Equipment for vacation to Italy

[brucehughw]

Hi,
I'm leaving with my three kids for a trip to Italy tomorrow. We'll be on an island for a few days and then in Rome. I'm planning on taking my Nikon D7000, 70-300 mm zoom, 24-88 mm zoom, tripod (for selfies), flash, light meter. The latter two are for experimenting/learning/night shots. We'll have some downtime, and this will be a good time to learn. Too much? Too little? Anyone taken a similar trip and wish they had packed differently?

Thanks, Bruce

[Manfred M]

Bruce - I determine the type of photography I likely will be doing and then take the equipment to suit my needs.

I've been on trips where I've gone with four or five lenses, flash, flash modifiers, a couple of camera bodies, tripods plus video cameras, wireless mics, wired phantom power mics, filters, video tripod. On other trips, a single small body and one or two lenses.

I assume that you will be shooting scenery, building exteriors and interiors and perhaps people? I suspect you will get limited use out of the light meter and flash. The tripod will be good for night shots, if you are allowed to use one in the area. A lot of places won't let you take them into buildings or museums. I suspect the equipment you have might not be the best for building interiors (not wide angle enough and perhaps not fast enough to work with existing light at reasonable ISO values.

[Shadowman]

Bruce,

YouTube is a beautiful tool to explore regions prior to departing, if you pay attention to the architecture and design of most European cities you'll be aware that buildings are massive, streets are tightly designed, and during tourist season the streets are filled with people. The 24-88mm might help you in some situations, but you'll probably wish you had an ultra wide angle or at least an 18mm lens when standing in front of a cathedral and only three feet of space between you and the façade. Sometimes a small point and shoot will suffice, but depending on the small camera's properties you'll probably wish your DSLR was adequately equipped. If you have the 18-55mm kit lens consider taking it.

[brucehughw]

Manfred,

Thanks for replying. I will be shooting scenery, exteriors (small stuff, like a doorway or interesting features, not the whole facade), people (family/street), historic Rome (from a tour), catacombs, the Sistine Chapel, and the ruins at Pompeii. Not sure about interiors -- not something I've done much of. I do have the 50 mm f/1.8 which is small and could be useful inside. Re the flash, I was thinking about the evening shots, when the sky is getting dark, boats/buildings are in the background, the subjects in the foreground need illumination. Not too much illumination, but a little more than is available if I'm metering to have the background a little darker. Does that sound like a good approach for using the flash?

Bruce

[ionian]

Think about what you want to carry, where you are going to put it in your luggage and how you will secure it in the hotel. Your photography can adapt to the gear you have with you - your back can't. Standard zoom and a prime lens for lower light work, that's all I would be thinking about with a dslr. The d7000 has a pop up flash for fill if you really need it. Of course, if you can get your kids to carry the gear, take it all

[Shadowman]

Bruce,

Good example of the confined spaces you might encounter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgSZ42ykUgQ

[brucehughw]

Thanks, John and Simon. Simon, standard zoom is the 24-85?

Bruce

[brucehughw]

Very nice! Gives me a much better idea of what to expect. Don't see much need for the heavy 70-300 mm lens.

Bruce,

Good example of the confined spaces you might encounter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgSZ42ykUgQ

[rpcrowe]

My travel kit for Canon Crop DSLR bodies is usually: 17-55mm f/3.8 IS, 70-200mm f/4L IS and 12-24mm f/4 Tokina.

The 17-55mm is my go-to mid range zoom with which I usually shoot about 2/3 of my imagery. I would sacrifice the 12-24mm before I'd leave the 70-200mm at home. However, when my go-to mid-range zoom lens was a 24-70mm f/2.8L, the 12-24mm was far more imopotant to me since the 24mm side of the 24-70L was not quite wide enough. OTOH: the 17mm side of my 17-55mm f/2.8IS lens is quite wide enough for most of my type of shooting,

I am more of a people photographer than a building shooter and the 70-200mm f/4L IS lens is perfect for people...

Some of my Venice pictures:
https://rpcrowe.smugmug.com/Architecture/Venice/

Some of my Istanbul pictures:
https://rpcrowe.smugmug.com/Other/Istanbul/

[Shadowman]

Very nice! Gives me a much better idea of what to expect. Don't see much need for the heavy 70-300 mm lens.

Perhaps the optimal moment for the 70-300mm would be when your subject is across a canal or other obstruction, in situations like that a compromise might be an 18-300mm lens. But your 70-300mm might have a better IQ so switching lenses wouldn't serve you in the end. If comfortable I'd go with a three lens arrangement (50mm, 70-300mm, and WA), if only two lenses the WA and 50mm considering your photo style.

[brucehughw]

Thanks so much, everyone. You're the best! I'll go w/the three lens arrangement. Also, what is IQ?

Bruce

[Shadowman]

Thanks so much, everyone. You're the best! I'll go w/the three lens arrangement. Also, what is IQ?

Bruce

Image quality, some lenses rate better than others.

[Manfred M]

Re the flash, I was thinking about the evening shots, when the sky is getting dark, boats/buildings are in the background, the subjects in the foreground need illumination. Not too much illumination, but a little more than is available if I'm metering to have the background a little darker. Does that sound like a good approach for using the flash?

Your flash won't have enough power to do what you are thinking of and honestly, the results tend to be unappealing due to light drop off. The tripod (ideally with a remote release) are likely to get you a far better result. I can't really see the flash doing anything for you.

The Sistine Chapel would be interior shooting only (if I remember correctly, photography was not allowed when I visited, so this could be a moot point), but I'm not sure of what the current rules are.

[brucehughw]

Thanks, Manfred. Flash is staying home.

[mikey98e]

I was in Rome in 2012. I brought a D70 with the 18-70 kit lens. We were in a tour group and there was no chance for me to use a tripod. If I remember correctly places like the Sistine Chapel and Catacombs have a "no photo" policy. Large cathedrals are great for photos.
-mike

[Zone Five]

A DX camera and 2-3 lenses shouldn't be too burdensome. On the wide end, 24mm could be sufficient on a full frame camera, but on a crop sensor you may find yourself needing a bit more angle. I'd definitely take the 50mm if it doesn't make your bag too heavy. I'd also take the flash for shots of the family. Most tourist areas don't allow tripods, so unless you will be shooting landscapes (for example) away from tourist areas, you may want to consider leaving it behind unless you have something quite small and light. Expect any place that has artwork is not going to permit use of flash, and many won't permit photography at all. The Sistine Chapel permitted photography many years ago, but not use of flash; it no longer permits photography at all (at least not the ceiling of the chapel where the Creation of Man is). The trouble began, I believe in the last decade or two with cameras having auto flash, and people not knowing how to turn it off, so now no pics at all.

If you like night photography, be sure to get out to the piazzas in the early evening; they are well lit, and always interesting for photography.

[brucehughw]

Hi, everyone.

Had a wonderful trip. But other than Times Sq in NYC, I've never seen crowds like the ones in Rome. Gosh. This photo is from one of the uncrowded places. ISO 1600 f/5 1/125.

Bruce

[rpcrowe]

Nicely captured... I know that the image is meant to be in the shadows and low key but, I kind of like opening the shadows using NIK Viveza at brightness +33% and Structure +25%

[brucehughw]

Hi, Richard.

Thanks for your comments and the lighter image. My original is meant to be low key (maybe too low!). When I entered the church and saw that one illuminated chandelier (if that's the right term), I wanted to capture that and make it stand out. The illuminated (slightly) priest and pews and cross also contributed. Opening up the shadows as you did decreases the emphasis I sought. But maybe my original is too low key. I guess there's no "right way" here, just different ways of presenting the scene. Also, can you please tell me what NIK Viveca is. I'm not familiar with it.

Bruce

[Shadowman]

Nice capture, looking forward to seeing more from the trip.