I've just reserved a Christmas trip to Rome.
I'm seriously thinking about taking following lenses.

OM 21/3.5
24-105L
Leica 180/2.8

I'm debating myself whether I should bring EF300/4L IS + 1.4XT and the Rokkor 58 as well.

Should I replace 24-105L with CZ 35-70/3.4?

Any suggestions?

I would take them all, you just never know. I use the 24-105 literally all the time when travelling, but thats because IS is a good thing when shooting travel shots. I mainly use three lenses, 17-40, 24-105, 70-200 f4IS and the 1.4xII, its a killer combo, light and does the job brilliantly. I would rather take the manual focus kit and tripod mount it all if I was going for quality alone, but the spontaneous shots I would miss from not using AF and IS, the low light shooting in churches, doesn't warrant missing good imagery.

I've never been to Rome or Florence, and I'm not sure if 300/4 will be useful there.

You must bring the Rokkor to Rome.

cogitech wrote:
You must bring the Rokkor to Rome.

I hear you.

Forget the 300. You will need wide angle in Rome and will use the 17-40 and the 24-105 IS. There are many columns and pews in churches against which you can brace yourself. I went with 17-40 only and was thrilled with the results. Very easy to manage, too. Rome is a photographer's dream.

Carole

Okay...
I'll adjust my pack as below.

OM21/3.5
Rokkor 58
Leica 180/2.8

I fear that if I bring 24-105L, the other lenses may not get used much.
I like alternative lenses ...

You will walk A LOT. Travel light. Bring a P&S with you.
Replace the Leica 180 for CV125 or Leica 90 unless you're thinking about taking pics of the Pope on Saunday, when he does the Dominus.
Rokkor will be a must inside churches. Zuiko 21 will be awesome to Coliseum, Fontana di Trevi, and any architectural thing. Wish I had these lenses 7 months ago when I was there
Bring an aluminum bottle with you. Water is free in Rome, you can take it anywhere in the fountains. And it's delicious

I wanted to take Leica 180/2.8 to take some candid pictures of people there.

Any place that I should not miss in Rome?
I'm also considering to visit Florence by train. is it worth a trip there for a day?

I only have 3 days to spend in Rome....

Well, let's see...

In Rome, you'll have the best ice-creams in the world and the worst sandwiches. Period. Be warned.

Don't miss: Vatican/St Peter, Vatican Museum Sistine Chapel (1st day for these), Coliseum, Campidoglio, Archaeological sites, Circo Massimo, Trastevere neighborhood for dinner (2nd day) and Pantheon, Fontana di Trevi (if you can go in this one during the day once and in the night once), Piazza Navona, and walk in downtown if you have spare time (3rd day).

Instead of Florence (you could see some Michelangelo stuff there, including the awesome David statue), go to Naples and make a quick Pompeii visit (4 hours will do) and the rest of the day in Capri Island, the most place my eyes saw, ever. So far. Pompeii and Capri are quite near Naples, so you could look for a 1-day package for this one. I did it when in Rome.

Hope this helps.

The fountains, squares, Vatican, the old ruins by the coliseum, the tunnels/catacombs - they all scream for a wide angle lens. Take the guided tour when it comes to the Coliseum and the old city. I spend 9 days in Rome last year and that did not feel enough.

If you have the 17-40 or 16-35, etc.... even those may not feel wide enough sometimes.

The 24-105L may come in handy once in a while. My most used lenses were the Canon 14L on the 5D and the Zeiss 24-85mm f3.5-4.5 N (as I did not have anything else at the time). I now have the Olympus E3 and 7-14mm which would have been ideal for some of those wide angle shots.

That 180mm lens may not really come in handy. Take a P&S along as well.

As others have pointed out - don't bother with bottled water - get a steel bottle and drink the natural water which is about as good as it gets.

I wish I could save money in time to convert the N17-35, but it seems unlikely...
Thank you all for the input.

You are going to walk so much that all those lenses are really going to weigh you down.

I was in Rome last year with only the Canon G9 with me. I left my 5D and all the rest at home. Traveling light was great! Now I've got a Panasonic G1 for this sort of travel. Fairly big sensor, small and lightweight.

Don't spend so much time photographing Rome that you don't take the time to actually see it. That was the beauty of the G9. There's only so much you can do with a glorified point and shoot (but if you know what you're doing, you can get excellent results). I found that it allowed me to really see and experience the city.

Florence is a wonderful place to visit. I don't know about just spending a day, but David is truly awe inspiring.

I was in Rome this summer with my family. We spent 16 days in Rome, Cinque Terre and Tuscany. I brought a Canon 5D, 24-105mm IS, and 17-40mm. If I went again and brought only two lenses, it would be the same two lenses. If I brought a third lens, I'd bring a relatively fast, small prime -- since I've given up alternative lenses for DXO Optics Pro -- I'd bring either the Canon 28mm f1.8 (mine is excellent when combined with DXO) or the 50mm f1.4. I like to do a lot of panoramics, sometimes I stitch, sometimes I just crop format on the 17mm end of the 17-40. If I didn't like to do panoramics as much, I'd consider just bringing one lens -- the 24-105mm, or that lens and the 28mm f1.8. Also, in addition to a tripod, I would definitely bring a monopod. Much easier for cities with lots of people, like Rome. I've just started experimenting with a monopod, and am quickly becoming a convert.

I would also consider travelling with the Canon G10, and maybe the 5D and one lens. Taking the G10 and monopod with me during the day, and the 5D and one lens (probably 17-40mm) when I get up early a.m. or go late evening just for photos.

I am definitely at the point where I want to travel with just two lenses, even though a big part of why I travel is for photography.

stevej2001 wrote:
You are going to walk so much that all those lenses are really going to weigh you down.

I was in Rome last year with only the Canon G9 with me. I left my 5D and all the rest at home. Traveling light was great! Now I've got a Panasonic G1 for this sort of travel. Fairly big sensor, small and lightweight.

Don't spend so much time photographing Rome that you don't take the time to actually see it. That was the beauty of the G9. There's only so much you can do with a glorified point and shoot (but if you know what you're doing, you can get excellent results). I found that it allowed me to really see and experience the city.

Florence is a wonderful place to visit. I don't know about just spending a day, but David is truly awe inspiring.

I traveled 19 days in Europe with a XTi+Tammy on my neck most of the time.
It was really a pain.
But it was really worth it. Just don't take more that you CAN walk with IMO.

I'm used with a lot of walking. (I hike every weekends)
I think I'll stick with;
OM21/3.5
Rokkor 58
Leica 180/2.8

And, I'm still debating myself whether I should bring the 24-105L.

I don't have any P&S camera, and i don't want to buy it just for the trip.