Going to Boston-which lens: My wife and I are going to Lincoln, NH for the fall foliage and then on to Boston for a week. It's our first trip there, and I'm in a dilemma on which...

cwp3420

My wife and I are going to Lincoln, NH for the fall foliage and then on to Boston for a week. It's our first trip there, and I'm in a dilemma on which lenses to bring. I use a Fujifilm X-T2, which is an APS-C sensor. I want to travel with a small bag, and had planned to take my XF50 mm f2 lens for after dark, and my XF16-55mm for walking around. Then I started wondering if the 10-24 should be used in Boston rather than the 16-55. The 16-55 is f2.8, and the 10-24 is f4. Any advice from those who have been there would be very much appreciated.

CaptainC Loc: Colorado, south of Denver

Is there a reason you think lens choice for Boston would be different than for New York, or Chicago, or Des Moines, or St. Louis, or Seattle, or.....

cwp3420

CaptainC wrote:

Is there a reason you think lens choice for Boston would be different than for New York, or Chicago, or Des Moines, or St. Louis, or Seattle, or.....

No really. I have used the 16-55 in New York and Jerusalem, but I know Boston is an old city, if that makes sense. I've never used a 10-24 in a city, though, usually just in landscapes. Thanks, Captain.

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

CWP - Your 50mm provides a 75mm equivilent field of view. The 10-24mm gives a 15 to 36mm equiv. The 16-55mm gives a 24 to approx. 80mm equiv. You might consider leaving the 50mm at home and taking the two zooms. Low light should not be a problem since images from your X-T2 will be quite good up to 6400 ISO. Enjoy your trip!

cwp3420

rjaywallace wrote:

CWP - Your 50mm provides a 75mm equivilent field of view. The 10-24mm gives a 15 to 36mm equiv. The 16-55mm gives a 24 to approx. 80mm equiv. You might consider leaving the 50mm at home and taking the two zooms. Low light should not be a problem since images from your X-T2 will be quite good up to 6400 ISO. Enjoy your trip!

Thanks. We're looking forward to it!

repleo Loc: Boston

cwp3420 wrote:

My wife and I are going to Lincoln, NH for the fal... (show quote)

I would bring the 16-55. Otherwise you are leaving a big gap between 24mm and 50mm. The 16-55 should be plenty wide for both leaf peeping and streetscapes and you will be glad of the f2.8 for isolating details. I suggest you bring a tripod also for night shots. The Boston waterfront from in front of the Federal Courthouse is a favorite spot for blue hour / night shots. The 'North End' restaurant neighborhood is lively and atmospheric at night. Check the Boston area TV News sites for New England foliage maps for the best colors starting in a couple of weeks. If you time it right, a nice drive would be to head east on the Kancamagus Trail from Lincoln, then North through Bretton Woods past the Mt Washington Hotel and back through Franconia Notch or detour a bit further North to take the cog railway up to the top of Mt Washington. There was snow on Mt Washington last week. The ski areas typically run chair lifts to the summits during leaf season.

Enjoy your trip and post some pics when you get back.

cwp3420

repleo wrote:

I would bring the 16-55. It should be plenty wide... (show quote)

Thanks Repleo. I printed out your suggestions and we'll take that drive. We'll be staying in Lincoln for 6 days, which will give us time to drive it.

repleo Loc: Boston

cwp3420 wrote:

Thanks Repleo. I printed out your suggestions and we'll take that drive. We'll be staying in Lincoln for 6 days, which will give us time to drive it.

In fairness to your good wife, you should allow a couple of hours to hit the Outlet stores In North Conway.

cwp3420

repleo wrote:

In fairness to your good wife, you should allow a couple of hours to hit the Outlet stores In North Conway.

No doubt!!!!

Grnway Loc: Manchester, NH

repleo wrote:

I would bring the 16-55. Otherwise you are leavin... (show quote)

All good advice! You've got to take night shots of Boston from along Memorial Drive, across the Charles River, in Cambridge. There's a pull-off for the MIT rowing sculls that's a perfect spot, east of the Massachusetts Ave. bridge. I'm all in with the 16-55. I just got that for my Xt-2, as well.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

Grnway wrote:

All good advice! You've got to take night shots of Boston from along Memorial Drive, across the Charles River, in Cambridge. There's a pull-off for the MIT rowing sculls that's a perfect spot, east of the Massachusetts Ave. bridge. I'm all in with the 16-55. I just got that for my Xt-2, as well.

Right On

(Download)

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

cwp3420 wrote:

My wife and I are going to Lincoln, NH for the fal... (show quote)

You're walking a fine line between 10mm and 16mm. I would take the 16-55mm. It gives a wider focal range than the 10-24, and it should be wide enough for subjects that are close to you, while it also has some reach. Also, the distortion at the wide end will be less. It's also compact enough for carrying around the city. I look forward to your pictures.

ElliotW

If you will be in Boston for 5 days, take 1 day to walk the Freedom Trail, camera in hand. Great history and photo ops! All the other recommendations are good, especially shooting the Boston skyline from the Cambridge side of the Charles River. Better, do it at night. Great shots available. Last, if you do go to the Cambridge side, don't ignore the area around Harvard. So much to see and shoot..so little time.
Enjoy your stay. It's a great city. Oh, yes. The 16-55 lense should serve you well for most situations.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

I use Olympus M43 system. If I was on my way to photograph the foliage I would have several choices and the 25mm (equivalent to a 50mm with full frame) would be one of my main choices. A wide angle like my Panasonic 7-14 f4 would go too and just in case the 40-150 f4-5.6 kit lens would be my third choice.
Understand that we are all different and our choices of cameras and lenses are also different. I consider a wide angle indispensable for traveling.

cthahn

If you have to ask everyone what lens to use on a trip, you are not a photographer, but just a picture taker. What lens did you use on your last trip? Look around and you might be able to find a Boston lens.