DJphoto Loc: SF Bay Area

We are going on our first cruise soon, on Viking Ocean. We are leaving from Bergen Norway, going to the Arctic Circle, then to the Shetland and Orkney Islands, Edinburgh and ending up in London for 3 days (17 days total). We have at least one excursion in each port. I have a Canon 80D and four lenses:
• EF-S 18-135 IS USM
• EF-S 10-18 IS STM
• EF 50 STM
• EF 70-300 IS II USM
Should I bring all of them? My thought is the 18-135 will get the most use, but I may get some use from the others as well. I may want the reach of the 70-300 when we’re cruising off-shore (not sure if we’ll be able to see land for much of it though) and when we are up high on some of the tours (such as above Bergen and Geiranger). I suspect I will want the 10-18 for many of the scenery shots. We are going to be in some castles, including the Tower of London in the evening. I’m considering not bringing the 50mm is F/1.8, which is faster than any of the others, but since it doesn’t have image stabilization, can I get by with just using the 18-135, crank up the ISO a bit, rely on the IS and save a few lens changes? The 50 is small and light, so that isn’t a problem. I don’t plan on bringing a tripod or monopod; should I reconsider? I made a string tripod as was recently mentioned by Kuzano on the Hog and will bring it. Should I bring my external flash or just rely on the built-in flash? I have the Speedlite 270EX II that only weighs 11 ounces, including 3 sets of AA batteries. However, I suspect most places won’t allow flash anyway. FWIW, not including the EF 50, my camera (sling) bag is about 8 ½ pounds with everything in it (the EF 70-300 is about 1 ½ pounds of that).

I will be shooting RAW + JPEG. I’m planning on taking 8 32GB SD cards (about 800 images each), and a 2 TB external hard drive for daily backup, as well as two 256GB USB thumb drives for a second copy (I also have some space on the SSD in my laptop). If the Wi-Fi on the ship is fast enough, I may upload at least some to Dropbox (my cloud storage) in the evenings. I’ll only reuse cards if I have to. I plan on taking a backup camera (Canon SD1100 IS, 8MP, 4X zoom) and we’ll have our cell phones (Samsung Galaxy S4 and iPhone 10). I still have my Canon SX 40 HS (12MP, 35X zoom) though it’s bigger than I want to carry for just a backup. This is a trip that we likely won’t do again, but it’s a vacation, not a photography trip. I do want to get a lot of good photos though.

I would appreciate any thoughts on this.

traderjohn Loc: New York City

Take the 18-135 leave the rest. Why do you shoot in Raw and Jpeg?

Griff Loc: Warwick U.K.

Will your companion/s be happy waiting, while you spend so much time fiddling about changing lenses and chasing pictures?
Take the 18-135 and RELAX.

jaydoc

Although I like playing with all of my different lenses, I don’t like to make the group wait on me and my camera. On the last cruise we went on, I took 2 bodies and 5 lenses BUT I chose what I was going to shoot with that day and left everything else locked in the safe in my stateroom.
I was able to use my telephoto zoom for castles up on the hillsides one day and my 24mm prime while walking narrow streets another day. Once I carried my FF with a lens mounted and my wife carried my crop sensor with another lens mounted. She used it in auto like a point and shoot and then gave it to me when I wanted it for a particular shot. We had a lot of camera fun without being burdened or burdening to ourselves or others.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

My setup is similar to yours in many ways. I would take them all, including the 50mm, it weighs very little and can be useful. Typically I don't change lenses that frequently, and you can always take a different mix on any given day, leaving the rest in the cabin.

My standard grab bag is a little heavier than yours, but also includes battery grip, 580 EXII, 60mm macro, and a Samyang fisheye. Yet is compact and comfortable.

With a little thinking ahead you should be able to decide which lens is most appropriate and make any changes while the rest of the group is getting organized.

loosecanon Loc: Central Texas

Take only the 18 135. I traveled in Europe with only my 15 85 and got some of the best pictures I've ever taken.

londonfire Loc: NY to NC

I can’t tell you what lenses to take but can only suggest that you do NOT take them all. This is after 30 cruises from barges to QM2.

phlash46 Loc: Westchester County, New York

Take the 18-135 and the 50 and enjoy yourself.

rcarol

I've traveled in Europe extensively. I would definitely take the 18-135mm but I would also take the 10-18mm as well. It's small, lightweight and you will use it a lot for photographing interiors.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Yes. A little planning and forethought and you don't inconvenience other people, but you still have the tools for the job, which with only the 18-135 will mean there are shots that you cannot do. Perhaps the question for the OP is how often does he use each of his lenses and for what? This cruise itinerary has a very diverse set of situations and opportunities from the photographic perspective. Frequently there are different choices of tours with cruises in each port of call, and also the option to go off by yourself and wander about and regroup at a given time.It may depend how comfortable you may be with being a little 'adventuresome'.

If this is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity you will probably regret it if you don't have the lenses and visualize an image that the lens that you don't have is what you need. Once again, it is frequently about thinking ahead, maybe doing some research - ask the tour guide - about what the places you are going to are like, and then selecting the appropriate tools. On most organized tours there is a lot of futzing around and time wasted, which can be used for choosing the right lenses and setting the camera for the type of photography you expect. It probably depends whether you are proactive or reactive as a person, and can prepare ahead of time for a potential opportunity or wait until you see something and have to swap things around.

BTW, my brother-in-law lives in Bergen, I'm familiar with several of the Hebridean Islands, Edinburgh, and London - I'm a Brit living in San Francisco. Most of my recent trips have been business related, much by air travel, but if there is any chance of photography my grab bag goes with me, and all my photo gear has to fit under the seat.

Good luck

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Yes, the 10-18 fits in a pocket. If only three lenses, the 18-135 and 70-300 in addition will cover many things. The 50mm will fit in another pocket, and the 270 EX could be stuffed somewhere!

DJphoto Loc: SF Bay Area

Thanks for your thoughts. I'm afraid I'd miss at least the 10-18, and it doesn't take much space. Why RAW + JPEG? This my first camera that can shoot RAW. I only shot JPEG until about 3 months ago. I have a busy life and other hobbies and have been satisfied with the JPEGs from my 80D. I decided that I want to make sure that I get the best photos on this trip, so I started RAW + JPEG on our trip to Hawaii in March. I am going to start learning Lightroom this week.

DJphoto Loc: SF Bay Area

Thanks for your thoughts. I will only change lenses when I absolutely need to and will not slow the group down. Most of the time, I expect to be using the 18-135. I'm going to try to remain focused on the vacation part.

DJphoto Loc: SF Bay Area

Thanks for your input. Since I only have one DSLR, that isn't an issue. My wife will be snapping with her iPhone. I only change lenses when I really need to and will try to bring only what I need on each tour or wander; no need to carry the 70-300 when I don't need it. I can fit the camera with one lens attached and two others in my sling bag. Some of the tours go to widely varied places, such as a ride on a Viking ship replica and small villages on the same tour in Molde. I don't want to miss "that one shot," but it IS a vacation.

DJphoto Loc: SF Bay Area

Those are along the lines I was thinking. Thanks!