What to bring? Help me decide!!

[sharona]

Just starting to plan out what gear I'm going to bring on our upcoming trip. Hoping to take a lot of candids of the family and also lots of landscapes and maybe parade and fireworks too. I need some input on what to bring and what to leave behind. Here's what I have:

I just upgraded from Nikon D5100 to 7100 (waiting on my new to me 7100 to arrive later this week ) so I currently have both the 5100 and the 7100. Lenses:
Nikon - 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 VR, 35mm f/1.8, 50mm f/1.8, 18-55 f/3.5-5.6, 55-200 f/4-5.6
Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4
Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8

I am definitely bringing the Sigma w/ polarizer, the Tokina, my tripod and my ND filters. I have room in my bag for at least 1 other lens. I love the 50 for people shots but it is a little close sometimes so thinking maybe the 35??? Or since I have those ranges covered with the Sigma should I bring the 55-200? It stinks in low light but it's very lightweight and pretty decent during the day and I could use the extra reach.

Also, I'm seriously wondering if I should bring the lighter and more familiar 5100 instead of the 7100? I'll have a little less than a month to familiarize myself with the AF system and function buttons on the 7100... Is it crazy to even consider bringing the older body? I guess that will be a game time decision depending on how much practice I get in with it before we leave. Any compelling reason to bring a speedlight and/or diffuser?

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

Everything is dependent on what you plan to shoot. Your lenses are the tools in your toolbox. You will need a walk around lens that has some lowlight capabilities because the days are getting shorter. If you going to shoot the safari and shows you will need some length and maybe lowlight capability for indoor shows. Dark rides would require your 35 f1.8. The 50 is a little tight for most of the dark rides on a crop sensor body. As far as an external flash, I found it invaluable for fill flash and shooting the Christmas parade. This is where the second body comes in handy. The Christmas parade is a combination of lighted and non-lighted floats. You can mount the flash on one body to shoot the non-lighted floats and characters and the other to shoot the lighted. I tried shooting the whole parade with one body and was really disappointed with my results. Flash/no flash it wasn't fun. I would look at my equipment and design my plan around what works best in each lighting condition.

 

[mom2rtk]

I always err on the side of caution and bring it all (or most of it). Nobody says you have to carry it all to the parks each day. But it's nice to have options and no regrets about leaving something behind.

I definitely second bringing the speedlite. I find it invaluable for family photos around the parks and with characters. Even in bright sunlight I like using the speedlite to prevent shadows on the face.

I haven't wanted to mess with a second body, although I have been tempted to bring one for the reasons Gianna'sPapa mentioned.

Is there any chance your daughter is ready to carry a camera or would enjoy it? It would be fun to have one along with a short lens and one with a long lens. I thought about doing that with my daughter, but knew she'd hand it off to me and I just didn't want to carry 2.

 

[sharona]

Everything is dependent on what you plan to shoot. Your lenses are the tools in your toolbox. You will need a walk around lens that has some lowlight capabilities because the days are getting shorter. If you going to shoot the safari and shows you will need some length and maybe lowlight capability for indoor shows. Dark rides would require your 35 f1.8. The 50 is a little tight for most of the dark rides on a crop sensor body. As far as an external flash, I found it invaluable for fill flash and shooting the Christmas parade. This is where the second body comes in handy. The Christmas parade is a combination of lighted and non-lighted floats. You can mount the flash on one body to shoot the non-lighted floats and characters and the other to shoot the lighted. I tried shooting the whole parade with one body and was really disappointed with my results. Flash/no flash it wasn't fun. I would look at my equipment and design my plan around what works best in each lighting condition.

Thanks for your insights. The Sigma is pretty decent in low light and has nice bokeh so that will be my walk around lens. I'm looking forward to using the wide angle Tokina around MK and EPCOT as well. I've never tried to shoot the parade at night before. I see your point about flash/no flash but I definitely won't be bringing both bodies to the park with me at once, in fact I will leave one of them at home altogether (likely the 5100 if the 7100 proves to be easy for me to adapt to).

I always err on the side of caution and bring it all (or most of it). Nobody says you have to carry it all to the parks each day. But it's nice to have options and no regrets about leaving something behind.

I definitely second bringing the speedlite. I find it invaluable for family photos around the parks and with characters. Even in bright sunlight I like using the speedlite to prevent shadows on the face.

I haven't wanted to mess with a second body, although I have been tempted to bring one for the reasons Gianna'sPapa mentioned.

Is there any chance your daughter is ready to carry a camera or would enjoy it? It would be fun to have one along with a short lens and one with a long lens. I thought about doing that with my daughter, but knew she'd hand it off to me and I just didn't want to carry 2.

I really don't want to bring it all . I don't even think it will all fit in the camera bag that I use for air travel. I have room for my tablet, the body w/ Sigma and 2 additional lenses and the speedlight and various accessories. The Sigma is pretty fat and the Tokina is a space hog so that leaves very little room. I think the 55-200 will just fit. Since we're checking bags this trip I'll have a little more room in my carry, I could bubble wrap the 35 and just toss it in there.

Unfortunately, my DD is into videography and mostly uses her iPhone for that. We're lucky if she lugs her own string bag with a sweater and her phone charger! Whatever she carries, I usually end up with at some point. I tried to pique her interest last summer and gave her my old D60 for our Pacific Coast road trip but she got bored with it pretty quickly and "vlogged" the rest of the trip.

Yikes - I really need to practice with the flash in sunlight, people pics are definitely not my forte. I predict a photo session with DD followed by a bribery trip to the mall this weekend.

 

[havoc315]

Just starting to plan out what gear I'm going to bring on our upcoming trip. Hoping to take a lot of candids of the family and also lots of landscapes and maybe parade and fireworks too. I need some input on what to bring and what to leave behind. Here's what I have:

I just upgraded from Nikon D5100 to 7100 (waiting on my new to me 7100 to arrive later this week ) so I currently have both the 5100 and the 7100. Lenses:
Nikon - 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 VR, 35mm f/1.8, 50mm f/1.8, 18-55 f/3.5-5.6, 55-200 f/4-5.6
Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4
Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8

I am definitely bringing the Sigma w/ polarizer, the Tokina, my tripod and my ND filters. I have room in my bag for at least 1 other lens. I love the 50 for people shots but it is a little close sometimes so thinking maybe the 35??? Or since I have those ranges covered with the Sigma should I bring the 55-200? It stinks in low light but it's very lightweight and pretty decent during the day and I could use the extra reach.

Also, I'm seriously wondering if I should bring the lighter and more familiar 5100 instead of the 7100? I'll have a little less than a month to familiarize myself with the AF system and function buttons on the 7100... Is it crazy to even consider bringing the older body? I guess that will be a game time decision depending on how much practice I get in with it before we leave. Any compelling reason to bring a speedlight and/or diffuser?

I tend to do less telephoto shooting on vacation, but it really depends how you shoot.
If you want to shoot dark rides, then you will need the 35 or 50, preferably the 35. And also just for the higher quality of a prime. I don't do a lot of prime shooting on vacation, but I always like to have 1 prime in the bag, at least.
The 55-200 is only a necessity at Animal Kingdom safari. Outside of that, it really comes down to shooting style. If you want to capture details during a parade, it's helpful. If you'd rather capture the parade from a wide perspective....
Speaking of wide, yes, on the Tokina. Ultrawide is always great on vacation.
If you are bringing the Sigma, no real reason to bring the normal Nikon zooms.

And definitely bring the 7100. The learning curve isn't that steep. The shutter button is in the same place. PASM hasn't changed. Even with more focus options, you can switch to center point AF. You may not master all the upgraded features so quickly, but you won't lose anything.

 

[mom2rtk]

I brought the new 6D with me to DL last year. I really had not had a chance to get familiar with it before going. But honestly, it turned out to be a great time to force myself to get familiar with it. Fast. You have a new toy. I'd definitely bring it.

And another vote for the 35mm prime over the 50. I always feel like the 50 is too "in between" for crop sensors. Too long to be short, and too short to be long.

I hope you have a great trip and will share some of your shots when you get back.

 

[DizBee Brian]

If I were in your shoes and couldnt bring everything, then decide at the parks, I would go this route:

18-105mm, as my walk around lens.
35mm f/1.8, as my low light [you can crop the 35mm vs the 50mm 1.8]
55-200 f/4-5.6, as my telephoto, for the likes of Animal Kingdom and such [I would def leave this locked away in your room until its needed, as I'm sure its very heavy?]

Again, just my opinion, as I typically find myself carrying 3 lenses for 90% of my shooting [24-70 F4 -walkaround; 55 F1.8, low light and 70-200 F4 tele. And this seems to work for me!!]

Enjoy and Kungaloosh!

B-

 

[sharona]

I tend to do less telephoto shooting on vacation, but it really depends how you shoot.
If you want to shoot dark rides, then you will need the 35 or 50, preferably the 35. And also just for the higher quality of a prime. I don't do a lot of prime shooting on vacation, but I always like to have 1 prime in the bag, at least.
The 55-200 is only a necessity at Animal Kingdom safari. Outside of that, it really comes down to shooting style. If you want to capture details during a parade, it's helpful. If you'd rather capture the parade from a wide perspective....
Speaking of wide, yes, on the Tokina. Ultrawide is always great on vacation.
If you are bringing the Sigma, no real reason to bring the normal Nikon zooms.

And definitely bring the 7100. The learning curve isn't that steep. The shutter button is in the same place. PASM hasn't changed. Even with more focus options, you can switch to center point AF. You may not master all the upgraded features so quickly, but you won't lose anything.

I brought the new 6D with me to DL last year. I really had not had a chance to get familiar with it before going. But honestly, it turned out to be a great time to force myself to get familiar with it. Fast. You have a new toy. I'd definitely bring it.

And another vote for the 35mm prime over the 50. I always feel like the 50 is too "in between" for crop sensors. Too long to be short, and too short to be long.

I hope you have a great trip and will share some of your shots when you get back.

Thanks! Yeah, I'm sure I'll bring the 7100 - I won't be able to resist, lol. I'm just concerned that I'll be fumbling around and miss too many shots. And don't worry, you'll be sick of me sharing my shots when we get back!

Current plan - 7100, Sigma, Tokina, 35mm, 55-200, tripod, extra battery, speedlight, GNDs. polarizer, 2 bags (1 travel and 1 walkaround), 3 cards, cleaning cloths - what am I forgetting?

 

[mom2rtk]

Thanks! Yeah, I'm sure I'll bring the 7100 - I won't be able to resist, lol. I'm just concerned that I'll be fumbling around and miss too many shots. And don't worry, you'll be sick of me sharing my shots when we get back!

Current plan - 7100, Sigma, Tokina, 35mm, 55-200, tripod, extra battery, speedlight, GNDs. polarizer, 2 bags (1 travel and 1 walkaround), 3 cards, cleaning cloths - what am I forgetting?

My 6D had a pretty different control configuration from my old T2i and I didn't regret taking the new one. I wouldn't worry about that at all.

The only thing I can think to add to that list is extra batteries for the speedlite. I assume you already have a comfortable camera strap.

Have a great trip!

 

[sharona]

If I were in your shoes and couldnt bring everything, then decide at the parks, I would go this route:

18-105mm, as my walk around lens.
35mm f/1.8, as my low light [you can crop the 35mm vs the 50mm 1.8]
55-200 f/4-5.6, as my telephoto, for the likes of Animal Kingdom and such [I would def leave this locked away in your room until its needed, as I'm sure its very heavy?]

Again, just my opinion, as I typically find myself carrying 3 lenses for 90% of my shooting [24-70 F4 -walkaround; 55 F1.8, low light and 70-200 F4 tele. And this seems to work for me!!]

Enjoy and Kungaloosh!

B-

Hi. Thanks for your input. I'm leaving the 18-105 home because the Sigma 17-70 is a much better walkaround despite it's shorter reach. It's faster and it's also a "macro" because it has a very short minimum focus distance which really comes in handy. The 55-200 is a mostly plastic kit lens so very light compared to most zooms but yes, I'll be leaving it in the room except for our day at AK. That 70-200 f/4 is on my radar and I'd love to have that for this trip but I decided to upgrade the body first so that will have to wait a bit - found a sweet deal on the 7100 (a refurb) that was too good to pass up!

Had to look up Kungaloosh - it's a drink?

 

[sharona]

My 6D had a pretty different control configuration from my old T2i and I didn't regret taking the new one. I wouldn't worry about that at all.

The only thing I can think to add to that list is extra batteries for the speedlite. I assume you already have a comfortable camera strap.

Have a great trip!

Would not have remembered the extra batteries for the light, thanks. I do have a great camera strap - it's lightly padded, has a few small pockets for extra SD's and is extra long so I can wear it cross body. Easy to pop the camera right back in the bag when getting on a ride. Tried the Black Rapid ladies strap and didn't really care for it at all. I'm bringing my LowePro sling for walking around since it folds flat and can fit in my checked bag. I do have a bit of an addiction to buying camera bags... but that's another thread altogether .

 

[DizBee Brian]

Kungaloosh is from the Adventurers club, from the now extinct Downtown Disney Pleasure Island. it was like saying Aloha [Hi and good bye!] LOL

Enjoy and Kungaloosh!

B-

 

[sharona]

Just a quick update to say that my refurbished 7100 arrived looking like new (shutter count 86!) and once I figured out how to set the focus the way I wanted, the rest has been pretty easy. Loving the extra MPs for cropping and the focus system is truly amazing. Really stoked for our WDW trip now!! The countdown is on - 23 days to go!

 

[mom2rtk]

Have a great trip. I love having a new photography toy along on a Disney trip!

 

[DizBee Brian]

Enjoy!! Make sure you post some pics for us to feed our addiction, after you get back!

Kungaloosh!

B-

 

[DSLRuser]

single body (leave the 5100 at home), but bring everything else. Then decide what you want for each day.

I have 2 bodies D7000 and D750. My D7000 is truly my "back up" when doing weddings or when I need a second shooter. My daughter has a D3200. So I can always have that as a "back up" on vacation.

But I bring 4 lenses everywhere I go. But decide each day what I take to the park. (daughter has 2 more dx)

10-22mm dx
50mm 1.4 fx
24-70mm 2.8 fx
70-300mm fx

My plan this next trip is to take 1 lens a day, and force myself to get creative with what I have on me. Then go back to my 50mm as my main lens, with the 70-300mm as an alternate. But I always have my external flash with me.

 

[sharona]

Just had to come back and add that this weekend I tried out a Tamron 70-300 f/4-5.6 VC and loved it. The VC is unreal - I was able to get super sharp photos at shutter speeds down to 1/40. I ended up picking it up for a very sweet price since there is currently a $100 rebate offer from Tamron and I had a $50 credit offer from American Express for my local camera store. Final price $299 could not be passed up. I'll be bringing that with me instead of the 55-200! Anyway, just wanted to share my excitement over the new lens. No longer saving up for that 70-200 f/4. Cheers!

 

[sharona]

Follow up after the trip:

What I brought? Everything, lol. Well, almost everything. I left the 5100 and the 55-200 at home.

What I used? The 35mm, the 17-70, the 11-16 and the 70-300.

What never made it out of the bag? The 50mm, the tripod, the flash, the filters, the p&s.

We had a great time and fabulous weather. I took my camera bag with me every day and took thousands of pics. So many that I haven't even begun to go through most of them. I did make a gorgeous photo book for my Mom when we got home and had a great shot of my sister-in-law and nephew printed on a small canvas for her for Christmas which she loved. Got some real winners and some real duds! I'm going to try to put together a photo TR as soon as I have a few hours free time. It's been a flat out sprint through the holidays since we returned on the 15th. We had house guests from the 23rd until last night. Barely finished our trip laundry and getting the house ready before they arrived! WDW is gorgeous at Christmastime but I'll never take another December vacation. Too much of a rush before and after for my taste.

Hope you all had a great Christmas and wishing you a healthy and happy New Year!

 

[wekhogan]

Kungaloosh is from the Adventurers club, from the now extinct Downtown Disney Pleasure Island. it was like saying Aloha [Hi and good bye!] LOL

Enjoy and Kungaloosh!

B-

GREAT memories from that place!

 

[DizBee Brian]

GREAT memories from that place!

AGREED!!! Between the Club, the Comedy Warehouse, 8-Traxx and Mannequins, my Disney evenings [pre-kids] were almost as good as my Disney morning [well afternoons actually? lol]

Kungaloosh!!!