New York lens advice?

[C Sean]

I'll be going to New York for a few days in November and I'm wondering what lenses to take?

I'll be staying in Manhattan and likely not to venture off the island. I'm not 100% sure what I'll be doing there and some places will not allow cameras like sport games and theatre plays. I'm likely to visit at least one museum while I'm there like the Natural History Museum and the aircraft carrier. I probably give the Sex Museum a miss.

• 9mm 1.8
• 15mm 1.7
• 25mm 1.4

I'm not sure if it worth to bring the 42.5mm 1.7

Anyway here are the places I'll be going.

• Times Square
• World Trade Centre Memorial (probably won't take any pictures while there)
• John Wick's Hotel
• Liberty Island
• Sport game
• Theatre play
• At least one museum

That said if I go onto Liberty island, the 42.5 might be handy for photographing Manhattan at a distance.

 

[jalywol]

For NYC, wider is better.

When I am in the city, I usually take just the GM5 and 12-32mm, but I am usually just there for non-touristy things when I go.

If I was just going to be out and about, I'd take the 12-35mm f2.8 and the G100, and call it a day. Less to carry and great output. However, if you want primes, the 9mm and 15mm will probably be your most useful lenses.

I'd probably take the 42.5mm f1.7 for the heck of it. It's very small, and if you need it you will have it.

Have fun!

-J

 

[Promeneur]

I don't know if you will use the PL9mm much unless you go into St. Patrick's Cathedral. You'll of course get the most use out of the PL15mm and your 25mm. I would also bring the 42.5mm for times you are on any of the ferries.

There is nothing to really see on Liberty Island unless you have tickets to go up to the base of the statue or on top to the torch. If you take the free Staten Island Ferry round trip you'll have nice views of both lower Manhattan and the statue. You can easily walk from the 911 Memorial and catch the ferry by walking along the Hudson through Battery Park.

Yesterday we went over to Hoboken and walked along the river on that side, had lunch and came back on the NYC Waterway ferry coming back to Brookfield Place. Here's a photo I took with a 25mm.

Welcome to NYC! Cheers!

 

[Martin Ocando]

I'll be going to New York for a few days in November and I'm wondering what lenses to take?

I'll be staying in Manhattan and likely not to venture off the island. I'm not 100% sure what I'll be doing there and some places will not allow cameras like sport games and theatre plays. I'm likely to visit at least one museum while I'm there like the Natural History Museum and the aircraft carrier. I probably give the Sex Museum a miss.

• 9mm 1.8
• 15mm 1.7
• 25mm 1.4

I'm not sure if it worth to bring the 42.5mm 1.7

Anyway here are the places I'll be going.

• Times Square
• World Trade Centre Memorial (probably won't take any pictures while there)
• John Wick's Hotel
• Liberty Island
• Sport game
• Theatre play
• At least one museum

That said if I go onto Liberty island, the 42.5 might be handy for photographing Manhattan at a distance.

As -J mentioned, I’d go as wide as I can go. I’ve not been in NYC in years, but I’m sure the photo opportunities have not changed much, other than the USS Intrepid, but for museums, I would use my Europe trip rules. Go wide, and maybe throw a standard zoom (12-32, 12-40, 12-60) for broad daylight use. I would recommend a slower (but lighter) zoom like my 12-60mm f:4-5.6 instead of the 2.8-4 for weight considerations, and you can still rely on the fast primes for low light.

So, my kit would be:

• 15mm f:1.7 as a glued-to-the-body lens for most shooting
• 9mm f:1.7 for cramped museums and places
• 12-60mm f:4-5.6 just for when extra reach is needed

 

[Randall_p]

Great shot

peace

--

Randy P

Explore Randy P’s 777 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

 

[addlightness]

I'll be going to New York for a few days in November and I'm wondering what lenses to take?

My family and I visited NY two summers ago. I had with me, EM5.iii + 12-45/4.0 + 8/1.8 and GM1 + 15/1.7

I'll be staying in Manhattan and likely not to venture off the island. I'm not 100% sure what I'll be doing there and some places will not allow cameras like sport games and theatre plays. I'm likely to visit at least one museum while I'm there like the Natural History Museum and the aircraft carrier. I probably give the Sex Museum a miss.

• 9mm 1.8

Similar to my 8/1.8 in 7mm and 9mm defish mode, I find UWA most useful in museums, Brooklyn bridge looking into Manhattan and Times Square.

• 15mm 1.7

My GM1 + 15/1.7 was barely used except inside the Empire State Building and its 86th floor observation deck. Reservations and fees required. Tip: we were the last group of tourists for the day: ~11:30pm and there're less than 20 of us which allowed us plenty of time and space.

• 25mm 1.4

My 12-45 covered this, of course not too useful after dusk where I make do with the 15/1.7.

I'm not sure if it worth to bring the 42.5mm 1.7

Anyway here are the places I'll be going.

• Times Square
• World Trade Centre Memorial (probably won't take any pictures while there)
• John Wick's Hotel
• Liberty Island
• Sport game
• Theatre play
• At least one museum

Add to that Metropolitan Museum of Art, maybe?

That said if I go onto Liberty island, the 42.5 might be handy for photographing Manhattan at a distance.

I skipped the Liberty Island - had to pay and iirc, the top of statue was closed to the public - you might want to check before paying if that's important to you. Like one of the posters here suggested, we took a free round-trip ferry to Staten Island which passes by Liberty Island. My 12-45/4.0 @45mm was not long enough to capture Lady Liberty. I had to crop quite a bit and only a few were ok

I wholly recommend taking an afternoon trip to the Brooklyn Heights Promenade and end the day dining at one of the fine restaurants or at the food court. Plenty of photo ops from the promenade and Manhattan skyscrapers. We took the subway from WTC into Brooklyn.

 

[nunyab]

I'll be going to New York for a few days in November and I'm wondering what lenses to take?

I'll be staying in Manhattan and likely not to venture off the island. I'm not 100% sure what I'll be doing there and some places will not allow cameras like sport games and theatre plays. I'm likely to visit at least one museum while I'm there like the Natural History Museum and the aircraft carrier. I probably give the Sex Museum a miss.

• 9mm 1.8
• 15mm 1.7
• 25mm 1.4

I'm not sure if it worth to bring the 42.5mm 1.7

Anyway here are the places I'll be going.

• Times Square
• World Trade Centre Memorial (probably won't take any pictures while there)
• John Wick's Hotel
• Liberty Island
• Sport game
• Theatre play
• At least one museum

That said if I go onto Liberty island, the 42.5 might be handy for photographing Manhattan at a distance.

 

[nunyab]

I'll be going to New York for a few days in November and I'm wondering what lenses to take?

My family and I visited NY two summers ago. I had with me, EM5.iii + 12-45/4.0 + 8/1.8 and GM1 + 15/1.7

I'll be staying in Manhattan and likely not to venture off the island. I'm not 100% sure what I'll be doing there and some places will not allow cameras like sport games and theatre plays. I'm likely to visit at least one museum while I'm there like the Natural History Museum and the aircraft carrier. I probably give the Sex Museum a miss.

• 9mm 1.8

Similar to my 8/1.8 in 7mm and 9mm defish mode, I find UWA most useful in museums, Brooklyn bridge looking into Manhattan and Times Square.

• 15mm 1.7

My GM1 + 15/1.7 was barely used except inside the Empire State Building and its 86th floor observation deck. Reservations and fees required. Tip: we were the last group of tourists for the day: ~11:30pm and there're less than 20 of us which allowed us plenty of time and space.

• 25mm 1.4

My 12-45 covered this, of course not too useful after dusk where I make do with the 15/1.7.

I'm not sure if it worth to bring the 42.5mm 1.7

Anyway here are the places I'll be going.

• Times Square
• World Trade Centre Memorial (probably won't take any pictures while there)
• John Wick's Hotel
• Liberty Island
• Sport game
• Theatre play
• At least one museum

Add to that Metropolitan Museum of Art, maybe?

That said if I go onto Liberty island, the 42.5 might be handy for photographing Manhattan at a distance.

I skipped the Liberty Island - had to pay and iirc, the top of statue was closed to the public - you might want to check before paying if that's important to you. Like one of the posters here suggested, we took a free round-trip ferry to Staten Island which passes by Liberty Island. My 12-45/4.0 @45mm was not long enough to capture Lady Liberty. I had to crop quite a bit and only a few were ok

I wholly recommend taking an afternoon trip to the Brooklyn Heights Promenade and end the day dining at one of the fine restaurants or at the food court. Plenty of photo ops from the promenade and Manhattan skyscrapers. We took the subway from WTC into Brooklyn.

to OP. Good list there.

Walk the Highline and stop at The Vessel. 9mm for sure. 12 is not wide enough for some shots.

WTC you need wide and telephoto, depending on your flavor. Wide for the shots everyone and their mother takes (you’ll know what I mean when you get there). Telephoto for some street and playing with the architecture and people (up to you to interpret scenes).

Battery Park City, people and environmental, not too far from WTC. In fact I would walk the highline from mid-town, stop at the vessel and go in, then continue on highline and then head down through west village and Hudson square and then the west side along the river down to WTC and Battery Park City. You may want some dusk time around WTC and Battery Park City. I do this walk every year. I grew up in NYC and I like to see how much has changed.

for the Promenade, do get the shot that everyone and their mother takes. It’s beautiful, but lots of street opportunities there too.

good trip to you, nyc is one of my favorites, but I’m biased as it’s sentimental.

 

[Messier Object]

I think that the useful lenses to take on a trip to NYC would be the very same lenses one would/should take to any other large city.

City/street scenes, monuments, galleries landscapes, ferry/river cruises, events - basically the same around the world - no ?

I’ve used the same lenses for example in London, San Francisco, Rome, Cape Town, Florence, Madrid and many others. And if somebody was asking what lenses to bring to my home city of Sydney I’d give the same advice - bring the lenses you would use in your local large home city.

Peter

 

[Richard2Go]

I think that the useful lenses to take on a trip to NYC would be the very same lenses one would/should take to any other large city.

City/street scenes, monuments, galleries landscapes, ferry/river cruises, events - basically the same around the world - no ?

I’ve used the same lenses for example in London, San Francisco, Rome, Cape Town, Florence, Madrid and many others. And if somebody was asking what lenses to bring to my home city of Sydney I’d give the same advice - bring the lenses you would use in your local large home city.

Peter

Agree, there’s nothing about NYC that calls for a different mix of gear. My “travel trio” is a wide to medium zoom, a modest telephoto zoom, and a fast prime. In good weather, it’s my GX85 with the 12-32, PL15 and 35-100f4; in bad weather, it’s the G95 with the 12-35, P20, and 45-150. Unless facing some really unique circumstances, that’s all I ever need for travel. For me, going to a city I’ve never been to is about experiencing a new place and taking photos of it, but not prioritizing the photos themselves over my own enjoyment.

 

[C Sean]

I think that the useful lenses to take on a trip to NYC would be the very same lenses one would/should take to any other large city.

City/street scenes, monuments, galleries landscapes, ferry/river cruises, events - basically the same around the world - no ?

I’ve used the same lenses for example in London, San Francisco, Rome, Cape Town, Florence, Madrid and many others. And if somebody was asking what lenses to bring to my home city of Sydney I’d give the same advice - bring the lenses you would use in your local large home city.

Peter

I would agree in general to what you'd said.

The thing is I never been to New York before and I prefer to take less lenses the better. However, the situation is getting worse for me since I've a worsening Hernia. Hopefully I'll be operated by then.

I feel London (my nearest biggest city) is a different kettle of fish to the Sky Scrappers of New York. In fact when I was in Chicago, the 9mm practically stayed on my camera. Where London, probably I'll get away with either a 12-60 or the 15mm 1.7. Then we have different seasons like in London in the Winter months fast primes or zooms would be a wise decision.

Anyway, I want to thank everyone for their advice.

 

[gs94121]

I visited NYC several times in past decade with 12-100 Oly f/4 lens (Panasonic 12-35 & 35-100 lens in past prior to getting Oly 12-100 six years ago) as only travel lens and should cover everything on shooting skyline (at dusk) from Brooklyn Bridge Park & DUMBO and Paulus Hook in New Jersey. Enjoy your safe travels.

 

[addlightness]

Some photos - all resized - 800KB to 1.5MB:


Times Square, 9mm rectilinear (in-camera defish)




The Oculus - opposite the 9/11 Memorial




Lady Liberty (uncropped) - taken from the ferry




Cropped to taste




Free ferry ride