Questions for travelling photography- -!

clarkbai · 09-25-2010, 01:57 PM

Hi
I did a walk today, and also brought my K10D with me. Because I wanted to try a prime lens, a 43mm lens was the only one with me today. During the walk I wanted both portraits and landscapes. This prime lens made me in the trouble of difficult composition. (maybe because of my poor skill) I think I am more comfortable with a Series lens. I am not sure how to choose a lens for a walk or trip, so please give me some advices on that.
Thank you.
Peng

**eccs19** · 09-25-2010, 02:33 PM

Myself, I use primes, and when I do a walk, I take the lens based on what I plan on shooting. If I'm wanting to look for bugs, or interesting plants, I take my 100mm Macro, but if I want to shoot birds, rabbits, etc, I'll take my 200mm. If I've got my 100mm, I won't even think of birds.

**Mallee Boy** · 09-25-2010, 02:42 PM

Hi Peng,
It really depends on your type of travel.
If you are going for a walk from your home, then you can do that again...and again....so you can choose a lens to suit what you intend to shoot on any given day.

If you are travelling you need to consider some other questions:
How are you travelling?....Air, road, rail, hiking, private transport, public transport etc etc?
The answer will determine what gear to pack.
Who is going to carry your gear? Are you going to be in a heavily populated urban area or remote rural environment?

How much do you want to spend? (now we are getting down to the business end).

It all makes a very big difference.

And then ask yourself what type of photography am I going to be doing? are the shots for personal use, business, a pictorial diary, fun ..? Landscape, indoor, people, sport, macro, wildlife???? again the answers make a big difference to your lens choice.

While there are a number of superzooms on the market that will do a perfectly acceptable job in general circumstances, the primes will always provide that little bit extra, if you're looking for it.

Hope I haven't confused you....but there is no simple answer without a specific question.

Cheers.

elho_cid · 09-25-2010, 03:12 PM

For me the single biggest difficulty with FA42 is that it cannot focus close enough.
Thats why I prefer FA*24, FA35 or DFA50 as a walkaround prime. When I feel like swapping the lens I often throw in DA14 or M135 for extremities.
When I have a zoom day, it is usually the FA24-90 that wins.

mysticcowboy · 09-25-2010, 03:57 PM

Originally posted by clarkbai

Hi
I did a walk today, and also brought my K10D with me. Because I wanted to try a prime lens, a 43mm lens was the only one with me today. During the walk I wanted both portraits and landscapes. This prime lens made me in the trouble of difficult composition. (maybe because of my poor skill) I think I am more comfortable with a Series lens. I am not sure how to choose a lens for a walk or trip, so please give me some advices on that.
Thank you.
Peng

What you mean by travel photography will make a big difference in what you use. If you walk around locally, it's great practice to use a prime lens. Like anything, the more you do it the better you'll get. By the time you become comfortable shooting fixed focal length lenses, you won't have to ask what lens to use, you'll know what lenses you like and what you can do with them.

For travel to a place you won't get back to, I'd recommend a zoom or three. Until you get very familiar with shooting primes, you will want the versatility that a good zoom will give you.

Marc Sabatella · 09-25-2010, 05:07 PM

Originally posted by clarkbai

Hi
I did a walk today, and also brought my K10D with me. Because I wanted to try a prime lens, a 43mm lens was the only one with me today. During the walk I wanted both portraits and landscapes. This prime lens made me in the trouble of difficult composition. (maybe because of my poor skill) I think I am more comfortable with a Series lens. I am not sure how to choose a lens for a walk or trip, so please give me some advices on that.

BTW, the word you are looking for is "zoom", not "series".

The best way I know to get comfortable in choosing primes to is to simply do a lot of shooting with zooms and then examine your shots and study what focal lengths you tend to use for what subjects. Then you can make educated choices about what primes are best would be best *you*. And don't expect to be satisfied walking around with just one prime - expect to want several (something wide, something normal, something long).

Mostly, though, just don't get hung up on on the pictures you are "missing". Every time you take a picture, you are missing an *infinite* number of pictures you could have been taking instead because you were in the wrong location or looking in the wrong direction. Every moment of your life you spend aside from the few fractions of second here and there you are shooting, you are missing an *infinite* number of other pictures because you are not shooting at that moment. Think of how many sots you are missing *right now* because you are reading this and not shooting. Why people get so hung up on missed shots I just don't get.

**gofour3** · 09-25-2010, 05:38 PM

Whether you are shooting FF or APS-C, you can cover pretty well most shooting situations with three primes: a wide, a standard and a telephoto.

This has worked for photographers since the 35mm SLR came out. Which lenses you choose for your travel kit can be a simple as the old standby 28/50/135mm for a film SLR, or the APS-C equivalent.

Phil.

clarkbai · 09-26-2010, 06:05 AM

Originally posted by eccs19

Myself, I use primes, and when I do a walk, I take the lens based on what I plan on shooting. If I'm wanting to look for bugs, or interesting plants, I take my 100mm Macro, but if I want to shoot birds, rabbits, etc, I'll take my 200mm. If I've got my 100mm, I won't even think of birds.

That is the point! Clarify your purpose, and then choose right one.

clarkbai · 09-26-2010, 06:11 AM

Originally posted by Marc Sabatella

BTW, the word you are looking for is "zoom", not "series".

The best way I know to get comfortable in choosing primes to is to simply do a lot of shooting with zooms and then examine your shots and study what focal lengths you tend to use for what subjects. Then you can make educated choices about what primes are best would be best *you*. And don't expect to be satisfied walking around with just one prime - expect to want several (something wide, something normal, something long).

Mostly, though, just don't get hung up on on the pictures you are "missing". Every time you take a picture, you are missing an *infinite* number of pictures you could have been taking instead because you were in the wrong location or looking in the wrong direction. Every moment of your life you spend aside from the few fractions of second here and there you are shooting, you are missing an *infinite* number of other pictures because you are not shooting at that moment. Think of how many sots you are missing *right now* because you are reading this and not shooting. Why people get so hung up on missed shots I just don't get.

Oh thank you! Not just photography, but a bit philosophy inside.

It is a good advice to summarise what kind of fixed focal length you really need by choosing and analysing the photos from a 'zoom' lens.

09-25-2010, 01:57 PM	#1
clarkbai Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 70	Questions for travelling photography- -! Hi I did a walk today, and also brought my K10D with me. Because I wanted to try a prime lens, a 43mm lens was the only one with me today. During the walk I wanted both portraits and landscapes. This prime lens made me in the trouble of difficult composition. (maybe because of my poor skill) I think I am more comfortable with a Series lens. I am not sure how to choose a lens for a walk or trip, so please give me some advices on that. Thank you. Peng

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09-25-2010, 02:33 PM	#2
eccs19 Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Lisle, Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,510	Myself, I use primes, and when I do a walk, I take the lens based on what I plan on shooting. If I'm wanting to look for bugs, or interesting plants, I take my 100mm Macro, but if I want to shoot birds, rabbits, etc, I'll take my 200mm. If I've got my 100mm, I won't even think of birds.

09-25-2010, 02:42 PM	#3
Mallee Boy Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: South Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,904	Hi Peng, It really depends on your type of travel. If you are going for a walk from your home, then you can do that again...and again....so you can choose a lens to suit what you intend to shoot on any given day. If you are travelling you need to consider some other questions: How are you travelling?....Air, road, rail, hiking, private transport, public transport etc etc? The answer will determine what gear to pack. Who is going to carry your gear? Are you going to be in a heavily populated urban area or remote rural environment? How much do you want to spend? (now we are getting down to the business end). It all makes a very big difference. And then ask yourself what type of photography am I going to be doing? are the shots for personal use, business, a pictorial diary, fun ..? Landscape, indoor, people, sport, macro, wildlife???? again the answers make a big difference to your lens choice. While there are a number of superzooms on the market that will do a perfectly acceptable job in general circumstances, the primes will always provide that little bit extra, if you're looking for it. Hope I haven't confused you....but there is no simple answer without a specific question. Cheers.

09-25-2010, 03:12 PM	#4
elho_cid Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Prague Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,199	For me the single biggest difficulty with FA42 is that it cannot focus close enough. Thats why I prefer FA*24, FA35 or DFA50 as a walkaround prime. When I feel like swapping the lens I often throw in DA14 or M135 for extremities. When I have a zoom day, it is usually the FA24-90 that wins.

09-25-2010, 03:57 PM	#5
mysticcowboy Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: port townsend, wa Photos: Albums Posts: 968	Originally posted by clarkbai Hi I did a walk today, and also brought my K10D with me. Because I wanted to try a prime lens, a 43mm lens was the only one with me today. During the walk I wanted both portraits and landscapes. This prime lens made me in the trouble of difficult composition. (maybe because of my poor skill) I think I am more comfortable with a Series lens. I am not sure how to choose a lens for a walk or trip, so please give me some advices on that. Thank you. Peng What you mean by travel photography will make a big difference in what you use. If you walk around locally, it's great practice to use a prime lens. Like anything, the more you do it the better you'll get. By the time you become comfortable shooting fixed focal length lenses, you won't have to ask what lens to use, you'll know what lenses you like and what you can do with them. For travel to a place you won't get back to, I'd recommend a zoom or three. Until you get very familiar with shooting primes, you will want the versatility that a good zoom will give you.

09-25-2010, 05:07 PM	#6
Marc Sabatella Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Denver, CO Photos: Gallery Posts: 10,685	Originally posted by clarkbai Hi I did a walk today, and also brought my K10D with me. Because I wanted to try a prime lens, a 43mm lens was the only one with me today. During the walk I wanted both portraits and landscapes. This prime lens made me in the trouble of difficult composition. (maybe because of my poor skill) I think I am more comfortable with a Series lens. I am not sure how to choose a lens for a walk or trip, so please give me some advices on that. BTW, the word you are looking for is "zoom", not "series". The best way I know to get comfortable in choosing primes to is to simply do a lot of shooting with zooms and then examine your shots and study what focal lengths you tend to use for what subjects. Then you can make educated choices about what primes are best would be best you. And don't expect to be satisfied walking around with just one prime - expect to want several (something wide, something normal, something long). Mostly, though, just don't get hung up on on the pictures you are "missing". Every time you take a picture, you are missing an infinite number of pictures you could have been taking instead because you were in the wrong location or looking in the wrong direction. Every moment of your life you spend aside from the few fractions of second here and there you are shooting, you are missing an infinite number of other pictures because you are not shooting at that moment. Think of how many sots you are missing right now because you are reading this and not shooting. Why people get so hung up on missed shots I just don't get.

09-25-2010, 05:38 PM	#7
gofour3 Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 8,092	Whether you are shooting FF or APS-C, you can cover pretty well most shooting situations with three primes: a wide, a standard and a telephoto. This has worked for photographers since the 35mm SLR came out. Which lenses you choose for your travel kit can be a simple as the old standby 28/50/135mm for a film SLR, or the APS-C equivalent. Phil.

09-26-2010, 06:05 AM	#8
clarkbai Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 70 Original Poster	Originally posted by eccs19 Myself, I use primes, and when I do a walk, I take the lens based on what I plan on shooting. If I'm wanting to look for bugs, or interesting plants, I take my 100mm Macro, but if I want to shoot birds, rabbits, etc, I'll take my 200mm. If I've got my 100mm, I won't even think of birds. That is the point! Clarify your purpose, and then choose right one.

09-26-2010, 06:11 AM	#9
clarkbai Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 70 Original Poster	Originally posted by Marc Sabatella BTW, the word you are looking for is "zoom", not "series". The best way I know to get comfortable in choosing primes to is to simply do a lot of shooting with zooms and then examine your shots and study what focal lengths you tend to use for what subjects. Then you can make educated choices about what primes are best would be best you. And don't expect to be satisfied walking around with just one prime - expect to want several (something wide, something normal, something long). Mostly, though, just don't get hung up on on the pictures you are "missing". Every time you take a picture, you are missing an infinite number of pictures you could have been taking instead because you were in the wrong location or looking in the wrong direction. Every moment of your life you spend aside from the few fractions of second here and there you are shooting, you are missing an infinite number of other pictures because you are not shooting at that moment. Think of how many sots you are missing right now because you are reading this and not shooting. Why people get so hung up on missed shots I just don't get. Oh thank you! Not just photography, but a bit philosophy inside. It is a good advice to summarise what kind of fixed focal length you really need by choosing and analysing the photos from a 'zoom' lens.