What Lens Do I Need?

[EdBickfordCPA]

I'm planning a trip to the Grand Canyon and am thinking about what lenses I may need. I currently have a 18 - 55mm zoom and a 70 - 300mm zoom. What lens would you suggest that I can't be without and should buy for this trip?

Ed
Nikon D60

[Sime]

Personally, I'd take the widest lens possible - Which in my case is the 10mm - 22mm Canon efs lens. I'm sure there are multiple equivalents that will fit your Nikon. Why would I take the 10mm? Well, to get shots that captured the grandeur of the canyon in full... I was looking for a shot from a recent visit to Colca Canyon in Peru which is a touch deeper than the grand canyon... My wide loved that canyon!...

[inkista]

The EF-S 10-22 is a good suggestion, but if you can't afford it, I'd say use your kit lens--it goes pretty wide and does good at landscapes as well. And if you need to go wider, yet, you can always consider stitching photos together.

If you're going to do some pano stitching, basically, just be careful to use manual exposure settings, manual white balancing, and (after focusing), a manual focus setting, to make sure your shots have consistent exposure, color, and DoF so that stitching them together with software like Autostitch or Hugin is easier.

[Pierre81385]

I'd go with the 10-22mm EF-S ($710 at B&H) lens if you shoot Canon. But if you shoot something else, I hear the Sigma 10-20mm ($499 at B&H) is excellent as is the new Tokina 11-16mm ($569.95 at B&H) which features a constant 2.8 aperture!

[inkista]

...or go with the Sigma/Tokina/Tamron superwides if you're planning on taking the lens with you to a full-frame body.

[Osprey]

Ed, shooting with a Nikon, you'll just love the Sigma 10-20mm and it will stand you in good stead for wide sweeping vistas... and it won't break the bank, either.

[HockeyFan]

It sounds to me like the two lenses that you have, which are pretty much what I have, are mostly what you'll need. It might be nice to have a wide angle that is a little more wide than what you have in addition, but if you only two take, the two you have are probably the best choices.

[WooD]

I've hear nothing but great things about the Tokina 12-24 f/4

I was always under the impression Tokina was trash, and never gave them a second thought, but several full time pro's told me different. They claim its sharper than the Nikon.

[MikeM]

I have the same lens set as you (plus a 50mm 1.7) and my next purchase will probably be a 10-20 or 12-24.

But if you're not ready to shell out the cash, there are a few other things you could to to get some memorable photos.

-Trying doing some panoramas. And not just long strings of shots! Do 2x2 or 3x3 grids of photos and stitch them together. Not only will you get huge angles of view, you also get lots of megapixels so you can make very large prints.

-Think about accessories. Do you have a tripod so you can do some early morning and late evening photography? I'm becoming more and more convinced that this is the time to shoot as I keep getting lackluster mid afternoon photographs.

-Get a circular polarizer for your 18-55. This will help cut down on reflections and bring out colors in the large landscapes you'll be shooting.

[Taallyn]

I don't think that you really "need" a new lens for your trip. It will add weight to what you are carrying around with you. The 18-55mm should be fine for most of the things you would want to shoot out there. The 70-300mm obviously makes up for the rest.

If you just absolutely have to have a new lens to take with you, then an ultra wide angle would be nice. The Sigma 10-20mm is well regarded and I have read some really good reviews about the new Toquina 11-16mm. The Nikon equivalent is the Nikkor 12-24mm and is expensive, but built like a tank.

Have fun out there and don't forget to actually enjoy the scenary as well as photograph it.