OK, here is a bit on how I shoot, and I have traveled extensively in SE Asia and Europe before.

Last 2 trips to SE Asia saw me only bring a 5D and 24-105 with a P&S as backup (and the P&S did indeed get used more than I thought) I never found myself wanting that much more wide or less on the other end. Although it did happen on occasion.

The upcoming India trip (w/ 5 days in Dubai) will be a month. This time, I will bring backup/2nd camera: my 40D. My dilemma is with what lenses to bring with the 40D. No question the 5D + 24-105 will be the main rig. The 2nd body will be to both backup and expand my shooting choices.

First: I thought I would buy a small fast prime. I just got a Canon 35mm F2 and just think it stinks. My kit lens outperforms it. (18-55 IS, and it is a very good copy). So that is going back to the store. That makes me think of either equiping my 40D with a super wide or using the credit from the 35mm towards a modest tele like the 55-250 IS. The Tokina 11-16 is also in the mix because its F2.8, which supposedly works great with the 40D AF system.



So it really comes down to two questions:

First, for those that have been to India, are there particular benefits to bringing a basic tele? I don't shoot tele much, but knowing my travels, I can certainly see a benefit to having one and the 55-250 is darn cheap.

Second, would the Canon 10-22 or Tokina 11-16 benefit me more, by giving me super-wide? The Tokina does F2.8, too, but I don't know how it really performs at F2.8. While the Canon 10-22 gets glowing reviews overall.

And for the prime fans, I have now tried 3 of them and not been especially blown away, the 50 1.8, the 20 2.8 and now the 35 2.0. Stepping up to L glass is out of the question, the trip is expensive enough, but I can justify one purchase up to $600.

Last quick thought, man does Canon need to update its basic prime lineup. USM better coatings, ect.

Which part(s) of India and what sort of photography ? Wildlife, landscapes, temples, forts, monuments, people ?

Sigma 30 1.4 works very nicely as a normal lens on my 40D.

My photography will be a true mix, I enjoy street photography, and I am going to Kashmir, where grand landscapes are in order. I know from other experiences in Asia that I can be in an narrow alley one moment and in front a a temple that I want to go wide with in another. I also know that I have had great views from hotel balconies of the vibrant streets below that had me wanting a telephoto. But a few web opinions say a long zoom is not really what you want in India.

Past Asia travels have been to Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong. I don't know how different India is from those.

Dust can be an issue in India (not specifically in Kashmir), so take some filters first .
You might be seeing temples and heavenly landscapes and rivers.... go as wide as you can . Yes, you will be in a sea of humanity. As you might know, it is the monsoon season currently, take some protective stuff for your equipment just in case.

As for a telephoto, have you thought about a 70-200 f/4 L for the daylight hours ? It's a very light and extremely sharp lens wide open and is in your budget, cheapest L.


Good Luck , have fun !!

If you are visiting india, plan to visit Kerala(its one of the states). It is one of the most beautiful places in the world and is rated as one of the ten paradises in the world by national geographic.I am proud to say that i was born and brought up there

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism_in_Kerala

You will definitely need a wide angle lens to capture its vast and green landscape. A good portrait lens like 85L or 135L will also help to capture the culture and everyday life of the people.There are several art forms unique to kerala that you could enjoy. A good walk around like 24-105L is also very suitable.

The trip is in September and October (less monsoon), and, yes, Kerala is a place I would love to see. And I am finding the flights within India are very cheap with airlines like Spicejet. Since I am still planning the trip, I also welcome advice on what to see and do.

The inexpensive primes are generally much better on full frame than on a crop, but even then they are not really optimized for modern digital sensors. (That said, my copy of the 35 f/2 is quite sharp on my 50D. It's only suffers a bit in the contrast and color department. You may have a bad copy.)

Both the Tokina 11-16 I have tried and the Canon 10-22 are good lenses; I own the Canon. If you like to shoot wide, these may be the two best options for the APS-C bodies.

Only you can really decide what focal lengths you need based on how you shoot.. but less gear may be better. You might find this article about a trip I did to Rajasthan a few years ago interesting in that regard:

http://www.vothphoto.com/recent/india%202004/inda2004_main.htm

In fact, I might be tempted to leave the 40D at home, and instead of adding range, adding aperture by bringing the 50 1.8 and buying an 85 1.8 and possibly something longer like a 135 or 200 (if your budget can swing it) for use on the 5D. The portrait possibilities are wonderful, and the I think the zoom has you covered at the wide end.

But then again, I love shallow DOF.

If you put a 17-40 on the 5D, and the 24-105 on the 40D, you have the range from 17 to 168 covered with a fairly light weight and manageble set up. You might want to add an a prime or two, like the 50 1.8 for low light and/or the 200 2.8 for more reach.

My advice- pick up a canon 70-200 f4 or a sigma 70-200 2.8. If you're willing to spend a bit more, go for the 135f2... You'll get really good portraits with the sigma or the 135 on the 5d, although it's heavy.

I would definitely not invest in the 11-16, because you can only use that on one body. Also don't go for the 50-250, because it's not a very good lens.

Nice shots garyvot, I see your Nikkor 18-70 has seen alot of duty. That is a great focal length, and the Indian people do not seem bothered by being photographed close.

But I will bring the backup, my 5D has a lot of clicks and my old 300D once failed on a photo trip once . I know it is extra weight, but I will bring backup on this trip. 40D uses the same batteries, too. The kit lens is extremely light.

I ended up swapping my 50 1.8 for a 50 CM (compact macro). The CM is the most amazing lens I own, but it is way too slow focusing for street photos.

jstephens62 wrote:
If you put a 17-40 on the 5D, and the 24-105 on the 40D, you have the range from 17 to 168 covered with a fairly light weight and manageble set up. You might want to add an a prime or two, like the 50 1.8 for low light and/or the 200 2.8 for more reach.

Hmm, haven't really thought of that. Pick up a 17-40 and put it on the 5D and put the 24-105 on the 40D. Don't have to change lenses, both L. The 17-40 is worth considering.

Open to a prime like the 85 1.8. The 135 L is awesome, but I sold mine some time ago, just didn't find it useful outside of the few concerts that I shot at that time. It really is a great lens, though.

timpdx,

You have a good idea. you will be covering 17-168mm between both the bodies. There are places which will leave you wanting for 11-16 specially if you are visiting cities like Bombay/Calcutta/Delhi considering that most vibrant streets are not very wide generally. Also apart from the rural areas, you may not get a chance to use a tripod easily due to rules or lack of space. You will benefit from the high ISO performance of both the bodies in my opinion. 85mm f/1.8 will help you in portraits and low light as well. I have found 50mm f/1.8 and 85mm f/1.8 to be very useful but then my home is in a part of rural Rajasthan and there is no necessity to shoot portraits with a tele. As Kiran said earlier, you can not be sure of the rains (we have rain showers till Oct). Do take some protection for your gear (Filters, ziplock bags etc)

My recommendations are:

Bodies: 5D + 40D
Lenses: 17-40, 24-105, 85
Optional: 11-16, 50, a flash unit

Cheers,
Kartik