking mostly during the day, and if you're going to do any night shooting where teh 1.8 aperature would be best to reduce your shutter speed, you should probably be using a tripod for that.

Take the L.