stogieboy Loc: Marlboro, NY

Well, I didnt want to say that, but since you did, yes. Mostly likely I will weigh more, but I'm going to blame the camera.

stogieboy Loc: Marlboro, NY

Thank you all for the great replies. Still undecided, but I have plenty of time to make up my mind. I'm really excited for the trip, I've never been to Europe, and am afraid my wife and I will not want to come back. Afraid might be the wrong word to use there...

MJPerini

This is really a question you have to answer for yourself. There is no wrong answer. You will see some of the greatest Art, Architecture and Landscapes in the world. It will also be crowded. If you are truly going as a tourist, leave the big camera home and buy books & postcards. It will give you an extra hand for eating more......
I also suspect there will be moments when you wish you had your camera , no one can really answer if you are ok with that but you.
Alas, heed the advice about security, there is more of this kind of crime everywhere.
Good luck, safe trip.

srfmhg Loc: Marin County, CA

Just got back from Tuscany and Sicily. Took my D7500 with an 18-300 lens and took 6K+ images. The lens is extremely versatile and you can get some great shots above the heads of the crowd with the long zoom. It was not too heavy. I'd recommend an Op-Tech sling strap to make it more comfortable to carry. Prepare for crowds. The iPhone camera is good but nothing like a DSLR. I'm downloading the pictures now and will post in a few weeks.
Mark

Hal Masover Loc: Iowa and Florida

The question I always ask myself is when am I going there again? If there's a good chance this is a once in a lifetime trip, take your best camera. I just returned from a trip to Spain and Portugal and carried my D750 with me. For the trip I bought a used Nikon 18-35mm zoom for something around $350. Sharp lens that handled 90% of what I wanted to shoot. Very lightweight. Not as lightweight as my 50mm prime but very light. So that's what I recommend. Take your best camera and a sharp lightweight lens. And yes, I can tell the difference between my cell phone photos and the ones I took with the D750. The cell phone is very good but limited compared to the capability of a D750. I got a largish fanny pack and carried the camera in that. As for a tripod, I took one and never used it. For interior shots I increased ISO and kept the shutterspeed as high as I could.

Mike1017

Bring a real camera you will be sorry if you don't Too many good things to see. Mike

Mario22 Loc: Albany, NY

Well, I was faced with a similar choice in January for a trip to Israel (Holyland Pilgrimage). I took a small full frame (Sony A7c) with fast Sigma 28-70 f/2.8. I’m a 70ish, 5’2” widow. Trip with a church group but I didn’t know anyone and had to carry all my own stuff. Lots of walking through ruins and up and down hills. I was fit and used to lots of walking at home. Well, walking on cobblestones and bricks is not like walking on pavement or dirt. Europe has lots of those uneven surfaces. By the 3rd day of a 10 day trip, my upper back was most unhappy.

I had an iPhone 14 Pro and a Panasonic DC-ZS200 for backup. Tried the ZS200 briefly (couldn’t see the screen or viewfinder in the bright Middle Eastern sun. Dumped the ZS200. I had been taking pictures with both the iPhone 14 Pro and a A7c since the 1st day, for comparison purposes. It easily got shots in the bright sunlight that took all sorts of adjusting and settings to get on the camera. Checked out the iPhone 14 Pros photos and was amazed (I did shoot Raw on it when I remembered to switch over from regular). I was a bit of a camera snob, until then. Take the iPhone 14 Pro and use it from the first day. Take your dslr and a small, fast lens, for interiors or night shots, if you’re nervous about relying on the iPhone. After a few days, compare the photos. It’s amazing what that little phone can do. Hope you enjoy the trip.

Ed Chu Loc: Las Vegas NV

If you go to Naples, be sure to get to Pompeii

francosp Loc: Arizona

During your trip to Italy you will have a lot of photos opportunities. A town like Rome, Florence and Naples are full of monuments and other interesting subjects to shoot. Your cell phone will be great for generic photos but you will regret not to have with you your camera and a telephoto lens. They are the best photographer's companion to get closer and get details of the subject of interest. You do to need to carry any tripod. There are ways to shoot sharp photos with no tripod and I know I do not have to teach you. So, my suggestion is to take the camera and the 18-300 lens. A little more weight but at the end you will be more satisfied and make this a real memorable trip when looking at the photos taken. This is just my advice.

billmck Loc: Central KY

To each his own. If I hadn't previously been in Europe, it would be difficult not to take my D7100 and 18-400 zoom. I'm 76 and spent two weeks in the Mediterranean (including Italy) last fall. I didn't find the weight to be a problem, and I got lots of great shots. For indoor locations, a faster lens would have been nice, but I did OK. I also took an iPhone 14 Pro and used both, depending on the circumstances. My biggest problem with the iPhone is being able to compose the shot I want.

We were also in the Baltic last July with the same equipment, except that the shutter of my D7100 failed while in Gdansk, so from that point on I used the iPhone.

Having a nice album full of photos lets me relive the experience every time I look at the albums.

We were in Stockholm in July, but tested positive for Covid at that point, so we didn't get to see any of the stuff we wanted to see. I'd suggest going to the Vasa Museum if you have the time.

Bill

David in Dallas Loc: Dallas, Texas, USA

I've been to Italy several times. The first time was in 1978 and I think my camera was a Nikkormat with a Tamron 28-200mm zoom. Again in 1998 probably with the same lens on a Nikon N70. Again in 2003 with the N70 and Tamron, but also a Nikon FE with a Vivitar 28mm f/1.8--used ASA 400 in the N70 and ASA 800 in the FE for indoor shots. Back again in 2006 with a Nikon D50 and the original 18-200VR lens. Did everything I wanted it to do.

I'm not a professional, by any means, but I like to get decent photos of my travels. I love indoor shots in cathedrals and need both low light and telephoto capabilities. I don't think I'd be happy with just a smart phone--not enough reach. YMMV

In 2008 I did a Baltic cruise and one of the ports was Stockholm. It's a beautiful city. My photos of it are here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/8712554@N02/sets/72157607211900591/.

platinumjstrain

[quote=stogieboy] We just returned from an almost all April trip to Toulouse, FR and surroundings, and Puglia, Italy. Rather than endure the weight of my usual kit, since we were traveling with carry-ons only, I opted to pick up a Sony RX100 VII. Its zoom range is 24-200 mm equivalent and, importantly, it has enough resolution (and more than my iPhone 14 Pro) for me to use the pix to make into a book. I did not miss the weight of my usual kit, especially given the way we were on planes, trains and automobiles. But I sometimes did miss the reach on each end of the usual kit. And I missed some of the fun of the bigger camera. Ultimately, it was the right decision given the way we had chosen to travel. As is usual, everything depends on your intended use for your pix.

TomZ28 Loc: Geneva, IL

I recently went to Rome with a D850, 24-70 2.8 and a 70-200 2.8 as well my iPhone 14 ProMax. The iPhone was so good that it was the only camera I used. I had one image printed on a 9” x 13” canvas. I expected it to be a little grainy, but it was very sharp. You will be fine with the iPhone.

skidiver8

You can take amazing photos with your iPhone 14 Pro. Be sure to set it on the RAW setting and that it is shooting 45 mega pixels. I have taken several photo events with my Phone 14 Pro Max and my Canon 5D mark IV during the session. People could tell the difference! If you want to print extremely large, us a software program to up-size your image. Have a great trip!

lightyear

Street crime, and hotel room thefts( except what is locked away) are much more common in Europe, especially Italy due to the number of refugees and professional thieves there. Use a plain shoulder bag to carry camera, etc=. during the day, keep suitcases locked (small TSA approved padlocks on zippers worked for me), and small valuables locked in the room safe or safely secured in a locked area at the hotel desk.
Stan