Walk around lens again, lets be clear here: I have to say, IMO don't ask about a lens to "walk about" without some qualifications. Do you have full frame or DX. Are you trying to get...

par4fore Loc: Bay Shore N.Y.

I have to say, IMO don't ask about a lens to "walk about" without some qualifications. Do you have full frame or DX. Are you trying to get everything from a cruse ship in its entirety to an eagle a mile away, are you shooting everything you see or creating art? Are you documenting everything on a trip or looking for that one in a thousand photo to print?
And as far as giving recommendations 18-300 vs. 200-500 vs 70-200 or a 50mm, it really depends doesn't it??

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

A walk around lens is an individual volition.
What is good for one person may not be good for another.
It's an individual's preference for their favorite lens with which they to do most of their shooting.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

par4fore wrote:

I have to say, IMO don't ask about a lens to "walk about" without some qualifications. Do you have full frame or DX. Are you trying to get everything from a cruse ship in its entirety to an eagle a mile away, are you shooting everything you see or creating art? Are you documenting everything on a trip or looking for that one in a thousand photo to print?
And as far as giving recommendations 18-300 vs. 200-500 vs 70-200 or a 50mm, it really depends doesn't it??

Yes. Anticipation is a frustration sometimes!

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

par4fore wrote:

I have to say, IMO don't ask about a lens to "walk about" without some qualifications. Do you have full frame or DX. Are you trying to get everything from a cruse ship in its entirety to an eagle a mile away, are you shooting everything you see or creating art? Are you documenting everything on a trip or looking for that one in a thousand photo to print?
And as far as giving recommendations 18-300 vs. 200-500 vs 70-200 or a 50mm, it really depends doesn't it??

I walk around, I carry lenses. My grab bag has six lenses in it, so I guess they are all walk around lenses.

That includes being local or Paris or Berlin or Santiago. Everything presents different opportunities....

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

par4fore wrote:

I have to say, IMO don't ask about a lens to "walk about" without some qualifications. Do you have full frame or DX. Are you trying to get everything from a cruse ship in its entirety to an eagle a mile away, are you shooting everything you see or creating art? Are you documenting everything on a trip or looking for that one in a thousand photo to print?
And as far as giving recommendations 18-300 vs. 200-500 vs 70-200 or a 50mm, it really depends doesn't it??

You are absolutely correct. The question is ambiguous, and the answers become meaningless.
On a cruise ship, I walk around with a 28-300. In the streets where I live, I walk around with a 35mm. In the park, taking pictures of grandkids, I walk around with a 70-200. And so it goes.

whwiden

par4fore wrote:

I have to say, IMO don't ask about a lens to "walk about" without some qualifications. Do you have full frame or DX. Are you trying to get everything from a cruse ship in its entirety to an eagle a mile away, are you shooting everything you see or creating art? Are you documenting everything on a trip or looking for that one in a thousand photo to print?
And as far as giving recommendations 18-300 vs. 200-500 vs 70-200 or a 50mm, it really depends doesn't it??

Yes. To me, a walk around lens is whatever lens you would use to get 80 or 90% of the shots you want without changing lenses. In some cases, that might be a simple 50mm lens. In other cases, something like a 24-85mm lens, etc. In other cases still, something like a 28-300mm. It just depends on what situations you think you will encounter and what images you hope to capture. Unless you are looking to shoot sports or wildlife, a superzoom like a 28-300 is not strictly needed--though it might be nice as insurance to have the extra reach. Usually 120mm or certainly 200mm equivalent is more than sufficient. On the wide end, sometimes 28mm is not wide enough--like in narrow city streets. I suppose that is why some take two cameras: one with a wide lens or wide zoom and one with a longer lens. The truth is, one does not really need to fill in all the gaps if one is using two cameras. A 28mm and an 85mm or a 90mm will likely cover it. A single 24-85 is easily sufficient for most uses.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Kmgw9v wrote:

You are absolutely correct. The question is ambiguous, and the answers become meaningless.

Not at all. The answers tell us something about the responder and something about the technology s/he has available.

Four years ago, when we first moved to South Bend, I was using an 18-55mm lens on my Canon Rebel, plus a something-300mm lens in my bag. I wanted to carry less around, so I purchased an 18-270mm lens and used just it. However, that arrangement involved more compromises than I had realized. My Rebel died roughly 1-1/2 years later, and by that time I had switched back to the two lens package.

The Pentax K-30 I purchased to replace the Rebel was kitted with another 18-55mm lens, but unlike the Canon lenses, this lens had no AF motor, depending on the body's AF motor instead. I disliked this arrangement, so I purchased their 18-135mm lens, which does have an in-lens motor, so that has been my walk-around lens for the past two years.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

IWTCIMWALBTASMPWDNLTTTIWTANFTVOOFDUACIMWALATWSTCWTNTOTP

I-want-to-call-it-my-walk-around-lens-but-there-are-so-many-people-who-do-not-like-the-term-that-I-will-take-a-note-from-the-vocabulary-of-our-friends-down-under-and-call-it-my-walk-about-lens-and-that-will-satisfy-the-controversy-within-the-next-twenty-or-thirty-pages

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

rehess wrote:

Not at all. The answers tell us something about th... (show quote)

You are correct. The responses are telling even though the term "walk around" is not definitive.

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

par4fore wrote:

I have to say, IMO don't ask about a lens to "walk about" without some qualifications. Do you have full frame or DX. Are you trying to get everything from a cruse ship in its entirety to an eagle a mile away, are you shooting everything you see or creating art? Are you documenting everything on a trip or looking for that one in a thousand photo to print?
And as far as giving recommendations 18-300 vs. 200-500 vs 70-200 or a 50mm, it really depends doesn't it??

What about the differences between a walk around lens and a WALK ABOUT lens? For me, I will stick with my trusty Nikon 10 mm to 3000 mm lens as a all purpose lens.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

Longshadow wrote:

A walk around lens is an individual volition.
What is good for one person may not be good for another.
It's an individual's preference for their favorite lens with which they to do most of their shooting.

Very excellent answer

pjarbit Loc: Detroit, Michigan

When I travel, I like to take architectural and site photography. I used to bring a bunch of lenses, but now only carry 16-35 IS II on canon 5d mark 3. I'm surprised that I haven't seen anyone else with this choice. At 35mm there is little distortion. Wide open I can take the inside of a church or synagogue from stem to stern without worry. Photoshop can handle some distortion if there is any. I used to fight between 24-70 and 24 -105 but now there is no fight. Plus, when there is a group of 30+ people who want a group shot, I'm not backing up to the next town to get them all in.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

billnikon wrote:

What about the differences between a walk around lens and a WALK ABOUT lens? For me, I will stick with my trusty Nikon 10 mm to 3000 mm lens as a all purpose lens.

Same connotation, different words.

cthahn

There is no such thing as a walk around lens. Walk around what? A mountain or a flag pole.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

cthahn wrote:

There is no such thing as a walk around lens. Walk around what? A mountain or a flag pole.

Sure there is. It's a nick-name for your favorite, most used lens.