Would you travel with just one lens?

[indrajeet]

I'm heading to Japan in a few months, and thinking about taking only one lens. I'm picking up the Canon 32mm f1.4 or Sigma 30mm f1.4 canon ef-m for my EOS M50 Mark II and contemplating being crazy and only bringing it. Why? One, I'm packing VERY light in one backpack for a 16 day trip, and have limited room. I also want to keep the weight of my luggage down as I will have to haul it around a bit. Two, I have noticed that when on vacation I'm not inclined to mess with my gear much. If I have to keep changing lenses I give up on the camera and just go to my phone as I get irritated. I like the idea of keeping it simple. Three, I like the idea of the challenge. I'm quite amature at photography, and I think this will be a good way to think more deeply about how I compose my shots. Four, this lens is supposed to be excellent in low light, so I'm hoping to get some great street shots at night. Who here has used the 32mm or 30mm for travel, and what are your thoughts? Thanks!

[rs-eos]

A 30 or 32mm on a crop-sensor camera such as the M50 II would have a field-of-view equivalent of 50mm which is a standard focal length.  Thus, it should be a-ok to just have that one lens.  I've traveled with just a 50mm lens on my full-frame camera many times.

If you took a second lens though, what would it be?  Are you planning future trips to the same location?  If so, you can always bring that different lens at that time.

[kvbarkley]

It really depends what you want to shoot. But generally, you can't go wrong with a 50mm equivalent.

[ebiggs1]

The question isn't what lens should you buy and/or take with you but what camera. The very best solution to your circumstance is a Powershot like the Canon PowerShot G7X Mark III. I keep my aging Powershot G1x around for just such purposes.

A bit cheaper model, the Canon Powershot SX70 20.3MP Digital Camera which is about the same size as you M50 has a 65x Optical Zoom Lens does 4K Video and has a 3-inch LCD Tilt Screen.

[wq9nsc]

Part of the answer depends upon whether you have any specific "things" you want to photograph on your trip.  A single lens in that range is a good choice as long as you don't have telephoto or wide angle regret once you arrive.

I bought a M6 Mark II with the 18-150 lens purely for when I want to travel light and it is fairly versatile and very light.  There are certainly times I wish I had my 1DX III and some of its L series glass on trips but for a lot of fast trips I do minimal carry on only and live with the gear limitations.

Rodger