Lens selection is always a hard choice when travelling.

Unless you’re doing a paid shoot, you’ll encounter baggage limitations and will most likely be able to bring at most two lenses. Below are some lens suggestions that is suited for travel photography. Keep in mind that you have your own preferences when shooting. Some people like it tight while others like to use ultra-wides. This is just a guideline to help you pick the proper line-up.

All Around Lens

You can never go wrong with an all-round lens. Fortunately, most photographers already have this lens, the 18-55mm. This focal range is flexible enough for most situations. The wide side can be used on narrow streets and group shots while the telephoto side can be used for portraits. The long side can be a bit lacking for longer encounters so don’t rely on this lens if you like to use longer focal lengths.

An all-around lens is just a moniker used for lenses that tries to accommodate the wide angle and telephoto needs of photographers. For some people, the 18-55mm is not a walk around but the 55-250mm is. This depends on you so try to get a feel for the focal lengths you mostly use and get the glass that suits your shooting style.

Wide Angle Lens

Shooting people, places and events are the common plans for traveling photographers. A decent wide angle lens would do you some good. If you’re thinking that 18mm is just 8mm less compared to a 10mm ultra-wide, then you must try it to see the difference. This is not the same as 100mm to 108mm. Millimeter lens distances work in reverse exponentials, so there is a huge difference between a 10mm and an 18mm lens, but not as big of a difference between a 100mm and a 108mm lens.

For Canon users, you can go with the Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM Lens
. While Nikon users can pick the AF-S DX 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED. These lenses can go for around $800. This is not cheap and is almost a brand new entry level camera. Try one first and see if you like it. Most retailers offer refunds if the customer is not satisfied. If you really can’t afford those but want the wide angle experience, third party manufacturers like Sigma and Tamron also make great glass for a lower price.

Telephoto Lens

I strongly dissuade people from bringing a telephoto lens. An example of this is the 70-200mm (Canon EF 70-200mm F/2.8 L
for example). This focal length is just too narrow for travel purposes. It’s also quite hefty and heavy. If you really want to have that range, an all-round lens is better since you won’t have to switch lenses on the go to get wider shots.

If luggage isn’t a concern and you don’t mind changing lens on the go, then go ahead and bring your entire lens collection. If you’re like most people, the guide above can help you decide what lens to bring or purchase. If you have other lens suggestions, don’t be shy and put on a comment below.

Photo by bjoern.f | Björn Freiberg Fotografie