Egypt trip


oat11

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Sep 27, 2008
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Hi guys! will be following a tour group to egypt this coming december.
I am deciding to get a new lens for this trip. Currently i have a canon 450d and 55-250mm is.
Thinking of getting either the canon 10-22mm uwa or the tamron 17-50mm f2.8 (the 17-55mm is out of budget.)
Hope to get feedback from u guys who have been to egypt before - will the uwa be useful in egypt or will there be limited use for this lens?
considering the 17-50 for the wider aperture for places with less light and longer focal length.
Thanks!
:)
 

1. Considering that your 450D has a magnification factor of 1.6, your only current lens at 55 - 250mm which is effectively about 90 -400mm is definitely inadequate for the trip.

2. If I were you, augment your current lens with (preferably) the 10 -22 or (if not) the 17 - 50 which will then give you effective ranges of 16 - 35mm or 27 - 80mm range. . But note that if you choose the 10-22 (effectively 16 - 35), together with your current lens, you will have a gap in the 35mm to 90mm range. Come to think of it, 17 -50 (eff 27-80mm) might just be as good for you as your config will then cover from 27 - 400mm.

3. So the first one covers a wider range at 16mm but leaves gaps given your current lens vs the second one though less wide starting at 27mm, covers gaps in your current set up.

Your call then!

I have been to Egypt and carrying a wide lens is essential as you have many structures, interiors etc to capture or you will regret e.g. inside cairo museum, inside the pyramids with the drawings and hieroglyphics on the walls, large scale (wide) historical structures and many more. So don't waste this photo opportunity.

Enjoy yr trip.

Cheers
 

Hi gtsoh! thanks for your advice, may i ask how wide was the lens you brought for your egypt trip? is the f3.5 of the 10-22mm enough for the inside of museum and pyramids?
many thanks! :)
 

Actually u shd consider using a local ( Egyptian ) tour agent instead of goin thru a S'pore one coz u will be lumped together with like 20-30 people n probably spend more time in souvenir shops .U pay slightly lower prices and if there's a few of u ,that should cut down the price.Group tours spend very little time at the actual sites because of the long queues .

Advantage ( for photographers especially) is u can arrange the itinerary n have more time by yourself. Alot of people arrange via their hotels or try searching Egypt Rays and Ramses Tour for ideas. If u hire thru backpackers hostel,it's even cheaper.It all depends on what budget and accom. u require.

I've got some tips from friends who have been there either by S'pore group tours and also self backpack n one who engaged the services of a backpack hostel .The latter 2 options are much better.

I'm goin with my in-laws so m doin some researches myself.;)
 

hi goon, should have asked earlier haha already booked the trip. but my main concern was probably safety and language, not sure what to expect in egypt. maybe next time if i go again :)
 

Hi guys! will be following a tour group to egypt this coming december.
I am deciding to get a new lens for this trip. Currently i have a canon 450d and 55-250mm is.
Thinking of getting either the canon 10-22mm uwa or the tamron 17-50mm f2.8 (the 17-55mm is out of budget.)
Hope to get feedback from u guys who have been to egypt before - will the uwa be useful in egypt or will there be limited use for this lens?
considering the 17-50 for the wider aperture for places with less light and longer focal length.
Thanks!
:)


Hi!

I have been to Egypt twice and on both occasions on my own with my Egyptian friends. A wide angle lens is a must have.

However, do take SERIOUS note that no photography is allowed in the museum. The guards will confiscate your camera and if they are in a bad mood, they will never return your camera.

Fellow Egyptian tour guides may even make a big fuss by shouting at you or your tour guide and cause a stir.

Also, never take pictures of an Egyptian lady be it Muslim or Christian without first asking. Their husbands are a real jealous lot. On the flip side, Muslim ladies will gladly shake your hand unlike in Saudi Arabia.

When you are around the Giza pyramids, do take care of your equipment and the fine desert sand will find its way into anything unless you have a 5DMKII or 1D with a L lens (weatherproof).

Also, you tend to see scantily dressed ang moh's lady tourists around. Egyptians are used to ang moh tourists. Ang moh's bring in the dollar for their economy.

December is a great time to go. Weather is fine and the sun sets around 5pm.

Enjoy!
 

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Hi!

I have been to Egypt twice and on both occasions on my own with my Egyptian friends. A wide angle lens is a must have.

Also, never take pictures of an Egyptian lady be it Muslim or Christian without first asking. Their husbands are a real jealous lot. On the flip side, Muslim ladies will gladly shake your hand unlike in Saudi Arabia.

Hi! i'll probably not shoot ppl, just to be safe, never know what will happen.
how wide is wide, 17mm enough? or 10/11mm :bsmilie:
 

Hi! i'll probably not shoot ppl, just to be safe, never know what will happen.
how wide is wide, 17mm enough? or 10/11mm :bsmilie:

Hello, oat11. For your 1.6x cropped 450D, I would suggest a Canon 10-22 or a Tokina 11-16. These will effectively give you a WA of around 16mm (for the Canon) and 17mm (for the Tokina). If you want WA, you should really give yourself this wide. 17mm will translate into about 27mm. Not wide enough for architecture shots, if you want to be ngiao about it.
My humble opinion.
 

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Actually u shd consider using a local ( Egyptian ) tour agent instead of goin thru a S'pore one ....
I've got some tips from friends who have been there either by S'pore group tours and also self backpack n one who engaged the services of a backpack hostel .The latter 2 options are much better.
...

goon, from what you have described, you are strongly suggesting that one should book the flight in from Singapore, and engage the service of a local guide.
After hearing all those stories on what happened to Stefanie Sun and also anecdotal ones from associates, it perhaps appeared to me that Egypt can be very rowdy and frightening place for the uninitiated.
Have you any good, reputable local agencies based there in Egypt to recomment?


Hi!

I have been to Egypt twice and on both occasions on my own with my Egyptian friends. A wide angle lens is a must have.

However, do take SERIOUS note that no photography is allowed in the museum. The guards will confiscate your camera and if they are in a bad mood, they will never return your camera.

Fellow Egyptian tour guides may even make a big fuss by shouting at you or your tour guide and cause a stir.
...
Sabrecruz, your account again confirms perhaps the tumultuous mood there (perhaps I have watched too many a Mummy or Indiana Jones...). From your experience what would you recommend a few of us (say, 4 or 5 of us) to engage in for safe and hassle-free trip?

Thanks to both of you.
And to TS Oat11, I apologise for the OT.
 

Hi limwhow
thanks for the tips! will look into the uwa lenses
np for ot, this forum is for us to share info anyway:)
 

Hi limwhow
thanks for the tips! will look into the uwa lenses
np for ot, this forum is for us to share info anyway:)

Oat11, if you don't mind me asking you.
What agency did you go through and how many days and roughly what is your itinerary?
Thanks again.
 

i booked the package with ctc holidays during the recent travel fair, "10 days glories of egypt"

Ah.. thanks for the link. Just read it.
Prices not bad.
Hey, go for the Dec trip and enjoy it.
Then come back and show us lots of pictures of your trip. I am certainly looking forward to seeing work from your wonderful experience.
 

goon, from what you have described, you are strongly suggesting that one should book the flight in from Singapore, and engage the service of a local guide.
After hearing all those stories on what happened to Stefanie Sun and also anecdotal ones from associates, it perhaps appeared to me that Egypt can be very rowdy and frightening place for the uninitiated.

I don;t think Egyptians are rowdy but I heard that the touts are the worst in the world:thumbsd:!

I have bought my ticket and currently contacting an agent which is highly recommended on travel forums,it's Egypt Rays . Do check out Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree forum-it's the best for travel tips n updates.

My friend went 2 yrs back n hired a guide through the backpacking style hostel for a 19days trip n the whole trip incl his flights cost $S2.5K . But now flights are more expensive plus Dec is the super peak season so everything will go up:bigeyes:They had a great time.

Another went with a packaged tour from S'pore n she super regretted coz with 20-30 aunties n their families,u either end up waiting for them or have too little time at each site plus the guides will die die bring u to those souvenir shops to earn commiss:nono:ion.

If u guys are not heading there soon,I will report back after my late Dec trip.Anyway since afew of my friends have been there n I have been reading alot on Egypt,U can ask me anything.;)
 

Hi, goon.
You have been most helpful too!
Appreciate it. Would certainly remember you as a resource when my time comes. Hopefully it's soon. Thanks!
 

Hi, goon.
You have been most helpful too!
Appreciate it. Would certainly remember you as a resource when my time comes. Hopefully it's soon. Thanks!

U r most welcome. Meanwhile I'm looking forward to the trip.;)
 

U r most welcome. Meanwhile I'm looking forward to the trip.;)

hi goon, thnks a lot for all the useful tips.

just have one more question here.

assuming i want to try the backpacker way of tour, like what you are doing, i.e. book the local tour upon arrival with a recommended local tour agent, what about the flights in and out of egypt?

i think it is expensive to book airticket on-line, even from those low-fare websites. would SG tour agents allow us just to book airticket through them? this way would be cheaper right?

thnks for your advice. cheers!
 

I die of envy for your trip. I dream with a trip to arabic countries
 

hi goon, thnks a lot for all the useful tips.

just have one more question here.

assuming i want to try the backpacker way of tour, like what you are doing, i.e. book the local tour upon arrival with a recommended local tour agent, what about the flights in and out of egypt?

i think it is expensive to book airticket on-line, even from those low-fare websites. would SG tour agents allow us just to book airticket through them? this way would be cheaper right?

thnks for your advice. cheers!

There will be no problems buying from any agents for air tickets but maybe u can browse through the internet 1st to sites like zuji.com.sg or airfares.com.sg and check out the prices before heading to an agency.

Currently it's about S$1.1k ++ onwards for a return fare to Cairo. Also check Qatar air,Emirates,Gulf Air,Ethihad,Turkish air for promotions coz they are the regular airlines that fly to Cairo.Prices shoot up in Dec n Jan .Sometimes going with an agency will be slightly cheaper but it can be very unsatisfactory coz like I said before they spend very little time at each site n U may end up waiting for your fellow travellers:confused:

If u choose those packages from a hostel ( not 4 or 5 star hotel) ,a 10 day package cld be only about US$350-400++ incl entrance fees,transport but not food.A friend did it this way in April for his 18 day trip n it's less than S$2K according to him but I think he got quite a good price for his flights.This for me is the best coz it;s only U ( or yr friends) and the guide. A guide will be arranged to meet u at every different city.

The other alternative is to join an international group with a younger more fun kinda crowd like Intrepid ,Gecko's Travel,GAP adventures. They have many options ranging from basic to abit more luxurious . Heard many good things about such trips because it's more fun n itinerary is flexible too .

Oh, last but not least ,do check out www.sgtravel cafe -a great local travel forum .

Cheers
 

Hi! i'll probably not shoot ppl, just to be safe, never know what will happen.
how wide is wide, 17mm enough? or 10/11mm :bsmilie:


Hi OAT11!


It's It depends on who you are shooting. Children on the streets love to be photographed. Generally, Egyptians are warm people. During my trip, many of them greeted me while I was walking on the streets.

A wide angle lens of 17mm is good enough if your are shooting using FF. Otherwise a 10-22mm would be great!

Take note that no photography is allowed in the Pyramids. The entrance to and around the Pyramids area is surrounded by White clothes policeman. They are a friendly lot and who greet you "Welcome to Egypt".

Have fun!