Please help me! I have just purchased a Canon 600D with a triple lens kit. The lenses are a 55-250mm, 18-55mm and a fixed 50mm. In two days I am going on a cycling holiday - the Otago Rail Trail - and I want to keep my bags light. So my dilemma is do I take all my lenses or just one? Do I be brave and just take the 50mm fixed lens as I have read it is produces an image close to that of the human eye?
I'm with Susan here. From the sounds of things there will be more opportunity to take landscape shots rather than close up shots. Take the smaller lens and get some cracking scenery shots.
I would probably go with the 18-55mm but then I tend to get frustrated with my 50mm although I am persevering this year. Wow - enjoy the rail trail though - I hear it is amazing! I will look forward to seeing the photos whatever lens you choose.
I'm with Liana - definitely the 18-55 if it were me. If you are new to the world of DSLRs and choosing lenses - here is a run down (in my view at least): Your 50mm prime has the great advantage of a wide aperture, which means it can let in more light than the others and is really great for dark situations (e.g. night, indoors). It will also give you awesome background blur at those wide apertures, making it also great for taking portraits and removing all the distraction from your subject. Your 55-250 is great for getting close to subjects that are far away, so if you main game is for example shooting birdlife, this would be the one to take. Your 18-55 gives you the widest angle of view, which is exactly what you want for landscapes.
Here are a couple of examples of landscape shots I took while in NZ in October. I have a full-frame camera though, so I was using a 24-70mm lens, for your camera the equivalent would be 15-44mm (ie. pretty close to your 18-55):
I took all my lenses on that trip; never used the 50mm, only occasionally used the 70-200. I've also just been on a trip to Vietnam likewise in the interests of travelling light only took the 24-70 and honestly never wanted for anything else (have a look at my last week or so of posts if you want - not really landscapes though).
The other thing about taking a wider lens is that you can always zoom to 55mm and crop later - if you take a longer lens there is no way to get that wider angle of view. AND, your 18-55 is still small and light.
Anyway, that's my two cents :) Sounds like a fantastic holiday, hope you enjoy :)
It is difficult to give advice since we don't really know what you want to photograph on your bike trip. Sweeping landscape vistas? Close-ups of flowers or plants? Portraits of your fellow bike riders? Wildlife? Shots around the camp fire after dark? ;-)
A 50mm lens is considered to be a "normal" lens on a full frame camera only. On your crop sensor 600D it is a short telephoto lens (eq. to an 80mm lens on a full frame camera). Unless your interest is in photographing wildlife or doing lots of low light shooting, I would take the 18-55. Much more versatile than the 50mm.
Another thought is; what is the intended purpose of the photos you take? The family album or publication in a magazine? Do you really need to bring a DSLR at all? I do a bit of hiking and when I want to travel light I will most likely just bring a decent quality compact camera, like f.ex the Canon G7 X. The whole camera probably weighs less than your 18-55mm lens and the image quality is more than good enough.
I would take the 18-55 as it gives you the option to go wide and capture the landscape and gives you the 50mm coverage. I love my 50mm but would not use it to capture landscapes. Have a great trip. I hope to do that ride next summer.
Helge above @helstor gave you all the reasons to leave the 50mm lens at home. The 18-55 will give you much more flexibility, including a 50mm focal length if you want it, and out to a wide angle which would be your choice for large landscapes. As just about everyone else said here. The requirement for a fast prime, the 50, is probably not germane to the situation, and the fixed 50 on an APS-C camera (yours) is, at least for me, an awkward, in-between, length. Except perhaps for portraits.
As usual, Frank @frankhymus is a fount of wisdom - I can only encourage you to take his (and other's) sound advice and go with the 18-55mm. But @helstor makes a good point about going with a good quality compact if that's possible. Things weigh 5 times their normal weight when you put them in a bike saddlebag and 10 times their normal weight when you put them in a backpack ;-) Have a great trip - look forward to seeing the photos.
@deliad Have a great trip. Thanks for posting this - all the advice has been very helpful for me too. @vignouse Have to agree about Frank @frankhymus - he always seems to provide a calm, supportive and enthusiastic voice of reason :)
Good points, to be completely honest, when I bike tour I take my point and shoot. Although now that I have the small Oly e-m10 I would likely take it. Hope I get the chance to test that theory this spring. :-)
@helstor totally agree! Remember a crop sensor means a different distance. I have found that the kit 18-55 is a really wonderful and versatile lens! If you can take a small tripod, even a tabletop one, you'll love it when the light is low and you want a night shot! Have a fun time!!!
Don't forget your phone may really take great shots too AND you can process them like any other photo! I'm going to Bali this summer and I'm already weighing my options. But i won't be on a bike!
@kiwinanna@aliha@helstor@spanner@frankhymus@vignouse@pistache@slash@darylo thank you all for your comments. I will take the18-55mm lens. I also have a small tripod I will take. There will be lots of landscapes to take and hopefully some evening shots in low light. I did think of a compact camera to replace my old one (which my husband is going to use on the trip) however I have been hankering for a DSLR for a while as i had a SLR many years ago. Using this one after the a point and shoot, it felt just right. Taking it away with me also means I have lots of time to play with my new camera. Thank you again for all the advice and tips on using the lens.
I have completed both 2,500 and 1,400 mile self-suppoerted bike rides in the past year and a half. A Canon super zoom camera was light and a great addition to my bike paniers. I had a SX-40. http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/NorthStarNerd
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Here are a couple of examples of landscape shots I took while in NZ in October. I have a full-frame camera though, so I was using a 24-70mm lens, for your camera the equivalent would be 15-44mm (ie. pretty close to your 18-55):
I took all my lenses on that trip; never used the 50mm, only occasionally used the 70-200. I've also just been on a trip to Vietnam likewise in the interests of travelling light only took the 24-70 and honestly never wanted for anything else (have a look at my last week or so of posts if you want - not really landscapes though).
The other thing about taking a wider lens is that you can always zoom to 55mm and crop later - if you take a longer lens there is no way to get that wider angle of view. AND, your 18-55 is still small and light.
Anyway, that's my two cents :) Sounds like a fantastic holiday, hope you enjoy :)
A 50mm lens is considered to be a "normal" lens on a full frame camera only. On your crop sensor 600D it is a short telephoto lens (eq. to an 80mm lens on a full frame camera). Unless your interest is in photographing wildlife or doing lots of low light shooting, I would take the 18-55. Much more versatile than the 50mm.
Another thought is; what is the intended purpose of the photos you take? The family album or publication in a magazine? Do you really need to bring a DSLR at all? I do a bit of hiking and when I want to travel light I will most likely just bring a decent quality compact camera, like f.ex the Canon G7 X. The whole camera probably weighs less than your 18-55mm lens and the image quality is more than good enough.
@vignouse Have to agree about Frank @frankhymus - he always seems to provide a calm, supportive and enthusiastic voice of reason :)