DSLR Camera Owners: 3 Lenses You Need To Pack While Traveling

By Lola (Akinmade) Åkerström On April 15, 2009 · 17 Comments

Tweet

Having these lenses handy will net you some versatile travel photography.

Photo by Lola Akinmade

Sure, a solid point-and-shoot camera such as the Panasonic Lumix can more than cover your photography needs. However, if you’ve purchased a digital single-lens reflex camera (digital SLR or DSLR), be sure to pick up at least two of the three lenses listed below to get more mileage from your gear.

Telephoto Zoom Lens

Your new DSLR camera usually comes with a 18-55 mm kit lens.

While sufficient for most portrait photography situations, within a few months, you’ll notice a hankering for something that can zoom out much further – a zoom lens of sorts.

Lenses such as the 55-200mm pick up where the 18-55 mm lens stops, but a better option is the 18-200 mm telephoto zoom lens which combines both into a single body.

So instead of dragging along two telephoto lenses, you pack only one.

Read full article on MatadorU →

About The Author

Lola (Akinmade) Åkerström

Lola (Akinmade) Åkerström is a MatadorU faculty member and Network contributor. Her work has appeared in National Geographic Traveler, Vogue, BBC, Fodors.com, and many more. Follow her photoblog at Sweden.se.

More By This Author

Is Safari the future of print media? (11 comments)
Wrap up: Wedding album arrives from VioVio [CONTEST] (3 comments)
Dogsledding in Swedish Lapland [PICS] (5 comments)

view all → Lola (Akinmade) Åkerström

http://www.simplicityphotos.net Kwaku

Great article and I love the 18-200mm and the 50mm. I’d suggest the tokina 12-24mm or the new 11-16mm over the sigma though. It’s sharpness leaves a bit to be desired.
http://thelonglayover.blogspot.com Carlo

Thanks Lola! We’re getting a Canon EOS 450D soon (body only) and have been pondering over what lens(es) to get…this will help out in the decision! Cheers.
http://cameradigitallenses.com/ Digital Camera Lenses Buyer

thanks for the recommendations.
there are so many camera digital lenses to choose from these days. good for choice, but its good to get soem good reviews to help with the choice.
Baiskeli

Great post! (and I love your photos at your other web site)

I’d also vote for the Tokina 12-24 over the Sigma. I have the Tokina and I absolutely love it. I have the old 18-70 that came with my D70 (I have a D200 now) so I can’t justify buying the 18-200 because I also have the 70-300 ED

So I travel with

D200 or D70
Tokina 12-24
Nikon 18-70
Nikon 70-300ED
Nikon 50mm F1.8 (Love this for low light and indoor).
danmur

For canon shooters, there is also a 50mm F1.8 for about $100. Great lens.
http:///www.asianramblings.com Stevo

Many non-vendor lenses are great buys. Tokina, Sigma, etc. – Read reviews before you buy. The Canon 50 f/1.8 is a good little lens and a great buy.
Tom

I’ve just picked up a Sony Alpha 200. Which non-vendor lenses are compatible?
http://www.lolaakinmade.com Lola Akinmade

@Tom – Both Tamron and Sigma support Sony Alpha 200

Sigma AF 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC Sony/Minolta

Tamron AF 18-200/3.5-6.3 XR Di-II Macro SONY/MINOLTA
Tom

Fantastic Lola, thanks.
http://thelonglayover.blogspot.com Carlo

Hey Lola…thanks again for this…just got our new baby, the Canon EOS 500D – we ended up buying the Canon 18-200mm and the Canon 50mm – also some UV filters and a circular polarizing filter.

Next up is the Sigma 10-20mm! I read some reviews, and that Tokina 12-24 sounds good too, but at the wide angle end that 2mm difference is quite a bit. And I like it wide!
http://www.digicamsonline.com/index.php?cPath=2_21 camera digital lenses

Thanks a bunch, Lola, for this great eye-opening info on camera lenses…
http://www.nancythegnomette.com Nancy

Thanks for pointing me to this post! This is super helpful. I just bought the 50mm 1.8. Next on my list will be the 18-20mm as soon as I save up a little more.

http://carlo-alcos.com Carlo

you mean the 18-200? It’s a sweet lens for an all-rounder. I recently got the Canon 10-22 mm wideangle…this is a fun toy! Love it, it’s my favourite lens, can be very creative with it.

http://www.adventurerob.com AdventureRob

I’ve given the wide angle a miss due to financial restraints but have gone for a long zoom lens.

In fact it’s the longest on the market, the Tamron 18-270mm. Will report shortly on how it is once it arrives!

http://carlo-alcos.com Carlo

I’ve read some good reviews on that lens and was pondering it before I decided on the Canon. Impressive range and it’s pretty compact.

http://jonnyontheroad.blogspot.com Jonny

Lola – I understand the wide-angle and zoom recommendations, but why the fixed lens? What is the advantage to having a lens you can’t zoom in or out with?

http://www.lolaakinmade.com Lola Akinmade

@Jonny – Fixed lenses are great to have. They are fantastic for portraits as well as low light situations (evening, dinners in dimly lit restaurants, and such) because they usually have larger apertures which allow a lot more light in through the lens.

Plus they allow you to get closer to your subject, instead of zooming in from a distance. This is how the best portraits are shot.

Here’s a blog post by professional travel photographer Terence Carter that talks about using a fixed lens (in this case, the 85mm) – http://blog.terencecarterphotography.com/?p=409

Hope this helps.

DSLR Camera Owners: 3 Lenses You Need To Pack While Traveling

Telephoto Zoom Lens

Related Posts

Lola (Akinmade) Åkerström

More By This Author

Subscribe to Matador

The best travel articles each week. No spam.

Breaking stories, announcements, events, and more.

In partnership with Matador

Feature

Quick-Read

Feature

Quick-Read

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Matador Network © 2006-2011

About Matador

Sections

Become a Contributor

New Media School