Al Vocinq Loc: The wilds of upstate New York

I will be going to Belize next month, travelling light. I am trying to decide what of my equipment to bring--I am not in a position to buy anything new. I have a Nikon d5600 with the two kit lenses it came with (18-55 mm and 70-300) and a 1.8 50mm. I also have an older bridge camera, a Panasonic Lumix z70. The Panasonic is fine for what it does, but I want the Nikon for birds in the jungle and Mayan ruins. Part of me says to leave the 50 mm home, but it's so much better in low light, which may be the case in the jungle.
So, I am turning to the experts. Any suggestions?
Thanks

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

If you bring the 18-55mm, you will have a decent range covered. Decide how comfortable you will be carrying the 70-300. It weighs almost a pound and is about 7" when extended. Of course, if you want to shoot small object, like a bird, from a distance, 55mm will not do. You don't want to turn a pleasant trip into an ordeal. Switching lenses in the jungle could be interesting. Whatever you do, make this a vacation, not a professional photographer's assignment.

Have fun and post pictures when you get back.

rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

Rent the Nikkor 28-300. You give up a little on the wide end but really only need one lens.

Seabastes

You don't say how long you will be visiting Belize. But here is my advice based on being a professional travel photographer for over 50 years.

Take the 50 and your Lumix both. There is nothing worse than having a camera fail and not have a backup. The 50 F1.8 might give you an image that your kit lenses being slower might not and is so small it should not be an inconvenience.I'd strongly urge you to have two batteries and a charger for each camera. You can buy a small charger online for under $20 with two batteries. A small belt pack will carry all these items. Add at least a couple of flash cards per camera. You can buy 8 GB cards online from Walmart for about $5 per card. A very famous photographer had a saying "Paranoia Pays". It is good advice.

btbg

Good advice. Can't use a lense you don't take and it would be a shame to not get a photo because you tried to save a few ounces.

Al Vocinq Loc: The wilds of upstate New York

Thank you all for the tips. I had been toying with the idea of bringing my Lumix along as a backup, then I remembered that my adult daughter has the same camera. Then I remembered she might not be inclined to loan it to her old man, so I think there will be two Lumixes (Lumi?) going.
Five years ago we (my wife, and two adult daughters) went to Iceland in January. We were at a rocky beach photographing the ocean when a huge wave started coming in. I started to run backwards, hoping to get a shot as the wave broke. I tripped over a big rock, going down pretty hard. Here's a photo of my daughter running toward me saying, "Protect the camera! Protect the camera!" I still can't decide if she has her priorities correct or not

David in Dallas Loc: Dallas, Texas, USA

I visited Belize in 2009 and took a Nikon D50 with the 18-200VR lens. Most of my shots were at 70mm or below, but there were some at 200mm (BIF shots, mostly, and an iguana).

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

When in Belize this year I took.
1.Nikon D850, Nikon 24-120 mm f4, (Nikon 500 mm 5.6 PF, for wildlife)
2. Sony HX99 with a 24-720 mm Zeiss lens, for standard and panoramic shots
3. Nikon Coolpix AW130 for river rafting

hcmcdole

We went to Belize in 2006 and the camera I took back then was Canon EOS 20D (very small review screen so almost worthless). I had the kit lens and it did a good job. When I went to Cancun in 2012, I just took a small Canon PowerShot 210 for that trip and was very pleased with the results. I also had an Olympus TG-810 for water activities (beach and Xcaret) - it was so-so. Enjoy your trip/vacation.

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

Take your flash and be familiar with using it for fill light. You might have good opportunities for photos of orchids and bromeliads, monkeys, coatis, etc. that might benefit from a little extra light. The rainforest can be too dark to get good photos with the telephoto, but often you will find really neat birds (monkeys, sloths, coatis, etc.) at the forest edges where there is plenty of light. Also, there may be hummingbirds at feeder stations which may have good light - search hummer photos here for suggestions on technique if not familiar.

You didn't say how long or what type of trip. If you will be staying in Belize (and not just day-tripping from a cruise ship) you need to make sure you have Hepatitis A vaccine. You get Hep A from eating food that has been touched by someone who has Hep A (or someone who has a child at home with Hep A). Just like with COVID - older patients and those with pre-existing illnesses are more subject to severe illness, but even if you are previously healthy, Hep A can make you really sick for months.

Be aware of effects of humidity. Taking cold camera and lenses from an air-conditioned room out into the heat and humidity of Central America will cause moisture to condense on - and sometimes inside - your equipment. I simply put my gear inside large zip-lock bags while inside the room and wait 10-15 minutes after outside to allow the equipment to warm up before taking things out into the humidity. You do not have to do the reverse - taking hot gear into a room with AC, where the air is colder and drier, does not cause problems.

chemsaf Loc: San Diego

I am in Belize now. While I shoot primarily underwater, I have learned to always include my flash when wandering about the island we are living on. I urge you to include a flash.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

How about just taking a good bridge camera and covering all your bases, since you mention traveling light?

DebAnn Loc: Toronto

Last time I was in Belize I only had a Canon T3i and an 18-135 mm lens. It took care of the jungle, the ruins, the beach and everything in between.

Al Vocinq Loc: The wilds of upstate New York

Thanks, I appreciate the intel

Al Vocinq Loc: The wilds of upstate New York

Thank you for all that info. I was wondering about the flash--I am glad you mentioned that. Thanks also for the vaccine info. We will be staying there for ten days, at a couple of different places. Thanks for the reminder about humidity, too.