Lenses for Italy

<p>Stefan makes a good point. It really does depend on how <em>you</em> see things.</p>

<p>I used to regularly travel round western Europe (including Italy), usually carrying just a 6x6 MF folder with standard 75mm lens. I never really missed not having any other focal lengths, particularly given the much reduced weight - important since you tend to walk all day.</p>

<p>Seriously, if you take too much with you, you tend to obsess over what to take with you each day, and wonder "what if I had that slightly wider / slightly longer lens".</p>

<p>Stick to the lens you have, and with the money saved, get some decent prints made on your return, and consider getting a good monopod or table-top tripod. You'll also have more money to spend on the food!.</p>

<p>Enjoy your trip, and remember to take the camera away from the eye from time to time ;-)</p>

<p><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/144/343831081_78b7ab8cae.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="500" /><br>

(Iskra)</p>

<p>I used my Nikon 80-200mm f2.8 with a 2x tela converter a lot in Italy for landscape shots with my Gitzo tripod. It worked very well for zooming in on parts of the landscape in front of me. Some of my best shots were taken with that lens. I was low on money so I bought a cheap Tokina wide angle zoom lens and was very glad I did and I used the Tokina 28-80mm f2.8 for a great many of the shots I took. Check out my porfilo on Italy. I also used a belt system to carry all of this stuff and that saved my back and shoulders a lot of pain. And do not forget a very comfortable pair of shoes makes all the difference! So I had a range from 18mm to 400mm on a Nikon N80. Used a mono pod as well which doubles as a walking stick and a baton if you should need one. Have a great time. We loved Italy!</p><div></div>

<p>Thanks everyone for this great information! I'm still looking at the prices and have a bit of time to think about it. I'm really considering getting the lens though. I'll go to the store one day and try it out.</p>

<p>When I lived in Italy and always had a camerawith me, it was a 135mm on a Spotmatic. Depends what your vision is (or what you want it to be.</p><div></div>

<p>The 10-22mm is a great choice. I would also take a flash for interior shots. I use a 14-24mm along with a 16mm fisheye for interiors and use the flash to boost the ambient light level. Wider lenses are also more forgiving when you shoot hand held at slow shutter speeds.<br>

For general street photography the Sigma 50-150mm f2.8 is the biggest lens I would every use overseas. On a FF camera the 24-70mm is the largest lens I will use. Anything larger is very conspicuous and we Americans tend to stick out like a sore thumb as it is.</p>

<p>Two trips to Europe, one with a wide angle and one without. Two days before my first trip I purchased a 19-35 Tamron for my Canon Rebel film camera. Packed it up with out testing and was astonished with the results when I returned home. I kick my self for not taking more shots with it. I upgraded to the XTI before the second trip and was not able to swing the 10-22 before the trip. Not a day passed that I wished I had a lens wider than the 17-85 with me. I ended up shooting a lot of tight shots with my 50 1.4 or 60 2.8 macro and very little with the 70-300. I now have the 10-22 and won't travel without it. <br>

The image below is with the 19-35. Keep in mind the 10-22 works for you like a 16-35. Have fun and post some of your trip pics.</p>

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<p>Jenna, my advice is if you are going to buy the 10-22, do it now. So you can have time to test it and get used to. It is not only a matter of checking its correct performance, but to develop your vision, i.e. learn what a wide angle lens can do for you and learn to recognize potential picture situation. Hence you will be prepared. Otherwise the risk is that this lens, which in my humble opinion is a great asset for shooting in crowded cities, will stay in your bag because your mind sees no use for it or will give you disappointing results because you don't know how to make the best out of it. I agree with those stating that you can visit a place and take fantastic pictures with whatever lens you are accustomed to, for ten years my only lens had been a 50 mm, but I also believe that if I had a 28 mm and a 135 mm at that time, I would had learnt to recognize potential pictures and used them as well.</p>

<p>I couldn't do without 10 mm. But, as always, YMMV.</p>

<p>Firenze<br>

http://photos.photosig.com/photos/49/97/2109749-6d6b75cf79a4f434.jpg</p>

<p>Venetia<br>

http://photos.photosig.com/photos/31/74/2107431-d70180cd26017504.jpg</p>

<p>bon voyage</p>

<p>Thank you all so much! I'm definitely getting the lens. I'm going to the store on sunday to test it. I just feel like I have to go see it first. This way I'll still have it for a few weeks to take photos with it before I go.</p>