I like to travel light, particularly for long trips...
My ideal setup: 20D + 17-40L for walk-around, 85 1.8 in my bag or pocket for candids, details, etc.
Relatively small, light and inexpensive (if compared let's say to a 5D and a 24-70L or 24-105L), but without compromising quality. Built-in flash for filling, good DOF control for candids, etc.
You may add the 35L to replace the 17-40L in low light situations.
Enjoy your trips! (Not only through the viewfinder...
KFG1 wrote:
My Ideas for the kit are as follows: EF-S 10-22, either 17-40L or EF-S 17-55 / 2.8 IS, 24-105L IS, and 70-200L /4 IS. With the addition of either a 35L or the new 50L /1.2, I love having a fast prime in the mix. I decided to go with some f/4s in this kit to save space over my f/2.8s, still pondering that
I'd reduce that to 10-22 + 35/1.4 + 70-200/4 IS or 10-22 + 24-105.
KFG1 wrote:
I decided to go with some f/4s in this kit to save space over my f/2.8s, still pondering that
Stop pondering. In a trip weight is more important than the added stop.
I have been also travelling around (Scandinavia lastly) and I would choose from your arsenal this three lenses, similar to I did choosen:
the 10-22 (because with a cropped camera the UWA is a must, specially for some city and landscape)
the 24-70 is the one you are using most of the time and also good for night shots.
the 70-200 for long term and isolate targets.
All in one bag with the camera and flash + accesories. A lot of CF memories, batteries, etc, etc..a x1,4 TC also . I have a Lowepro Stealth Reporter AW200 and all goes inside nicely (but full)
I travel a lot - as part of my photography tours and for personal pleasure, and if there is one thing I have learned, it is that you need to balance a full range of focal lengths with weight.
So my minimalist travel rig is the Sigma 10-20, the Tamron 28-75/2.8 and the Canon 70-200/4, along with a 20D. This covers all my needs for general photography. Light and versatile. For your travels, this is what I would recommend (although the Canon 24-105 may make a fine alternative to the Tamron). This is light enough to carry around all day without too much discomfort and versatile enough to meet all shooting needs.
5D, 24-105L IS, and a 50mm f/1.4 (1.2 is too heavy for travel), a single 580, batts, and a really small CF tripod with correspondingly small ballhead. (maybe a Slik CF 600 series and a BH25 or BH40?)
I took a 10D, 17-40, 50 f/1.4, and 70-200f/4 on a 3 week trip to Russia (no tripod), and realized that I could have left the 70-200 f/4 at home, and would have benefitted FAR more from the tripod.
Well if you are talking Ultimate travel kit.......
I gave this one a lot of thought last year and come to the conclusion that the Canon system is just too big and heavy so I have now suplemented my Canon gear with Oly E Zuiko for travel purposes.
In this aluminium attache case (which met the strict UK travel regs 2 months ago ie is less than 6 " deep) are 2 bodies, 1x 5MP with power booster, 1x 8MP, 4 lenses with equivelent field of view of 22-44mm, 28-108, 100-400, 100mm macro, plus 1.4 tc, dedicated high speed sync flash guide no 50, spare batteries, chargers, anglefinder and room for a small pair of binoculars. Try that with Canon!
Provided you don't shoot above ISO 400, you will not see any practical real world difference between Oly E and Canon (pixel peepers will challange this no doubt, but proof of the pudding is in the end print). I know - I frequently compare the two systems.
As some others have said it simply depends on what you want to carry and deal with. Some will never be able to take only a couple lenses as they are too worried about missing a shot here or there because they didn't have x lens. Myself I find that when on vacation I usually find so much to photo that missing a shot here or there is never a big deal, that and no mater how many lenses you take there will always be something you want to photo you don't have the right lens for, or the lens doesn't exist etc.
My travel kit is a 10-22, 24-105, and a 30D. If I thought I needed more range I'd go for the 70-300 IS. That makes a pretty compact, light kit, and the 24-105 is on the camera 95% of the time. I don't take a lot of low light people/action pictures so I've found my 24-105 L IS actually takes better low light stationary pictures than my 50 1.8 mkI does, but I would consider a 35mm 1.4 for a fast prime if I was willing to pay for it. Still I don't consider 4 lenses and a SLR body to be a travel kit. YMMV
I've done a fair amount of travel and I have to say that for me, it's all about the zooms. I know a lot people would rather have a fast prime (and there are plenty of times I would agree); but I have been purchasing my line-up with the focus in travel. My current end goal (for travel) is a 5D+24-70/2.8 and a 20D+70-200IS/2.8 with a 21/2.8mm wide prime.
Two bodies, and 3 lenses. Toss in a 1.4x and I'll have a wide as 21mm and as telephoto as 448mm. All at f2.8, and with a spare body just in case.
It's not super light, but I've carried heavier and in a backpack it's not bad at all.
I spent a month in Oz, NZ, and Hong Kong in 2005, and carried the following lenses with my 10D: 17-40 f/4L, 28-135 IS, 85 f/1.8, 100-400 L IS. Looking back on it, well over half of the shots I took were with the 17-40, including all 16 of the ones I liked enough to frame and display in my office. I had a few keepers with the 100-400, but not enough to warrant lugging its mass around the world.
350D
28-105
1.4x tc
sigma 50mm 2.8 EX DG macro
70-300 IS
tripod
backpack
and my Hoyt turbotec set to 60 pounds.
I have been to Kauai probably 25 times. The macro is a good call, there are a lot of gorgeous flowers and detail stuff to shoot.....but you are almost assuredly going to want something wider than 28mm...
The TC is probably not going to see much use with the lenses you have....it wont AF on your 70-300 and if you want longer reach than 300mm.....you are probably shooting surfing or something. Landscapes dont always work that well with that long of a FL because it does tend to rain or get misty a lot....tripod though is a must. I did a few pano stitches when I was there and they are absolutely great, plus its nice to set up for a good sunrise/sunset shot, which have absolutely amazing colors there.
DaveEP wrote:
10-22, 24-105, 70-300IS is my standard travel kit, with the 24L or 35L for low light if I want it.
I like this three lens travel kit. I might replace the 24-105 with the 17-55....or just add it. It depends on if you are doing more indoor or outdoor photography.
5D, 24-70 2.8, 70-200 2.8 IS. Should be enough. Add flash, batteries & 10 gig of CF cards and you're on your way.
This coming from a man that really really plans to limit his travel set to the above next time - I usually take waaaay to much and then find myself hiking 9 hours with all the stuff on my back....
Then you can enjoy the holiday as well 