# lens recommendations for a vacation



## arcanej (Aug 8, 2012)

I know, the least exciting type of post, but I would be very grateful for any advice on what to bring and what to leave behind. 

This summer I had planned on going out with a pro-photographer, but he was unable to secure the permits in time. So, my wife and I are heading to Europe in a few weeks. We will be hitting London, France and Brussels. 

My current kit:

5Dm3
24-105L
70-200L IS II
14L II
50L
100L IS

I will be carrying whatever kit I bring in a Lowepro Flipside 400AW. 

I was thinking about taking the 50, the 70-200, 14, a monopod and one flash. The first two lenses are my favorite walk around combo. Any advice would be very welcome. Also: should I look into a second battery (I don't have a the optional grip)?


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## Random Orbits (Aug 8, 2012)

I would add the 24-105L and would consider not bringing the monopod unless you have a specific situation that you know you'll need it, but ultimately you'd have to bring the gear to fit your style of shooting. I would find the gap between 14 and 50 too large and would supplement it with the 24-105 to fill in the gap. And yes, you should definitely get a second battery!


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## IIIHobbs (Aug 8, 2012)

Agree with bringing the 24-105. It is going to give you the opportunity to respond to a greater number of photo ops as you move through the cities you are visiting 
I thnk the 50 is a must have for anything indoors or evening, it will give you te speed you need.
Other than that, I do not know whether he 70-200,100 or 14 are worth taking. You know your itinerary best, but the time and opportunity needed to get good results from any of these is questionable.


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## arcanej (Aug 9, 2012)

The 14mm can be difficult to use - but it can capture an amazing perspective if done well. @lex on this forum has posted some amazing shots showing as much. We will spend a few days in the north of France, which is a beautiful place for landscape shots. My thought is to bust out the 14mm for that leg of the trip. 

I'm really torn on whether I should bring the 24-105 or the 70-200. The former is a much better general purpose focal range and lighter to boot, but I have more fun lugging around the later and it's a faster lens. 

Thank you for the advice so far!


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## krjc (Aug 9, 2012)

I would take two
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens (low light photography)
Canon EF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens (everything else)


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## rpt (Aug 9, 2012)

arcanej said:


> I know, the least exciting type of post, but I would be very grateful for any advice on what to bring and what to leave behind.
> 
> This summer I had planned on going out with a pro-photographer, but he was unable to secure the permits in time. So, my wife and I are heading to Europe in a few weeks. We will be hitting London, France and Brussels.
> 
> ...


All of this should fit into the 400AW. I would leave the 100L behind and if weight is a consideration, even the 70-200 otherwise not. And for sure a second (or even a third) battery. Personally, I would take the 24-105. Look forward to your photos. Have fun!


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## pwp (Aug 9, 2012)

arcanej said:


> I know, the least exciting type of post, but I would be very grateful for any advice on what to bring and what to leave behind......my wife and I are heading to Europe in a few weeks. We will be hitting London, France and Brussels.
> 
> 5Dm3
> 24-105L
> ...



You know the old saying..._"happy wife, happy life"_. My experience with travel photography has taught me to travel as light as possible, and keep a very high level of consideration for your travel partners who may not be as much into photography as you. 

These days I've trimmed it down to a grip-less 5D (Classic, 2 or 3) and the 24-105 f/4IS. It's an interesting paradox that sometimes you need some kind of limitations in order to free your imagination. Keep it simple and have more fun. The 24-105 f/4IS coupled with a 5D3 is a very powerful, flexible, high quality combination.

PW


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## Random Orbits (Aug 9, 2012)

arcanej said:


> The 14mm can be difficult to use - but it can capture an amazing perspective if done well. @lex on this forum has posted some amazing shots showing as much. We will spend a few days in the north of France, which is a beautiful place for landscape shots. My thought is to bust out the 14mm for that leg of the trip.
> 
> I'm really torn on whether I should bring the 24-105 or the 70-200. The former is a much better general purpose focal range and lighter to boot, but I have more fun lugging around the later and it's a faster lens.
> 
> Thank you for the advice so far!



You should check to see if the places you are staying will be able to secure your gear in the room. If so, then bring both the 24-105 and 70-200 and pack each day/trek for what you think you'll need. If not, then I'd be tempted to leave the 70-200 home. You can then use the 24-105 for outside/general usage, 14 for the ultrawide and 50 for dim indoor situations or for some shallow DOF portraits.


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## TexPhoto (Aug 9, 2012)

I would take the 24-105mm before i would take the 70-200, but that is just me. i swear my 70-200 weights 20lbs when it is in my camera bag

My walk around kit is: 5D3, 8-15mm fisheye, 24-105mm, and 300mm f4 IS. and 1.4XIII (insane range, light weight)
When I want to supplement that a little, I add my 17mm tilt shift, and 2XIII , an may swap the 300 for the 70-200

I always take a monopod if not a tripod.

Yes, get yourself a 2nd battery if you are a prolific shooter. One can sit in the charger back at the hotel while you are out.

No Flash?

CF Cards? Laptop?

If you are going to rent a car, 12V chargers, or a cheap $25 inverter for your 110V chargers can be really nice. All cars are 12V


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## M.ST (Aug 9, 2012)

My Basic Kit for vacations:

5D Mark III
EF 14 2.8L II
EF 16-35 2.8 L
EF 24-70 2.8 L Prot.
EF 50 1.2 L
EF 70-200 2.8 L II or 70-300 IS
EF 100 2.8 L IS Makro
both Canon TC´s

EF 400 2.8 II IS (mostly in the car)

Manfrotto 055CXPRO4 with Manfrotto 405 head or Gitzo tripod with the Manfrotto 405 head
Lee filter holder with ND and GND filters
B+W polfilters
timer remote control
Peli-Case and a shoulder bag
gepe card safe extreme


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## briansquibb (Aug 9, 2012)

Definitely wa from looking at your itinerary. You will find europe much smaller with little space to shoot.

24-105 as the main walkabout
14mm

As the minimum would do you well. Make sure you take the battery charger with a TWO PIN plug adaptor


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## Menace (Aug 9, 2012)

I love my EF70-200 however for travel (esp with the wife) I'd suggest EF14 for landscape, EF50 for low light and EF24-105 for general walk about. 

Atleast one spare battery and extra CF & SD card(s). 

Have fun and do share the pics


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## stolpe (Aug 9, 2012)

I'm also going on two trips soon (Maybe London and South Korea) and planning to just take the 5D Mark III, 24-105 and my nifty fifty (50mm 1.8 II). Maybe the flash also (430EX II) and a spare camera battery. Leaving my 70-200 2.8 IS II at home and the BG-E11 as well to make the camera gear as light as possible. Of course some CF and SD cards as well and the chargers for the camera and for the AA batteries. But the chargers and spare AA batteries will be placed in another bag, not the camera bag. The camera bag is a ACME Made Union Photo Messenger, like it alot. Small and doesn't look like a camerabag.

Thinking about replace the 50mm 1.8 II with something else but don't know what really. Maybe the canon 50mm 1.4 or the Sigma 50mm 1.4. Would really like the 50mm 1.2 but that is too expensive for me right now.

/ Stolpe


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## briansquibb (Aug 9, 2012)

stolpe said:


> I'm also going on two trips soon (Maybe London and South Korea) and planning to just take the 5D Mark III, 24-105 and my nifty fifty (50mm 1.8 II). Maybe the flash also (430EX II) and a spare camera battery. Leaving my 70-200 2.8 IS II at home and the BG-E11 as well to make the camera gear as light as possible. Of course some CF and SD cards as well and the chargers for the camera and for the AA batteries. But the chargers and spare AA batteries will be placed in another bag, not the camera bag. The camera bag is a ACME Made Union Photo Messenger, like it alot. Small and doesn't look like a camerabag.
> 
> Thinking about replace the 50mm 1.8 II with something else but don't know what really. Maybe the canon 50mm 1.4 or the Sigma 50mm 1.4. Would really like the 50mm 1.2 but that is too expensive for me right now.
> 
> / Stolpe



In London a 17-40 would be good - dont forget the UK plugs have rectangular pins, rather than the round EU pins


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## Leejo (Aug 9, 2012)

Re plugs.
If you are staying in place where you have access to a razor socket, (e.g. hotels normally) then you will often find that the two pin European variant can often be bent a little to fit. Has saved me taking adapters several times.
Otherwise a number of shops will have adapters for a few pounds to fit UK sockets.


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## spinworkxroy (Aug 9, 2012)

Europe will consist of a lot of walking..so bare that in mind and the weight of the gears..
The last time i was there, i ended up leaving almost everything in the hotel because of the weight and walking about too much...

However, with almost anywhere in europe, architecture is the main attraction unless you like street photography...so a wide angel lens is essential..since 99% of my shots when i was there was done with a wide angle.
Leave the 70-200 at home, you will most certainly never use it. 
I would bring a really fast prime for indoor shots (which you will use a lot of for all the museums, churches etc), but the 5d3 ISO is great so maybe even at f4 is enough...

Base on your kit..i would just bring the 14L and 24-105L...
24 might not be wide enough for some locations..and not fast enough indoors so the 14L will be great...but for most other shots, the 24-105 will be perfect for a walkabout in Europe...

Actually, the 24-105 is almost the perfect travel lens for FF cameras IMO..i use it ALOT while traveling...but not so much at home...


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## bchernicoff (Aug 9, 2012)

I'm in the same situation. I leave in a couple of weeks for Europe and am bringing my 50, 24-105, and 70-200 IS II. I'm considering leaving the 70-200 home because it's heavy and draws a lot of attention. People have discussed getting harassed in London for taking SLR pictures. Anyone have good or bad experiences they'd like to share? How about Copenhagen?


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## danski0224 (Aug 9, 2012)

arcanej said:


> I know, the least exciting type of post, but I would be very grateful for any advice on what to bring and what to leave behind.
> 
> This summer I had planned on going out with a pro-photographer, but he was unable to secure the permits in time. So, my wife and I are heading to Europe in a few weeks. We will be hitting London, France and Brussels.
> 
> ...



My $.02:

14L II, unless you are proficient at stitching photos.

The 70-200 leaves a pretty good gap between 14 and 70.

The 24-105 is f4, but the 5DIII has positive reviews at high ISO (I do not own a 5DIII)... so maybe it is a non-issue.

The only other wide apeture lens in your list is the 50L. You may need it for low-light shots... or maybe rent a 35L.


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## 7enderbender (Aug 9, 2012)

This is always a struggle, isn't it? And only you know what you use and how. I tend to take too much stuff ever since I moved to digital and try to get better and more specific. In the film days I used to be happy with my 50/135 combo or a general purpose zoom. And a set of filters. Films and batteries were available along the way usually.

I'm trying to go back to this - especially after just lugging my entire gear to a wedding in Europe in a Pelican roll-on case - just to find out that I would've been fine with 1 flash and 2 lenses really. Along those line: double and triple-check the airline regulations regarding carry-on size and weight(!). Especially the European carriers are getting pretty strict about this - at least on paper so far. I just used Delta and Jet Blue and they don't have a weight limit yet. And you certainly don't want to check camera gear I assume.

I'm going to New York for the weekend to just wander around a bit with my camera. I've decided to only bring the 50 and 135 again. In your case I would leave on the 50 and bring the 24-105 just in case. Or the 50 with the 100L if you do a lot of detail shots/macro. But that's my preferences as I'm not a big fan of running around with big white heavy zooms and don't need wider than 28mm really.


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## PhotoBadger (Aug 9, 2012)

Don't forget it's summer here in England, so bring your waterproofs  Some ND grads would be a good call too.

Personally I like getting detail shots so the 70-200 would be on my list but of course it depends what you like shooting. And as others have commented, there's a LOT of walking to be done, so it's much better to have limited kit than to dread picking up the camera bag each day. "Would I be happy carrying this for 6 hours?" is a very good question to ask yourself when packing.

But certainly the 24-105 for walkaround, 14 for wideys if you like, and the 50 for low light should see you nicely. 

Be prepared for historic buildings to prohibit flash, and some to bar photography altogether. Not such an issue in London, in my experience, but I've come across it a lot in other countries (lots in Spain for example). "If you want a picture, buy our postcards" sort of thing.

I'd take 3 batteries - one in the camera, one in the bag and one charging. It's dashed annoying to run out of juice in a great location, and I speak from sorry experience here.


Hope you have a great time.


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## IIIHobbs (Aug 9, 2012)

arcanej said:


> The 14mm... can capture an amazing perspective if done well. We will spend a few days in the north of France, which is a beautiful place for landscape shots. My thought is to bust out the 14mm for that leg of the trip.



Sounds like a wonderful opportunity for you and the 14mm.

Looking at the recommendations to pare down your gear, it seems that the *Flipside* may be too much bag for what you will be taking. I have a big bag that can handle all my gear (but for the 300 f2.8 8)), but for day trips and travel I use the *Think Tank Speed Demon*. It provides plenty of room to carry my camera, two lenses, flash and supporting accessories. They have two larger models available, but my goal was a case to travel light and compact with a specific venue in mind. 

If you are taking the 5D3, 24-105, 50, 14, & Flash, the *Think Tank Speed Freak* (mid size) would carry all that and all the supporting accessories. It has the belt strap/shoulder strap option and rain cover in a very compact from. It is deep enough to fit your 70-200 (off the camera) should you bring that along instead of or as compliment to your other gear.

I like the comment_ "happy wife - happy life" _. Traveling light will help you get it right.


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## arcanej (Aug 9, 2012)

Thank you for the advice all!

I am leaning towards the 24-105, the 50, the 14 and a flash for weight considerations. 

IIIHobbs: I will check out the Speed Demon this weekend. I need to make a pit stop at B&H anyway. 

7enderbender: I live in NYC and use a similar kit for walkaround (subbing the 70-200 as I don't have the 135) in a messenger Lowepro 180 AW. I really enjoy the combination (although I spend more time in the parks than I do taking architectural pictures in general).


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## briansquibb (Aug 9, 2012)

arcanej said:


> The 14mm can be difficult to use - but it can capture an amazing perspective if done well. @lex on this forum has posted some amazing shots showing as much. We will spend a few days in the north of France, which is a beautiful place for landscape shots. My thought is to bust out the 14mm for that leg of the trip.
> 
> I'm really torn on whether I should bring the 24-105 or the 70-200. The former is a much better general purpose focal range and lighter to boot, but I have more fun lugging around the later and it's a faster lens.
> 
> Thank you for the advice so far!



Dont quite know where in the North of France you expect good landscapes - a lot of it is very flat and boring


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## pdirestajr (Aug 9, 2012)

I'd take as little gear as possible >> so you can enjoy the trip as much as possible!

24-105 as all day walk around. 50 for indoors/ low light.

24 is wide on FF. 5DIII's ISO capability also makes your 24-105 pretty powerful even though it's "only" f/4.


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## arcanej (Aug 9, 2012)

Briansquib: much of it might be, but there are certain places I think are beautiful. 

For example, pictures of Côte de Granit Rose:
https://www.google.com/search?q=C%C3%B4te+de+Granit+Rose&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=33W&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=n-gjUP-JEOaw0QH3kICAAw&ved=0CFAQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=1127


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## briansquibb (Aug 9, 2012)

arcanej said:


> Briansquib: much of it might be, but there are certain places I think are beautiful.
> 
> For example, pictures of Côte de Granit Rose:
> https://www.google.com/search?q=C%C3%B4te+de+Granit+Rose&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=33W&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=n-gjUP-JEOaw0QH3kICAAw&ved=0CFAQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=1127



Ah - that is western France. 

I was only curious because I go over server times a year and not seen any good landscapes there - lots of good chateau though


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## arcanej (Sep 10, 2012)

Thanks for the advice all! I ended up carrying too much equipment (14mm, 24-105mm, 50mm, 70-200mm, monopod, flash) but had a great time. On the plus side, carrying all that meant I burned more calories while walking around!Next time, I might just stick with the 24-105 and the 50 and leave everything else home. 

I'm slowly uploading pics -- here's one from London. 




GS0C4585.jpg by Evan's Pix, on Flickr


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## dickgrafixstop (Sep 11, 2012)

I've learned to travel light and that no matter which lens I needed it was never on the camera. Therefore I now
have a standard travel pack - body with a cushioned strap, two battery packs (no grip - too big, too heavy) charger, 35mm and 85mm lenses. One on the camera, the other in my jacket pocket. Aside from not being
exhausted carrying gear I never use, it also forces me to compose mentally and consider the effects. I feel I
get better images, and as a charter member of the zoom lenses encourage sloppiness brigade, I satisfied with
the ones I get.


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## KKCFamilyman (Sep 11, 2012)

24-105 and 50mm prime or wider if you want. I would use a 279ex ii for flash since it's so small and light. I brought tons of gear I never used.


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## spinworkxroy (Sep 11, 2012)

arcanej said:


> Thanks for the advice all! I ended up carrying too much equipment (14mm, 24-105mm, 50mm, 70-200mm, monopod, flash) but had a great time. On the plus side, carrying all that meant I burned more calories while walking around!Next time, I might just stick with the 24-105 and the 50 and leave everything else home.



Wow, that's alot to carry around! I bet you almost never touched the 70-200 ya? haha.
My most recent trip last month to the USA, i ended up only bringing my 17-40 and 24-105 and it was more than enough. I didn't even bring any tripod or spare batts of filters or anything..
In fact, i only brought either one of the 2 lenses out..i'd leave the other in the hotel…i just plan where i'll be going for that day and what i'll be shooting and decide which lens to bring out for that day…comfortable and light..


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## NormanBates (Sep 11, 2012)

This summer I found that a 5D with a 40mm f/2.8 pancake, inside a body-only neoprene bag, is a very powerful tiny little package. Lovely images, small and light, and you're carrying just as much as you absolutely need, not 10 grams more.


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## adhocphotographer (Sep 11, 2012)

Honestly, i would consider just taking the 24-105 and the 14... you will prob not use the 70-200 much... i guess it depends on how much you want to carry around with you... generally when i am doing the whole city site seeing stuff, i stick with my 17-55 (APS-C user), which covers 90% of my shots... flash is up to you, depends on how much you use it normally! 

hope you have a nice trip!


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## sameerthawani (Sep 11, 2012)

I'd take the 24-105L for my walkaround. 

the 14mm to get good landscape, architectural shots and the like.


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## dirtcastle (Sep 11, 2012)

arcanej said:


> Thanks for the advice all! I ended up carrying too much equipment (14mm, 24-105mm, 50mm, 70-200mm, monopod, flash) but had a great time. On the plus side, carrying all that meant I burned more calories while walking around!Next time, I might just stick with the 24-105 and the 50 and leave everything else home.



Thanks for the debriefing! 

A lot of people get excited about the 14mm, and rightly so. But let's face it... it's a specialty lens. The 16-35mm L and 17-40 L don't match the quality of the 14mm L, but they are quite versatile.

I also find that the 24-105mm L almost always has enough width to get the shot. And when I'm packing light, I often pair it with my 50 f/1.4 (to cover low light). But I'm starting to feel like I might want to get the 35mm L because the 50 is just a tad long (I can always crop in post, but I can't magically add more photo).

I'm starting to agree with more experienced shooters that going light with the gear can improve your photography by lightening your load and pushing the creativity that can come out of limitations.


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## RLPhoto (Sep 11, 2012)

arcanej said:


> I know, the least exciting type of post, but I would be very grateful for any advice on what to bring and what to leave behind.
> 
> This summer I had planned on going out with a pro-photographer, but he was unable to secure the permits in time. So, my wife and I are heading to Europe in a few weeks. We will be hitting London, France and Brussels.
> 
> ...



Simple, 24-105L + 50mm 1.2L + 5d3. Done.


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## arcanej (Sep 11, 2012)

Don't get me wrong - I really love the 70-200 and did use it more than a few times on the trip. The London Bridge picture I posted was with the 70-200. 

So is this picture from Notre Dame:



GS0C5106.jpg by Evan's Pix, on Flickr

I just don't relish carrying it around all day for 11 days....


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## KKCFamilyman (Sep 12, 2012)

I think that is the point. I brought the 70-200 f4 IS with me to California for 7 days and used it for 100 shots out of thousands and carried the weight the whole time. If I had it to do over. I would have left it at home.


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## dirtcastle (Sep 12, 2012)

I won't even buy a 70-200mm in the first place because it's just too big and heavy for my taste. I'd rather carry two primes (35mm/135mm). 

That said, I can understand why a lot of event photographers (and big, muscular people) choose the 70-200mm. It's only downside is size/weight, imo.


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## mrsfotografie (Sep 12, 2012)

Finding the right travel kit has been a constant challenge for me. I want to travel light (we are usually on the move at a high pace all the time) and not limit myself too much. I've bought and sold many lenses before getting it down to the set I recently used when traveling in India:

5D Mk II gripless
17-40 f/4 L (light weight, weather sealed)
24-105 f/4 L IS (weather sealed workhorse)
50 f/1.8 Mk I (low light, low weight and tiny)
Tamron 70-300 VC USD (just in case)

I found weather sealing to be of up most importance in India. Water and dust everywhere! My camera (and 24-105) survived dust storms, rain and even a splash of water from a market stall cover that suddenly drained right on top of it. There's a tiny bit of grinding sound left in the focus ring from the sand though... 

In fact I left the 24-105 on most of the time and managed to do some low light stuff thanks to iso and IS. The 50 mm never left my bag.

What I still need is a tiny add-on flash, the Speedlite 90EX.


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## Pitbullo (Sep 12, 2012)

What about 24-105, and try to get your hands on the shorty forty. Should be a good travel pack.


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## Hardwire (Sep 12, 2012)

I travel a lot with work around Europe and the US and always take my camera with me and this has taught me a few lessons.

1. Pack lite and make the most of the kit you take with you. Trust me walking around with all your glass is old really quickly.

2. Pack lite, unless you want to risk having a horrid trip because of lost equipment ALWAYS hand carry your camera...this poses the weight problem as most flights are now putting a 10kg limit on carry on (and some as low as 6kg!)

3. Cheat where possible. How many shots do you think you are really going to need 200mm for when walking in a city? I live in London and shot in the city at weekends and to be honest some of my most preferred shots have been at <100mm and so the 24-105 is a great choice for this...plus if I want one or two longer shots I have a 2x tele converter (no idea, but better then lugging a great 70-200 around!).

4. Be creative, get out of the comfort zone of having all the kit to cover everything and use creativity to overcome the short falls in traveling light.

Personally I now travel with just my 5d3, 50 1.4 and 24-105 and the 2x tele. I don't even bother with my flash as the 5d3 can make up with it in ISO. Sometimes I might add a fold up reflector and a cheap (See:lite) 70-300 5.6 for when I think I will REALLY need some reach, but it is a fraction of the weight of the 2.8 version.

I also take my mac air with me as carry on, this acts not only as a backup for the memory cards, on location/hotel room editing but I also use it as a charger for many devices (cell phones etc) thus saving the need to carry a lot of adapters. A second battery will generally see me last a two week holiday as I do not use live view much at all.

Good luck!

PS, if you want a quick and dirty of the tourist highlights in London, there are a number of walking "photo tours" run for photography training purposes which are worth investigating.


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