Good "Travel" Lens

[abliss]

I apologize if this has been posted before - I attempted to search for an answer but didn't really come up with anything that pleased me.

I recently purchased a Canon T2i which came with 18-55mm kit lens. I also have a Canon 50mm f/1.8 II as well. I am going to the Bahamas, Atlantis to be more specific for a week in a few weeks and would like to purchase another lens that may be better suited for travel than that two I have. I like that the 50mm will be of great use in low light situations or when I am inside, but what about outside? Since I've never been to the Bahamas before, I'm not exactly sure what I'll be taking pictures of but I'd like a lens that I can continue using a great deal even when I return home to Kansas I'm into macro (but haven't the money to purchase a dedicated lens), shooting flowers, waterfalls, landscapes as that's what is mainly in Kansas, haha

I started photography using a Canon film SLR so I am familiar with the concepts of taking a picture but I'm not very familiar with glass; I only used the kit lens when I did film.

I don't have a large budget either. Someone had previously mentioned that Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS Telephoto Zoom Lens, as a good lens that doesn't cost a lot, but I haven't seen many reviews on it or examples of photos taken with it.

[ceremus]

If you're unsure of what focal lengths you need, or you just want a single lens to cover a large focal range, you could do the EF-S 18-200mm. It's not bad quality for a superzoom. You could buy it outright, or just rent it for a week or two. Though keep in mind it isn't a fast lens and best used in the daylight, especially since you'll want to be shooting at f/8 at the telephoto end to get optimal sharpness.

Personally I've found when I travel I utilize wide-angle to normal focal lengths the most, so a standard zoom works just fine for me. I don't typically use the telephoto lengths unless I'm trying to shoot wildlife. The last time I took a trip I hardly used any lens other than my EF-S 17-55mm.

[Woody]

Originally Posted by abliss

I don't have a large budget either. Someone had previously mentioned that Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS Telephoto Zoom Lens, as a good lens that doesn't cost a lot, but I haven't seen many reviews on it or examples of photos taken with it.

There are a range of 18-200mm carry lens from Canon, Sigma and Tamron. All within a relatively cheap price range.

I recently bought a Sigma 18-200 F3.5 lens, not the best in the world but is great for what I want, and it was cheap Just read a comparison in a UK photography magazine (Digital Camera World - August 2011 free digital magazines downloads HotMags.net) and they rated the Tamron 18-270 as best value for money in the category.

My canon EFS 18-135 is sharper but just doesn't have the focal length I'm after. My ideal combination would be 24-70L 2.8 plus a 70-200L 2.8 Mk11 with a 1.4x extender, but big bucks.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

John W

[sk66]

Originally Posted by Woody

My ideal combination would be 24-70L 2.8 plus a 70-200L 2.8 Mk11 with a 1.4x extender, but big bucks.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

John W

Ideal for what? I own those lenses (Nikon) and TC..... I also own a 28-300 (18-200 DX) because carrying the other (heavy) kit can be less than ideal.

For general "walk around" I agree, get on of the super zooms....

[Doug Pardee]

I do mainly travel/vacation photography. I have only the 17-85 IS lens, and I've never felt the need for anything longer. Most of the time it's in the 17-30mm range. Landscapes are rarely shot with anything much tighter than "normal", which is about 30mm on a 1.6x camera.

As ceremus noted, your kit lens should do the job, focal-length-wise. If you need tighter, you can crop your photos when you get home. Of course, if you're looking for an excuse to buy a new lens...

[abliss]

Originally Posted by Doug Pardee

As ceremus noted, your kit lens should do the job, focal-length-wise. If you need tighter, you can crop your photos when you get home. Of course, if you're looking for an excuse to buy a new lens...

As I was walking around this morning while out shooting, I thought this. The kit lens will get me by for what I'll be doing and the nifty fifty will be a great one to use if I am indoors or in low light situations. I have found that I like the kit lens and eventually will upgrade, but I think I'm going to wait

[Woody]

Originally Posted by sk66

Ideal for what? I own those lenses (Nikon) and TC..... I also own a 28-300 (18-200 DX) because carrying the other (heavy) kit can be less than ideal.

For general "walk around" I agree, get on of the super zooms....

Ideal for me.






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Cheers,

John W

[sk66]

Ah....gear lust.

I own, have owned some of the very "best" pro gear....I will still choose to use a super zoom or even a P&S. Nothing is ever "ideal" for everything.

BTW, my "keeper rate", and possibly even the overall quality of my pics, was unaffected by the "pro gear". I just have fewer limitations to work around in certain situations.

[Woody]

Originally Posted by sk66

Ah....gear lust.

I own, have owned some of the very "best" pro gear....I will still choose to use a super zoom or even a P&S. Nothing is ever "ideal" for everything.

BTW, my "keeper rate", and possibly even the overall quality of my pics, was unaffected by the "pro gear". I just have fewer limitations to work around in certain situations.

Nah not gear lust. Just plain lens envy.

I bought some new golf clubs and immediately became a better golfer, so I reckon with a couple of L lenses my photography will be awesome.


Cheers,

John W

[sk66]

Originally Posted by Woody

I bought some new golf clubs and immediately became a better golfer, so I reckon with a couple of L lenses my photography will be awesome.

LOL! Can't hurt I guess.