Primes for Vaca??

Dooku77

Dooku77

Senior Member
So I have a 35mm 1.8 which I love. I'm leaving on vacation in 2 months and have given up on buying an all in one zoom. I was thinking of just keeping my prime on the camera the whole time. Who has done this? I'm going to Disney so most of my shots will not be super far away.
 
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TedG954

Senior Member
I believe the 24-85VR would have been a great choice, but with that aside, your 35mm is a good choice. What's wrong with your 18-50?
 
Dooku77

Dooku77

Senior Member
TedG954 said:
I believe the 24-85VR would have been a great choice, but with that aside, your 35mm is a good choice. What's wrong with your 18-50?
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Well you see I like taking photos indoors in a lot of the rides or attractions and my 18-50 doesn't really work well for that situation. I rarely use the factory flash and I don't own a large flash yet. I've had some great success in lower light situations for other events I've attended. Plus I'm trying to keep what I bring into the park to a minimum. The bag check usually takes about 20 plus minutes to get through in the summer.
 
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STM

Senior Member
I don't do much "walking around" photography, but when I do I like to use my 55mm f/2.8 AIS Micro-Nikkor. It is razor sharp, even sharper than my 50mm f/1.4 AI, and lets me focus down to 1:2. Your 35mm f/1.8 would be roughly equivalent to my 55mm. My 35mm f/2.8 AIS Nikkor is relatively compact and can be shoved in a pocket if I need more angle.
 
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gqtuazon

Gear Head
The Nikon 35mm f1.8G DX lens will be an ideal lens. During my last visit to Disney (Tokyo), I brought two lenses with me (Nikon 16-35mm f4 and 85mm f1.4). There were times that I wished that I brought the 24-70mm f2.8 instead in order to minimize changing lenses.

The 16-35mm or wide angle lens allowed me to go really wide especially when I had to take a picture while in-line on one of the rides. The 85mm f1.4 worked out well indoor (i.e. hunted mansion, small world, pirates of the carribean). That's were the prime lenses excel in order to lower down the ISO. It's a big trade-off but don't expect that you can take all of the shots with just one lens.

I would suggest a f2.8 zoom lens, although heavy, it is lighter compared to bringing two or three prime lenses.

If you stick with prime, bring two. 35mmf1.8g DX and a longer lens like 85mm.
 
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Marcel

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
If I were you, I'd bring your 18-50 2.8 and the 35. For vacation, you might just need the wide angle that the 18-50 could provide.
Zooms were made for vacations.
 
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JDFlood

Senior Member
For travel I would not be without the 24mm - 300mm. When you are in situations that are rapidly changing and you don't have time to swap lenses, you have it all. I shoot a D800, and the results are not obviously shot with a wide range zoom. ( like when I am flipping through LightRoom)... It's a great lens. I'll then take "normal prime", that used to be the f1.4 50m or the 60mm micro... If macro work was likely. I have switched to 35mm f1.4 for normal. I do landscapes, street, architecture. I'm going to Chicago for a week vacation / photo. I'll do the following: 14mm - 24mm zoom, 35mm f1.4, and 24mm - 300mm zoom. Heavier than I like, but the 14mm - 24mm is just plain necessary. I plan each session carefully, normally hiking in the Pacific NorthWest or street in Portland. I have about 12 or 16 bags and belts and murses to choose from. JD
 
Marcel

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
JDFlood said:
For travel I would not be without the 24mm - 300mm. When you are in situations that are rapidly changing and you don't have time to swap lenses, you have it all. I shoot a D800, and the results are not obviously shot with a wide range zoom. ( like when I am flipping through LightRoom)... It's a great lens. I'll then take "normal prime", that used to be the f1.4 50m or the 60mm micro... If macro work was likely. I have switched to 35mm f1.4 for normal. I do landscapes, street, architecture. I'm going to Chicago for a week vacation / photo. I'll do the following: 14mm - 24mm zoom, 35mm f1.4, and 24mm - 300mm zoom. Heavier than I like, but the 14mm - 24mm is just plain necessary. I plan each session carefully, normally hiking in the Pacific NorthWest or street in Portland. I have about 12 or 16 bags and belts and murses to choose from. JD
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I didn't know Nikon had a 24-300. Did you mean 28-300?
 
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DaveW

Senior Member
Late last year the wife and I went on our first cruise around the Med, visiting Gran Canary, Tenerife, main land Spain, Portugal, etc.
All I took was my D3100 and 35 1.8 and used that for everything. I found it wide enough but not being a person who likes to get up close doing street photography, I could have done with my 50mm 1.8 instead.
Having said that, I enjoyed the fact that I had just one lens so had to get on with it. I think that if you take a zoom you sometimes will wish you had taken a longer zoom, and if you take a prime, you will sometimes wish you had taken a wider prime.
But with one lens for everything, it really makes you think and in many cases improves yourself.
 
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carguy

Senior Member
RockyNH said:
I would at least bring the 18-50.. better to have and not use than need it and not have it...

Pat in NH
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Agreed. When we took the kids to Disney World last October I had my 18-55 on most of the time (This was before I bought the 50mm or 18-105mm). The only time I used the 55-200 was at Animal Kingdom.

Depends on what you plant to use the camera for, and if you're taking kids etc. Enjoy!
 
Dooku77

Dooku77

Senior Member
carguy said:
Agreed. When we took the kids to Disney World last October I had my 18-55 on most of the time (This was before I bought the 50mm or 18-105mm). The only time I used the 55-200 was at Animal Kingdom.

Depends on what you plant to use the camera for, and if you're taking kids etc. Enjoy!
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Headed to Disney in May. I think in going to do the same as you did.
 
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stmv

Senior Member
Well, you have a 7000, which gives you lots of flexibility..

When I want to travel extra light... with my D7000

I carry

20 mm
50mm

and then believe or not,, an old 75-150 series E zoom,, a wonderful lens,, it gives you the flexibility when you want some reach. and a very compact zoom for the reach, and it is a 3.5 which is not bad since it is 3.5 thru its whole range! and only a 52 mm, when Nikon could make a compact zoom that had reach.

I cargo pants or shorts and throw the prime in one of the side pockets, and then wear a single small lens pouch for the small 75-150 zoom.

Ultra easy, ultra light weight.
 
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Dooku77

Dooku77

Senior Member
stmv said:
Well, you have a 7000, which gives you lots of flexibility..

When I want to travel extra light... with my D7000

I carry

20 mm
50mm

and then believe or not,, an old 75-150 series E zoom,, a wonderful lens,, it gives you the flexibility when you want some reach. and a very compact zoom for the reach, and it is a 3.5 which is not bad since it is 3.5 thru its whole range! and only a 52 mm, when Nikon could make a compact zoom that had reach.

I cargo pants or shorts and throw the prime in one of the side pockets, and then wear a single small lens pouch for the small 75-150 zoom.

Ultra easy, ultra light weight.
Click to expand...

When you put it in your pocket do you use a neoprene cover on the lens
 
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