francwoods

My wife and I are going on an Israel tour Nov 28 - Dec 9 and I'm looking for recommendations for which lenses to carry. Shooting Nikon D7200 and here is the full list of lenses that I have:
1) Nikon DX VR AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 G II (Kit)
2) Nikon DX AF-S NIKKOR 55-300mm 1:4-5.6 GED (Kit)
3) AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G
4) AF-S Micro NIKKOR 40 mm 1:2.8G
5) AF-P NIKKOR 10-20mm 1:4.5-5.6G
6) Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G Lens
7) Tamron SP 85mm F/1.8 DI VC USD (F016)- NIKO
8) Tamron 18-400mm F3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD
9) Tamron 150-600 F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2

I'm leaning to 3, 5, and 8 to keep it light (I'm definitely leaving out #9!!) but is there another I should consider? Either rent or buy (if budget allows).

I'm attaching screenshot of Itinerary if that helps.
Thanks!

(Download)

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

You really need a decent wide ranging ZOOM. The 18-400 fills that bill at the cost of size and weight ! Look at the Sony RX100 VI or VII or the RX10 IV to reduce size and weight so you can enjoy the trip !

therwol Loc: USA

These cameras you mention cost in the range of $1200 to $1800 dollars. It would be a choice for them for the size and weight advantage versus cost. If it were me, I'd take what I have.

cahale Loc: San Angelo, TX

My advise - cancel.

Hip Coyote

I had the great opportunity to visit there a few years ago on a security and counter terrorism thing. An amazing experience. People who say to cancel apparently have not walked the streets of Los Angeles, NYC, Chicago or St. Louis recently. Serious crime up something like 30%. Follow home robberies, stores taken over, streets taken over by gangs. I think 6 shot in a bar yesterday in LA. I doubt you will need rubber boots to walk in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem to avoid poo on the sidewalks as you do in major cities here. ( I was in the law enf world and have some clue about crime.)

So, that being said, go have fun. Be vigilant, of course. The food is magnificent.

I did a data plot on my shots from Israel and the vast majority of my shots were 28-32mm ff equivalent. The next most used was standard 50 mm range. Only 1 percent of my shots were long telephoto...300 mm plus. I cannot speak about the lenses you are considering as I am a m43 users (a great choice for travel) but I can say there will be times that you are in darkened locations, churches mostly, where you need a fast lens. Jerusalem is crowded and the streets in the Old City are narrow. You need wide. And you may find fast is also helpful. I do not think flashes will be allowed in most places. I would pick a few lenses and leave it at that. You will be walking a lot, probably in a group and they cannot wait for you to change lenses as they walk in the narrows of Jerusalem. Lose your group and you will have a problem. I also suggest you just get used to the idea you may have to up the iso farther than you normally would want to.

I can also say that your itinerary is going to be rushed....a camel ride and then to the Dead Sea...and Masada all in one day is a lot. You need to shower after getting into the Dead Sea because it is salty (I did it once). We had to change in a crowded, hot, locker room after the Dead Sea...not fun. After Masada you will be hot and sweaty...it will be a full day for sure.

I see mention of Bethlehem in there with Jerusalem..I am not sure if that was intentional...or maybe something in Jerusalem is named Bethlehem...but if you are going into Bethlehem, I dont think you can go there and back and accomplish all you want to accomplish...it is in Palestinian territories, you need to switch guides (I think), border control, and all that...We never went but want to go back. I am not an expert, but the issue popped out at me and thought Id mention it to you.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

The first times I traveled internationally, I brought several lenses, and most of them stayed in the bag, since I only use the one with the widest range of focal lengths. In your case the Tamron 18-400mm. ANd the 50mm for street shooting or at night.

francwoods

Thanks for the input. I may swap out the 35 for the 50. I'll do some testing to see which does better in low light at various aperture settings.

Our float in the Dead Sea is right outside our hotel at the end of the day... so no problem with shower and changing after.
And you're correct about cities in the U.S. that are just as sketchy...

https://www.francwoods.com/

jonbeth

First what about the Mediterranean coast, especially Jaffa and Tel Aviv.

I was there in January. I went all over with a Nikon D7100 zoom lens 18 - 300. that is all you need.

enjoy

Jonathan

sroc

Why. I have there seven times. It is a great place to visit and photograph. I took a 14 to 28mm lens, a 28 to 200mm lens and a 40 to 300mm lens. This covered everything I wanted to shoot.

GeneinChi Loc: Chicago, IL

Having family in Israel I’ve been there many times. There is so much to see it’s mind boggling. Your itinerary is a bit of tease so I’m sure you’ll go back to see things you missed! Take a wide angle to med tele zoom and maybe a fast prime for low light situations. Do yourself a favor though…enjoy the country through your eyes…not a viewfinder. Just a suggestion. Have a great time!

sueyeisert Loc: New Jersey

I like a constant apature lense, When I had a Nikon I used a Sigma 18-50(?) constant apature lense and never missed my Nikon 18-200mm lens. I would be more concerned with switching lenses in the Negev or dust environments. Also check for the rainy season.

VeraP

What a great itinerary and experience. I went in Nov 2018 and struggled with what cameras to take. I wound up taking my little Nikon Point ‘n Shoot (plenty of zoom capacity, “all the focus settings”, etc.). While my photos weren’t equivalent to what they would have been with my better bodies/lenses, they were fine. The pace of the daily sightseeing, the amount of walking and climbing and navigating through crowded and tight spaces, and all the things one winds up carrying to be out for a long day - you don’t need to compound daily travel demands with having to deal with the extra weight of a larger body, changing lenses, and missing the experience to get the shot. Go as simple as you can, see and breathe in the experience - it’s wonderfully unique.

traderjohn Loc: New York City

What....why?

traderjohn Loc: New York City

You got me thinking. I believe I have a trip or two out of country left in me. I have never thought of Israel, perhaps I should. My $0.02 18-400.

alphonso49uk

I sometimes think this reoccuring post is made just to brag about how many lenses the poster owns