Photographers: If you could only take one lens?

[I_heart_Tigger]

I was hoping to not have to drag around tons of camera gear on my next Disney trip but seem to have aquired a lot in the last 2 years (since my last visit).

I'm going on a girls trip with 2 Disney newbies and we'll be hitting all the attractions we can but they know I'll be taking photos as well. To save time switching lenses and space by not bringing 2 cameras I was wondering what most of you use as your best walk around lens for WDW.

I'm thinking the 15-85mm for everyday. I also have a 70-200mm, a 100mm and an 18-35mm.

What lens do you use the most?

 

[jlevis]

Of the three you list I would take 15mm-85mm. You want the wide angle for much of the landscape and decorations. The 85 will give you a bit of opportunity for tighter shots. If your camera has a macro setting all the beter for close-ups.

 

[wdwmagic]

From that list I would definitely go with the 15-85mm. A good versatile range there, which will be good for a lot of situations at WDW.

 

[scpergj]

My carry-around lens is my 18-200, but I've also played with just my 50-1.8 for a different perspective. Of your lenses, I'd have to agree with the others and say 15-85.

 

[KeithVH]

Go as wide as you can. Except for a couple of limited applications, any telephoto-range type of pictures in the parks are few and far between. The wider the better type of thinking allows you to capture more of the intimate feel and context of most in-park shooting. You don't have to be very far away to get your subject and thr surroundings in the frame. Too, the nature of the shorter focal length will mean, for a given exposure, the possibility of a greater depth of field (think in-focus).

I would even suggest 15-85 is not wide enough on a 1.5/6x body. I would think about buying or renting a 10-20 or something along those lines. Especially if you want to shoot while on a ride - definitely really wide needed on those.

 

[CP_alum08]

^^ I disagree completely. If you are taking a photo of your friends on Main St. at 10mm the people will only take up a small portion of the frame (unless you are a foot away from them), leaving the rest to be filled in by whatever, or whoever is around. How is that intimate?

I think there are plenty of uses for a telephoto in the parks. Of the lenses listed I would probably take the 15-85 but it would be followed closely by the 70-200. Having that much reach during parades can give you some really nice portrait style shots of characters, plus you don't have to be right on top of people to take their photo.

I love to shoot wide. As wide as I can in most cases. But if I was going with family and wanted to take lots of shots with people in them I wouldn't use much past 15mm.

 

[I_heart_Tigger]

Thanks for the responses. I'm thinking I'll take two lenses with me and since I have more than one day in each park I'll do a light travel day and only take one lens and on my second day in each park I'll take a both lenses for a closer view on some of my favourite subjects.

Of course I'm in the market for a wider angle lens right now so I could end up with more decisions ahead of me.

 

[ddbowdoin]

focal length isnt the only issue here, I usually grab the BEST quality lens in my bag. 18-55 is great coverage, but if its a slow aperature kit lens its pretty much of no use for me.

 

[Unomas]

15-85 for sure. But it is a little slow for night time without a tripod. If you can bring something a little faster for those times to change out - that would be good. You still might be able to get some acceptable shots at night with the 15-85, however.

 

[ddbowdoin]

I'd say 24-70 on a full frame! ughhhhhhhhhhhhh diesel!

you could always rent the lens, since I noticed you don't have this.

 

[Matthew Klein]

I have a crop sensor camera with a 17-50 2.8, 70-200 2.8, and I just got the ultra-thrifty nifty fifty as a backup incase something goes horribly wrong with my 17-50 and also for the extra speed. I would choose the 17-50 2.8 easily. I think it's plenty wide enough even on a crop and has enough zoom to isolate the subject. In about 99% of cases it will do the job. The 70-200 I'm having second thoughts about whether it was the right choice for me. I only seem to use it at 200mm and usually I'm wishing it was 400mm. And there is the fact that it weighs something like three pounds. I think either a 135mm or 200mm prime would have been a better pick for me as well as a really long prime like a 400mm or perhaps just a 2x teleconverter.