Lens while travelling


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chameleon20

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Jul 31, 2008
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Hihi,

I will be backpacking in Nepal in March and as I only have 2 lens, 50mm f1.8 & the kit len, I will be bring both for shooting.
I would definitely prefer to take portraits with 50mm but will prefer using kit len for landscape.
Just curious how do you guys handle between 2 lens during travelling as you will be taking portraits & landscapes at the same time while walking on the streets, do you stop every now and then to change the lens?

Another question is my photos always turned out to be towards yellowish tone and not sharp enough. Any tips to take bright and sharp photos like those pros?

Thanks in advance.
 

If you want to do a panorama for the Nepal scenery, a tripod might also be needed.

As for the yellowish tinge and blurriness, try to post up a photo or two so we can advise better.
 

If I only have your 2 lenses, I will plan ahead, see what kind of shots I will be mainly taking that day. I suspect most would be taken with the kit lens. Once you break from taking landscape, houses, streets and environment and decide to take portraits, do a lens change.

If no time to change between the kit and 50mm, stick with the kit. Better to get a shot than no shot at all.

Always set the correct white balance for your shoots. Daylight, cloudy, shade, tungsten etc. If not , shoot in Raw and do WB correction later. Have fun and enjoy your trip!
 

If you want to do a panorama for the Nepal scenery, a tripod might also be needed.

As for the yellowish tinge and blurriness, try to post up a photo or two so we can advise better.

Hihi, I find that the first photo is not sharp and outstanding while the 2nd photo is too yellowish and also not sharp enough. Any tips to share? Thanks.

3300297304_2809576306.jpg


3300297430_f50e830a77.jpg
 

If I only have your 2 lenses, I will plan ahead, see what kind of shots I will be mainly taking that day. I suspect most would be taken with the kit lens. Once you break from taking landscape, houses, streets and environment and decide to take portraits, do a lens change.

If no time to change between the kit and 50mm, stick with the kit. Better to get a shot than no shot at all.

Always set the correct white balance for your shoots. Daylight, cloudy, shade, tungsten etc. If not , shoot in Raw and do WB correction later. Have fun and enjoy your trip!

Thanks for your advise. But is it possible to do landscape, houses etc with 50mm?? I tried to use kit lens in my HK trip but not very satisfied with the results...
Sorry to ask 1 noob question, do I adjust the WB to daylight when I am shooting in daylight? And adjust the WB to tungsten when I am shooting indoors so on n so forth?
Yeah, really looking forward to the trip as I will be spending my 30th birthday there & I longed to go Nepal since 6 years ago but never have a chance...
 

If you are going for trekking, wide angle lens is good enough. You will not have time or strength (physically or mentally) to keep changing lens. If you are going in a team that are not particular in photography, changing lens might make u cant catch up them. The only time you would think about changing lens is when you reach a rest point.

I used D80 + 24-70 all the way from start point till base camp. The only regret is not wide enough.

To get sharp pic, reduce your aperture to around f8. Or if you are affordable, get 17-55 f2.8. Some jungle path may not be able to use at f8.

Tripod is good to have, as morning scene /sunrise is the most unforgettable moment. Just let the porter to carry for you. :bsmilie:

If you are heading to base camp, those stations near to base camp will not have electricity to charge your battery. Full charge your Li-ion battery everyday whenever possible. When charging batteries is no longer available, switch to use your AA batteries (assuming u have grip) and keep your full charged Li-ion battery in warmest place. In cold temperature, all AA batteries will just die off in sec, only Li-ion battery can survive through (with less than 50% of usual lifespan). You need to reserve those Li-ion battery to take photo at base camp. When u descend to lower altitude, AA batteries revive again.

As for photo shooting, brings lots of memory cards (i brought 20G) and still need to borrow from frens. :sweat: :sweatsm:
When you are trekking, shoot in RAW, and auto-WB. You might not have chance to readjust and reshoot. Think about you are riding on a horse that can not u-turn, if you miss the shot, that's it. Nikon auto ISO feature works very well during my trip, as sometime you will go into the jungle which is dark, and sometime you will be at top of the mountain which is bright.

Hope this help.
 

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Hihi, I find that the first photo is not sharp and outstanding while the 2nd photo is too yellowish and also not sharp enough. Any tips to share? Thanks.
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Somehow, I am unable to view the Exif data for that two photos.

As a rule of thumb, keeping in mind proper camera holding techniques, a shot would be reasonably sharp if you keep the shutter speed faster than 1/focal length. e.g. no longer than 1/50s for the 50mm.

As for setting of white balance, it might be easier to shoot in RAW format, then adjust the colour temperature during post processing.
 

If you are going for trekking, wide angle lens is good enough. You will not have time or strength (physically or mentally) to keep changing lens. If you are going in a team that are not particular in photography, changing lens might make u cant catch up them. The only time you would think about changing lens is when you reach a rest point.

I used D80 + 24-70 all the way from start point till base camp. The only regret is not wide enough.

To get sharp pic, reduce your aperture to around f8. Or if you are affordable, get 17-55 f2.8. Some jungle path may not be able to use at f8.

Tripod is good to have, as morning scene /sunrise is the most unforgettable moment. Just let the porter to carry for you. :bsmilie:

If you are heading to base camp, those stations near to base camp will not have electricity to charge your battery. Full charge your Li-ion battery everyday whenever possible. When charging batteries is no longer available, switch to use your AA batteries (assuming u have grip) and keep your full charged Li-ion battery in warmest place. In cold temperature, all AA batteries will just die off in sec, only Li-ion battery can survive through (with less than 50% of usual lifespan). You need to reserve those Li-ion battery to take photo at base camp. When u descend to lower altitude, AA batteries revive again.

As for photo shooting, brings lots of memory cards (i brought 20G) and still need to borrow from frens. :sweat: :sweatsm:
When you are trekking, shoot in RAW, and auto-WB. You might not have chance to readjust and reshoot. Think about you are riding on a horse that can not u-turn, if you miss the shot, that's it. Nikon auto ISO feature works very well during my trip, as sometime you will go into the jungle which is dark, and sometime you will be at top of the mountain which is bright.

Hope this help.

Thanks for all your advise. Actually I am not going trekking but your advise is good for future advances if I decide to do trekking in the next trip. This is more like sightseeing the temples, streets, people & mountain views (from far)

Btw, is it easy to get a multi-adaptor there to charge your batt since Nepal is using round 2 & 3 pins?
 

Somehow, I am unable to view the Exif data for that two photos.

As a rule of thumb, keeping in mind proper camera holding techniques, a shot would be reasonably sharp if you keep the shutter speed faster than 1/focal length. e.g. no longer than 1/50s for the 50mm.

As for setting of white balance, it might be easier to shoot in RAW format, then adjust the colour temperature during post processing.

Thanks, will keep in mind not to keep the shutter speed faster than 1/focal length...
 

Thanks for all your advise. Actually I am not going trekking but your advise is good for future advances if I decide to do trekking in the next trip. This is more like sightseeing the temples, streets, people & mountain views (from far)

Btw, is it easy to get a multi-adaptor there to charge your batt since Nepal is using round 2 & 3 pins?

You are not go for trekking? :bheart:
Closer look at the mountain would be much better than far look. If you are healthy, I strongly suggest at least pick some short distance trek, to experience the beauty of nature Nepal. Give more days for the trek if you are low stamina. To my surprise, lots of ang moh with >60 years old are still walking slowly to the base camp.
Staying in the Nepal city like Kathmanthu is worse than staying in SG :sweatsm: no internet, no shopping, very noisy, dusty, only 8 hours a day of electricity.

Also, last year around March, Nepal is very clowdy, which is abnormal according to the tour guide. Unfortunately, we cant see any white mountains from far. Hopefully, this year, weather is good. :)

I have no problem plugging my charger (2 pin) to their plug. I dont need adapter. However, it is good to have a multi-adapter as a backup. Some guest room may have only 1 plug per room or lots of plug but only one is working (happen to me), and u may need extender if you have more devices to charge.
 

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You are not go for trekking? :bheart:
Closer look at the mountain would be much better than far look. If you are healthy, I strongly suggest at least pick some short distance trek, to experience the beauty of nature Nepal. Give more days for the trek if you are low stamina. To my surprise, lots of ang moh with >60 years old are still walking slowly to the base camp.
Staying in the Nepal city like Kathmanthu is worse than staying in SG :sweatsm: no internet, no shopping, very noisy, dusty, only 8 hours a day of electricity.

Also, last year around March, Nepal is very clowdy, which is abnormal according to the tour guide. Unfortunately, we cant see any white mountains from far. Hopefully, this year, weather is good. :)

I have no problem plugging my charger (2 pin) to their plug. I dont need adapter. However, it is good to have a multi-adapter as a backup. Some guest room may have only 1 plug per room or lots of plug but only one is working (happen to me), and u may need extender if you have more devices to charge.

Haha ya, sorry to have broken ur heart. =p
I guess I will probably do it the next time.
Omg, u r scaring me that staying Kathmandu is worser than in SG, I didn't know till u mentioned there's only 8 hours of electricity a day. Thanksfully, I won't be staying thru out my trip in the city, I will be staying in Kathmandu for 2 nights, going to Pokhara to stay for anohter 2 nights & Nagarkot for 1 night.
That's good to hear cos my Nikon battery charger also using 2 pins. =)
 

Haha ya, sorry to have broken ur heart. =p
I guess I will probably do it the next time.
Omg, u r scaring me that staying Kathmandu is worser than in SG, I didn't know till u mentioned there's only 8 hours of electricity a day. Thanksfully, I won't be staying thru out my trip in the city, I will be staying in Kathmandu for 2 nights, going to Pokhara to stay for anohter 2 nights & Nagarkot for 1 night.
That's good to hear cos my Nikon battery charger also using 2 pins. =)

I think entire Nepal is not 24 hours with electricity. They are rich with water, but lack of electricity. Reversed of SG. :sweat:

I see, i agree 5 days is too shot for any trekking.
If you like macro shoot, there are lots of flower at FishTail lodge in Pokhara. Staying there is very expensive, but going there for photo shooting is FOC. :)
 

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Hihi,

I will be backpacking in Nepal in March and as I only have 2 lens, 50mm f1.8 & the kit len, I will be bring both for shooting.
I would definitely prefer to take portraits with 50mm but will prefer using kit len for landscape.
Just curious how do you guys handle between 2 lens during travelling as you will be taking portraits & landscapes at the same time while walking on the streets, do you stop every now and then to change the lens?

Another question is my photos always turned out to be towards yellowish tone and not sharp enough. Any tips to take bright and sharp photos like those pros?

Thanks in advance.

for fast shooting, a few options
1. 2 bodies with 2 lens on, carry on neck on the go. (fastest)
2. use belt holster and multiple lens pouch like a rambo. (fast)
3. use a sideway sling bag or a thinktank bag that can be rotated from the back to the front. (faster than traditional)
4. use a shoulder bag (ok)
5. use a normal rucksack (slow)

you can read my thread in the signature. it was untouched for a long time but i hope it is still relevant.
 

Haha ya, sorry to have broken ur heart. =p
I guess I will probably do it the next time.
Omg, u r scaring me that staying Kathmandu is worser than in SG, I didn't know till u mentioned there's only 8 hours of electricity a day. Thanksfully, I won't be staying thru out my trip in the city, I will be staying in Kathmandu for 2 nights, going to Pokhara to stay for anohter 2 nights & Nagarkot for 1 night.
That's good to hear cos my Nikon battery charger also using 2 pins. =)

are you spending only 5 days in nepal? that is very short. make it at least 8-10days and you can cover at least something decent, excluding a trek.

when i last went, kathmandu was very polluted. you might want to consider some better places to breath fresh air. bear in mind of the distance you need to travel between places, it can make a 5 day tour becomes a 2 day tour after flying to and fro and all the transport.

think twice. if you really only have 5 days to tour, dun go too far.
 

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since you have only 2 lens, I suggest you bring both. Use the Kit lens as your main lens and the 50mm as your backup should the kit lens decide to run out of life during your trip. The 50mm lens is a nice small lens that you can carry as a backup. I did that when I was travelling for 5 months. I used 1 main lens and the 50mm was in case the other lens dies on me.
 

Thanks for your advise. But is it possible to do landscape, houses etc with 50mm?? I tried to use kit lens in my HK trip but not very satisfied with the results...

Yes. Definitely. It all depends on your artistic eye and what you want to capture. Ever felt as though your wide angle shots are somewhat lacking a "concrete" subject even though you've managed to get so many things into the frame?

Just try it out with both lenses if you have the time to change lens and take another shot. If not, just continue shooting the way you're most comfortable with as the most important thing in travel photography is to actually get some photos while not hindering you from missing out too much.
 

Hihi,

I will be backpacking in Nepal in March and as I only have 2 lens, 50mm f1.8 & the kit len, I will be bring both for shooting.
I would definitely prefer to take portraits with 50mm but will prefer using kit len for landscape.
Just curious how do you guys handle between 2 lens during travelling as you will be taking portraits & landscapes at the same time while walking on the streets, do you stop every now and then to change the lens?

Another question is my photos always turned out to be towards yellowish tone and not sharp enough. Any tips to take bright and sharp photos like those pros?

Thanks in advance.

1) yes, i always change the lenses nonstop, unless you have a superzoom

2) based on what you have posted, it is because you have taken indoor lighting (tungsten lighting), and your auto white balance has been fooled. seeing how it is indoor, slow shutter speed needed, so should be handshake problem ,more often than not.
 

Thanks all for your suggestions & replies. You guys are really helpful! =)

Zoossh, I will be going 6D5N, but I will spent at least 1 day travelling between Kathmandu & Pokhara. I plan my itinerary using 1 of the tour itinerary as a guide but I think should be able to squeeze more things on my own rather than going with tour.

aspenx, you are rite, I always feel my wide angle shots are not very focused & lack artistic feel...That's why I thought of using 50mm for a change to shoot landscape etc.
I suppose this will have to come with experience & practice. Hopefully can improve during this trip. =)
 

Thanks all for your suggestions & replies. You guys are really helpful! =)

Zoossh, I will be going 6D5N, but I will spent at least 1 day travelling between Kathmandu & Pokhara. I plan my itinerary using 1 of the tour itinerary as a guide but I think should be able to squeeze more things on my own rather than going with tour.

aspenx, you are rite, I always feel my wide angle shots are not very focused & lack artistic feel...That's why I thought of using 50mm for a change to shoot landscape etc.
I suppose this will have to come with experience & practice. Hopefully can improve during this trip. =)

As a start, pop by the landscapes and travel photo forum, get some idea on what makes a photo appealing many of the people there are also willing to share their techniques.
 

If you are going for trekking, wide angle lens is good enough. You will not have time or strength (physically or mentally) to keep changing lens. If you are going in a team that are not particular in photography, changing lens might make u cant catch up them. The only time you would think about changing lens is when you reach a rest point.

I used D80 + 24-70 all the way from start point till base camp. The only regret is not wide enough.

To get sharp pic, reduce your aperture to around f8. Or if you are affordable, get 17-55 f2.8. Some jungle path may not be able to use at f8.

Tripod is good to have, as morning scene /sunrise is the most unforgettable moment. Just let the porter to carry for you. :bsmilie:

If you are heading to base camp, those stations near to base camp will not have electricity to charge your battery. Full charge your Li-ion battery everyday whenever possible. When charging batteries is no longer available, switch to use your AA batteries (assuming u have grip) and keep your full charged Li-ion battery in warmest place. In cold temperature, all AA batteries will just die off in sec, only Li-ion battery can survive through (with less than 50% of usual lifespan). You need to reserve those Li-ion battery to take photo at base camp. When u descend to lower altitude, AA batteries revive again.

As for photo shooting, brings lots of memory cards (i brought 20G) and still need to borrow from frens. :sweat: :sweatsm:
When you are trekking, shoot in RAW, and auto-WB. You might not have chance to readjust and reshoot. Think about you are riding on a horse that can not u-turn, if you miss the shot, that's it. Nikon auto ISO feature works very well during my trip, as sometime you will go into the jungle which is dark, and sometime you will be at top of the mountain which is bright.

Hope this help.

I suppose u had a hard and long time adjusting and converting ur RAW, haha
 

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