Lens Choices
Sep 8, 2021 13:07:53 #
Stan,
As much as the short lenses will be useful, I'd never leave on a trip like this with only 55mm of reach. Just when you think you aren't going to shoot wildlife, there it is...right in front of you...and you don't have the right lens with you. Also, you'd be surprised how many good landscape images are shot with a telephoto lenses. I would never take a trip of this caliber without bringing my best and most complete compliment of my gear.
Bill
As much as the short lenses will be useful, I'd never leave on a trip like this with only 55mm of reach. Just when you think you aren't going to shoot wildlife, there it is...right in front of you...and you don't have the right lens with you. Also, you'd be surprised how many good landscape images are shot with a telephoto lenses. I would never take a trip of this caliber without bringing my best and most complete compliment of my gear.
Bill
Sep 8, 2021 13:17:17 #
I think you have answered your own question. The 12mm is small and will be very useful for landscapes. The 18-55mm is a must have. You will miss the long lens, it is the heaviest thing so if size and weight are a premium the answer is clear - sneak it into your wife's purse.
Sep 8, 2021 13:46:09 #
Miamark
Loc: Florida
StanMac wrote:
I will be enjoying a two week driving tour of the ... (show quote)
The answer is yes, that kit will do for 95% of your needs; however, I would take all three. The 55-200 is great for mountain ranges, peolple and wildlife. I have this lens and am very familiar with this part of the country. They will fit in a small camera bag. I brought an Xt2 with a 23 mm, 27 mm, 50 mm and 55-200 to Colorado a few weeks ago. (I gave my XE2 with the 18-55 to a friend and bought primes for the Xt2) You probably can get away without the 50-200 but I think that if you are driving, you will regret it. Just so you know, when I was in Colorado the smoke from the California wildfires made it hard to take pictures of the mountains. There was a lot of haze. A few years ago, I took an X-E2 with the 18-55 mm to Colorado and that lens alone was fine for me and I was not driving. I got great pictures of towns, flowers, mountains and people with that lens alone.
Sep 8, 2021 14:22:28 #
wiz302pa
Loc: Henderson, NV
Which sling bag do you use? I like the concept but have not found anything as versatile as a messenger bag; easy access thru the top.
Sep 8, 2021 14:42:28 #
StanMac wrote:
You are right about that Geffory. Multi-image stitching works better for those sweeping distant panoramas. Most use of the ultra-wide will be for cityscapes, I think.
Stan
Stan
I use ultra wides for landscapes they are especially nice for streams and waterfalls, but not always the perfect choice for distant vistas that do better when drawn closer.
Sep 8, 2021 15:04:43 #
I'd leave the longer (and heavier) lens at home, as long as you're not focusing on wildlife. Besides, if you were focusing on wildlife, you'd really need something longer than 200mm, most likely a 500mm lens.
Sep 8, 2021 15:05:33 #
Stan we cancelled our similar Utah Montana Wyoming stint due to covid and smoke. Maybe you'll have better luck. Have great time!
Sep 8, 2021 15:18:12 #
StanMac wrote:
I will be enjoying a two week driving tour of the ... (show quote)
Take all 3. Better to have it and not need it than need it ,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Sep 8, 2021 15:23:22 #
Miamark
Loc: Florida
wiz302pa wrote:
Which sling bag do you use? I like the concept but have not found anything as versatile as a messenger bag; easy access thru the top.
I use a Domke Fx5b most of the time. It is small and will hold the camera, 18-55, the 12 and the 55-200. It is not a sling bag but it is weather resistant. When I want to carry more, I have a small Loewpro backpack. Frankly, the 55-200 is not a heavy lens.
Sep 8, 2021 15:26:11 #
StanMac wrote:
I will be enjoying a two week driving tour of the ... (show quote)
I'd sure hate to live here in Colorado with my longest lens being 55mm. Wildlife is part of the landscape here and you WILL be handed some wildlife opportunities you'll wish you hadn't passed up unless you just like saying, "I'm kickin' my butt..."
Sep 8, 2021 15:38:48 #
I would take the 12mm and the 55-200mm. That way you have wide angle, tele and normal focal lengths available to you.
Sep 8, 2021 16:16:59 #
BadPhoto
Loc: Maryland
StanMac wrote:
I will be enjoying a two week driving tour of the ... (show quote)
I've done many Southwest trips (and I used to live in Colorado, Western Texas, New Mexico, and Southern California.
Our last trip was 24 days in Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado. I shot 2/3 of the time in the 24-80mm full frame equivalent range, 1/10 of the time wider than 24mm, and the rest of the time (about 1/4) longer than 80mm.
While many of the telephoto shots were wildlife, there were a lot of landscape shots at that range as well. It's big, wide open country but sometimes you want detail.
I did shoot wide more than 1/10 of the time, but that was because I was shooting panoramas. Again, to get more detail.
I definitely would not go to the Southwest without a telephoto lens, simply because of the wide open spaces. Otherwise, your shots will start looking the same. And don't rule out wildlife. You never know what you will encounter. I got great shots of a California Condor sitting on a rock at Horseshoe Bend.
Sep 8, 2021 17:35:37 #
boberic wrote:
Take all 3. Better to have it and not need it than need it ,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Sometimes not better. I've made the mistake of bringing along way too many lenses on a lengthy hike. Carrying all those lenses (most that I didn't really need or use) was not a pleasant experience at all.
Sep 8, 2021 18:12:35 #
I'm making the same trip in a few days. Flying to Denver. Cannot manage my usual DSLR's (I'm really old), so I am opting for a Nikon D40X, small, lightweight, fantastic resolution. Nikkor 18-140 mm for sure, maybe some other faster lenses, and maybe a 70-300 mm.. No laptop! Trying a Ravpower hub, but I'm not delighted with the fact it downloads files again that have already been downloaded. Maybe I can figure a way around this using my iPhone?
Sep 8, 2021 18:27:03 #
rwww80a
Loc: Hampton, NH
Only until that unique opportunity presents itself that you will want to say dagnabit, I wish I had brought my big zoom. You have the car, use it to carry the load
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