amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

What LENSES do you already have?

Are you traveling by car? By air?

Need to know those things to give useful advice.

If weight is no problem (travel by car), I'd recommend taking three or four lenses:

- A general purpose, "walk-around" lens. Nikon 18-105mm or 18-140mm a couple good options. The Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 is a big aperture (but limited focal length range) alternative, if needed.

- Wide angle for scenics. Nikon 10-20mm is a very hard to beat value for just a little over $300.

- Telephoto for wildlife. Nikon 80-400mm, Tamron or Sigma 100-400mm, Nikon 200-500mm, Sigma/Tamron 150-600mm are all possibilities.

- Macro lens? Optional... I recommend something around 90, 100, 105mm as a good compromise of working distance versus hand-holdability. Many to choose from. Or for infrequent close-ups, it might be okay to just get macro extension tubes and use with one of those "walk-around" lenses set to around 100mm.

woodyH

WoodyH agrees with Stephen, altho my low-light lens is a 24mm f2.8. On this trip you will have really good dark skies (if there is no moon). You might add a 20mm for astro-photography, a small, pocketable mini-tripod, a remote, hands-free, release, and a fairly powerful LED light for painting foreground objects during long night sky exposures. My LED slides onto my ball-cap visor, has two powers settings, a sliding focusing ring, and 3 slip-on color filters (red is the traditional for protecting against night blindness, but I find green light tells me more about the rocks and plants on a trail at night).
Another issue, on a guided, small-group tour, is compactness and accessibility. Backpacks are popular at home but in a travel-van often intrude on the other guy/seating companion's space, particularly when loading/unloading.
I found I prefer to work from a vest, storing stuff in a cubic, top-opening worker's lunch pail, sitting between my legs on the floor while traveling. I have 2 large, perfectly fitting Glad-type plastic boxes stacked in a cooler ( 12-can, for my Olympus kit, 18-can for aps-c Canon); drinks, snacks, sunscreen, Hydrocortizone in outside pockets; flash, spare batteries, remote, filters, 1 lens in bottom Glad; 1 body with long lens, 1 body with wide-angle in top Glad. Background felt, colored cards, shaving mirror (which has 1/4-20 nut glued to its back for tripod mounting, to bounce light to a flower), and foil aluminum reflector in top panel. Binoculars fit in the space left-over by the Glads.
Then, of course, to be really light-traveling, get an all-in-one camera, something like a Panasonic FZ1000, with a 20-400mm, and know that you'll miss a couple of pictures because the camera is not quite as fast, or the sensor not so large— and have less stress and more fun!

horizonphototours Loc: From Montana but living in Southern Utah

I live near Zion and shoot regularly at these places and can help but what lenses do you have already? How/what do you like to shoot? So far everyone has recommended 14-400mm and every lens combo so I'm not sure if you're confused more now😂

You'll likely shoot way more telephoto than you expect and I'd recommend using 1 body, not 2. Too much gear and it bogs you down.

DeanS Loc: Capital City area of North Carolina

Tamron has an 18-400 f3.5 for crop bodies. This covers a lot of territory, reasonable prioce, and produces reasonable images.

Toolking Loc: Pacific Northwest

I agree. Thats what I used on the same trip.

Terry in Indiana Loc: rural Indiana

Thanks for your reply! I see you do photo workshops in that area, so I really value your opinion. If it helps (several responders have asked), we are going to the north rim of the Grand Canyon and this trip is geared toward photographers.

Some of the replies are not helpful...my camera bodies are both Nikon D500 and I'm not buying another camera for the trip. :) But I am thinking of renting a 14-24 mm/f2.8 to take. Will that be a good choice for the landscapes?

For wildlife I have these options: 70-200 (my favorite lens...but sometimes I wish it were longer!), 80-400, 200-500 (very heavy for me as I am a 65-year-old woman), and a 500 prime. I also do have a 1.4 converter that works well on my 70-200 but seems to slow focus on the 80-400.

Also, I'm not a big fan of tripods but I do have one. Should I take it?

We usually go on wildlife-centered trips, so this is a little out of my normal shooting zone. I am hoping to get some wildlife shots as well.

I do acknowledge your advice for one body...I am just taking a second body as a back-up but don't plan to carry 2 around. We won't be doing hard-core hiking. Also at Bryce, we'll be doing a helicopter trip.

Thanks so much for any recommendations!

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

While it would certainly be possible to put a 14-24 to good use, IMO, a 24-105 would be very much more useful. As I mentioned earlier, the tripod would be useful for multi-image panos - if you have never done these, this would be a very opportune time to try this - you will marvel at the details available by doing this - shooting between 35 and 50mm in the vertical orientation during the pan. As already mentioned, make sure you have a Polarizer for your main use lens.

kcooke Loc: Alabama

Honestly, a Nikkor 10-20 dx lens would work well on your D500 and it would be a lot less weight than the full frame 12-24.
I would be more worried about covering the focal length from 24-70mm. But this may not be a concern to your type of photography.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Yes, I forgot you are on crop frame ....so 16-80 ....instead of 24-105 and panos using 24-30mm ...

MT native Loc: Big Sky Country — Montana

On my D7500, my go to all-around lens for landscape images is the Tamron 16-300mm. I've taken many images of Utah & Arizona National Parks and couldn't be happier with the results.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

If you are driving take then all, then you can figure it out in a few shots.

KenProspero

Grand Canyon -- I'd go as wide as you could (in my case it would be the Nikon 17-35 f/2.8). Otherwise, whatever general purpose travel lens you have (in my case, it's the Nikon Z 24-200 f/4-6.3). I'm not saying you won't want a longer lens, but I think this would be the sweet spot as far as weight/versatility.

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

Am 18-140 is what I used mostly in all three. A longer lens will be good in Bryce to zoom in on the hoodoos and some bridges. There is usually some deer around the entrance to Bryce also.

In Zion, same thing. Long lense to zoom in especially on climbers. I've seen big both there too. If it's good weather is try to get a pass to hike too the narrows. Get some good water shoes so you don't slip and drop camera in the water. Add a sling to a tripod to carry in.

All three are great landscape and piano spots.


Good luck.

kcooke Loc: Alabama

I last hiked the narrows and the virgin river in 1999. At that time no passes were needed. Just go and do it. The water was chest high in some places. We hiked in 3 1/2 miles and back out. It was amazing but I would not carry an expensive camera on that hike unless you don’t care what happens to it.

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

The water is not always that deep. I've not heard of people being allowed in when it's that deep. That's too dangerous, they told me. Any sign of rain they don't let people in either.