Walking-around lens for vacation?

[Iridium]

My family has a vacation to Disneyland coming up in a couple of months, and it'll be my little girl's first big vacation. Needless to day my 40D is going to be getting loads of pictures of her and the family (in-laws. ).

My shutterbuggery has led me to own four lenses: a macro which is obviously useless here, the classic 50mm f/1.8, the kit-lens 18-55mm from my old XTi, and my beloved-but-huge 70-200mm F/4L. Usually the latter two cover all of my non-portrait needs, but I'd rather not be carrying two lenses at a theme park and I definitely want to try to save some weight. With an upcoming bonus coming from work (YES!) I've decided to look at bridging the gap between my crappy wide-angle and my big zoom.

And so I ask for opinions from those more experienced than I. I can either go for the 24-105mm F/4L for around $1100, or the faster but less-zoomy 24-70mm F/2.8L for $1500ish. Each is fantastic, I know, but for folks who get out of the house more often, which is more useful: a bit of extra zoom, or the speed?

Any advice is appreciated, as is recommendations for others I haven't listed here. My budget would max out at the $1500-ish mark though, as the rest of that bonus needs to go towards the house I'm afraid. Thanks!

[equilution]

IMHO...definitely the zoom with the 24-105. You're going to be outside, so you'll have plenty of light. Also keep in mind, what would be more useful to you when you get back. If outside, f/4 is good, and if inside, you can always flash. I shoot Nikon, and the best one-lens walkaround I think is the 24-85 (vs the crappy 24-120), so you've already got an advantage having the 24-105. $1100 sounds pricey for a 24-105. Another thing you might consider is "renting" both lenses from borrowlenses.com, or someplace like that for a week. Take 'em for a test ride at Disney, then make your decision.

Just my 1/50th of a dollar.

[Iridium]

I rounded up the prices after just checking on Adorama. I'm sure I can find used and refurbs and the like, but the bargain shopping will come once I've decided what to bargain shop for.

[Doug Pardee]

Just speaking personally, I'd leave the DSLR at home and take a pocketable digicam. There's nothing at Disneyland that is going to inspire large prints—everything there has been photographed millions of times—and a digicam can easily handle the masses of 4x6 prints and the occasional 5x7 or 8x10.

It's hard to take any time to set up photos at Disneyland, because the people who want to move past won't wait very long. You need to snap and go. Also, it's a lot less stressful to hand a digicam to some stranger to take a picture of the whole family than to hand over a 40D with an L lens, and what kind of family pictures would they be if you're not in any of them? This kind of outing is where a digicam really shines: snapshots of special moments.

You'll be doing a lot of walking and standing at Disneyland, and a 40D with a good lens is going to be heavy. You'll also be having to worry about protecting the camera from the hazards inherent in a thick mob of people that includes children eating snacks of various kinds, and carrying it into the restrooms with you, and taking it on rides, and figuring out where to stash it when you're dining at a table.

Many people do take their SLRs and DSLRs to Disneyland. I did it myself. Once.

[equilution]

Originally Posted by Doug Pardee

Just speaking personally, I'd leave the DSLR at home and take a pocketable digicam. There's nothing at Disneyland that is going to inspire large prints—everything there has been photographed millions of times—and a digicam can easily handle the masses of 4x6 prints and the occasional 5x7 or 8x10.

It's hard to take any time to set up photos at Disneyland, because the people who want to move past won't wait very long. You need to snap and go. Also, it's a lot less stressful to hand a digicam to some stranger to take a picture of the whole family than to hand over a 40D with an L lens, and what kind of family pictures would they be if you're not in any of them? This kind of outing is where a digicam really shines: snapshots of special moments.

You'll be doing a lot of walking and standing at Disneyland, and a 40D with a good lens is going to be heavy. You'll also be having to worry about protecting the camera from the hazards inherent in a thick mob of people that includes children eating snacks of various kinds, and carrying it into the restrooms with you, and taking it on rides, and figuring out where to stash it when you're dining at a table.

Many people do take their SLRs and DSLRs to Disneyland. I did it myself. Once.

Doug DOES make a good point. I also have a Sony 10mgpxl PnS that I take out for quick snapshots. It's a balance between the versatility of having your DSLR vs how the PnS will limit you. I personally don't mind taking my DSLR out on family excursions with one good lens on it. I don't mind the weight (and mine's a D3, usually with the 85 f/1.4), and really have not been affected by having it with me. Plus, I don't take it out so I can get large prints afterward. The benefit lies in being able to get in close with the 24-105 as opposed to being limited to ~35mm with a digicam.

[sk66]

S90/ g11 @ $500

[Iridium]

Originally Posted by Doug Pardee

Just speaking personally, I'd leave the DSLR at home and take a pocketable digicam.

You make several excellent points here, and thanks for the reminders.

1- I don't have a pocketable digicam, actually. It was when the last one broke down that I tried out an SLR and became a permanent convert. Haven't had need for one, but it's something to look into.

2- We'll be out there with my in-laws, and not just my wife's parents. She'll also have a pair of sisters, one of which is a shutterbug herself, so at the least if we need a sub-family shot she could handle it with my camera. As for a group shot, well, I'll let them work that part out. And with the grandparents handy I likely won't have the chance to have to worry about my kid. They'll confiscate her the moment we're in the gate.

3- Not too worried about walking around with it all day. I do weekend-long sci-fi conventions that are probably even more thoroughly jam-packed than Disneyland, though that's not to say it's not a concern at all. Food for thought.

I have to say one of the reasons I intended to have the 40D with me was that it's distinctly faster and better at getting those 'special moments' when they occur. Most of the rest of my family with PnSs have to have everyone hold still for a bit while the thing takes the shot. My mom's camera is a perfect example of this: she's entirely unable to get a shot of my kid unless she's standing still, and while she's struggling to get the kid to settle for a minute, I've gotten eight or nine shots of the kid running rings around Grammy at full-tilt. It seemed like a more useful choice for that alone, because good luck at getting my super-kinetic daughter and her slightly-less-kinetic cousin to SIT STILL DAMMIT for a bit.

But yeah. I'll ponder the logistics a bit more.

[slsphotos]

Originally Posted by Doug Pardee

It's hard to take any time to set up photos at Disneyland, because the people who want to move past won't wait very long. You need to snap and go. Also, it's a lot less stressful to hand a digicam to some stranger to take a picture of the whole family than to hand over a 40D with an L lens, and what kind of family pictures would they be if you're not in any of them? This kind of outing is where a digicam really shines: snapshots of special moments.

You'll be doing a lot of walking and standing at Disneyland, and a 40D with a good lens is going to be heavy. You'll also be having to worry about protecting the camera from the hazards inherent in a thick mob of people that includes children eating snacks of various kinds, and carrying it into the restrooms with you, and taking it on rides, and figuring out where to stash it when you're dining at a table.

Many people do take their SLRs and DSLRs to Disneyland. I did it myself. Once.

I have to agree with that (up until 4 years ago, I lived in Huntington Beach - about 20mi. from DL). Esp if you're there with kids- they won't want to stop for more than a second, & quite honestly, you won't have more than a second's time if you really want to try & get your money's worth. If you really want to take it, I'd suggest using a P&S for 99% of the day & keep the SLR in a locker until you're ready to snap your group shot in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle. Hope you enjoy your trip!

[inkista]

I do the Disneyland thing, and the P&S advice is good. I'm weird, because I have a motion-sickness disorder that keeps me off the rides, so I can go with the full bag and shoot like the dickens while everybody else is waiting in line.

I'd actually recommend not getting a new lens. You already have what you need: the 18-55 and the 50/1.8. The 50/1.8 in particular comes in handy in the theatre-like attractions, like "Honey I Shrunk the Audience", Turtle Talk with Crush or (godhelpusall) the Tiki Room.

Disneyland is built on a smaller scale with some false perspectives (like a movie set) that's ideal for wide-angle photography. You won't really need a telephoto. Especially if you're on the rides with family members. And you're going to need gear that fits in those little net holders in front of your seat if you're going on, say, the Indiana Jones Adventure. Trust me, you cannot comfortably stuff an SLR with 24-105 mounted in one of those, nor will you be happy with how not-padded that net is. Remember, too, a few rides like the Pirates of the Caribbean and Splash Mountain can get you wet, too.

Hence the P&S recommendations everybody's giving you. Dizzyland can induce some severe sensory overload and logistical juggling. Better to simplify and enjoy, and leave the big gear/tripod in the locker for the night shooting of the fireworks or Fantasmic! or whatever.

Unless you're stuck not going on the rides, like me. In which case, I can highly recommend loading up, getting a Sigma 8mm circular fisheye and a light travel tripod and Nodal Ninja and learning to stitch cubic panos and make stereographic little planets.

[raylfreeman]

+1 on the S90