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krypticide · 12-06-2009, 04:54 PM

Looking for advice on what to bring to Taiwan and Japan.

I have on-hand:
DA* 16-50mm
FA 35mm
FA 50mm
DA 18-250mm
Sigma 70-200mm

No way I'm taking the Sigma. I want something relatively light, that can fit in a small shoulder bag. I was thinking the DA* and some subset of the primes. I guess it will be a mix of outdoors shots and indoor shots, with a few portraits taken.

Last year I went with the 18-250mm and 50mm, which worked well, though I'm looking for better image quality than the 18-250mm, and the 50mm was a bit long indoors.

Any suggestions? Is the DA* by itself enough? I figured it'd be good for inclement weather outside. Oh, and I'm a big bokeh fan so that's also something I have to consider...

luke0622 · 12-06-2009, 07:31 PM

i'd take the DA* 16-50/2.8 and Sigma 70-200/2.8

k100d · 12-06-2009, 07:47 PM

i went to japan with film 31, 43, 77 ... ended up using only the 31 and 77 and eventually only 31 in tokyo ...
from what you've said so far, i'd go DA* and FA50 for your bokeh as the FA35 probably isn't enough

pat_123 · 12-06-2009, 07:49 PM

Depends on what your travel agenda is. If you will be with people where it would be inconvenient to change lenses, take the 18-250. If this is a once in a life time trip, take the 18-250 and enjoy the scenario.

If you can go back multiple times, take the 16-50 and the 70-200. You can leave the 70-200 in the hotel if where you are going that day won't need the tele.

I have the 16-45 myself and travel with a longer lens, although I don't always take it out of the hotel room.

If you are already taking the 16-50, I can't see taking the 35 & 50 as well.

pinholecam · 12-06-2009, 08:52 PM

I'd have said the DA*16-50 and a 135mm if you have one.

I've just come back from Taipei. Used the Sigma 10-20, Fa35/2 and M85/2. I'd say I used the FA35 the most, followed by 10-20 and lastly the 85mm.

So the 16-50 should serve you well.

Samples here :
Picasa Web Albums - jenkwang - Taiwan Nov 2009

AdrianN · 12-07-2009, 01:32 AM

Just take the 16-50.

And lots of money, so you can buy the three amigos (in silver!)

ogl · 12-07-2009, 01:52 AM

Originally posted by krypticide

Looking for advice on what to bring to Taiwan and Japan.

I have on-hand:
DA* 16-50mm
FA 35mm
FA 50mm
DA 18-250mm
Sigma 70-200mm

DA* 16-50mm. I've made ALL photos by FA*24/2 in China and Japan.
DA*16-50 will be the best focal range.

krypticide · 12-07-2009, 06:28 PM

Thanks for all the suggestions. I definitely will take the 16-50mm, and I'll consider packing the 50mm if there is space as well. Given that the weather will likely not be dry all the time, maybe the 50mm won't be used much.

krypticide · 01-09-2010, 06:03 PM

Just to update, I ended up using the DA* the entire time, for pictures and movies. I only used the 50mm when I was at the dimly lit aquarium, with only a few images that turned out, so it was pretty much a deadweight.

On some occasions, I could have used a bit more reach, but it probably would not have been worth the extra weight or space.

Furansu · 01-09-2010, 06:55 PM

Originally posted by krypticide

Just to update, I ended up using the DA* the entire time, for pictures and movies.
...

Will we have the chance to see some preview of these movies in a nearest future ? As people get good result for pictures with the DA*16-50mm, I'm eager to see the same quality for a movie

herzzreh · 01-09-2010, 07:46 PM

Originally posted by krypticide

Looking for advice on what to bring to Taiwan and Japan.

I have on-hand:
DA* 16-50mm
FA 35mm
FA 50mm
DA 18-250mm
Sigma 70-200mm

No way I'm taking the Sigma. I want something relatively light, that can fit in a small shoulder bag. I was thinking the DA* and some subset of the primes. I guess it will be a mix of outdoors shots and indoor shots, with a few portraits taken.

Last year I went with the 18-250mm and 50mm, which worked well, though I'm looking for better image quality than the 18-250mm, and the 50mm was a bit long indoors.

Any suggestions? Is the DA* by itself enough? I figured it'd be good for inclement weather outside. Oh, and I'm a big bokeh fan so that's also something I have to consider...

A long, long time ago, I traveled all around Scotland with only the super-duper excellent Minolta 28mm f/2 on a crop body. (later on, when switching systems after Sony bought Minolta, I sold this little gem for about four times as much as I bought it for. Let's just say it paid for a new k10d) One and only lens I had. As a result, my best photos were taken on that trip. I really had to think about about my composition and it payed off.

Sure, I had some limitations, but when I was really in a pinch, I just looked for someone shooting a Minolta and begged to borrow their lens. This worked 98% of the time and once I had cops called on the lens thief...

My suggestion - take only the FA 35mm with you and then maybe hit Map Camera (see their site for prices) when you get to Japan to buy a used telephoto.

dugrant153 · 01-09-2010, 08:11 PM

Originally posted by herzzreh

My suggestion - take only the FA 35mm with you and then maybe hit Map Camera (see their site for prices) when you get to Japan to buy a used telephoto.

I LOVE MAP CAMERA!!!! I wish I could live in there. They had 3-5 used lenses I would've bought on the spot at that time but didn't have enough yen for anything expensive.

Would love to see the photos and how they turned out. I used mainly primes in Japan. Ended up ditching a ton of my lenses and stuck with few main ones (DA21, FA35, DA*55). When traveling, it's so worth it to go light.

Curious to see how the DA* 16-50 performed!

David07 · 01-09-2010, 09:44 PM

Originally posted by krypticide

Looking for advice on what to bring to Taiwan and Japan.

I have on-hand:
DA* 16-50mm
FA 35mm
FA 50mm
DA 18-250mm
Sigma 70-200mm

No way I'm taking the Sigma. I want something relatively light, that can fit in a small shoulder bag. I was thinking the DA* and some subset of the primes. I guess it will be a mix of outdoors shots and indoor shots, with a few portraits taken.

Last year I went with the 18-250mm and 50mm, which worked well, though I'm looking for better image quality than the 18-250mm, and the 50mm was a bit long indoors.

Any suggestions? Is the DA* by itself enough? I figured it'd be good for inclement weather outside. Oh, and I'm a big bokeh fan so that's also something I have to consider...

A lot is depending on your shooting style and what you are going to shoot... but from your description and requirements, it seems the DA* 16-50 would be your most important lens. I would also bring the FA 35 and FA 50 for low light shots, indoors and low DOF. This kit would be light and easy to carry.

I spent two months in Japan during summer 2008 and rarely used focal length higher than 77mm. You should think if you need a small telephoto prime... maybe a small Pentax M 135/3.5 could sometimes be useful.

If you would like to shop for some camera stuff, Japan is great place. I used to go to Bic Camera (and they are other similar stores). They would have almost every lens in every brand, including Zeiss and Voigtlander, and also camera accessories in stock (remote, M42 adapters, etc.).

Gambate kudasai !

ryankarr · 01-09-2010, 10:03 PM

I just got back from 2 weeks in Taiwan. I essentially only used my 10-24 and 17-55 2.8. Only broke out my 50-135 twice.

I was surprised how well lit the streets are in the big citys at night. Never needed to use a prime.

herzzreh · 01-09-2010, 11:12 PM

Originally posted by dugrant153

I LOVE MAP CAMERA!!!! I wish I could live in there. They had 3-5 used lenses I would've bought on the spot at that time but didn't have enough yen for anything expensive.

Would love to see the photos and how they turned out. I used mainly primes in Japan. Ended up ditching a ton of my lenses and stuck with few main ones (DA21, FA35, DA*55). When traveling, it's so worth it to go light.

Curious to see how the DA* 16-50 performed!

When I go there in March, I'll only have 20mm, 40mm and 58mm on me.

12-06-2009, 04:54 PM	#1
krypticide Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,079	Taiwan and Japan travel kit Looking for advice on what to bring to Taiwan and Japan. I have on-hand: DA* 16-50mm FA 35mm FA 50mm DA 18-250mm Sigma 70-200mm No way I'm taking the Sigma. I want something relatively light, that can fit in a small shoulder bag. I was thinking the DA* and some subset of the primes. I guess it will be a mix of outdoors shots and indoor shots, with a few portraits taken. Last year I went with the 18-250mm and 50mm, which worked well, though I'm looking for better image quality than the 18-250mm, and the 50mm was a bit long indoors. Any suggestions? Is the DA* by itself enough? I figured it'd be good for inclement weather outside. Oh, and I'm a big bokeh fan so that's also something I have to consider...

12-06-2009, 07:31 PM	#2
luke0622 Veteran Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Ankeny, Iowa Photos: Gallery Posts: 388	lenses i'd take the DA* 16-50/2.8 and Sigma 70-200/2.8

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12-06-2009, 07:47 PM	#3
k100d Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Toronto Posts: 3,911	i went to japan with film 31, 43, 77 ... ended up using only the 31 and 77 and eventually only 31 in tokyo ... from what you've said so far, i'd go DA* and FA50 for your bokeh as the FA35 probably isn't enough

12-06-2009, 07:49 PM	#4
pat_123 Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Calif Posts: 43	Depends on what your travel agenda is. If you will be with people where it would be inconvenient to change lenses, take the 18-250. If this is a once in a life time trip, take the 18-250 and enjoy the scenario. If you can go back multiple times, take the 16-50 and the 70-200. You can leave the 70-200 in the hotel if where you are going that day won't need the tele. I have the 16-45 myself and travel with a longer lens, although I don't always take it out of the hotel room. If you are already taking the 16-50, I can't see taking the 35 & 50 as well.

12-06-2009, 08:52 PM	#5
pinholecam Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: North Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,710	I'd have said the DA*16-50 and a 135mm if you have one. I've just come back from Taipei. Used the Sigma 10-20, Fa35/2 and M85/2. I'd say I used the FA35 the most, followed by 10-20 and lastly the 85mm. So the 16-50 should serve you well. Samples here : Picasa Web Albums - jenkwang - Taiwan Nov 2009

12-07-2009, 01:32 AM	#6
AdrianN Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Sydney Posts: 66	Just take the 16-50. And lots of money, so you can buy the three amigos (in silver!)

12-07-2009, 01:52 AM	#7
ogl Banned Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sankt Peterburg Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,382	Originally posted by krypticide Looking for advice on what to bring to Taiwan and Japan. I have on-hand: DA* 16-50mm FA 35mm FA 50mm DA 18-250mm Sigma 70-200mm DA* 16-50mm. I've made ALL photos by FA24/2 in China and Japan. DA16-50 will be the best focal range.

12-07-2009, 06:28 PM	#8
krypticide Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,079 Original Poster	Thanks for all the suggestions. I definitely will take the 16-50mm, and I'll consider packing the 50mm if there is space as well. Given that the weather will likely not be dry all the time, maybe the 50mm won't be used much.

01-09-2010, 06:03 PM	#9
krypticide Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,079 Original Poster	Just to update, I ended up using the DA* the entire time, for pictures and movies. I only used the 50mm when I was at the dimly lit aquarium, with only a few images that turned out, so it was pretty much a deadweight. On some occasions, I could have used a bit more reach, but it probably would not have been worth the extra weight or space.

01-09-2010, 06:55 PM	#10
Furansu Inactive Account Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: British Columbia, Canada Posts: 69	Originally posted by krypticide Just to update, I ended up using the DA* the entire time, for pictures and movies. ... Will we have the chance to see some preview of these movies in a nearest future ? As people get good result for pictures with the DA*16-50mm, I'm eager to see the same quality for a movie

01-09-2010, 07:46 PM	#11
herzzreh Inactive Account Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Juneau, AK Posts: 72	Originally posted by krypticide Looking for advice on what to bring to Taiwan and Japan. I have on-hand: DA* 16-50mm FA 35mm FA 50mm DA 18-250mm Sigma 70-200mm No way I'm taking the Sigma. I want something relatively light, that can fit in a small shoulder bag. I was thinking the DA* and some subset of the primes. I guess it will be a mix of outdoors shots and indoor shots, with a few portraits taken. Last year I went with the 18-250mm and 50mm, which worked well, though I'm looking for better image quality than the 18-250mm, and the 50mm was a bit long indoors. Any suggestions? Is the DA* by itself enough? I figured it'd be good for inclement weather outside. Oh, and I'm a big bokeh fan so that's also something I have to consider... A long, long time ago, I traveled all around Scotland with only the super-duper excellent Minolta 28mm f/2 on a crop body. (later on, when switching systems after Sony bought Minolta, I sold this little gem for about four times as much as I bought it for. Let's just say it paid for a new k10d) One and only lens I had. As a result, my best photos were taken on that trip. I really had to think about about my composition and it payed off. Sure, I had some limitations, but when I was really in a pinch, I just looked for someone shooting a Minolta and begged to borrow their lens. This worked 98% of the time and once I had cops called on the lens thief... My suggestion - take only the FA 35mm with you and then maybe hit Map Camera (see their site for prices) when you get to Japan to buy a used telephoto.

01-09-2010, 08:11 PM	#12
dugrant153 Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Vancouver, BC Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,059	Originally posted by herzzreh My suggestion - take only the FA 35mm with you and then maybe hit Map Camera (see their site for prices) when you get to Japan to buy a used telephoto. I LOVE MAP CAMERA!!!! I wish I could live in there. They had 3-5 used lenses I would've bought on the spot at that time but didn't have enough yen for anything expensive. Would love to see the photos and how they turned out. I used mainly primes in Japan. Ended up ditching a ton of my lenses and stuck with few main ones (DA21, FA35, DA55). When traveling, it's so worth it to go light. Curious to see how the DA 16-50 performed!

01-09-2010, 09:44 PM	#13
David07 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Trois-Rivières, Québec, CA Posts: 74	Originally posted by krypticide Looking for advice on what to bring to Taiwan and Japan. I have on-hand: DA* 16-50mm FA 35mm FA 50mm DA 18-250mm Sigma 70-200mm No way I'm taking the Sigma. I want something relatively light, that can fit in a small shoulder bag. I was thinking the DA* and some subset of the primes. I guess it will be a mix of outdoors shots and indoor shots, with a few portraits taken. Last year I went with the 18-250mm and 50mm, which worked well, though I'm looking for better image quality than the 18-250mm, and the 50mm was a bit long indoors. Any suggestions? Is the DA* by itself enough? I figured it'd be good for inclement weather outside. Oh, and I'm a big bokeh fan so that's also something I have to consider... A lot is depending on your shooting style and what you are going to shoot... but from your description and requirements, it seems the DA* 16-50 would be your most important lens. I would also bring the FA 35 and FA 50 for low light shots, indoors and low DOF. This kit would be light and easy to carry. I spent two months in Japan during summer 2008 and rarely used focal length higher than 77mm. You should think if you need a small telephoto prime... maybe a small Pentax M 135/3.5 could sometimes be useful. If you would like to shop for some camera stuff, Japan is great place. I used to go to Bic Camera (and they are other similar stores). They would have almost every lens in every brand, including Zeiss and Voigtlander, and also camera accessories in stock (remote, M42 adapters, etc.). Gambate kudasai !

01-09-2010, 10:03 PM	#14
ryankarr Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Calgary AB Posts: 40	I just got back from 2 weeks in Taiwan. I essentially only used my 10-24 and 17-55 2.8. Only broke out my 50-135 twice. I was surprised how well lit the streets are in the big citys at night. Never needed to use a prime.

01-09-2010, 11:12 PM	#15
herzzreh Inactive Account Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Juneau, AK Posts: 72	Originally posted by dugrant153 I LOVE MAP CAMERA!!!! I wish I could live in there. They had 3-5 used lenses I would've bought on the spot at that time but didn't have enough yen for anything expensive. Would love to see the photos and how they turned out. I used mainly primes in Japan. Ended up ditching a ton of my lenses and stuck with few main ones (DA21, FA35, DA55). When traveling, it's so worth it to go light. Curious to see how the DA 16-50 performed! When I go there in March, I'll only have 20mm, 40mm and 58mm on me.

Taiwan and Japan travel kit

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