Jump to content

Lenses to take on trip from Budapest to Amsterdam


Recommended Posts

If you've got a 24-70mm f2.8, then take that as a single option and avoid the other primes, although take the 18mm Batis. If you think you need anything longer, then by all means take the 70-300.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Link to post
Share on other sites

Guest Jaf-Photo

Zooms are always good on travels. They make it easier to compose good shots, when you're moving around and have little time. Don't worry about packing too many lenses, that's the whole point of a compact system. Just leave some at the hotel if you don't use them. Much better than coming home fretting about the shots you couldn't take.

Link to post
Share on other sites

What kind of pictures do you want to take? I think your selection mainly depends on the answer to that question.

Alternatively, if you can, bring all your lenses and take a selection with you from the hotel your staying at and leave the rest.

Link to post
Share on other sites

We took a river cruise Amsterdam to Budapest (wonderful on Viking) and I found I used the 24-70 range on my A7Rii 90% of the time.  I wouldn't bother with the tele zoom, just not worth hauling it around for the rare time you would benefit from the extended zoom range.  The 1.8 would be very useful as you will probably be in many interiors (cathedrals, Melk Abbey, etc).  Speaking of low light and interiors, I highly recommend Gundel Restaurant in Budapest!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thank you for your information tinplater. I am going on the same trip with Viking. I will definitely try the Gundel thank you. Based on your experience I think I will go with my Zoom and the 18. The only thing left to decide is the 55 verses the 85. The other question I have is if you took the excursion to Munich. I am wondering if it is worth what appears to be a long and difficult day. Thanks again for your help.

Jerry

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I just returned from a similar trip.  I took the Batis 25 f2, Sony 16-35 f4, and Batis 85 f1.8.  The lens that I used the most wast the Batis 25.  So light, plenty wide, and fast aperture.  I used the 16-35 rarely, but it was useful a few times.  The Batis 85 was really useful for street photography in Amsterdam and Paris.  I could have used something longer (200mm or longer) for castle shots on the Rhine River.  We were there for King's Day in Amsterday...the biggest party I have ever attended.  A shot from King's Day and street photography in Paris:

Link to post
Share on other sites

I just returned from a similar trip.  I took the Batis 25 f2, Sony 16-35 f4, and Batis 85 f1.8.  The lens that I used the most wast the Batis 25.  So light, plenty wide, and fast aperture.  I used the 16-35 rarely, but it was useful a few times.  The Batis 85 was really useful for street photography in Amsterdam and Paris.  I could have used something longer (200mm or longer) for castle shots on the Rhine River.  We were there for King's Day in Amsterday...the biggest party I have ever attended.  A shot from King's Day and street photography in Paris:

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm going on a similar trip this summer. I will be taking my 18mm Batis and 55mm Zeiss. I'd like to invest in a third lens. I'm torn whether a short zoom or 85mm would suit my shooting style best. I enjoy portrait photography so the 85mm is attractive but so is the versatility of a 16-35mm or 24-70mm for example. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm going on a similar trip this summer. I will be taking my 18mm Batis and 55mm Zeiss. I'd like to invest in a third lens. I'm torn whether a short zoom or 85mm would suit my shooting style best. I enjoy portrait photography so the 85mm is attractive but so is the versatility of a 16-35mm or 24-70mm for example. 

A good 24-70 and you would probably not use the 55mm very much.  I personally would use the 24-70 way more than the 85mm prime.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm going on a similar trip this summer. I will be taking my 18mm Batis and 55mm Zeiss.

I'd like to invest in a third lens. I'm torn whether a short zoom or 85mm would suit my

shooting style best. I enjoy portrait photography so the 85mm is attractive but so is the

versatility of a 16-35mm or 24-70mm for example. 

   

The two zooms you mention are exactly redundant to the two primes that 

you will be carrying. Having no idea what you shoot, or how you shoot, all 

one can reasonably suggest is that you have no lens with any real "reach". 

   

85 isn't really "reach" but only a bit of cropping vs the 55. FWIW my 85 is 

sorely neglected cuz I also have 90 and 105 macros which are similar but 

more versatile than the 85. Those macros have also idled my 135 ... but I 

don't have any clue that for you the macro ability matters. Also clueless if  

"real reach" serves your style ... which for me translates to about 300mm.   

     

"Style" is the real issue. My "style" ... altho I deny having a style ... seems 

to very well serve my desire to be unencumbered. I absolutely don't care 

about "missed opportunity". I work minimally, ignoring many typical "photo 

opportunities" ... IOW the very opposite of "casting a wide net" imagewise.   

    

OTOH many travelers want to cast the widest net, letting nothing escape 

their haul. If I actually NEED to cast that wide net [not my style but I'm not 

always working just for myself] then I use a 28-300 and nothing else. This 

acoarst means no prime lens snootery, no bokeh cultishness, etc. It's just 

"Get the job done".  

   

But .... OT3rdH .... your current two primes are the same kit I choose for 

casual knocking about. Yours is 18 and 55, mine is 20 and 50. It won't do 

everything that presents itself as a possible photo image. It will, however,

do as much stuff as I care to do to please myself. Acoarst I just don't know 

how similar or different we two might be, so YMMV :-) 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Guest Jaf-Photo

There are roughly three types of travel photography:

 

Paid travel photography: this is where you need money shots of certain locations. This involves planning so you know exactly what you will be shooting, when you will be shooting it and where you will be shooting it from. You will book planes, trains, boats and taxis to be in the right place at the right time. In this case, primes work well because you already know your field of view.

 

Bored photographer travel photography: this is where a bored photographer travels to a new location to find new things to shoot. Primes work fine because you can work with your feet to find novel angles and compositions.

 

Incidental travel photography: this is where the purpose of the trip is to visit foreign countries together with friends and family. Photography is incidental, mainly aimed at documenting the experience. In this case primes don't work so well. You never know exactly where you will be, what will be happening or what you will be shooting. With a prime you have roughly 50% chance of being too wide, 50% chance of being too narrow and 0% of having just the right focal length. The more time you spend looking for the right shot, the more moaning from friends and family. That's why you bring zooms.

Link to post
Share on other sites

There are roughly three types of travel photography:

 

Paid travel photography.......  

 

Bored photographer travel photography.........

 

Incidental travel photography.......  

  

    

Rings quite true, rather sadly so :-(  

   

Shades of "Uncle Jerry's slide show"

..... or, worse, 8mm movies :-( :-( :-(   

and acoarst "8mm syndrome" took a 

megagiga quantum leap to the worse 

when it became video, due to a huge  

fall in dollars per excruciating minute 

of "production".  BEST thing about 

actual 8mm was the approximately 

$20 per minute unedited cost ... and,  

acoarst, it was ALWAYS unedited ... 

Uncle Jerry wasn't gonna discard an  

inch of that expensive footage. 

     

--------------------------------------------   

   

I am sooooooooooooo freakin sick 

of the exploitative pix of "colorful", 

indigenous, indigent, "locals". And I 

resent every single nickel of tax, or 

any single minute of resource time,  

ever squandered on rescuing such 

heinous jerks from the trouble they

occasionally invite on themselves.   

      

  

`

Link to post
Share on other sites

Guest Jaf-Photo

Uncle Jerry changed his name to Instagram. The same principle applies, though, only multiplied by million.

 

Rings quite true, rather sadly so :-(  

   

Shades of "Uncle Jerry's slide show"

..... or, worse, 8mm movies :-( :-( :-(   

and acoarst "8mm syndrome" took a 

megagiga quantum leap to the worse 

when it became video, due to a huge  

fall in dollars per excruciating minute 

of "production".  BEST thing about 

actual 8mm was the approximately 

$20 per minute unedited cost ... and,  

acoarst, it was ALWAYS unedited ... 

Uncle Jerry wasn't gonna discard an  

inch of that expensive footage. 

     

--------------------------------------------   

   

I am sooooooooooooo freakin sick 

of the exploitative pix of "colorful", 

indigenous, indigent, "locals". And I 

resent every single nickel of tax, or 

any single minute of resource time,  

ever squandered on rescuing such 

heinous jerks from the trouble they

occasionally invite on themselves.   

      

  

`

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

My wife and I did a cruise from Switzerland to Amsterdam last year and we took the 24-70 f2.8, 70-300 G, 35 f2.8 and 16-35 f4.    We probably used the 24.70 f2.8 and 70-300 the most.    I did get a little tired of the big 24-70.   Since we both carry Sony cameras, we share lenses and that lightens the load.   

Link to post
Share on other sites

I have the 16-35f4, 24-70f4 and 55f1.8. The 16-35 is what I find most useful in my travel photos (I am the "incidental" type). The resolution of the camera (A7ii) is good enough that I can crop for my purposes nearly all the time. I hate switching lenses. Nowadays I leave the 55 at home, and sometimes also the 24-70, though it depends on where I will be. For landscapes I prefer the 16-35, the 24-70 can be good for street photos.

Link to post
Share on other sites

 ........ (I am the "incidental" type). The resolution of the camera

(A7ii) is good enough that I can crop for my purposes nearly all

the time. I hate switching lenses. .......

    

If you're not already using "Clear Image Zoom" you might 

wanna check that out. I keep it on the C-1 button right next 

to the shutter. It creates crops that still have the smooth  

24MP look [actually still have a full 24MP] but acoarst your 

small-detail resolution is diminished similar to cropping in 

PP. Maximum zoom-via-cropping is down to an M43 area 

of the sensor, and always on center. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

I arrived back from my trip and the most used lens was the was the 2.8 24-70. It was incredible and  about 75 % of the pictures were taken by it. The next most used was the 70-300. The Batis 18 was not used at all and the and the 55 could have also stayed at home as well.Thank you all for your input. The trip was amazing and the the camera was amazing.

Regards Jerry

Link to post
Share on other sites

I arrived back from my trip and the most used lens was the was the 2.8 24-70. It was incredible and  about 75 % of the pictures were taken by it. The next most used was the 70-300. The Batis 18 was not used at all and the and the 55 could have also stayed at home as well.Thank you all for your input. The trip was amazing and the the camera was amazing.

Regards Jerry

 

Glad you had a good time and got some good shots.   We are cruising from Germany to Budapest in Sept., and I am planning  on taking the 24-70 f2.8,  35 f2.8,  16-35 f4 and 70-300.   We  usually take one lens each on shore excursions and lock the rest up in our cabin.   And of course  5 extra charged batteries for the Sonys.   I was hoping the latest firmware upgrade would help with the battery life, but doesn't seem to have helped. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...