Whenever I pack for a trip, the first thing I grab is my camera gear. I’m not a professional photographer, but I’d categorize myself as an intermediate amateur slowly making my way to advanced. It wasn’t until just a couple years ago that I decided I’d outgrown the point and shoot realm and ventured into the world of dslr photography.
I spent about two weeks researching which camera body I wanted to buy, and ultimately decided on the Canon EOS Rebel XS. I have always liked Canon products and chose this model because it had all the key components of a dslr, wouldn’t cost me 2 round trip flights to Europe, and I’d have a huge selection of lenses to choose from down the road.
I fell in love with the camera and used the kit lens (EF-S 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 IS) for about two years. In which time I learned how to shoot in manual mode and what all those fancy and funny photography terms mean like aperture, exposure, ISO, chimping, and bokeh. The only thing that has bugged me from time to time is how loud it is compared to some of the more expensive camera bodies, but
As my skills improved and I started taking my camera on more trips, I realized I’d outgrown the 18-55 mm kit lens and began to dream about buying an upgrade. It was intimidating looking at the hundreds of lenses on the market, especially with their big price tags, so I put the purchase off for a long time.
It wasn’t until earlier this month that I decided I’d waited long enough, so I did my research and bought my first real lens. I knew I wanted a good travel lens and didn’t want to spend a fortune. My budget was $500-700. There are a lot of things to consider when you’re looking to buy the best travel lens for your DSLR camera and it doesn’t have to be an intimidating process. Here are some helpful tips from my research.
Features to look when shopping for the best travel lens
- Lightweight – High-quality glass can get really heavy, and lugging around a lot of extra weight isn’t good for traveling. I recommend getting a lens under 1.5 pounds.
- All purpose zoom – You never know what you’ll come across on a trip, so having a versatile zoom lens is convenient and practical. The image quality won’t be as sharp as a prime lens, but you’ll have a lot more flexibility.
- Durability – Get a lens that’s built well so you won’t have to worry about it breaking or having to find a repair shop while you’re on vacation! UV filters are a great way to help protect your lens too.
- Lens speed – if you’re planning on shooting a lot of pictures in dim lighting make sure you get a lens that’s fast enough to get the shots you want, but be prepared to spend more money for a fast lens.
- Reasonable cost – Locals can always spot a tourist and unfortunately that can make you a target for thieves. Don’t spend your life savings on a lens that could end up getting stolen. Stick to your budget and also consider getting insurance for your lens.
I read dozens of reviews on the web, reached out to my local photography buddies and Flexo from Consumerism Commentary, tried the lenses out in the store, and ultimately went with the Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM. It came with a lens hood, unlike the Canon EF-S 18-200 mm which was my second choice, and I was able to get a coated UV filter and a Circular Polarizing Filter all for less than $600. That’s still not cheap, but is good value in the photography world. I’ve had the Sigma for about a week so far and I love it!
I’ll be taking it with me on my first trip to Turkey soon and can’t wait! I’ll post some pics when I get back. Here are 2 of my best shots taken a few days after my lens arrived when the Blue Angels were in town for Fleet Week. Not too shabby eh? 🙂
You may also enjoy looking at some pics I took over the summer and on my incredible trip to Istanbul. I think I took a couple thousand pics on that trip. There were so many beautiful and delicious things to photograph. And if you’re looking for more tips, tutorials, and inspiration, here are 3 of my favorite photography books that have taught me so much and really made me appreciate how easy the pros make things look:
Understanding Exposure, 3rd Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera
Focus On Apple Aperture: Focus on the Fundamentals
Scott Kelby’s Digital Photography Boxed Set
Untemplaters, what type of camera and lens do you take when you travel? What do you like the most and least about it?
Well, I bought my first DSLR camera just a few months ago, while traveling “around the world” for 1 year. I first through away my “pocket” Canon SD780 camera and upgraded for a Canon S95 which was my first step into getting more control ! By the way, this is a BEAUTIFUL camera to have as a day-to-day pictures! I really recommend you google it up!
Unfortunately, I had it stolen back in India. Bummer. I paid 425$ in Vietnam for it, and it sold for nearly 600$ in Delhi ! Figured: if I’m gonna spend another 600$ on a camera… the hell with this. I’m going DSLR! So there you have it, bought me a Canon EOS 550D (Rebel T2I in america), with the kit lens 18-55mm.
I quickly realized I didn’t have enough wide-angle, nor enough zoom! Looked up a few sites, googled some stuff and this is the lens I ended up buying for about 800$ in Nepal: Canon EF-S 15-85mm.
It is absolutely brilliant !!! The reviews for it were awesome and I really, really recommend it!
Just wanted to share 🙂
Love the crispness of the 2nd Blue Angels pic! Not too shabby at all!
I’d love to get into photography. A camera was one of the 2 things I’ve always wanted growing up, but my parents wouldn’t allow me to have one. If only they did, I would have taken so many great childhood memory pictures.
Thanks Sam. Photography is great and is really addicting. I probably take 10,000 pics a year or maybe even more! I just need to get better at deleting the ones I’m not satisfied with right after I upload them instead of waiting to do it later and then not getting around to it. I gotta start using my external hard drive for storage cuz my laptop is getting too full of pics. 🙂
I have a DSLR camera and I love it. I use it to take pictures of my family (mostly my grandson). I can say I don’t know all the fancy shamncy stuff that it can do.. but I love the image quality. Will bookmark this article. It will come in handy later on 🙂
DSLRs are great that way – you can go completely manual or completely automatic! The book Understanding Exposure is great if you decide you want to learn more about what the features of your camera do and it’s filled with lots of great images. Glad to hear you like to take pics too!
I know very little about camera lenses but those are awesome pictures, Sydney!
Thanks MC. 🙂 I didn’t know anything about lenses until I started really getting into photography. It’s really made me appreciate the shots and gear that the professionals use. I had no idea how much practice it takes to get certain shots right until I tried to take similar ones myself.
My wife loves shooting. I have Canon 55 -200 and 18 -55 lenses, kind of complimentary to each other. Its a shame that I still use free images while at home we have so many images to use in my posts. Nice shots of air show.
Thanks SB. That’s a good pair of lenses to have. I have so many images too and need to start adding keywords in the meta data so it’s easier to find specific pics when I need them.
I like your criteria Sydney. This equipment is out of my budget at the moment, but I appreciate your enthusiasm.
Thanks Hunter. Yeah camera gear gets expensive quick. And it’s nice that there are so many great cameras built into smart phones that are muh more affordable. I’ve taken great pics with my iphone, especially in low light.
Love the blue angles shot – and I know nothing about cameras, so this was quite helpful!
Thanks Jeff! I admit I was quite pleased with those pics :). The ones I shot the year before with my old lens just showed them as small specs in the sky! I’ve been having a lot of fun with the new lens and can’t wait to put up more pics to share.