Israel and Egypt with Canon 80D

[dudeinwashingto]

Hello friends

i will be taking a 5 days in Israel and 9 days in Eygpt ! really looking forward to it !!

I will be having a tour guide in Eygpt.

I have these two lenses 

• EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
• 18 55mm f 3.5 5.6 is sample pictures

If anyone travelled there and have any recomendations, please let me know

Also i will post pictures once i get back or if possible there 

thanks

[TTMartin]

I'd pickup a EF-S 10-18 IS STM, and an EF-S 18-135 IS STM lens for your trip. You'll want the wide angle of the 10-18 IS STM for landscapes, city scapes, and interior architecture shots. The 18-135 IS STM should take care of everything else. I'd leave your current lenses at home, unless you're really into macro shots of the native flora.

[dudeinwashingto]

thank you TTmartin 

appreciate your insight!

[RobertTheFat]

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@dudeinwashingto wrote:

thank you TTmartin 

appreciate your insight!

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I agree with Tom. The two lenses he suggests are one of very few good matching lens pairs (i.e., covering a wide focal range with little or no overlap) for an APS-C camera. Since they're not constant-aperture lenses, they're not ideal for shooting indoors, so you'll need flash for that, where it's permitted. But good indoor lenses, besides being more expensive, tend to be large and heavy - not necessarily the best choice for travel. And both of the lenses Tom recommended have a good reputation for image quality.

[dudeinwashingto]

Thank you Robert!

[TTMartin]

I agree with Bob and other posters that suggested an external flash. However, I strongly disagree with posters recommending large f/1.8 or f/2.8 aperture lenses. Back in the film days when you were restricted to ISO 400 or ISO 800, those lenses were a necessity. However, your 80D has at least a 3 stop advantage over those film days or even early days of digital. So there is no reason to carry a larger heavier constant aperture lens and sacrifice zoom range, maybe at the expense of unnecessarily having to carry a third or fourth lens. 10mm-135mm should cover your needs while traveling as a tourist. 

[Waddizzle]

I think everyone has raised a valid concern.  Whenever I'm going somewhere without any prior knowledge of what i will be shooting, then I want a high quality, super wide angle lens.  On an APS-C body like the 80D, that means I want to be able to go as short as 10-14mm, and still get shots that don't look like a fisheye.  A wide lens works indoors and outdoors.

How long of a lens do I need really requires some research and advance knowledge.  I think the 100mm macro may have limited use, and is not as versatile as a zoom, but it may be just the ticket inside a museum filled with small artifacts.  However, i would still be inclined to leave it at home, though, because a zoom is really more flexible.

How wide of an aperture do you need?  Again, this will require some research and advance knowledge of what you will be visiting and photographing.  You probably won't need a wide aperture outdoors, and probably wouldn't want one, either.  But, a wide aperture may be just the ticket when visiting indoor locations like caves or older buildings.

Your photos will never be better than the quality of your lens.  It is better to carry one very high quality lens than two good lenses.  Whenever I am in doubt, I make sure I have one of my super wide angle lenses in my bag.  If I know that I will be indoors, then I will also carry a fast lens, f/2.8 or better, like 50mm f/1.4,, which would be a little long on an APS-C body to use indoors.  

If you want fast and wide, then you will have to pay for that sort of performance.  Only invest in lenses that you would want to keep for a lifetime.  Don't waste money on a lens to tide you over, but i will make exceptions for Canon's "nifty fifty", though, the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM.  Note the "STM" at the end of the model number.

[ebiggs1]

"I have these two lenses 

• EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
• 18 55mm f 3.5 5.6 is sample pictures

I'd pickup a EF-S 10-18 IS STM, and an EF-S 18-135 IS STM lens"

On the surface of your question, I don't like any of these lenses.  But if this is to be an ongoing thing for you as you will be traveling, "5 days in Israel and 9 days in Eygpt" several times just about any lens will do.  If it is a once in a life time venture, I would certainly select better choices in lenses.

The "EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM" as a general purpose lens is almost useless.  Primes have limited use anyway so I would stay with zoom lenses.

Variable aperture lenses are also more limiting.  Plus the variable aperture lenses suggested are slow, to very slow.

What is your budget for photographic gear?  The more desirable constant aperture zoom lenses are fairly expensive.  You could go used or third party lenses and save some money.  So, what is the budget?

Example, the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens would be my first choice for you as a general use lens.  It is around $800 bucks new.  But has a substantially better constant f2.8 aperture.

One item you want to avoid if at all possible is a flash. "If anyone travelled there and have any recomendations", no, I have not but I can almost guarantee you a flash will not be welcome inside most of or any of the sites you will want to see.  I have done enough photographic traveling to know that is almost universal.

So, what is the budget?  It all comes down to that question!  I know there are other lenses I would take with me.

[dudeinwashingto]

ebiggs1

thank you very much for writing in detail. appreciate it.

my budget for new lens is 600 USD...but i can save a bit more in the coming month for the additional 200 dollars If needed

am looking around for deals..

thanks much again 

[kvbarkley]

The best and safest deals are at the online Canon Refurbished store:

https://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/lenses-flashes/refurbished-lenses