rpavich Loc: West Virginia

I've seen quite a few people ask "what's a good walkaround lens" for me?

And then the answers gotten range from extreme zooms ( The canon 5mm-1400mm f/2.8) :) to primes (Just slap a 50mm on there and zoom with your feet!) :)


I've never understood the idea of trying to get one lens to do everything possible from extreme macro closeups to 1/2 mile away shots....or even try to do that. Or that a person can't take 20 seconds to change lenses...at least for me...there aren't that many serious photography emergencies in my area.

I guess I think about it backwards; I think about what I'm going to shoot, then I decide on what lenses might help in that regard; i.e. portraits with a blurry background, panos where everything is sharp, wide angle street photos, etc and then I choose based on what I set out to do.

If I find myself out on the street shooting portraits with an 85mm, and a beautiful scenic vista opens up and I wish I had my 14mm to "get it all in" I just change gears and do what the 85mm does best...isolates part of that beautiful scene, and I don't worry about what I'm not able to do.


Now granted, I take more than one lens out when I shoot but I don't take them all! :) I don't fret over what I can't get, but make the most of what I can....and in my opinion, making a shot with what you have makes you a better photographer overall...you've overcome some limitation and adapted to a situation.

Ok..rant over. Not sure I made my thoughts clear but...fire away.

JR1 Loc: Tavistock, Devon, UK

Actually you have a good point.

I have personally not understood, other than a "marketing" ploy what a "walkabout" lens is, I have never needed nor wanted one. It is another new concept.

99.9999% of the time I KNOW what I am going to shoot and take the gear for that, however I usually carry three Lowepro backpacks in the car, lenses, bodies and flash.

IF and I may be this summer I do go out for a "walk" surely it depends on what YOU shoot.

My walkabout lens/es would be Nikkor 18-105 and Sigma 150-500 or at a push Nikkor 28-300

But then I have never seen a need for a 50mm when I have a 28-300

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

I love your ideas about not worrying about what you're not able to do (with the gear you have) and to make the most of what you can because it makes you a better photographer.

I read something similar in another topic awhile ago. And to me it puts the emphasis back on creativity and composition, with less on technical perfection. Someone just wrote in the contest thread that they would judge an entry by technical aspects first (including focus and exposure), whereas to me it would always be the art as #1.

jcox Loc: Northern Missouri

very good point- I think that would make a person a better photographer.

JR1 Loc: Tavistock, Devon, UK

So these aren't you then

Images courtesy of Google images

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

Lol...you made my day!

JR1 Loc: Tavistock, Devon, UK

Looooove the knee pads

ziggykor Loc: East Texas

Whatever lens I have mounted to the body while walking around!

Acountry330 Loc: Dothan,Ala USA

My walk around lens is what ever I have mounted on my Nikon at the time.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

By the way...I'll illustrate what I'm talking about.

This morning i went to Denny's for some coffee. I took my 14mm ultra wide and my 35mm wide angle lens because I was going to shoot a few wide shots or pano's.

Well....I got to Denny's and it was cloudy. Now in my area, Denny's has wooden blinds that they can close to keep the sun out and at one point, the sun broke through the clouds and streamed through the window at a low angle...as soon as I saw that I grabbed my 35mm lens as it was the longer of my two lenses and I wanted to isolate the coffee cup from the people (the place was packed)

I opened up the aperture as wide as it would go, and got as close as I could to blur as much of the background as I could.

Sure, normally I'd have used my 85mm lens or my 135mm lens for isolating that coffee cup but I didn't have them with me so i did what I could with what I had.

That's what I mean.

selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA

Very clear and a good point.

It's like going on a hunt and picking a "walkaround" gun. If you don't have some idea what you want to bring home, there is no zoom gun that will cover your needs.

Besides, carrying a camera might spoil a good walk.

wannabe Loc: Baton Rouge Louisiana

Now granted, I take more than one lens out when I shoot but I don't take them all! I don't fret over what I can't get, but make the most of what I can....and in my opinion, making a shot with what you have makes you a better photographer overall...you've overcome some limitation and adapted to a situation.

Being a rookie with limited resourses I would agree. Trying to learn so I shoot what I can with what I have.

JR1 Loc: Tavistock, Devon, UK

Personally I really tend to have 2 cameras with me, 28-300 and 150-500 as I don't shoot landsacpes

charles brown Loc: Tennesse

I agree with rapavich and everyone else about the idea of a so called walk around lens. Like everyone I think ahead about what kinds of photographs I will be taking and use the appropriate lens. If something new comes up then I make do with what I have. I think the idea of a walk around lens comes with the digital age. If a camera body can do everything and think for you then why can't one lens be used to do everything. I think that If someone uses something like a 18-300 as their main and perhaps only lens then they might as well have gotten one of the new bridge cameras. One of the biggest criticism that I have seen teaching professionals make of newbies is their failure to use their legs instead of relying on the lens.

JR1 Loc: Tavistock, Devon, UK

30+ years ago in Amateur Photographer there was a comment that went something like this.

For everyone contemplating the purchase of either a wide angle or telephoto lens remember, for a wide angle shot walk further away, for a telephoto shot walk closer to the subject.

OK OK I know this may not be practical but I have seen photographers go wide angle for a building when they could have gone back 50'