Convince me to bring my 70-200

[Redbarnphotog]

Prepping for my first med cruise. Visiting Venice, Greek islands and Paris in June.

 

Taking with me my camera backpack as my only carry-on. I've got a Canon Mark II 5D, 28-105L (or 24-70L).

 

I have a 70-200 4.0/L but it does take up a lot of room in the bag.

 

I'm also considering picking up a 10-20mm.

 

Will I use the 70-200 enough to take up the space?

 

Also will I need a flash? That's another big space taker if I'm not going to use it enough.

[pierces]

I only ever use my long lenses for wildlife and sunsets on a cruise. On our recent Caribbean cruise, I didn't take a lens longer than 55mm and never felt badly about my choice. I wished I would have taken an ultra-wide but not often.

 

I haven't taken a flash along in about 3 years. After carrying one in the bag on trip after trip and never using it, I just gave up. A stabilized 50mm f/1.4 or even an f/2.8 medium zoom makes a flash beyond the pop-up superfluous for me. (I got a little diffuser for the pop-up.)

 

We haven't done the Med yet so I can''t say for sure, but all I can think of is ship-to-shore shots. Still, I will not be doing the Med repeatedly, so safe vs. sorry would probably make take it....:o

 

Dave

[Redbarnphotog]

That all makes sense. Except I don't have an on board flash on the MkII.

[pierces]

That all makes sense. Except I don't have an on board flash on the MkII.

 

FYI, I almost never use the pop-up either. High-ISO capable cameras are a boon to natural light fans!

 

Maybe a little 270 EX flash..."just in case"?

 

Dave

[TheRoff]

Probably, well not probably, Lightroom tells me that 86% of my cruise photos were taken with my 5DMII with the 28-105. It is just a great walk-around combination. A close second is the 100-400. Like Dave, that is for Alaskan wild life and the occasional sunset, or just playing because I brought it along. The Med is on our schedule for next summer and my lens will be the 24-105, 100-400, and the 16-35. I honestly don’t think the 70-200 is that useful on a cruise unless it is your walk-around lens. If weight becomes an issue, the long telephoto will stay home, and I don’t think I will miss it.

 

I do carry my 430EXii on a cruise and find I use it fairly often. I use it for fill on shore excursions which only happen at mid-day with terrible light. I use it around the ship and for the obligatory dinner companion pics. I don’t know the local rules at tourist attractions in Europe, but the use of flash is probably prohibited anyway.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

Larry

[awboater]

I have a big and heavy Nikon 80-200 f/2.8. While it is an excellent sports lens, I never take it on a cruise as it is just too big and too heavy for vacation use.

 

Instead, I take a 18-200 and while it is a bit of a compromise vs the 80-200, it is a lot easier to carry around on vacation. And most of my long photos are in daylight conditions; and I am neither doing action shots or portraiture, so I have no need for the 80-200 for cruises.

 

In reality, I have two "lens kits". One with high-end glass (all f/2.8 or better), and a vacation kit with more manageable (and fewer) lenses.

 

The current vacation kit I use is:

 

Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8

Nikon 18-200 f/3.5~5.6

Nikon 50mm f/1.8

 

And I recently added a Nikon V1 (mirrorless) with a FT-1 adapter so that I can use full-size Nikon lenses with it. I can mount the Nikon 18-200 on the V1 if I need a long reach (50~540mm equivalent).

 

While the Nikon V1 has a smaller sensor than a DSLR, it's sensor is still 5 times larger (in surface area) than the typical compact camera, and is my lightweight go-to setup if I need a long telephoto.

 

I used to carry a Tokina 80-400mm telephoto as it was the smallest and most lightweight 400mm you could get. But I used to also carry a Nikon P7000 compact camera as a backup (which is about the same size as the Nikon V1).

 

So the addition of the Nikon V1 replaces both the Tokina 80-400 and Nikon P7000 for vacation use - further reducing the weight and bulk of what I have to carry on a cruise.

 

I do take a SB700 flash though as it does work well for portrait evenings. But I am becoming more successful with every cruise in convincing my better half to "dress down" a bit (I am thinking of getting one of those "tuxedo" T-shirts). And if that happens, the flash will stay home.

 

So I think collectively, we may be convincing you to not bring your 70-200.

[mskaufman]

Went on a Med cruise last year and I would always take the longest zoom I could handle.

 

There are pictures you can take from the boat that without a zoom you just wouldn't get. Closeups of all kinds of things are possible with the zoom.

 

http://i1233.photobucket.com/albums/ff386/mmkbx75/IMG_1453_zpsbe865ada.jpg

[framer]

Granted a wide angle is best for most port pictures, when you need more reach you need it. It's really not that big, take it. It only take one image to get that winner.

 

framer

[dodger501]

I agree taking those big heavy lenses can be a pain.

You either want to do it or don't.

My walking around lens is a Nikkor 28-300 and I take lots of 300mm shots. I also bring an ultra-wide 12-24, speedlight, 50mm f/1.4 . . . a lot of hardware.

[Nole0202]

10-20 YES

80-200 bigger NO

Took my 70-200 f2.8 on one cruise and it never got used.

 

Sports and wildlife only for the long telephotos.

 

Do recommend that you take a flash. There will be on board opportunities for bounce fill- in.

[mskaufman]

I use my 18 - 280 and would say that a third of my shots are longer than 150mm. In AK that percentage was even higher.

[seadancer]

I use my18-55 on the ship and my 55-300 for the island shots .

[pilotdane]

Redbarnphotog you never said what type of photography you like or intend to do. I would never think of going on a cruise without a big telephoto since much of what I take are ship and wildlife photos. With your lenses I'd bring the 70-200L and toss a 1.4 converter to give it a bit more reach. I don't think you will need the long lens ashore in any of the ports unless you have particular interest in detail photos of some architectural details higher up on the buildings.

 

I would not bother bringing a flash unless you have some shots in mind where you think it would be helpful. Your 5D mk II will do very well without it and you won't annoy everyone by using a flash at the dinner table.

[mskaufman]

I think you will find a lot of uses for the zoom in both Venice and Paris.

[ikirumata]

I take my 70-200 F4L EVERYWHERE! :) and I even have a crop body. It just takes such good shots, I cant imagine not having it.

[SuzK]

For travel, I've always hauled along a lighter but still bulky 70-300IS lens. I did just buy a 10-22 thinking that on cruises I would use it but I've not yet taken a cruise with it but my latest trip to the mountains made the purchase worth it.

On trips, most of the time, I kept the 24-70L on the camera.

 

My thoughts? While I enjoy the photos, I feel like I need to take lots of photos and then I spend hours going through them, maybe some Photoshop and/or Lightroom. I don't dare check my camera in luggage so that means I carry it and the lenses on my shoulder everywhere; that is a lot of weight and sometimes several trips through security. In some places I worry that being seen with that much camera stuff might make me a target for theft. On tours, I don't always have real time to compose a shot so I end up doing auto way too often.

I did just buy a Nikon V2 with four lenses. All of them are small enough to fit in a small shoulder bag. For my next trip, I will limit myself to this camera.

[NJEMT65]

Prepping for my first med cruise. Visiting Venice, Greek islands and Paris in June.

 

Taking with me my camera backpack as my only carry-on. I've got a Canon Mark II 5D, 28-105L (or 24-70L).

 

I have a 70-200 4.0/L but it does take up a lot of room in the bag.

 

I'm also considering picking up a 10-20mm.

 

Will I use the 70-200 enough to take up the space?

 

Also will I need a flash? That's another big space taker if I'm not going to use it enough.

 

Personally, I would pack the 5D2, 24-70, 70-200 and speedlight.

 

I too have the 5D2 and have left my flash behind, and came to regret it as there is no on-board flash.

 

Also you mentioned the 10-20...all of those that I have seen are EF-S style, which would not fit the full frame 5D2 mount.

 

I always hate not bringing something, then missing a shot and kicking yourself because you left something home.

 

I'm packing this for my upcoming cruise:

5D Mark 2

1Ds Mark 2

60D

24-70 f2.0

24-105L

70-200 f2.8L

580 EX II

[SuzK]

I've never taken my speed light/external flash, no reason to take one. Most indoor buildings have enough light or don't allow flash and my lenses handle lowlight pretty well. Because the ships we sail on most often no longer have a photographer, any photos of my dinner companions or friends on board that I take are with a small digital with a small on board flash; I'm sure not going to carry a big camera and flash around all evening.

[lamchops]

Prepping for my first med cruise. Visiting Venice, Greek islands and Paris in June.

 

Taking with me my camera backpack as my only carry-on. I've got a Canon Mark II 5D, 28-105L (or 24-70L).

 

I have a 70-200 4.0/L but it does take up a lot of room in the bag.

 

I'm also considering picking up a 10-20mm.

 

Will I use the 70-200 enough to take up the space?

 

Also will I need a flash? That's another big space taker if I'm not going to use it enough.

 

I found I did most of my shooting in Europe using my 28-200 and 60-300. The "old" European cities with landmark sites need the longer range to capture the "details". I will eventually replace both lenses with a 28-300 as I'll compromise some quality for weight and ease.

[Mr. Click]

My own personal choice is the 16-35 and the 70-200. I need that super wide on the ship at times and I need the reach of 200mm on shore and for sunsets. I also always pack my 1.4EF Mark III because you just never know when 200mm is not enough. The only time I really needed some flash was for family pictures. Most days the flash just stayed in the safe but at night it came out.

[pilotdane]

I think you will find a lot of uses for the zoom in both Venice and Paris.

 

I had fun getting shots of a police photographer getting some video over a demonstration in Venice.

 

 

Poor guy's probably wishing he'd brought the big lens.

[mskaufman]

I had fun getting shots of a police photographer getting some video over a demonstration in Venice.

 

 

Poor guy's probably wishing he'd brought the big lens.

 

Awesome, exactly why I always carry the lens. A compromize might be something like a Canon SX50, which has a 50X zoom and is pretty lightweight.

[pierces]

I had fun getting shots of a police photographer getting some video over a demonstration in Venice.

 

 

Poor guy's probably wishing he'd brought the big lens.

 

Since it is an actual video camera, it probably has the equivalent of a 24-800 zoom lens!

 

He did bring the big lens! :D

 

Dave

[aggieastrosfan]

No 70-200 here, but I do have the 200L 2.8, and it definitely got used in July on the Carnival Magic. I used it to take pictures of my son on the ropes course,and shots of the port. I'll always bring it with me now - granted, it's a lot smaller than a 70-200. And lighter. I'm not sure I'd be thrilled at the idea of lugging around the 70-200, but knowing me, I probably would. :o

 

 

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