Would you do it? Lens choice on a cruise.

[MonaCK]

I generally do not like to travel without the most lens options possible... but this past week I was in Hawaii, and I found that 100% of the time, I used one lens - my 17-55 2.8 Tamron.

 

I'm going on the Oasis of the Seas in 3 weeks. I am considering really paring down my lens back for this trip and only traveling with this lens, and an external flash (along, of course, with a plethora of memory cards).

 

Would you do it? My other lens choices are a general purpose 18-250 (3.5-5.6) and my trusty nifty fifty. Will I regret not having those lens choices? My first time cruising in a while where I have to fly, so I am thinking of carry on choices as well...

[reedl]

I generally do not like to travel without the most lens options possible... but this past week I was in Hawaii, and I found that 100% of the time, I used one lens - my 17-55 2.8 Tamron.

 

I'm going on the Oasis of the Seas in 3 weeks. I am considering really paring down my lens back for this trip and only traveling with this lens, and an external flash (along, of course, with a plethora of memory cards).

 

Would you do it? My other lens choices are a general purpose 18-250 (3.5-5.6) and my trusty nifty fifty. Will I regret not having those lens choices? My first time cruising in a while where I have to fly, so I am thinking of carry on choices as well...

If the 18-250 is a good quality lens, I would take that one. This way you can get the distance shots in addition to wide angle stuff.

 

I follow the rule that the best lens is the one that will take a good picture of what I am trying to shoot.

[Steviewonder1]

You should be fine. I am just back from a 12 day Eastern Med Cruise and the only lenses I took were a 10-20MM and a 18-135MM IS STM on my Canon T4i. I never used the 10-20MM and shot everything with the 18-135 lens. It was wide enough and long enough. I left the 28-300 home and did not miss it. I shot stills and video with the one lens. Everything out in the world away from your home is bigger than you realize and this one lens worked great for me. I used 3 32GB cards almost full for the whole trip, but had many more in reserve.

[TheRoff]

Hmm, I too have considered that idea. One lens. On our most recent cruise to the Mediterranean, I used my 24-105 for 73% of the pictures. I used a 16-35 for 22% of the images. The remainder were taken with my EOSm. I believe that I would have been quite happy with just the 24-105. I think I will use the same 2 lens on our next cruise to South America. However, if we ever do another Alaskan cruise, the long telephoto will be in the kit. I believe it boils down to the type of cruise, and the kind of images you want.

 

I also carry an external flash, a smallish 430ex. I find I use it mostly teamed with the EOSm for the obligatory dinner companion pics.

 

Larry

[MonaCK]

I'm doing western caribbean, and am not even sure yet I am going to go on any shore excursions. This is mostly going to be for interior shots, I think - shots of friends and family, but also occasionally for going out and about. The interior shots will be the reason for the flash, and also why I would prefer the faster lens. Oh, and my friend is getting married on board and has asked me to take some shots of her in her wedding dress while she is getting ready, as well as filling in after the ships photographer session ends. The ship's photographer will be taking most of the formal posed pictures. I will be shooting more photo journalistic style. I will have my Canon G12 with me as well in case i want another smaller option - though I have found the last few times I've traveled with it, It's stayed in my hotel room right where I left it. My point and shoot these days seems to be my iPhone...

 

Alaskan Cruise would be a different thing entirely. I would likely rent a long range telephoto if I were to go on that cruise. It's on my bucket list, but not a reality as of yet.

Edited November 14, 2013 by MonaCK

[markeb]

Yeah. I'd do it.

 

I think I have, in fact. (Can't remember; I probably took my 15-85 on the last cruise, but my 17-50 may have gone a well.)

 

Unless I were going to one of the ruins in Mexico, the only thing I'd take off the ship would be my iPhone (maybe), and a waterproof pocket camera. As you say, Europe or Alaska would be a totally different situation, but we tend to wander the town and hit the beach, and the DSLR stays onboard.

[awboater]

When you use a single lens, you challenge yourself to be more creative, so I would say - go for it.

 

In our Oct 2013 cruise on the Oasis, I took my D7100 and a Sigma 8-16mm lens and that is all I used for the entire week.

 

I did take a Nikon 18-200mm for backup though (but I did not use it), and I also used a Nikon P330 compact camera for my "normal" shots, but it was an enjoyable experience just using a single lens on the DSLR for the week.

Edited November 15, 2013 by awboater

[tommui987]

This is mostly going to be for interior shots, I think - shots of friends and family, .. my friend is getting married on board and has asked me to take some shots of her in her wedding dress while she is getting ready, as well as filling in after the ships photographer session ends. The ship's photographer will be taking most of the formal posed pictures. I will be shooting .

 

 

If your friend is going to have you shoot shots of preparation for the wedding - wedding dress fitting, make up etc, I would assume it would be in the cabin where you will need a really wide-angle lens.

[MonaCK]

If your friend is going to have you shoot shots of preparation for the wedding - wedding dress fitting, make up etc, I would assume it would be in the cabin where you will need a really wide-angle lens.

 

It will actually be in the hotel room the morning of the wedding. The widest lens I have is the low end of the 17-55. I do not have the budget to buy anything wider so I will have to make do with what I have.