Which Nikon lens for WDW?

[jk2006]

Hello--This is my first post but I have been lurking on this board for some time, there is lot of great advice here.

I have a Nikon D60 that I am still learning how to use. I am stuck in either aperture or auto settings only. But that is a whole other post!

I need to decide on a lens for WDW in October, the less gear to carry, the better as we have a toddler. I have the 2 kit lens (18-55 & 55-200) as well as the new 35mm f1.8(this has been my lens of choice since I got it & what I use 90% of the time.)

Is it worth investing in a 18-200 to use at the parks? Or just bring my 35mm & the 55-200. THANKS SO MUCH for any advice!!

 

[ukcatfan]

Unless the convenience is just that important to you, I say to stick with what you have. The long end is typically not used as much at WDW than the wide end, so you might feel like you wasted your money at the end of the day. Also, a good bag and a good strap go a long way to making extra gear seem like it is not an inconvenience. Besides, you need somewhere to store other stuff like extra batteries, lens cleaning kits, sensor cleaning kits, filters, memory cards, lens hoods, etc, etc.

 

[YesDear]

First let me say WELCOME! Come back often. Most of us don't bite.... hard!

The 18-200 is a better lens than the kit lens. It will have, I believe, a better image quality. That being said, if you are still learning the camera, and unless you are suffering from NAS. I would take the set up you described.

Probably the only time you would specifically want the 200 would be on the Safari Ride.

I have the 18-200 and for a long time it was all I carried. I enjoy faster sharper glass now even though I change lens more often. It is still my favorite walk around lens though.

 

[kaffinito]

Hi and Welcome!

If you really only want to carry one lens, than either invest in the 18-200 or use the 18-55 lens. When I was at AK I really wanted my wide 10-20 lens with me, so I could get some shots of buildings etc. It gets difficult to focus a shot of say a street scene with a lens that is anything larger than your 35mm.

I use a lens at the wider end for MK, EPCOT, and DHS but the 55-200 will be of some use at AK. I would pack all three so you can get a feel for which lens you like the best at which park.

One tip is to look at photos that you like and want to emulate and find out which lens the photographer used. WDW Figment gets some amazing shots with an 11mm for example. There are a lot of Disney shots on Flickr, and they have the exif data so that might be a good place to start.

Good luck and happy shooting!

 

[Hoan & Poopie]

I say definitely bring the 35 1.8. You might even get away with using just that lens the whole trip although I would miss the wide end. Our lens gear the last couple trips has been:

Sigma 30 1.4 (Since then has been replaced with the Nikon 35 1.8)

Nikon 16-85

Next trip we will bring the new Nikon 10-24!

 

[Gdad]

I could be very happy around Disney for a few days with just a D60 & 35mm f/1.8 but not everyone thinks like I do.

Maybe bring all three lenses and just pick one to take into a park on any given day?

 

[wenrob]

You have a toddler and therefore a stroller right? Just drape your bag over the stroller handles and bring all three. Problem solved! I would take the 18-55 over the 55-200 but like Jeff said I'd take them all and just bring what's needed for that day. The 18-200 is a great walk around lens and if avoiding switching out lenses is what you're after then that's the way to go. If it's less weight you want, it's not much lighter then your 18-55 and 55-200 combined.

 

[KarenAylwood]

I'm a Canon girl but it's the same diff when talking about what lens to bring

I brought my dSLR for the first time last year in September and all I had was my 18-55 kit lens since I had purchased the camera 2 weeks before.

This year I'm coming back with my 18-200mm, Sigma 30mm f/1.4, 18-55 kit lens and 100mm f/2.8 macro! I plan on only carrying the 18-200 and 30mm with me (the kit lens is a backup and the macro is for the resort and because I just can't leave it at home all by itself!). I did find last year that as much as I enjoyed the 18-55, I still found myself wanting a longer lens- there were some shots I really could have used the telephoto on (character pictures, details on the castle and the show in front of the castle, not to mention everything at Animal Kingdom). You'll definitely want the wider end as well. My camera primarily has the 18-200 on it.

 

[Gdad]

One more thought- 35mm may not be wide enough for some charactor meets- If you are planning on taking pictures of your little one with the charactors you may want to be sure to take an 18-??/??? since sometimes you can only back up so far.

 

[annnewjerz]

I will second what a lot of others have said, which is that I think the kit you have is fine---especially if you will have a stroller to help hold some of the load.

I have the 18-200 and for me it's great if I don't want carry too much, but I also don't have a stroller I'm wheeling around to help lighten the burden of carrying all my gear.

For the dark rides, if you are interested in taking pictures, the 35 is the way to go. The 18-55 is a good sort of "walk around" length and if you need something only slightly longer you can just zoom on your feet. The 55-200 will come in handy for Animal Kingdom, or close up shots of things that you physically can't get closer to (like the windows in the buildings on Main Street, etc.)

*See John? I'm not nearly as bad as you think. I didn't even suggest a purchase of any sort. Self control at its finest.

 

[DebºoºS]

We just got back from a trip that had daily temps in the 90's and humid. The 18-200 was great coupled with my Sigma 30mm for low light. That's about my weight limit to carry and still have a good time. Rent a stroller that you can put your bag on and give your toddler a resting spot too. I say, bring what you have. Your lenses cover the range you'll need from character meet and greets, stage shows to the safari. Don't forget your tripod for night shots

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

Bring the 18-200 you won't regret it. Also, bring the 35mm 1.8 for low light ride shots. These w/ your camera should be very easy to lug around.

 

[handicap18]

Everyone's shooting style differ's. Most of my Disney shots are from 18mm to about 100mm. At EPCOT and MK I don't do a lot of telephoto shots. I will do some at DHS at the shots, but thats about it there. AK is where the long lens comes in handy and I don't use the wide very often.

Overall, IMO, I think you'll be ok with what you have right now. All 3 lenses you have aren't really big. If you have the toddler with you, I'm guessing your going to need a bag for diapers and such, just throw the lenses in there and bring your stroller. Bada boom, bada bing. Case closed. We've done 2 trips with our kids and used the stroller both times. Its a life saver.

Personally, I carry around an extra lens in a lens pouch that attaches to my belt, and my really small lenses go in my pocket (50mm f/1.8 and depending on which shorts I wear I can get the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 in too).

The 18-200mm is a very nice general purpose lens, but its also expensive (the newer version is over $700. Sigma has one, but still is what, $500).

Just some thoughts.