So, you’re going on a trip? Do you know what gear you’re going to bring with you? Once you’ve tackled which camera body you like, the next step is likely to choose the lens or lenses that will be coming along with you. For some, this can be as straightforward as bringing the one or two lenses you own. For others who seem to have acquired a few too many lenses over the years, this process can be a bit more daunting. You don’t want to travel unprepared, but you also don’t have the luxury or time to bring your entire stable of glass with you on your holiday vacation.
Where are you going?
This might seem obvious, but it is important to consider where you are going, and what you expect to be photographing. You wouldn’t necessarily want to bring an 18-55mm kit lens on your African safari where the action will likely be hundreds of feet away, just as you probably don’t want to lug a 300mm f/2.8 lens around the streets of Paris during a day of sightseeing. Choosing a lens or kit of lenses for your travels should focus wholly on what you expect to be photographing; just because you “always use a 50mm prime” doesn’t mean that lens is going to get you very far in some unique circumstances that you’re bound to experience on your trip.
What do you like to photograph?
Here’s another obvious but important consideration that may even contradict the tip above. Using the example of bringing the appropriate lens for the appropriate scenario, you also need to really consider what and how you like to photograph. If you’re a photographer who likes to photograph with wide-angle zooms, don’t force yourself to work with a super telephoto prime just because it’s the status quo for the location. Lens choices can be one of the few tools you can employ to really emphasize your personal vision of a place, which is critically important when traveling, since your time to experiment and return to the location may be limited.
Get your priorities straight
There are those trips dedicated to photography, and those trips where you would simply like to make some photographs along the way. For the dedicated photo trips, by all means pack the whole kit of lenses you could ever possibly need, assuming you have the space. For more casual photographic endeavors, maybe pare down your kit to a handful of more general options to cover the greatest range of subjects as effectively as possible. Weight and size is likely a concern for all traveling photographers, too, so take into account the difference in packing those 24, 35, 50, and 85mm primes versus the single 24-70mm zoom. On the other hand, if you can get by, a 35mm and 85mm two-lens kit gives you a faster pair of lenses and less overall weight if you can sacrifice the wide and mid zones of the zoom’s reach.
Don’t fear the primes
A zoom must seem like the ideal single lens solution for traveling, but a zoom can also make you complacent. Of course, the all-in-one 28-300mm lens will cover pretty much anyone’s focal length wants, but does it actually cover your needs? There is merit in recognizing and using a handful of prime (single focal length) lenses to fulfill your specific vision versus opting for the wholly inclusive lens that may not ignite the creative spark or hone the edge you desire. Prime lenses are generally faster than most zooms and are lighter in weight. And the single focal length often compels you to confront and interact with your subject, rendering more dynamic and creative imagery, rather than just grabbing a shot from across the street because you can zoom in enough. The restrictive nature of a prime lens can force you to interpret and work around how best to photograph a subject, rather than relying on the zooming action to merely frame the subject comfortably without moving your feet.
Comparing an f/1.8 to an f/1.4
On the topic of configuring a kit of primes, take into consideration that you may be able to squeak an extra lens into your kit, save some weight, and just save some money if you opt for the f/1.8 primes versus the f/1.4 primes. For example, looking at Nikon’s G-series lenses, the total weight of a 35mm f/1.8, 50mm f/1.8, and 85mm f/1.8 kit is 1.9 pounds. If you opt for gaining that additional 2/3 stop of light with the f/1.4 set of the same lenses, your total lens kit now weighs 3.3 pounds, and the physical size of the lenses is also a good deal larger.
Then again, a zoom isn’t a bad thing
As much as the author’s biases lean toward prime lenses, there still is an incredibly valuable reason many zoom lenses exist, and it’s hard to argue that travel photography is not one of the best arenas for bringing your zoom lens along. If you are trying to keep your kit size to an absolute minimum while still including more than one focal length, a zoom is likely your best option. If you’re visiting a location where sand, dirt, water, or other elements are quite present, a zoom is a solid option because it eliminates the need to change lenses during shooting. Zooms also have the benefit of letting you go from wide angle to telephoto in under a second, as opposed to the lengthier process when swapping lenses becomes necessary.
