All depends....
What exactly do you want to photograph?
How confortable is your girlfriend with you running around more interested in taking photographs than in enjoying the vacations with you?
From experience, unless your girlfriend really likes photography, she wont like you going around with a lot of gear, with a tripod, with bags, going out at dawn or dusk by yourself to get that special photo, etc. She will probably want to be with you and enjoy the vacations. In that case you have to carry as little as possible, and use the camera as only a vacation snapper.
In that case, just the camera and the kit lens, and maybe the 50mm, or maybe just the 18200. If I had the 18200 I would still take the kit lens, just in case. Leave it in the hotel as a spare lens in case anything happens.
Now your girlfriend could like some of the photos. Specially if she is in them. In that case you could bring other things. For instance the tripod, to take pictures of you both behind a nice building. This could be the excuse to take it, we know you can ask a stranger to take the picture (always choose someone that you think he cant un run you, there are a lot of thefts in italy, specially rome), but you could justify it.
Other small things that you could take are: A gray card for WB of portraits, a small reflector, etc. Small things to make better portraits agains historic buildings or landscapes.
In that case the same, Kit lens + 50mm or 18200 + kit lens as backup.
The 50mm is great for portraits, for getting the shallow DoF, but on vacations, you dont want to get the shallow DoF all the time, specially in places like Italy where you want the background to be important, so probably the second combination is still the best.
Finally, if your GF is into photography as you, you could take more gear, but I wouldn't recommend it. Enjoy the vacations. Take photos as a tourist, not as a photographer. Of course with what you know, to get beautiful momentos, but not to get THE picture. This is your time to relax with your GF.
So, my recommendations is:
18200 + kit lens as backup (prefer this more but is more expensive) or
kit + 50mm (The 50mm is less useful, you want to see the background)
If you want to get your GF as a model in the photos, a gray card and a reflector with a grip (Easy to hold with one hand).
Thats all. More is an overkill for a nice vacation. Travel light, dont show your equipment too much, even in europe (Rome has some reputation of pickpocket, dont know if it is still true, but my parents where victim 10 years ago. Some people distract you and others try to take things from you. All mayor cities with tourist have this, where I live you have to be careful on buses and subways for instance). Just dont show off, specially in cities and crowded places.
Ti@go.
Hello everyone,
I am relatively new and converter p&s user. I absolutely love my nex-5n and have been using adapters and manual lenses. My wife and I are taking a trip in the fall and I am seeking advice on what type of lens / gear / etc to bring. We will be heading to Italy for 10days.
Some things I know I need:
spare battery
extra sd cards
small camera bag
lightweight tripod? is it worth bringing?
Any other recommendations on gear?
I would prefer to take only 1 or 2 lens and I don't mind purchasing a new lens. I am looking for recommendations? I can imagine shooting landscapes, indoors and maybe some people.
I currently have:
18-55m kit lens
Vivitar 28mm (screw mount)
Pentax 50mm 2.0 (k mount)
Chinon 50mm 1.9 (k mount)
Regards,
Jake
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