The 1D Mark II with a 50mm f/1.4 is a great street shooting camera. It's a little big, but with the 50 on there, the weight is very manageable for an entire day of shooting. I would add that lens, the 85mm f/1.8, and the 17-40 f/4L. I know you don't want to use zooms, but the wide angle on that lens precludes your needing to buy any additional kit, and it's pretty lightweight by zoom standards. Why spend extra money when you already have your wide needs covered? Just keep it stuck at 17mm and pretend it's a slow prime.
discreet wrote:
I am planning to put some duct tape on the camera ("canon" on the prism ,1D and MarkII label) and some really small prime to become as discrete as possible.
A good idea in general, but remember that the crime rate in Cuba is very low. It seems like every fifth person in Havanna is a cop Regardless, even if you had a rangefinder, as a foreigner wandering around Havanna, you will be anything but discrete.
Also, if you are doing street candids, make sure you give your subjects a couple of pesos. They make, on average, $20 USD per month, so try to help out. Who knows, you will probably get an invite into someone's home or neighbourhood.
Anyway I understand the logic about bringing the 17-40L but i think I want to train myself and use exclusively primes as I know the 17-40L will be stuck on the body 90% of the time... as for the 85 and 50 being too close... I am re-evaluating that... but a nice 135mm will be useful too
I'm currently on a trip with my 20D and 35/2, 85/1.8 and 135/2.8 SF. In my opinion this is an excellent travel package. It's quite good on my 20D, but would be even better on a 1.3x crop body. All these lenses share their shades, which is really great IMO. Even just the shallow shade of the 35mm will keep out most stray light and protect the lens from accidental bumps, while staying discrete. All lenses are small, light and fast. The 85/1.8 is the champion of course, but the others still beat any zoom in the photographic department while still focusing quick enough, even though they lack the ring-USM of the 85mm lens. Finally, the 35mm and 135mm lenses have tiny 52mm filters, and the 85/1.8 has 58mm threads. So, I have a simple 52-58mm step-up adapter and share 58mm polaroid and ND grad filters between these lenses. This sharing of accessories helps keeping cost, weight and bulk down.
When going to a bright and sunny location, I might choose zoom lenses. However, on a december trip to Europe, the a midday shoot still requires 1/100s at f/2.0 with ISO 100. Primes are very useful here.
I'm currently on a trip with my 20D and 35/2, 85/1.8 and 135/2.8 SF. In my opinion this is an excellent travel package. It's quite good on my 20D, but would be even better on a 1.3x crop body. All these lenses share their shades, which is really great IMO.
Yes, it's a little known fact that you can use the 85/1.8 lens hood on all three of these lenses with no vignetting on a 1.6x camera. I have each of these lenses and only need the one hood for the 85/1.8. Glad you brought that up!
Do you find the 35/2 limiting for wide angle? I know on my vacations, 35mm isn't near wide enough on a 10D for many landscape and people shots (in their environment). It would seem like a 24mm or 20mm prime would work better for most situations combined with the 50mm and 135mm.
I don’t know if it makes sense since everyone has different shooting style, but after many trips with my primes here’s what works the best for me.
I take 2 main primes 35L and 135L. I also take 2 small, light weight primes 50 1.4 and 85 1.8.
Before I leave the hotel I will have a pretty good idea if I’ll be shooting wide or tele. If I take the 35L mounted on my camera I will slip the 85 1.8 in my pocket just in case I need much more reach. When the 135L will me my main lens on the camera I’ll put 50 1.4 in my pocket just in case I need something wider. This way I walk relatively light with only 2 lenses and I’m covered for most situations.
I think the 28/1.8, 50/1.4, 85/1.8 is an excellent trio to work with. But if I were to take only 3 primes on a trip, they would be a 28/1.8, 50/1.4, and 200/2.8.
I would substitute the 28/1.8 for a 24/2.8 for landscapes or stopped down work. So I'd say the 24/2.8 and 35/2 are okay substitutes if 35 is wide enough for low light use.
mudlake wrote:
Yes, it's a little known fact that you can use the 85/1.8 lens hood on all three of these lenses with no vignetting on a 1.6x camera. I have each of these lenses and only need the one hood for the 85/1.8. Glad you brought that up!
FWIW, you can also use the 135L hood on the 35L without vignetting on a 1.6 cropper.
lots of good advice.. and i think i am pretty much set on the 28/50/85 combo.. however the strong consensus for a longer tele is making me think about another lens.. but the size is a big turn off... I also like the idea of going out travelling with just 2 small lenses in the bag and one mounted on a camera around my neck!
I have been to Havana many times and have found a few helpful tricks to getting good shots and avoiding gawkers of my camera/lens setup.
I wear a tanktop with a loose fitting button-down shirt left unbuttoned (very plain shirt). My camera hangs about waist level under the free flowing shirt. I keep a hand on the camera with shirt in between so it's actually positioned where my pants pocket is. This keeps it from bonking around and provides quick access and discretion.
My favorite lenses for Havana were a 17-40 on a full frame.
On my 20D body I used a new 24-70mm I'd just gotten almost always at about 30mm. I barely used the 70-200 2.8 IS. I realize you'll be using primes and for what it's worth I'm betting a 35mm will be your most used lens on a 1.3 crop.
Hiding the Canon labels will be unlikely to make a difference in Havana as anything larger than a p&s draws attention. Walking around with my 20D + 70-200 IS was an interesting experience and something I'd reccommend only in the daytime amongst many people. Havana is actually a very safe place and tourists are very well protected I assure you. But wandering off alone in remote areas with $Thousands in gear is stupid in any large city.
Also: you will shoot far more than you expect GUARANTEED!!!
There is tons of exquisite photo ops there. My first trip I shot 40 rolls of film.
After going digital I bought an epson p-2000 so I could dump my cards onto it.
Bring the extra battery.
If you have any questions about Havana I'd be pleased to help out, sights to see, places to stay. Email me if you wish.
IMO, I think you should concentrate on one lens, the one that delivers/represents the most natural or average approach to a subject or scene to you, then the other 2 ones will be for special captures and diversity of range. Think the great Leica masters (HCBresson). These guys used the 50mm (that's 35 for you on 1,3 factor), not quite, but almost to the exclusion of other lenses. If anything else, would be a wider angle, and a short tele like you plan. I say, 20, 35 and 85. If you have the skills, these ranges won't let you down (I find the 50mm is too in-between focals, though my sensor is 1,6).
Interesting answers lots of info for you but in the end only you can decide. What works for one person does not for another, any time I've pointed that huge 17-40 L with hood at anyone they either cringe or burst out laughing.
Funny, I was just trying to figure out which three *zoom* lenses would be good for travel. Anyway, that sounds like a great combo (I happen to have all three). Probably my fav setup is a just a 35 and an 85 (less versatile and no lighter than the 3 you mentioned but even more, um, creatively restricting .
Nice shot Phast1. How nice and helpful you are. I recommended something wide too.I think the 17-40 would be great to take on this trip. There is so much wide to photograph there.
Regardless, even if you had a rangefinder, as a foreigner wandering around Havanna, you will be anything but discrete.
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