DSLR Lens preference?

I am just curious which lense(s) you guys prefer when shooting with your DSLR on the trail. I have tried all of my lenses but it seems like the 18 - 55 mm kit lense seems to be the most versatile. Thanks for the feedback.

Jim B

Judging by your kit lens, you have an APS-C sensor (crop factor 1.5 for Nikon or 1.6 for Canon). Full frame sensor lenses would, of course, be different. (18-55mm (29-88mm FF equivalent) is consistent with a Canon kit lens, don't know about Nikon.)

If hiking is the priority and weight is an issue, I generally carry a P&S. However, if photography is a priority I will carry my APS-C sensor DSLR. Depending on the nature of the trip and the expected scenes/subjects, I carry some subset of a wide zoom, a standard zoom, and/or a telephoto zoom.

Some better quality consumer-grade Canon lenses for APS-C bodies for the above categories:
* wide zoom: 10-22mm (16-35mm FF equiv)
* standard zoom: 15-85mm (24-136mm FF equiv)
* telephoto zoom: 70-300mm (112-480mm FF equiv)
(If you check review websites you can get informed opinions on individual lenses.)

If I carry only one lens, it is usually the wide or standard zoom. (I use the telephoto zoom mostly for shooting wildlife from a distance.)

APS-C tends to be medium quality at medium cost and weight. Full frame and professional grade lenses would produce higher-quality images at the cost of a significant increase in the cost, size and weight. One could also use prime (fixed FL) lenses for even higher image quality or larger apertures.

Another option would a wide range zoom, however such lenses tend to have lower image quality. In dusty environments, one might prefer not to change lenses. (Professional grade gear tends to have water and dust sealing which may make them a better choice in such environments.)

Back in my film days, I often carried only a 28mm prime on a 35mm SLR.

The kit lenses are often a good place to start and many never use anything else. The best choice for you depends on your photographic style and expected scenes/subjects.

Doug

I have on old point and shoot camera, so it isn't a good comparison to today's models. I've tried using it while doing some of my hobbies, but am never happy with the quality of the pictures since I have a nice DSLR sitting at home as well. I find I am more than willing to carry the weight of the bigger camera for better quality images. I enjoy both the hike and the photography, so I don't want to give up quality in either of them.

Equipment I have
Body:
Nikon D80 (FX sensor)
Lenses:
AF Nikkor 28mm f/2.8D
AF-S Nikkor 18-135mm f3.5-5.6G ED
AF Zoom-Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D ED

The 18-135 mm lens I have is the kit lens that came with the camera and is the one that stays on most of the time. I use that one the most due to the range it can cover while on the trail and where there are views. There are times I wish this lens was better. When light is low on the trail, I wish it had a wider aperture. Also lately, it sometimes acts up and can't auto-focus on some subjects. The lens does have quite a bit of use on it though.

I always use to bring the 28 mm lens as a backup lens. In case the other one had an issue, I could still take some pictures. At 7 oz it is worth the effort to carry it. I find I use that lens more now though that I enjoy close up work more or using a shallow depth of field. Most of the time when I want to use it I am willing to take the time to switch lenses and put the effort into the picture. I've never had anything I don't like about this lens, but I'm also just a person who enjoys photography with no real background in it. I'm thinking about getting extension tubes to go with it for more macro type work of small things on the trail (on hikes where time isn't an issue).

I only take the 80-200 mm lens with me when I know I will have a view with something I might want pictures of off in the distance (above treeline basically). At 2.9 lbs, I avoid carrying the weight if I can. While it's heavy, I do enjoy using this lens when I get the chance to.

I bought my Canon T2i from a shop that had the 18-135mm kit lens and I've never really needed anything else. Three caveats are: 1) I suck at photography (just haven't had the time to really gain the experience) and 2) I'm more interested in landscape than wildlife and 3) weight is something of a concern so I wasn't really interested in schlepping both the 18-55 kit and the 55-250. I don't remember if the 18-200 was an option then.

My understanding is that the kit 18-135 is substantially cheaper than buying Canon's normal 18-135 off the shelf for a reason, but again, right now the limitation of my photographs is the idiot behind the viewfinder, not the equipment.

I just use a P&S (Lumix 7... Love it!), and my wife is the real photographer in the family. She uses Canon, and usually carries a 24-70 and 70-200, both f/2.8 II USM. She loves them both, though they're not exactly ultralight. Two bodies with those big lenses, a tripod, a couple flashes, and the rest of the doodads pretty much fill her pack. Better hers than mine!

Thanks for all of the feedback. I shoot with a Sony A65 APS-C and my lens options aren't great. The lenses I currently own are; the kit 18-55, 50mm prime, and a tele 55 - 300. I am not a fan of kit lenses and rarely use mine, but the focal length is decent on the trail. I mostly shoot landscape shots with the occasional pic of my dog. I do not want to carry the weight of multiple lenses. The minolta lenses fit my mount as well, so I am going to look around a bit. I am on the fence about picking up a 35mm prime, but I can't decide if the focal length will be drastically different than my 50mm.

Thanks again for the help.

Jim B

Tuckermanpaws said:

Thanks for all of the feedback. I shoot with a Sony A65 APS-C and my lens options aren't great.

Click to expand...

When one buys an interchangeable lens body (with or without a kit lens), one is implicitly buying into a manufacturer's entire system of lenses and body upgrades. Thus it is worth considering the entire systems when choosing one's first interchangeable lens camera. The two majors, Canon and Nikon, have large selections of lenses (and there are third party lenses for them as well). The other manufacturers usually have smaller systems.

Perhaps such a decision is a bit overwhelming when buying one's first camera, but one can get locked in pretty quickly and changing can become pretty expensive.

Doug

I use my 18-55mm kit lens most often with my Canon XSi when hiking. Usually that's the only lens I bring with me. If I want a longer lens I will bring my 28-135mm or if I need to go really wide I will bring my 10-22mm lens. It's not often that I will bring more than 2 lenses with me. I do try to carry a light tripod with me as well most of the time. If I'm doing any technical climbing then I just carry my Canon G12.

For the mountains I really love my 18-24 Nikkor wide angle zoom.

My DSLR Lens preference all depends on what subject matter I am intending to photograph. Although I generally travel heavy and carry all lenses just to have versatility and options.

Landscapes and General Use: 18-55 mm (Nikon DX format, specifically on a D5100)

Wildlife: 55-300 mm, also use on distant mountains or hikers along a ridge.

Wildflowers and Other Close-Up: 40 mm Macro, 1:1 w/ min focal distance of around 6 inches

Waterfalls w/ Time-Lapse: 18-55 mm with a Tiffen Variable Neutral Density Filter (expensive, but great to evenly reduce light in Sunny Conditions and do time-lapse of anything)

Reducing Vibration: I highly recommend the Joby Gorillapod (DSLR size) which is an adjustable mini-tripod that can also clamp onto things like trail signs, railings etc. I generally use it most often with the Variable ND Filter with long exposures or with the 55-300 mm lens when at high zoom (especially on cloudy days)

Hope this Helps,
Nick

If I'm specifically doing a photography hike then I'll have the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L, the 100mm f/2.8L macro if I think there will be photos/closeups, and my 6mm fisheye for landscapes way up high. For a special event like Flags on the 48 I'll bring the 70-200mm f/2.8L in case there's a flyby. Normally I'll just carry my EF-S 17-85mm, which is not a kit lens, if I want a better camera with me. I don't take my full-frame dSLR hiking, only my APS-C.

The lens I use the most is an F4 16-70mm (24-105 FF equivalent). On trips that go above tree line I'll bring along a 10-18mm (15-27mm FF equivalent) for the added width. For overnights or gloomy days I'll use a 24mm F1.8 prime.