[beholder3]

Just documenting some of my thoughts on which lenses to pack for holiday travel.

I pick a three lens kit usually:

1. Laowa 12mm
   1. Why? because it is tiny for a uwa lens and provides excellent results. I do love one shot landscape Panoramas and often shoot city architecture inside and out where you never can have a short enought focal length. Combined with the K-1's excellent IBIS even dark interior rooms work great, never needing a tripod.
      https://flic.kr/p/JAJ8sj
      https://flic.kr/p/JAJ6YC
      https://flic.kr/p/PSbJFw
2. Pentax DFA 24-70
   1. Why? Excellent sharpness and versatility. Mostly I use it at 24mm for surroundings (I dislike very much just having 28mm) or 70mm F2.8 for family portraits. The latter is the reason I would not want to settle for less than F2.8.
3. Pentax DA 55-300 PLM
   1. Why? Again it is tiny and easy to pack while providing excellent image quality. It pretty much only use it at 300mm for animals. Here it is an absolute non-issue to crop a little in post as the 300mm usually are not long enough anyway.
      https://flic.kr/p/28xedPM

The whole set of three lenses and camera still fit into the tiny hotel safes (think shoe box) you often find. And obviously 12-300mm covers most of everything.

[aslyfox]

Just documenting some of my thoughts on which lenses to pack for holiday travel.
. . . The whole set of three lenses and camera still fit into the tiny hotel safes (think shoe box) you often find.. . . .

Sounds like you have a good plan and good selection of gear.

I have never considered the secured storage of the camera and lenses in the room when not there.

good issue to think about

if, like me, you tend to carry too much gear to fit into the room safe, consider asking the hotel to store the gear securely and take responsibility.

you might also check your insurance coverage before leaving home to determine if you need to add coverage.

[dave2k]

My normal travel kit consists of my trusty K-1, my Samyang 14mm f2.8, Pentax D FA 24-70 f2.8 and Pentax DA 60-250 f4. The trio of lenses gives me a very broad range of focal lengths and two lenses that are pretty fast. If weight / size are not an issue, I'll replace the Samyang with the Pentax D FA 15-30 and perhaps add in the Pentax D FA 28-105 as a walkaround lens. It's taken me years to acquire the lenses that seem pretty optimal for travel.

[Sandy Hancock]

I have an overseas trip coming up, and I'm thinking along similar, but different lines.

KP, DA*11-18, DA20-40 Limited and DA*60-250. I might throw in a couple of fast primes as well, but that would be the core.

For me, 12mm on full frame is impractically wide and it would leave a HUGE gap to 24mm.

[normhead]

My K-1 bag.

DFA 28-105, 100 macro, DA*55 1.4, DA*60-250 or DA*200 2.8 with F 1.7x AF adapter.
If ultra wide angle is expected, Rokinon 14 2.8

[photoptimist]

My minimum long-distance travel kit is: Sigma 12-24, 28/3.5 shift, 50/1.2, 100/2.8 macro, Sigma 70-300 but I usually also add a 28-80 for fast snapshots, 20/4, and a 2X teleconvertor.

I never mess with the hotel safe because if the camera is in the room, then I'm usually in the room, too. And if I'm going to dinner or the pool without the camera, then I leave the "do not disturb" tag on the door.

[Ben-G]

K-1 & "The three princess"...

["what else ?"]


Ben

[aslyfox]

My minimum long-distance travel kit is: Sigma 12-24, 28/3.5 shift, 50/1.2, 100/2.8 macro, Sigma 70-300 but I usually also add a 28-80 for fast snapshots, 20/4, and a 2X teleconvertor.

I never mess with the hotel safe because if the camera is in the room, then I'm usually in the room, too. And if I'm going to dinner or the pool without the camera, then I leave the "do not disturb" tag on the door.

like the ad said " don't leave [ the hotel room ] without it "

I tend not to leave the hotel room without the equipment being with me.

that is my security system

nothing wrong with others doing different though
___________________________



at restaurants either my wife or I am always at the table with the equipment hidden as much as possible under the table.

we always ask for a table if at all possible, 4 person preferred

[Ben-G]

like the ad said " don't leave [ the hotel room ] without it "

I tend not to leave the hotel room without the equipment being with me.

that is my security system

nothing wrong with others doing different though
___________________________



at restaurants either my wife or I am always at the table with the equipment hidden as much as possible under the table.

we always ask for a table if at all possible, 4 person preferred

Prudence is never too much ! 👍

[Pentaxosaurus]

My K1-II enjoys the company of the DFA 28-105 very much. If I want to travel light, I also grab the A20/2.8; there aren't many light options at the long end, however. I might take the DA 50-200 (well knowing that the 55-300 would be preferrable if I had one) or the trusty old A*300/4.0 which isn't light at all but long enough for all my purposes. If space and weight permit, I love to add some fast primes.

And there is always an unused corner of the bag where I can squeeze in my ancient 17/4 FE. It's just nice to be prepared for the rare occasions when a fisheye comes in handy, and its weight is not much more than the difference between a full and an empty battery. ;-))

[tibbitts]

like the ad said " don't leave [ the hotel room ] without it "

I tend not to leave the hotel room without the equipment being with me.

that is my security system

nothing wrong with others doing different though
___________________________



at restaurants either my wife or I am always at the table with the equipment hidden as much as possible under the table.

we always ask for a table if at all possible, 4 person preferred

The odds of me leaving the restaurant without my camera would be a thousand times greater than having it stolen from a decent hotel room. I can't even remember to take leftovers from a restaurant with me when they're sitting right in front of me. And when I do remember them I forget and leave them in the car so they spoil before I can eat them.

[monochrome]

Since my last airline trip with the K-1 and DFA50/1.4 and DFA24-70 I have resolved to travel with the KP instead. As excited as I was to finally have a digital FF Pentax, the scale of all the gear is seriously challenging when I travel. For airline travel the 16-50 and 50-135 with the hoods in a separate bag, plus my 1st generation DA55-300, would do. I’d consider buying the 11-18 and maybe the fabled 55-300 PLE just for the trip.

If I took the K-1 anyway my bag would be:

1. A20/2.8
2. DFA28-105
3. M150/3.5
4. FA*200/2.8
5. A1.4X-S Rear Converter

It will be a while before I travel with the big camera and lenses unless I acquire a rolling camera bag.

[beholder3]

if, like me, you tend to carry too much gear to fit into the room safe, consider asking the hotel to store the gear securely and take responsibility.

That is why I prefer the above kit. Many hotels do not have central safes and putting it in and taking it out would be a pain.

you might also check your insurance coverage before leaving home to determine if you need to add coverage.

It's all covered so I am not worried about financial impact, but I dont want to be without camera.

like the ad said " don't leave [ the hotel room ] without it "
I tend not to leave the hotel room without the equipment being with me.

Most of the time that is ok, but it is not always the case.

Anyhow the whole comment on hotel safes is just one aspect that copies the simple portability aspect. I usually just drop all camera gear in a normal small backpack together with other items and so I don't want it all to be too large and heavy.

Obviously it is all about personal preferences and circumstances.

[Paul the Sunman]

Since my last airline trip with the K-1 and DFA50/1.4 and DFA24-70 I have resolved to travel with the KP instead. As excited as I was to finally have a digital FF Pentax, the scale of all the gear is seriously challenging when I travel.

I appreciate this sentiment. However, I am currently on a 2-month international trip, 5-6 weeks in Tenerife (where I am now) and 2 weeks in Czech Republic. Since I am based in just those two places, I decided to do something I have never done before; pack the gear I want to shoot with, irrespective of size and weight.

So I have the K1, DFA 28-105, DFA 15-30, DFA* 50 f/1.4, and DFA* 70-200. Yes, I know it's ridiculous. They are my biggest lenses (apart from the 150-450, which I have no need of on this trip). I even bought a new bag to accommodate it. But since I am not moving around, or staying in hotels, it's really no different to using that kit from home.

So far, I am really enjoying the experience. The coverage is ideal, and the IQ is the best I can muster. Every lens has had plenty of use. Of course, this is a masochistic experiment; it will not be my standard travel kit.

[officiousbystander]

Another vote for the DFA 28-105. But also the A50 1.4 is perfect for having a slightly more discrete set up. But I also always take an M43 with a pancake zoom or prime or the GR. There are times when carrying around a big and obvious camera can be counter productive.