What lenses to bring on a trip to Italy in the Fall?

[10acres]

I am a noob to photography and wanting to learn. I’m just looking to become a better amateur photographer for our future trips. I took a trip last year to Alaska and thought our phones would suffice. Boy I was sorely mistaken. Fortunately, my niece brought her camera and was able to capture some spectacular photos.

I will not make that mistake again. I now have the following equipment and am wondering what would be best lenses to bring with me.

Canon EOS Rebel T6i
Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM
Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM
Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM
Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8
Canon 55-250 f/4-5.6 IS STM
Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 DX

We will be spending time inside and outside. I don’t want to pack everything, so what would you recommend to bring and please explain why. Once I pick which lenses, I plan on trying to get used to them better before our trip to Italy.

Thanks in advance.

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[cgw]

Can only offer general non-brand advice. Pack light, minimize fuss swapping lenses. A wide zoom and a 35 to 50mm prime might do it.

 

[SquarePeg]

The Sigma for sure. That’s a nice focal range for travel photos on a crop sensor and the 2.8 will be great to have indoors. I’d also bring the 55-200 if you’ll be outside the cities at all and one of the primes, probably the 24mm, for when you want to be more discreet and travel light/small.

These recommendations are mostly based on the focal ranges and apertures listed, I’ve never used Canon. When I shot Nikon crop sensor, I had a Sigma 17-70 and it was my go to for travel.

 

[CherylL]

I had the 18-135mm lens when I had the Canon T4i. Ok lens. I would take the 24mm & the 50mm. When I travel I take two primes, but I'm a prime person over zoom. The thing about primes is it makes you move with your feet closer or back and to think about moving a step left or right to get a different view.

 

[JoeW]

Again, not a Canon shooter. That caveat noted...

I'd take the 18-135mm: it will probably stay on your camera 85% of the time. Then I'd take a lens you know will be good indoors with low light (so probably the Sigma 17-50 f2.8) so you can shoot inside small rooms and interior spaces that won't allow flash and have poor light. You want to do as little swapping of lens as possible. Also, watch out for pickpockets. So a backpack that says "expensive camera equipment inside" makes you a target. Think of a holster or small messenger bag with an insert in it.

Some points about Alaska. First, no real risk of pickpockets there. Second lots of wildlife so you want a lens with some distance (250mm for starters) and the ability to focus quickly on moving objects (like an eagle in flight). Much less of that in Italy. You'll be shooting landscapes, "street photography" (people who are 20-40 feet away) and lots of interesting art and architecture, especially in poor light.

 

[dunfly]

I have crop censor Nikons that I travel with. My go to lens is an 18-140 that I shoot 80% of the time. So, I would make the 18-135 mm a must. After that, it is a tough decision. For interior shots (and there will be a lot), the 10-18 is too slow and the 17-50 is not wide enough. I shoot with a Tokina 11-16 f2.8 DX for interiors. If you can take both, I would. If I had to choose, I would take the 10-18 and learn to brace it against stable objects for slow shutter speeds in darker interior shots. Primes are nice, but unless you have a specific use in mind, I wouldn't bother.

 

[stapo49]

We are heading to Europe next year to do a cruise down the Rhine ending in Budapest. We are then making our way down to Rome. I will take the Z6, Nikon 14-30 F4 , Nikon 24-120 F4 and probably the Nikon 50mm F1.8. Camera body may change if I decide buying a ZF or Z6III comes along. From my last trip to Europe I would say you really need wide for those churchs, cathedrals etc.

 

[10acres]

I have crop censor Nikons that I travel with. My go to lens is an 18-140 that I shoot 80% of the time. So, I would make the 18-135 mm a must. After that, it is a tough decision. For interior shots (and there will be a lot), the 10-18 is too slow and the 17-50 is not wide enough. I shoot with a Tokina 11-16 f2.8 DX for interiors. If you can take both, I would. If I had to choose, I would take the 10-18 and learn to brace it against stable objects for slow shutter speeds in darker interior shots. Primes are nice, but unless you have a specific use in mind, I wouldn't bother.

This morning, I actually found a Tokina 11-16mm f2.8 DX locally for $100. I bought it just to see how it compered with the Canon 10-18mm.

 

[SquarePeg]

This morning, I actually found a Tokina 11-16mm f2.8 DX locally for $100. I bought it just to see how it compered with the Canon 10-18mm.

I had that lens with Nikon. At the time I really didn’t have any idea how to compose a good photo so it was a wasted on me. Just make sure if you use it outdoors that you’ve got something interesting in the foreground as it makes the horizon seem very far away and the objects in the distance very small.

 

[Don Fischer]

I'd take the 55-250 and the 18-135. Doing that you have 18-250 covered and, outside anyway, unless you got some long shots at animals, it's all covered and the closer shot's covered with the 18mm part of the 18-135. The most used lens I have is an 18-200 on my Nikon and my Panasonic has a 25-250 I think it is. Point and shoot that is always with me and does take really good photo's. Both my Panasonic and Nikon have on camera flash's and indoors, if you can use them I think you'll find your better off having some light of your own with you!

 

[RacePhoto]

I'd say what Don wrote.

These two cover everything from 18mm wide to 250mm tele.

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM on the camera

Canon 55-250 f/4-5.6 IS STM

Most important for travel is lots of batteries and memory cards, and a way to back up all your photos. If you can't carry a laptop, and don't have Internet access, SD cards are cheap! Pick up a dozen before you leave.

 

[10acres]

As of now I have 3 batteries and 3-32gb SD cards and an Apple Lightning SD card adapter. I plan on picking up a few more of the 128gb SD cards. Is 3 batteries enough or should I bring more?

 

[greybeard]

I'd bring the 18-135, 50mm f/1.8 (just for low light) and the 50-250.

 

[RacePhoto]

As of now I have 3 batteries and 3-32gb SD cards and an Apple Lightning SD card adapter. I plan on picking up a few more of the 128gb SD cards. Is 3 batteries enough or should I bring more?

Do you have a charger that you can use, every night? Whatever they say, (400 in reviews) you can probably get at least 250 images on a good, fresh charged battery. All of that depends on flash, features, how much time on, just focusing, and review screen time. But honest, how many pictures will you be taking a day? Do you take video?

That's going to be up to you to determine but three batteries sounds good? You have more than enough cards, and if you just shoot and never delete anything, one card for each day, but still back up, every night, there you are, redundant backup. Cards are cheap now.

I will say something, that I have reminded people before, and since I started shooting film, I have to remind myself. Shoot at least two of everything and maybe three shots. If you are going somewhere that you won't be back, you can't make another shot, once you leave.

Shoot at least three times the images that you think you might want, of everything. Electrons and storage are all reusable and virtually free. You already paid for them?

It's easier to delete an image, than try to rescue one.