best lens for india

<p>i am traveling to india for two weeks. i have a canon 5d mark II camera. i wish to take one lens only. what is the widest/longest zoom lens recommended? thanks.</p>

<p>i forgot to add that i do not need a canon brand. a tokina, sigma, etc. would be okay.</p>

<p>I recently did a trip like that and took my 24-70 f2.8 L, I didn't want for anything more. But that is me, what focal length do you normally find yourself using? How much do you want to spend etc etc?</p>

<p>one lens only, i would go with 24-105. But ideally the least amount of kit I would go with is 17-40/16-35, 50 prime and 70-200.<br>

Cheers, Joel</p>

<p>I would take a 24-70 and cheat on your one lens challenge by taking a 50 f/1.4 or a 35 f/2 for low light</p>

<p>Howard,</p>

 

<p>Really, this depends entirely on your shooting style and what you intend to do with the camera

there. Whatever is your favorite one-lens setup at home should serve you equally well abroad.</p>

 

<p>That writ, there’s an awful lot to be said for the Tamron 28-75 f/2.8. It covers the

standard focal length range, it’s small, lightweight, fast, has very good optics, and is

reasonably inexpensive. The non-L primes are lighter, smaller, cheaper, and still offer good quality.</p>

 

<p>Or, you might consider a standard three prime setup, with a 24 or 35, a 50, and an 85 or 100

(the either / or choices depending on your personal preference). Primes are typically small, fast,

lightweight, and offer excellent image quality.</p>

 

<p>If the purpose of the trip is something other than photography, leave the big gun at home and

get yourself a good P&S camera, such as the G11 or Nikon’s equivalent. Image quality

is still very good, and it’ll be far superior on all non-photographic counts (small,

inconspicuous, light, inexpensive). Or, if the purpose is primarily or solely photographic, take

anything and everything you would for a similar outing at home.</p>

 

<p>Cheers,</p>

 

<p>b&</p>

<p>No question, the 24-105 would be my choice. Broadest focal length range, sharp wide-open, has IS, isn't too heavy or bulky, dust and weather resistant. What's not to love? Have a good trip!</p>

<p>I would also reommend EF24- 105 L for the reasons stated by Ken. Also take 58oEX flash. Have a nice trip. Sandy</p>

<p>I would also say the 24-105. As good as the high ISO performance is on the 5dII, f/4 shouldn't be a problem and that gives you the best zoom from wide to short telephoto. I love this lens on my XTi and it should be even better on your 5dII. </p>

<p>Agree on the 24-105. But I also like Ben's suggestion. I've been many times and taken SLRs. Next time I'd probably get a GF1, the 20mm, and kit zoom. That's about the cost of a 24-105.</p>

<p>Howard,<br>

Let us know first what kind of photography you are going to do and where are you going(which part of India) and then I might be able to recommend something.<br>

I am originally from India and I spend at least 6-8 weeks every year there and do 95% of my outdoor photography there.<br>

No matter what you take, you will enjoy it.</p>

I was there late last year and was very happy I brought along my 17 40 L. Very helpful in places like the taj mahal,

fethephur city and the like, I agree with one poster that you should at least bring a 17 40, 70 200, and a 50, especially if

you only plan to visit it once. It's really a different and magical place

 

Christian

<p>I travel to India several times a year for business. My lightweight kit is FF body, 24-70 2.8L and 85 1.8. The 85 is small and light, but great for portraits and low light. Enjoy the trip. Whether you shoot landscape, architecture or people, India is a target rich environment. </p>

<p>24-105 IS or 17-40, depending on how steady you are. In India, wide is good. Darkened interiors and temples, fast is better.<br>

Dust and humidity can be a bear on your camera, depending on what parts of the country you go. I'd carry a pocket P&S in a plastic baggie with desiccant, just in case something goes wrong with the 5DM2 or something happens to it.<br>

I was shooting in Puerto Rico a couple of years ago with just a 5D along and the mirror fell out. I had to find a P&S to finish the trip and it cost me about $70 more than I would have paid before I left home.</p>

<p>India is a big country. You will need a wide angle lens.</p>

<p>Raoul,</p>

<p>Does that mean you are limited to macro in Monte Carlo, Vatican and Lichtenstein?</p>

<p>Following that logic, what lens for Russia, at 15 times the land mass of India....</p>

<p>Don't be silly Steve, that would be the 2mm super-ultrawide with a 340º fov. :-)</p>

<p>35/1.4</p>

<p>Scott - Oh yeah. That's the MkII version, made with unobtanium coated glass, right?<br>

But seriously, if the OP shoots landscape, a 16-35 or 17-40 would be great to have in the bag. India does have stunning vistas, particularly in the north.</p>

<p>Less is more, definite. Bring just one lens and many have pointed out standardzoom lenses for you, a good choice IMO. Concentrate on picturemaking instead of equipment.</p>

<p>Howard, in India you don't need to have a long reach - overwhelming majority of people love being photographed. i don't have to sneak up on them and many don't even pay attention when you point your camera at them. in this gallery all but the last photo was taken with a 50mm on dx body - <a href="http://mooostudios.com/India_general/other.htm">http://mooostudios.com/India_general/other.htm</a> . because of the business on the streets i would strongly recommend as fast of a lens as you are comfortable with. i used that 50mm in 98% of situations. </p>

<p>Steve McCurry is well known for his pictures of India. In his film time he used prime lenses 35, 50 and 85mm mostly. He has gone digital with the Nikon D700. His lens of choice is the Nikon 24-70mm. I would recommend the very fine Canon 24-70mm 2.8 or the 24-105mm 4.0 which I use. If those are too expensive at this time the Tamron 28-75mm 2.8 is much lighter than the Canons and is highly regarded. Take a look at this Eric Meola book of India http://www.ericmeola.com/indiabook/index.html He is a Canon user who makes good use of the 24-105mm 4.0 L lens. http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/controller?act=GetArtistDetailAct&artistID=50&imageID=1112 Good luck!</p>

<p>The 24-105 makes a great travel lens but I always take along a small prime like the 50 1.4. The 24-105 while not being as big and heavy as the 24-70, its still not exactly small and light plus with the F4 aperture you will probably need flash at time ( I would get a 270 for travel flash ). Another kit I like is a 28 1.8 plus an 85 1.8. Both small and light with very high quality.</p>

<p>The right bag also helps when traveling. I like a thinktank urban disguise 20 for my small setup. Its a little tight getting the 5d2 in and out but overall its a nice setup.</p>

<p>It's heavy and expensive, but if limited to one lens, then I would take the 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L IS USM. Of course, I would find a way to bring two lens or more ... (and definately include the 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM).</p>