Favorite do-it-all / travel lenses?

[Fenixgoon]

So I've been doing a bit of travel and lot of hiking lately, and I'd like to travel lightly while having a broad range of photo-taking ability. My current lenses really don't allow for that. Anyone have a recommendation for a do-it-all zoom lens? Best I've found so far (without costing an arm and a leg) is Nikon's 18-140 F/3.5-5.6 or a Sigma 18-250 F/3.5-6.3 (damn that's a flexible lens!)

Current lenses (Nikon D7100 body):

Tokina 12-24mm F/4
Nikon 35mm F/1.8
Tokina 100mm F/2.8 macro

 

[fralexandr]

I typically use my smartphone to cover the wider angles and use a cheap 70-300 with 1:2 macro capability as my dslr lens. Modern smart phones are pretty flexible and can replace most lenses other than a true macro, telephoto, or fast prime for low light.

 

[MrSquished]

My Micro 4/3 do it all zoom lens is a FF equivalent of 24-70 F/2.8.

24-70 or 24-105 are considered the go to 'walkabout' do it all zoom lens ranges. I prefer a more limited range with a fixed faster aperture than those superzooms that get slower apertures quite quickly.

I mean I really wish they went a bit wider because 24mm is not quite wide enough for the very dynamic landscapes and cityscapes, but for just an overall range to have to just quickly lift up the camera and shoot a variety of scenes, to me that's the sweet spot. You have the ultra-wide covered decently with the 19mm FF equiv Tokina.

I think in LR or another program you can separate your photos by focal length. Do that and see what range most of your photos fall in, and where the most you consider keepers fall in. Then you know what to prioritize.

 

[CuriousMike]

I used to have the 18-140 for a time; it is a fine lens with a versatile range.
If you need more zoom, there is the (pricier) 18-300 in Nikon and Tamron(?) variations.

 

[solidsnake1298]

I used to mainly use a 24-70 F4 on my OG Sony A7. When I looked at my stats in LR for focal length I found that I was almost always in the 40-60mm range. My dad had an old Minolta 50mm F1.7 lens that I adapted to see how I would like A) manual focus only and B) only having one focal length available to me during an outing.

I have since bought a native FE mount Zeiss Loxia 50mm F2 and it lives on my camera. I still use my 24-70 when I know I will be taking a lot of handheld video, mainly for the optical stabilization since the first gen A7 doesn't have IBIS, or if I know I am going somewhere that will have great opportunities for landscape photos. I plan on getting a wider lens for the latter situation in the near future. Otherwise, my 50mm manual focus lens is the only lens I bring.

 

[Fenixgoon]

I found a good deal on a used Nikon 18-200 VR II, so I went with that. Most of my pictures (at least during hiking) were <100mm, though I did get a couple of ~200mm shots. The lens is a bit soft at full zoom, with a fair bit of chromatic aberration, but eliminating those would probably raise the cost by 10x.

 

[shortylickens]

I know a lot of people think that the 18-200mm lens is hot stuff and can do it all, but I have noticed the image quality at either end is consistently poor. Unless its a VERY expensive model.

 

[fralexandr]

yep, the nikon 18-200 has an msrp of ~$650. It's one of the better super zooms out there.

Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S VR DX review

The Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S VR DX Nikkor was introduced in November 2005, and rapidly became a much sought-after lens for the Nikon shooter's armoury. With its hugely useful 11.1x focal length range, 'silent wave' focusing, and Nikon's second generation vibration reduction system to...

www.dpreview.com

 

[Fenixgoon]

example photos (minus whatever compression Gphotos automatically adds in). i did do post-processing (cropping, brightness/contrast/shadows/etc., sharpening, smoothing, etc.)
34mm
200mm

 

[shortylickens]

blank pages.

 

[Fenixgoon]

blank pages.

doh!
links updated. should work now

 

[MrSquished]

This is a pretty sick lens for micro 4/3 https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...s_v313030bu000_8_25mm_m_zuiko_digital_ed.html

Olympus 8-25 constant f4 so that's a FF equiv of 16-50. You can get true wide angle landscapes and cityscapes, and still have enough zoom to get classic 35mm shots or a tiny bit of zoom after.

The beauty of M43 is the size and weight of the lenses. I see so many reviews where they compare a M43 body to a FF Sony Mirrorless body, which are similar in size for capabilities, but in the pros and cons mention everything but the fact the M43 lenses are half the weight and size. Carrying all that crap around with FF gear is what turned me off, M43 was an illuminating experience.

 

[shortylickens]

I use a Canon and so far the best one I have is the ef 24-105mm. My shots are crisps and perfect for street photography.

WELCOME TO ANANDTECH!


Stay the hell out of P&N!

 

[Fenixgoon]

WELCOME TO ANANDTECH!


Stay the hell out of P&N!

sage advice lol

 

[MrSquished]

I use a Canon and so far the best one I have is the ef 24-105mm. My shots are crisps and perfect for street photography.

That's a fantastic lens and a great range for a walkabout street lens. Absolutely perfect.

 

[AnitaPeterson]

Either one of these:

- https://www.tamron.jp/en/product/lenses/b016.html
- https://www.tamron.jp/en/product/lenses/b028.html

I have both models for Canon, as well as the shorter one for the Nikon.
Great lenses and pictures.

 

[gradoman]

Maybe I can't recommend an exact lens for your setup, but IMHO, f2.8 24-70mm is what I'd recommend. You can go from wider architectural shots to portraits, get some pretty detailed multi-shot panoramas with the short telephoto end, have decent bokeh and not have to crank the ISO when it's somewhat dark.

Using my Capture One stats, the total number of keepers ( 2 stars and above) for 135mm and up is 777 with 12 5 star rated shots or 1.5%. For everything between 24-85mm I'm at 4933 with 94 5 star rated shots or 1.9%. I guess if you use one of those photo managers, you could probably research this for yourself to figure out what your favorite focal length is and narrow down your needs.

 

[MrSquished]

I recently picked up the Olympus 12-40mm f2.8 pro lens and put my older Panny 12-35 f2.8 lens up for sale on eBay, where it has bids on it already.

The Oly is a FF equiv of 24-80mm at a constant f 2.8. What a sick lens in this size. I briefly used this lens on a recent vacation, it really is a do it all walkaround range with a fast aperture and pro level optics.

 

[MrSquished]

Took the 12-40mm out one night on vacation just to test it out with a few generic sunset beach images. The range really is quite nice, getting a respectable wide angle for some shots at 24mm, with 80mm giving a decent bit of reach when needed. Just shot a few HDR images.

 

[repoman0]

Yeah the classic 24-70 2.8 equivalent is the way to go IMO. I greatly prefer the constant aperture to longer reach. I use the Fuji mirrorless variant … a 16-55 that’s a 24-82 equivalent after crop factor. The slight bit of extra reach is nice and it’s not too heavy, I take it on all day 10 mile hikes. Just got back from a vacation in Hawaii with it after not really using my camera gear for a while. nice to get back into using real gear, at least more real than my phone.

 

[MrSquished]

Just picked up the Oly 17mm f1.8 on sale for 399 (100 off). FF equivalent of 34mm, the classic prime length of 35mm, close enough.

Nice and compact. The front of the lens just extends barely past the built in grip on the EM1 Mark III.

Now I can slip this camera in various small bags I bring on excursions vs the 12-40mm f2.8

Been awhile since I shot with primes, except my 60mm f 2.8 (120mm FF) macro.

Excited. Wish the weather was nicer but will be fun. Going into the city during the holidays enough to test it out.

Thought of getting a nifty fifty but it's just not wide enough

 

[Indus]

Bit late to this but I've been travelling a lot in the past decade.

I started with a D90 and a 18-200. I hated that lens because it was super soft.

Even the 18-105 or 18-140 is much better.

The D90's weakpoint was its low light performance.

Over time instead of 1 camera and 1 lens.. I use 2 cameras with 3 lenses that covers all my travel needs.. that fit nicely in a camera bag.

D7200 (upgraded from D90) with 10-24 wideangle (daytime).
D600 with 35mm f/1.4 (night time and low light).
an 85 mm f/1.8 for portraits.

If I just need casual shots.. I'll use my smart phone, but DSLR is still the king today vs phone although its getting closer.

I don't think I'll buy a DSLR again since in 5 years or so the phone tech will have caught up.

 

[Crotulus]

Just picked up the Oly 17mm f1.8 on sale for 399 (100 off). FF equivalent of 34mm, the classic prime length of 35mm, close enough.

Nice and compact. The front of the lens just extends barely past the built in grip on the EM1 Mark III.

Now I can slip this camera in various small bags I bring on excursions vs the 12-40mm f2.8

Been awhile since I shot with primes, except my 60mm f 2.8 (120mm FF) macro.

Excited. Wish the weather was nicer but will be fun. Going into the city during the holidays enough to test it out.

Thought of getting a nifty fifty but it's just not wide enough

Your kit sounds a lot like mine. Depending on where I'm going I run either the Oly 12-40mm f2.8 or 14-150mm. I'll throw a 17mm f1.8 or 45mm f1.8 in the bag for night shots. Have the 25mm f1.8 but prefer the other two. Again, depending on what I'm doing I'll switch between my EM1 Mark II or EM5 Mark II. The EM5 with the 14-42mm EZ (pancake) is perfect for a jacket pocket and a perfect small setup for my kids to shoot around. So many options with m4/3 and those options are cheap enough to pick up as many as you want. What says travel size more than a 75-300mm (150-600mm FF equivalent) that's the size of a soda can? No, it's not the fastest lens, but for about $500 there's a ton of bang for your buck.

 

[MrSquished]

Your kit sounds a lot like mine. Depending on where I'm going I run either the Oly 12-40mm f2.8 or 14-150mm. I'll throw a 17mm f1.8 or 45mm f1.8 in the bag for night shots. Have the 25mm f1.8 but prefer the other two. Again, depending on what I'm doing I'll switch between my EM1 Mark II or EM5 Mark II. The EM5 with the 14-42mm EZ (pancake) is perfect for a jacket pocket and a perfect small setup for my kids to shoot around. So many options with m4/3 and those options are cheap enough to pick up as many as you want. What says travel size more than a 75-300mm (150-600mm FF equivalent) that's the size of a soda can? No, it's not the fastest lens, but for about $500 there's a ton of bang for your buck.

That's fantastic.

I think a lot of people are missing out on M43. If you are an enthusiast and still lugging around DSLR sized lenses and bodies, you are missing out. Unless you primarily shoot tons of fast moving wildlife or constant very low light images, M43 will work for you feature and image quality wise, and because of the reduced size and weight, makes every journey so much more enjoyable. You can bring more lenses if you want, or less - and either way it will be less bulky and less weight to carry.

I sold my 40D setup and gear and have had zero interest in ever going back. I don't even want a small mirrorless camera with FF lenses. One, the body to lens size does not feel ergonomic to me, and M43 is not just about a smaller body/sensor, it's the much smaller lenses that are half the draw too.

The built in IS on the OM cameras is also phenomenal.

 

[jmagg]

Nikon 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5 AF-S DX

Good inexpensive lens.