ClarkG
Loc: Southern Indiana USA
Take the 18-400 ! No question about it! You’ll be glad you did. I do this for a living and you love the wide angle to telephoto capabilities. You’ll sacrifice very little sharpness that you can add back in post processing.
I’ve been in Iceland for two weeks taking photos and now in London. I’m no pro, but really like using my Tamron 18-400mm on a D5300. I don’t like to lug around two lens, even though I have a Nikon 18-140. Most the time I’m in a bus, car and usually the camera is not round my neck all day. I was just looking at my pictures on a friends iPad and I’m pleased with the photos. I’ll post some when I return home. Have a great trip!
And make sure you have good security for your money/ phone / etc when in large busy crowds. Don't believe that velcro pockets are pick-pocket proof. I caught a teenager on the point of relieving me of my wallet from a velcro-ed trouser/pants pocket. Went straight out and bought a zip up shoulder bag. It is no style accident that French and Italian men carry secure shoulder bags and keep their arm resting though them! I now leave everything except essentials behind in the hotel safe, and change my SD card every day!
I just got back from Italy and Greece and took my 35mm Prime for low light situations and my Tamron 18-400 shooting with my D5500. I love the Tamron as it gives incredible range and I think very decent image quality. But on my trip I primarily used it on the wide end side. If you are going to be out and about for 8-10 hours each day as I was it might be a bit much to carry but doable. The 18-140 would be lighter and take care of 90% of your shots. Neither of the above will cover you for low light situations and for that you might want to take a prime.
I never got over the fear. The buses show you that driving a car is even more crazy than the bus drivers. Wonderful country to see, not drive!
dave_roe wrote:
One thing to know….. Italy is hot in the summer. July and August will see high temps and humidity. Plan for the heat. Also August….. holiday month for most and once outside of the regular tourists places you will find many places closed for part or most of August.
How is weather from late Sept-early Oct which is when I'm going.
Weather will be warmish. can't really say since I don't know where you are going.
Have been there many times, and only took a long lens once. On one trip I took my D3, a 17-35/2.8 and my 70-20/2.8. all I took with the long lens can be counted on one hand, and I was unable to use any till PS added the dehaze feature.
But all in all, my best photos came with my xPan and the time I took my OM4 with 28-48 and 21/2.
Leave the long ones at home.Sure you'll miss one or two photos, but you'll get a bazillion others and no need to check into inpatient physical therapy.
I lived in Europe for almost three years and rarely (definitely rarely) ever had need for telephoto reach. As I recall, the only time I used a long focal length was to capture details of architecture. Europe is definitely a wide angle venue. Narrow streets, small piazzas, great buildings without space in front to step back into, all these mitigate for wide angle shots. I hope you have a great trip, Europe has much to photograph!
[quote=Bill P]Weather will be warmish. can't really say since I don't know where you are going.
Rome-am coast-Naples-Pompeii-Sorrento.
racerrich3 wrote:
How is weather from late Sept-early Oct which is when I'm going.
I was in Sicily early Oct last year and ended up in Venice around Mid Oct. Weather was hot but very comfortable. Needed AC in Sicily, but can't remember if we needed it elsewhere. Eating outside every evening was very pleasant but bring a light jacket. Venice and Rome can be quite humid. May be a bit a little cooler and wetter in the North - eg Lake Como.
Tell us your itinerary plans and we may have some suggestions for you or start a new thread.
repleo wrote:
It will still be very warm to very hot depending on where you are going. May be a bit a little cooler and rainy in the North - eg Como, Venice.
Tell us your itinerary and we may have some suggestions for you or start a new thread.
Perillo tour: Rome-Pompeii-Am coast-Capri-Sorrento-Naples
I bet by now you are convinced wide angle is the way to go.
racerrich3 wrote:
Perillo tour:
I did a Rome-Pompeii-Am coast-Capri-Sorrento-Naples on a self-drive / train tour the second / third week of October several years ago. The weather was PERFECT.
Contrary to most advice, driving the Amalfi Coast didn't bother me at all. However, after driving a half mile in Naples I freaked out. I abandoned the rental car in a no parking zone at the train station right under the nose of a cop and told him I couldn't drive another yard. He smiled and nodded in sympathy and let me off while I dropped the keys at the rental office and took the first train out of town.
I've taken my Nikon 18-200 on a crop sensor camera, D-7something, for trips to Italy, France, Spain (all separate trips) and the big wide open American West road trip. With simple pano capabilities now and a pretty high MP count (to allow some cropping) I never wished I had a longer or shorter lens with me. I don't have a 18-140 or I probably would take that and end up feeling the same way, although the extra reach of the 200 was nice occasionally.
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