Advice on a walkabout lens

[Spacejunk]

Hi all

I'm currently the proud owner of a 450D and the 'stock standard' 18-55 & 55-250 kit lenses.

I'm just about to upgrade the body to either the 650D or 60D. I'm currently favouring the 60D. However, I'm trying to determine the best walk about lens. Next year I'm going to Belgium in March for a 3 week cycling holiday. Since I'm riding everywhere weight is an issue. I have an old G10 powershot camera, but think I would do Brugge, Ghent more justice using my DSLR.

Therefore what would be an ideal lens to carry? I really only want to take 1 with me. Any recommendations?

Note, I'm also going to Europe again in August - yes spoiled with two trips in 6 months. So ideally I'd love this lens to be given a good workout on both holidays.

In a perfect world I'd get the 24-105 L. But obviously two overseas trips is stretching the budget.

Thanks in advance,

Michael

[Colin]

Re: Advice on a walkabout lens

The 24-105L would be my immediate reaction as that is what I use on my 40D but its predecessor (on my 40D) was the Sigma 17-70 and this was an excellent lens and would definitely be worth a look imho.

[S_J_P]

Advice on a walkabout lens

the 24-105's often regarded as being a little long at the short end for a crop sensor camera, but I find it works well on my 60D, unless you're into wide open vistas or you're photographing in a confined space.

A good alternative is the 15-85, a cracking lens and significantly less expensive than the 24-105, nicely wide and reasonably long, and almost as sharp. It's light and small which is a bonus if you're travelling.

The 60D's a great upgrade on the 450D too, I did the same in 2011, you won't regret it.

[mikep]

Re: Advice on a walkabout lens

the 24-105's often regarded as being a little long at the short end for a crop sensor camera.

A good alternative is the 15-85, a cracking lens and significantly less expensive than the 24-105, nicely wide and reasonably long, and almost as sharp. It's light and small which is a bonus if you're travelling.

I'd have to agree with S_J_P on this. I considered the 24-105 for my 550D (1.6 crop), and felt 24 was too long for the short end on a crop sensor. I bought the 15-85 for my 550D, and I love it. Quality, sharpness, good IS, reasonably light for travelling. It's the only lens I took to Kos, Greece this summer, no issues.

Just be aware, at the 15mm end, it tends to distort the perspective a little, but this is quickly fixed in PP.

Good luck! All the best, Mike.

[MX5]

Re: Advice on a walkabout lens

Well don't let the 17-40L slip through your selection process and don't underestimate the G10 (I still use mine).

But for cycling you may want a GoPro Hero 3 mounted to your helmet!

Just thinking completely outside the box ...
However I know that the Panasonic FZ200 (and I'm guessing the Canon SX50 as well?) is quite a useful travelling camera ... a mate has one.

[DrJon]

Re: Advice on a walkabout lens

I'd add a vote for the 15-85, being a tourist is one of those times where getting to 24mm (equiv) at the wide end is really handy... it's also lighter than alternates like the 17-55.

If you want a pocket camera the Sony RX100 is on a different planet, alas price-wise too. (Then again it has almost twice the dynamic range of a 1Dx at base ISO, but you pay for that by limited zoom range, about 28-140mm equiv - I'm adding on 40mm as it has a lot of pixels so can crop to zoom.)

Actually on a bang-for-the-buck basis the recently replaced Olympus XZ-1s are pretty good and getting cheaper all the time.

For head-mounted video I might go for the Sony over the GoPro tho...

[J H Foto]

Re: Advice on a walkabout lens

The 24-105 is my walk about lens on my 60D.............................

[DP the Snapper]

Re: Advice on a walkabout lens

Just thinking completely outside the box ...
However I know that the Panasonic FZ200 (and I'm guessing the Canon SX50 as well?) is quite a useful travelling camera ... a mate has one.

I do quite a bit of cycle touring and rarely take my 7D. I toured in China a few years ago and used a Panasonic FZ50 and was very pleased with the results. I upgraded to a FZ38 which I always carry when out on the bike. These cameras a light, produce good quality images (unless you want to blow them up really large).

Their latest model the FZ200 sounds pretty good:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonic-lumix-dmc-fz200/13

Dave

[Hereford_EOS]

Re: Advice on a walkabout lens

Try the Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS as a good walkabout lens as S_J_P & mikep state.
The 24-105mm is too long on the short end (24mm = 38mm equiv on a crop camera).
The 15-85mm (equiv 24-136mm on crop camera) is an ideal focal range plus it has IS so can be hand-held without problems.
Being a relatively small lens it can easily be carried around plus it's approx 100g lighter than the 24-105mm.
Look at your 18-55mm and image 3mm wider on the short end and 30mm longer on the long end.

[Colin]

Re: Advice on a walkabout lens

The 24-105mm is too long on the short end (24mm = 38mm equiv on a crop camera).

It may not be. Analyse the photos that you take and see what focal length that you are currently using. I found a free tool to do this and checked out my last 15000 photos and found that a very small percentage of them were at the narrow end on my 17-70 but a large number were between 50 and 70 so that is why I went for the 24-105. It is a worthwhile exercise to do before you commit yourself to any new lens. You can then make an informed decision on the focal lengths that you need.

[MX5]

Re: Advice on a walkabout lens

... It is a worthwhile exercise to do before you commit yourself to any new lens. You can then make an informed decision on the focal lengths that you need.

That's precisely what I did some years ago and led to the 100-400L being swapped for a 300L f/4. Such statistical analysis proves very useful to collate other information; most used aperture for example (if you always use f/5.6 and are thinking between the f/4 and f/2.8 variants of the 24-70L and 70-200L ...)

[Nathaniel]

Re: Advice on a walkabout lens

I fully agree. Thats why I went for the 300mm f4L Prime as against the 70-300mm L lens.When using the 70-200mm lens Plus 1.4TC I found that I was shooting at 280mm (ignoring the crop factor with the 60D).I am a sucker for such statistical analyisis.

[Thndr_strck]

Re: Advice on a walkabout lens

Tamron 18-270 vc pzd

[S_J_P]

Advice on a walkabout lens

Tamron 18-270 vc pzd

Great if convenience is of paramount importance and quality isn't.

Superzoom's are a compromise, and one which a lot of serious photographers aren't willing to embrace.

[Thndr_strck]

Re: Advice on a walkabout lens

28-300m L ?