I Am Going to the Grand Canyon Soon. What Two Lenses Should I Bring With?

[Pablito]

Awesome suggestions. I'm more confused than ever.

That's why you should not listen to anyone.

 

[Corran]

Wide-angle (17mm) plus whatever you want. More important is WHEN you are there. Just go shoot.

 

[peterm1]

My inclination would be a wide prime and a long zoom for the best of all worlds.

Assuming the digital body is FF the Sigma 24mm f2.8 should be wide enough for those "big" shots (though I know nothing of this lens so must assume its OK in the IQ department). And I would also take the Nikon 70-210 f4- 5.6 AF D which would be my choice for a longer zoom lens. I also have a Nikkor 80 -200mm f2.8 AF D but (a) its not in your list and (B) even if it were, it's too damn big to carry on a trip away in my view especially if some hiking is involved. The prosumer 70-210mm is excellent (much under rated and unfairly so) and I usually take it with me on a D700 as a longer zoom lens option. A longer option is really valuable for dramatic image making because of its ability to compress perspective in scenes with near and far scenery in frame. Also, this specific lens is much lighter, much smaller and you are not giving away too much in IQ compared with the f2.8 alternative - it only suffering in the speed department which is not an issue in good light especially for landscape work where depth of field is usually needed.

But to be honest I would take one more lens too, primarily for low light night shots. The 50mm f1.4 AF D. I always like to have one fast lens for this purpose and for portraits and bokeh shots etc.

 

[retinax]

When I was there with a 50 and a 35, I didn't feel I was missing out on anything, I just focused on making the best of it. In fact I think I pretty much only used the 50. Was with family and didn't have a lot of time to photograph though. Don't go without a 50, although an 85 could probably substitute for it ok.

 

[michaelwj]

A woman’s perspective ... Seeing in primes
Sigma 24 2.8
Nikon 85 1.8

that would be my choice

That would also be my choice. A nice wide for pushing perspective and a short tele for compressing it.

But like Corran said, when is more important than the lens.

 

[RObert Budding]

No selfies along the rim - too treacherous.

 

[NickTrop]

Okay, read all suggestions. We can eliminate the 35/2, the 135/2.8, the 200/4.5 (which would actually be a dark horse consideration given its relatively small size and weight plus I just like the way it renders...). Surprised at the numbrer of 55/3.5 suggestions. Alas, that one might stay back as it's a bit of a beater-beater. One will definitely be a WA. The Tokina 17-35 (an underrated and reasonably-priced [for a WA zoom]) is small "for a WA zoom" but still a chunk of glass vs the diminutive little Sigma 24/2.8 (as good purportedly as the Nikon D equiv. optically but touts itself as a "macro" -- don't know about that but it does focus very close).

I like the Tokina -- a lot. But it might be a bit much to lug around all day. That said, 17mm is ultrawide. The Sigma -- not as wide, but decently wide and weightless, plus it can do double duty as a macro lens.

Again, decisions, decisions.

 

[Archiver]

If you limit yourself to only one lens, you'll take more photos and swap lenses less, also. 😎
I grew up in the southwest and trying to get it all in, in one photo just doesn't work. The sky is too big, the earth is too grand. Both have too many colors to capture in a frame. For years the only lens I owned was a 50mm f/1.7 SMC-M attached to a Pentax ME Super. I think I had that camera about ten years before all the new shiny stuff got to me and I had to buy it. I took that tiny Pentax backpacking, on road trips, vacations, to Navy weather school, around the world on my first deployment. I was never without it until I sold it to a fellow crew-member in 2000.
Tens of thousands of dollars later, here I am and my favorite lenses are my normals, with very few exceptions.
Phil Forrest

Sounds like someone could get another Pentax ME Super and 50/1.7, or nearest digital equivalent. I have the ME and 50/1.4 and 28/2.8 Pentax M SMC lenses, and if shutter sound wasn't an issue, the ME would do 90% of what I want with film.


@NickTrop - I'd go with the 17-35 and Micro Nikkor. Wide lets you capture everything, the Micro Nikkor will let you have a normal view.

 

[Axel]

Based on my personal preferences I would take a 50 and don´t worry about swapping
lenses. Always have to decide between compressed and pushed perspective is not my way.
Hence my choice from the available list was 17-35/28-80 which both can bring a (nearly) normal perspective without swapping.

 

[css9450]

Why just two lenses? Are you limited by bag space?


I am itching to break the mold by bringing three...

 

[Yokosuka Mike]

Please don't hate the messenger...

If I was going to the Grand Canyon for my first visit I'd take the Fujifilm X100F. Travel light. Enjoy the scenery, be happy. Work the hell out of the X100F's 35mm perspective. When the trip is over, look at what you've done with that camera and then plan the return trip. The second time around is when you really know what to do, what to bring... how to prepare.

Just my thoughts. Please feel free to ignor them.

Mike

 

[raid]

Bryce Canyon, Utah.

 

[helen.HH]

Wow, LOVE it Raid !

What gear used... ?

 

[narsuitus]

Until a large Cottonwood tree fell on my house last month, I had planned on going to the Grand Canyon next month. I had planned on taking two medium format cameras with a normal lens on one and a wide angle on the other.

If I had to choose two lenses from your list to use on a small format camera, for the normal Iens, I would pick the Nikon 50/1.4 AF-D or the Micro Nikkor 55/3.5 AI. For the wide angle, I would pick the Sigma 24/2.8 Ultrawide II AF or the Tokina 17-35 F4 ATX.

 

[raid]

Wow, LOVE it Raid !

What gear used... ?

Thank you, Helen.
This is most likely a cropped image (to square format) from a Canon F1N with the old Canon FD 28-50/2.8 SSC. I used a heavy Gitzo tripod with cable release cord. I used a Pentax Digital Spotmeter. It was very cold, so I wore gloves and gloves liner, plus two hats on my head. I drove that morning from Zion National Park to Bryce National Park before dawn, and I caught dawn and sunrise at Bryce National Park. Such elements are more important (in my opinion) than which specific lens or camera will be used.

 

[BillBingham2]

If you want to borrow a bit of a macro-sleeper, I can loan you my Nikkor 28/2.8 AIs. I think that and your 85 (well actually my old 85/1.8 Nikkor) is what I'd bring.

B2 (;->

 

[mbisc]

Any kind of normal lens (~50mm) -- let the camera see what you see. If you need to take a second lens, either take a wide angle (if you like sweeping landscapes) or a tele (if you want to take pictures of wildlife. Here is a 50mm shot to whet your appetite:


Sunset at Hopi Point (Grand Canyon - Summer 2002) by Mike, on Flickr

 

[back alley]

was this a sincere question to start with?

 

[Archlich]

I shoot only 35mm when hiking. Because that's the point of view of the type of photography I'd like to make during such long, sometimes perilous, always personal trips.

All lenses make photographs. No one but you knows what kind photo do you want.

 

[Scapevision]

from my Grand Canyon experience, only bring wide if you plan on hiking the bottom, or shooting crowds. Tele and normal is best. Shoot as soon as the sun has set or right before it comes up.