Vienna74 Loc: Bountiful, Utah now Panama

The most frustrating posts I read here are the ones that say "I am going to ___________. What lenses should I take?" I never like to call someone out, so I waited until I did not see such a posting. If there is one, I did not read it and am therefore not replying to it specifically.

My silent and unposted answer is always the same: "What do you like to photograph? Landscapes? Cityscapes? People? Animals? Flowers? If you will answer that, the choice of lens is fairly easy."

If people want to shoot land- or cityscapes, 50mm or less. If your answer is people, something in the range of 50mm to 85mm, perhaps even a little longer. If you want to cover a couple of those, take a zoom that covers them. If you are just taking snapshots of everything you see, consider your cell phone.

There are some fundamental truths. For example, you do not need a 400mm lens to shoot landscapes or cityscapes. You do not need a wide angle lens to shoot flowers or the moon (photographically, not playing Hearts).

I used to drag around a 24-120. Big and heavy. Now my walk around lens is a 50mm. I love the sharpness and speed (and weight!) and if I need more coverage I shoot multiple overlapping shots and stitch them later. That way I get better sharpness than a zoom without the distortion introduced by a wide angle lens. As I have come to recognize what I most enjoy shooting I have also narrowed in on my lens choice.

One way to figure out what you like to shoot is to go through your photos and see what focal length you used (easy to view in Lightroom). That is an educational experience. When I did that a few years ago, I discovered almost all of my photos were in the range of 35mm to 75mm. Rarely did I shoot anything at 120mm or even at 24mm. That changed how I thought about lenses.

I am saying that 50mm is the right lens for everyone. It is often the right lens for me, because I love landscapes, cityscapes, and interiors of churches. I know in advance if I need to capture a larger area I will stitch in Photoshop. As was said by the philosophers of old, "Know thyself." To that Polonius (in Hamlet) added, "And to thine lens be true" (or something to that effect).

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

That's my second thought, depends on what you like to shoot. What I like to shoot and what you like are most likely two different things.
My first thought is that they don't know what their lenses do (what they see).
Maybe because they don't use them enough? Don't know...

Haydon

I've often wondered when I read posts where the destination is exotic and they own HIGH end equipment and ask that question whether it's merely a "brown truck" posting in disguise. Shouldn't they know enough to make an intelligent decision based on experience?

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

I far prefer the 24-105L over the 50mm. Much more versatile and as sharp.

rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

The posts I find even more annoying than the what lenses should I take on my trip to east jablip are the ones that complain about the what lens should I take on my trip to east jablip postings.
But siriusly, woof, woof, I agree with you. It's been my observation that most folks that own a decent interchangeable lens camera with more than a kit lens or two, have somewhat of a clue about what their lenses are capable of. I personally don't believe they are really asking for lens advice. I mean, in the four years I've been here I've asked for lens advice once and it had nothing to do with going on vacation. I wanted some second opinions to determine if I was doing the right thing. Everything turned out ok for me.
But back to the vacationers; I believe what they are really doing has nothing to do with lens choices; they are simply telling anyone that will listen (read) they are going somewhere special for vacation.
Hey, I'm recently retired so every day is vacation for me.
Also, I prefer my 28-300, on both Canon FF and Nikon DX to 24-105.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I'd take the 24-105 everywhere over the 50.
I like cropping in-camera.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

I agree wth your “rant” - I often think the same thing, although if I were going somewhere like an African Safari (too old for that now), I might want to tap into the experience of someone who had already done it.

And yes, the 24-105 f4L is a VERY versatile lens (although I often wish it was a stop faster like the 24-70 f2.8).

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

I'd rather see the pics they took with the gear they traveled with than the details about their trip beforehand. It's interesting that it is not that common for those asking this silly question to post their images. Hmm. . .

rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

You've got a 5D mk IV, as do I. If you don't have that f/2.8 lens handy, just crank up the ISO a bit more.

Strodav Loc: Houston, Tx

I wonder why those types of questions come up when they can do a web search and within 2 to 3 minutes find a dozen related articles by reputable organizations or professionals. I've come to the conclusion they are lonely, bragging about an upcoming event, or trying to up their post count. I wonder how many actually go on those trips because, as someone said, they rarely post their photos.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Problem is, those who post pictures to make a particular point are usually attacked about every other aspect of photography.

Haydon

Strangely it's the exact opposite in the Photo Gallery.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Those two sides of displaying work should probably add up to another pet peeve

Photographer Jim Loc: Rio Vista, CA

The difficulty with offering advice about lens choice goes beyond just knowing the subject matter a person likes to shoot, as the traditional choices may not always suit a person’s style, and may vary with their experiences. For example, I have often heard people advise using a wide angle lens in slot canyons, but I know from my own experience that a longer lens can allow zeroing in on shots high up on the canyon walls. When shooting the barns at Mormon Row in Jackson hole, I used a long lens from a distance in order to take advantage of the “compression effect” to make the Tetons appear closer and more massive.

The point is that such advice can at best, only be a very general, and possibly creatively limiting suggestion.

Ultimately the best strategy is take the lenses one is most comfortable with, and then add in whichever others your travel conditions allow. Just understand that whichever lens you leave at home will, at some point, undoubtedly be the one you wish you had with you! 😛