Help Me Decide which lenses to bring

[Lindymagoo]

I originally planned on leaving our Canon 40D's at home, and would just use the Nikon AW100 for stills and videos. I am looking at some stills I recently took with the Nikon, and now I think I want to bring the Canon. (We have two Canons, one for DH and one for me, so we can share lenses).

Most of my lenses came with the cameras when I bought them used, so I don't have any great glass, but I do have 6 lenses, and need to narrow it down to the best 3-4 for the parks.

I have:

Canon 55-250 5.6
Canon 28-135 5.6
Canon 18-55 5.6
Canon 50mm 1.8
Canon 85mm 1.8
Sigma 17-50 2.8

I just asked DH if he was planning on bring his camera, and now he thinks he wants to bring his as well. We don't want to carry the full gear bag around the parks, since it is just too big and heavy and I don't think we will need all 6 lenses Just trying to lighten our load, and bring the best lenses for the parks. It has been at least 12 years since we last went to WDW, and I did not have my good cameras at that time, so this is a first for me.

Help me decide, please. I will probably use my Lowepro Slingshot 100 to carry whatever we bring, and I think that will hold the 1 body, & 2-3 lenses, + batteries, chargers, cf cards, etc. The bodies we will have on our neck straps or in another backpack we will be bringing.

Which 2-4 lenses should we bring? Looking for tips from the pros here! Thanks in advance!

 

[havoc315]

The 17-50 2.8 as walk around lens.
The 2 primes -- small, light, and great for low light.

That would be enough. If you are doing the safari, I'd bring the 55-250, but leave it in the hotel other days.

 

[OKW Lover]

Got to agree with the PP. I've got an 18-200 zoom and find that most of my park pictures are in the 20-70 range.

The longer reach is good at Epcot for shots across the lagoon and on the safari. For just about anything else, the shorter lens is fine.

 

[SunDial]

I agree with the above. I only carry 3 with me. 10-24, 24-70 2.8, and a 35 1.8 that is all i ever need at DW.

 

[photo_chick]

I would pack everything for the trip. You never know when you'll decide you want a specific lens on an outing and you can leave the rest in the room.

If I had to pare it down to three that you have... 17-50, 55-250 and 50mm.

 

[nbaresejr]

I just got back last night and carried; T2i, Sigma 17-50 2.8 (my workhorse), Sigma 10-20, and Canon 70-200L f/4 IS. I can tell you its gets hard to walk all day everyday with all that gear. At nights when i carried the tripod i would take out the 70-200 and the flash i had. After I did all the night stuff I wanted the last night i went 100% camera free and felt like i was walking on air.

Looking at some images this morning on the computer i am glad i carried it all but i would have been nice to have a little less stuff.

Back to your original question- the Sigma 17-50 should 100% go on the trip. I think the 85 1.8 may focus better in low light so i would take that (besides the 50 1.8) and the 55-250 is good for the safari and Epcot.

 

[cjstarr]

I just got back last night and carried; T2i, Sigma 17-50 2.8 (my workhorse), Sigma 10-20, and Canon 70-200L f/4 IS. I can tell you its gets hard to walk all day everyday with all that gear. At nights when i carried the tripod i would take out the 70-200 and the flash i had. After I did all the night stuff I wanted the last night i went 100% camera free and felt like i was walking on air.

Looking at some images this morning on the computer i am glad i carried it all but i would have been nice to have a little less stuff.

Back to your original question- the Sigma 17-50 should 100% go on the trip. I think the 85 1.8 may focus better in low light so i would take that (besides the 50 1.8) and the 55-250 is good for the safari and Epcot.

I hope you get some of your pictures up soon nbaresejr, it's been a l-o-n-g 4 days and I could use a WDW fix.

 

[Lindymagoo]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions and comments! I tried on my bag that will hold all my gear, (Lowepro Slingshot 302AW) and it is too big and heavy to carry around the parks all day. And the Slingshot 100 is too small. I think I will use the 100 as my day pack, and the 302 as the travel bag to get it all down there, safely. That way I will have ALL my gear, and not regret leaving something behind!

 

[Daisy14'sDH]

You are pretty brave bringing the Slingshot! Its a great bag for short trips, but where it for a day with a load in it and then tell me now your right shoulder feels... I love the bag for short day trips, but I used it at Disney ONCE, the day I got home I bought a new bag. Now I use a messenger style bag for full shooting days, here is why. You can shift the weight between both shoulders and from front to back. With a backpack in the Florida heat and humidity a backpack is awful, it becomes a mop in the first hour...

Just my humble opinion...

 

[cjstarr]

You are pretty brave bringing the Slingshot! Its a great bag for short trips, but where it for a day with a load in it and then tell me now your right shoulder feels... I love the bag for short day trips, but I used it at Disney ONCE, the day I got home I bought a new bag. Now I use a messenger style bag for full shooting days, here is why. You can shift the weight between both shoulders and from front to back. With a backpack in the Florida heat and humidity a backpack is awful, it becomes a mop in the first hour...

Just my humble opinion...

Dasie14'sDH there seems to be quite a few Messenger Style Camera Bags out there. Is any one bag better then the other?

 

[mom2rtk]

You are pretty brave bringing the Slingshot! Its a great bag for short trips, but where it for a day with a load in it and then tell me now your right shoulder feels... I love the bag for short day trips, but I used it at Disney ONCE, the day I got home I bought a new bag. Now I use a messenger style bag for full shooting days, here is why. You can shift the weight between both shoulders and from front to back. With a backpack in the Florida heat and humidity a backpack is awful, it becomes a mop in the first hour...

Just my humble opinion...

I have the smaller slingshot and could never carry it at Disney. I only bring it to short events like school functions where I might want to swap out lenses. It hurts my back too.

Remind us which bag you ended up getting?

OP, I'm with the others on the Sigma 17-50 2.8 being your walk around lens. I take 90% of my photos at Disney with that lens.

 

[photo_chick]

You are pretty brave bringing the Slingshot! Its a great bag for short trips, but where it for a day with a load in it and then tell me now your right shoulder feels... I love the bag for short day trips, but I used it at Disney ONCE, the day I got home I bought a new bag. Now I use a messenger style bag for full shooting days, here is why. You can shift the weight between both shoulders and from front to back. With a backpack in the Florida heat and humidity a backpack is awful, it becomes a mop in the first hour...

Just my humble opinion...

I use a messenger style bag for the same reason. I can't keep the weight in one place all the time so I need to shift it around. It's the same reason I keep a longer strap on my camera.

Which bag do you have? I use a Tamrac Adventure Messenger 4 most of the time.

 

[Daisy14'sDH]

I got the Tamrac something or other lol, very comfy, I couldnt afford the Industry Disgrace or Crumpler lol

 

[cjstarr]

I got the Tamrac something or other lol, very comfy, I couldnt afford the Industry Disgrace or Crumpler lol

Daisy14'sDH I found the Crumpler Industry Disgrace on-line at B&H Photo for $26.38 with free shipping, love it.
If you look for it and don't find it let me know and I'll send you the link.
They still have it on sell!!!