Help with lens choice needed!


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ckiang

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Jan 17, 2002
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Hi,

Need some opinions here. I'll be going Jiu Zhai Gou, China for a holiday soon, and would like some help in the lenses. What I have now (and will be bringing) is:

1. Nikon F100 (thinking of leaving the MB-15 grip behind)
2. Nikkor AF 20mm f/2.8D
3. Nikkor AF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5D
4. Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8

Now, I would really want to bring my AF 80-200/2.8D but the weight puts me off. But I also don't want to miss any photo opps (like a panda sighting) which may require > 105mm at f/4.5.

So, I am thinking of borrowing:
1. Nikkor AI-S 135mm f/2.8
2. A lens in the 70-200 range, maybe constant f/4 or f/4-5.6 or f/3.5-4.5, AF or MF.

Which will be a better choice? The faster 135/2.8 or the slower 70-200/4? The 135 will be smack in the middle of 80-200, fast enough at f/2.8 and light/compact.

I'll be shooting Velvia most of the time, but plan to bring along Provia 100F and 400F as well.

Comments please. Thanks in advance.

Regards
CK
 

I would suggest that you bring along your 28-105. Unless you really really want to shoot at 2.8, I believe your 28-105 will do the job.

Else, I would prefer a 20/2.8 and a 105 or 135 lens.

By the way, if you really really want to see panda, goto Chengdu. It is the place of the panadas. There is a panda research centre outside Chengdu.
 

Originally posted by angy
I would suggest that you bring along your 28-105. Unless you really really want to shoot at 2.8, I believe your 28-105 will do the job.

Else, I would prefer a 20/2.8 and a 105 or 135 lens.

By the way, if you really really want to see panda, goto Chengdu. It is the place of the panadas. There is a panda research centre outside Chengdu.

Thanks for your reply. I am bringing the 20 and 28-105, just need something to cover the > 105 range. :) Going with a tour group, dunno whether got the chance to see one. But we will be at Chengdu on the 1st and last days. Just in case I see one "in the wild". ;p

Regards
CK
 

Err how soon is your soon? Cos currently I got a Tamron 28-200 and my friend if he is done with it then you can borrow it. Cos, now I too busy to walk around with camera, and if I do, I usually carry a nikon P&S.
But while u took my lens you will need to find me a replacement (maybe your 50mm or something else that at least fall between 28mm to 80mm) that I can shoot a normal picture. Cos that is my only lens.:D
 

CK, ask you going alone? The reason I ask is because if you are going with someone, you can ask him/her to help you with the load. Just like last month, I brought 50-500mm,Tokina 28-70 (both are haven lenses) and Gitzo tripod(non CF). Bluestike help me to carry the tripod. :D
 

Wow! Going to Jiu Zhai Gou!
2 years ago, my mum went there.
She took many pictures of it using P&S camera, very beatiful place, indeed!

FYI, U might reconsider taking heavy lens, as I heard from my mum U need to walk a long distance from your hotel to the reserve. Why dun U check with your travel agent, ask them about the distance? ;)
 

R u sure u wanna bring so many lenses? When you get too tired carrying 5kg of loads around...you will feel too lazy to change lenses...composing...photographing...maybe just me...I find changing lenses in the field (especially on hot/windy day) is really troublesome...and risky (dust...drop...etc.)

Happy Holiday!
 

Hi,

Trevor: Thanks for the offer, I'd rather not use a superzoom. ;p I will be flying next Saturday by the way.

9lives: Going with family, but don't want to burden my parents with the extra lens/tripod, etc. They are shooting DV as well.

scanner: That's precisely the reason why I am looking for a good replacement for the 80-200/2.8. That 135/2.8 I can borrow from a friend appears to be a good replacement. Small, light and fast. :)

kho king: heh. I at the very least want the 20 to 105mm range. Which is why I have my 20/2.8, and 28-105. Which are not that heavy. When I went Yunnan last year, I carried a Nikon FE, Nikkor 20/2.8, Tamron 35-70/3.5 and a Nikkor 75-300/4-5.6 (non-G) and it was quite a load. Used the 75-300 only for 1-2 shots, and they are no good. ;p That's why trying not to bring the 80-200.

Regards
CK
 

Hi! IMHO, I think you'll have to find out what is there in Jiu Zhai Gou before deciding on lens choice. When I was in the Canadian Rockies, wildlife is plentiful and the tele is solely missed. When I was in NYC, I wouldn't really want to hold a big tele on the streets... Ultimately, it's up to you on what you wanna compomise... but note that on most tour packages, most of time you're on the bus shooting thru the bus windows and when you do get down the bus, you have like 1 hr to look around and may not have the luxury to peruse your wide selection of lenses that you have painstaking brought over.... ;)

..NuTs..

Originally posted by ckiang
Hi,

Need some opinions here. I'll be going Jiu Zhai Gou, China for a holiday soon, and would like some help in the lenses. What I have now (and will be bringing) is:

1. Nikon F100 (thinking of leaving the MB-15 grip behind)
2. Nikkor AF 20mm f/2.8D
3. Nikkor AF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5D
4. Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8

...
...

I'll be shooting Velvia most of the time, but plan to bring along Provia 100F and 400F as well.

Comments please. Thanks in advance.

Regards
CK
 

Originally posted by nuts
Hi! IMHO, I think you'll have to find out what is there in Jiu Zhai Gou before deciding on lens choice. When I was in the Canadian Rockies, wildlife is plentiful and the tele is solely missed. When I was in NYC, I wouldn't really want to hold a big tele on the streets... Ultimately, it's up to you on what you wanna compomise... but note that on most tour packages, most of time you're on the bus shooting thru the bus windows and when you do get down the bus, you have like 1 hr to look around and may not have the luxury to peruse your wide selection of lenses that you have painstaking brought over.... ;)

..NuTs..


Thanks. I guess it's mostly landscapish shots (from other people's photos), which is why I am bringing the 20mm. I could have done with just the 20, 50, 28-105, but you know, the nagging "just in case" things.... ;p

Regards
CK
 

i think you should bring that 80-200 and leave the 50mm out cos since ur 28-105 already enough to cover so expand your range and i dun think you want to change a lens just to get something that is sharper...you know tours are always in a rush

i last year go to yunan then got this water fall on the mountains then i want to take a picture a then cannot. cos i no telephoto...dun let history repeat itself
 

Originally posted by nicholas1986
i think you should bring that 80-200 and leave the 50mm out cos since ur 28-105 already enough to cover so expand your range and i dun think you want to change a lens just to get something that is sharper...you know tours are always in a rush

i last year go to yunan then got this water fall on the mountains then i want to take a picture a then cannot. cos i no telephoto...dun let history repeat itself

50mm is for situations where I need the extra speed of f/1.8. :) Anyway, it weighs almost nothing. The last time I went Yunnan, I shot the waterfall using a lowly 35-70 Tamron. ;p

But that 80-200 is like 1.3kg.... still deciding.

Regards
CK
 

u got speedlight ?
i also no lens that is f1.8 i go in winter
further more u going in summer then should be quite bright what
 

Originally posted by nicholas1986
u got speedlight ?
i also no lens that is f1.8 i go in winter
further more u going in summer then should be quite bright what

Yup. I have a SB28 which I am bringing too. But I prefer available light. ;)

Regards
CK
 

you see the place you are going to i believe that there is a lot of stones for you to shoot then i think that they may bring you on a boat ....like a river cruise so i think that you need a telephoto to at leastm zoom in on interesting things so i feel that a 50mm is not really worth it
cos sine you already have ur 28-105 which covers the 50mm and switching would also be troublesome
 

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