• Home
  • About
  • Business
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Career
  • Personal Finance
  • How To Start A Blog
  • Recommendations

Untemplater

Shatter the Template Lifestyle

  • New Here?
  • About
  • Recommendations
  • How To Start A Blog
  • Career
  • Entrepreneurship

How To Buy The Best Travel Lens For Your DSLR Camera

October 27, 2011 By Sydney 13 Comments


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?

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • More
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr
  • Pocket
  • Email
  • Print
  • LinkedIn

Related

Filed Under: Mobile Lifestyle

About Sydney

Hi there, I’m Sydney! After ten crazy years, I left a grueling six-figure job in 2015 for a better life. Now I spend my days with my family, writing, freelancing in various capacities, and finding new ways to stretch my brain. I’m crazy about my husband and two kids, gardening, photography, hiking, and stopping to smell the roses. Untemplater is where I share my insights and adventures with the world. I'm continually motivated to write and evolve in hopes that I can help others improve their lifestyles, careers, wealth and happiness. Every day is a gift! Be sure to check out my how to start a blog and Untemplater recommendations pages. You can also sign up here to get email alerts every time I write a new post. Thanks for reading!

Comments

  1. Patrick says

    November 18, 2011 at 11:10 am

    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 🙂

    Reply
  2. Financial Samurai says

    October 29, 2011 at 10:05 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Sydney says

      October 30, 2011 at 7:36 pm

      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. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Lisa @ Cents To Save says

    October 29, 2011 at 10:04 am

    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 🙂

    Reply
    • Sydney says

      October 30, 2011 at 7:32 pm

      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!

      Reply
  4. MoneyCone says

    October 28, 2011 at 11:40 am

    I know very little about camera lenses but those are awesome pictures, Sydney!

    Reply
    • Sydney says

      October 28, 2011 at 1:05 pm

      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.

      Reply
  5. SB @ One Cent At A Time says

    October 27, 2011 at 3:26 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Sydney says

      October 28, 2011 at 4:59 am

      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.

      Reply
  6. Hunter @ Financially Consumed says

    October 27, 2011 at 12:33 pm

    I like your criteria Sydney. This equipment is out of my budget at the moment, but I appreciate your enthusiasm.

    Reply
    • Sydney says

      October 27, 2011 at 12:44 pm

      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.

      Reply
  7. Jeff @ Sustainable Life Blog says

    October 27, 2011 at 10:14 am

    Love the blue angles shot – and I know nothing about cameras, so this was quite helpful!

    Reply
    • Sydney says

      October 27, 2011 at 12:41 pm

      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.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

How To Negotiate A Severance Package
How To Start A Profitable Blog

Popular Posts

  • How Much Is The Average Severance Package? Once You Know You’ll Never Want To Quit Again
  • 25 Easy Life Hacks For Everyday Problems
  • The Wealth Gap Is Going To Be Hard To Fix
  • How I Negotiated A Severance Package And Got Paid To Quit My Job
  • 15 Solutions If You’re Feeling Unappreciated At Work
  • How To Handle Being Denied A Promotion After My Boss Screwed Me Over
  • Finding Answers to “What Inspires You?”
  • Fighting A Car Buying Addiction: How To Stop Wasting Money And Make Your Things Last Forever
  • Can You Get Unemployment Benefits If You Have A Side Business?
  • GRE Tips: Acing The GRE As A Middle Aged Person Long After College

Categories

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Top Product Reviews

  • Personal Capital review (free wealth management)
  • Fundrise review (real estate crowdfunding)
  • Credible review (mortgage and loans marketplace)
  • PolicyGenius review (life insurance marketplace)
  • SoFi review (student loans)
  • Esurance review (auto loans)
  • Bluehost review (web hosting)
  • Buy This, Not That (best selling book on financial freedom)
  • Best Finance Forum (Financial Samurai)

Categories

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2023 Untemplater · All Rights Reserved · A Narrow Bridge Media Design

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.