Jump to content

Which lenses should I take to Thailand?


paulhphotography

Recommended Posts

Hi everyone,

 

Thank you all for your useful information that you have given me in the past. I've decided I'm only going to take one camera body which is the XT1 with me to Thailand next week. My main question is which three or four lenses would you choose out of this list to take with you:

 

XF 16mm f/1.4

XF 23mm f/1.4

XF 35mm f/1.4

XF 56mm f/1.2

XF 90mm f/2

XF 50-140mm f/2.8

 

I would like to dabble in some street photography, landscape, portraits and architectural shots. Any helpful advice will be kindly appreciated thanks. Would it also be worth taking my nissin i40 flashgun and tripod? Plus I'll be going to a fight whilst in Bangkok and I don't know which settings and lens to use for this as I'll be ringside.

 

Kind regards,

 

Paul

Link to post
Share on other sites

For daytime use, XF 23mm. Or the 35mm, but I feel the 35mm equivalent is more versatile as walkaround lens.

 

For nighttime, XF 16mm. I shoot mine at night at ISO 6400 at 1/30 easily. It's never too dark for this combo. Great because Bangkok comes alive after dark.

 

For portraits, XF 56mm or 90mm. Makes a good walkaround combo with a 23mm. 90mm is weather sealed, might come in handy.

 

That's all I would take to be honest, Thailand is hot and humid. More weight, usually just means that you get tired sooner and sweat more. I was in Thailand when I was just a beginner photographer. Most of my gallery here are pictures taken with a Canon 500D and 50mm equivalent and a 200mm equivalent. I took 4 lenses, I usually left 2 or 3 at the hotel. http://www.tomhenderix.com/thailand/

Link to post
Share on other sites

Like what they said above me.

 

There is only 2 seasons in Thailand, hot and hotter. 

 

If you are not used to that kind of weather, I would advise you to pack only clothing to go there and to come back, buy the rest of your clothes in local shops. They will be a lot more breathable and dry a lot faster with the sweat.

 

Drop the Nissin and tripod, unless you really plan on using them for the architectural shots.

Link to post
Share on other sites

16, 35, 90 if I owned your lens lineup.

 

I'm planning a trip to Vancouver next month and only taking my 14, 35, and 60 (poor man's prime set up), and will be focusing on much the same subject matter as you are.

 

You should really consider the 18-135, it's not as expensive nowadays, keep the 35 with you and just get the 16 for wide angle and you are good to go face whatever the weather would be throwing at you.

 

I know ppl will find be annoying by trouncing that 18-135 up whenever there is a doubt about what to take with you, but really that lens is plenty good for whatever you need for your photography need.

 

Now for paid work... maybe not as much... but for private things and hobby, really can't go wrong.

Link to post
Share on other sites

WR in this case is absolutely not a luxury and especially if you are doing any trip out of the cities , perhaps into the jungle to do the mandatory visit to the temples.

 

A friend of mine just came back from a one month long trip to Myanmar ( or perhaps better known under its former name of Burma). He used a X-T1 a 10-24mm, 18-55, 50-230mm.

 

One of his problems was that the continuous changing of the lenses caused the sensor to get some dust which probably stuck because of the humid climate and he couldn’t get rid of them with non invasive methods.

 

So, he came back with a pile of images most of which need retouching. He’s been working on that for the last month or so.

 

With hindsight , he would have been better off with at least two bodies so that his lens changes would have been reduced to a minimum.

 

If I were to tackle something like that I would certainly have 2 WR X-T1 bodies. and take with me the 16-55 WR on one body and the 50-140mm on the other and never change lenses just use one body when called for or the other.

 

It would be maybe possible to rent the 16-55mm that you don’t have.

Link to post
Share on other sites

if you don’t intend to buy or rent any other lens or camera I would keel the 50-140 on the X-T1 and have the other body swapping all the other lenses which you probably need ( 16-23-35)

 

If it were me, next to the body with the 50-140 I would rent another X-T1 with a 16-55.

 

I would rather say the 18-135, the 50-140 is really big and heavy. It can be really annoying to lug such a large piece of glass all around.

 

The F2.8 is not that often needed in good light.

 

In low light, provided you don't have to shoot moving targets, the 5 stops OIS would serve you better.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I have an excellent and special strap with elastics to absorb its weight and very large padding, and I do, occasionally, carry the camera in a urban setting around my neck, I wouldn’t in a place like Thailand and certainly not while in the forest.

7079992835cb0fd67850ad4d2f1759c2.jpg

 

 

True I don’t walk too much with the camera hanging around my neck either.

 

 

Often the camera is in my ample dark brown soft leather bag, in the central compartment, ready to be taken out when it needs to be used. You can practice your quick-draw either way.   :rolleyes:

 
Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi everyone!

 

If you can still read this, I suggest you the 16/35/90 combo. I own the xf 16mm and xf 35mm 1.4 and they are great in most of situations. Furthermore, I have to say that the 16mm is so good and polyvalent that I have almost neglicted the 35mm since I bought the 16mm. If someone want to go on a trip with a single lens, the 16mm could be on top of the list (WR is sure a pro).

I don't own the xf 90mm but I am an happy owner of a tokina at-x 90mm 2.5 (bokina). I just bought this one in order to have a perfect (at leat for me) set for lightweight travels.

 

IMHO prime lenses are more flexible than zoom lenses due to wider aperture possibilities on the field. I won't bother with heavier zoom (just my opinion and taste).

 

I used to live on a tropical island so I can say something that might sound crazy here : WR is nice but the other lenses are not made in sugar neither. A non WR lens can be used on a tropical field. What you have to do is to store your gear is a bag when you don't use it (put some silica gel inside), be quick when you swap lenses an avoid to mount a lens every minute. Moreover, you won't have any problem if you are aware of you environment and avoiding windy or dusty moments to dismount your gear,

The best thing to do is to try to anticipate what you are supposed to see every day of your trip and try to mount the most satisfaying lens before going on the field.

 

I also suggest you to keep some ziplock bags to store your equipment if you have to walk on a heavy rain.

 

Last suggestion : bring a good polarizer filter with you if you want. It could be usefull for landscape shooting. Polarizer filters have a nice impact on water and foliage scenery.

 

I hope you will enjoy your trip.

 

Regards

Link to post
Share on other sites

I agree with darknj, 18-135mm. Here's my several reasons :

- how often you change the lens in your trip? Imagine there's split seconds interesting composition and you have to change the lens first before taking picture.

- do you really care about sharpness and really want to print your images (in a large size)? yes for pixel peepers, but for your own documentary, taking not sharp picture is better than not taking picture at all.

- are you a prime shooter and really know how to compose with each focal length you have? if yes, you can reject my first and second opinion and please take 16,35, 56/90.

 

Tripod is a must for me, choose a lightweight one. Flash is depend on you. Last, have a good trip to Thailand!

Link to post
Share on other sites

WR in this case is absolutely not a luxury and especially if you are doing any trip out of the cities , perhaps into the jungle to do the mandatory visit to the temples.

 

A friend of mine just came back from a one month long trip to Myanmar ( or perhaps better known under its former name of Burma). He used a X-T1 a 10-24mm, 18-55, 50-230mm.

 

One of his problems was that the continuous changing of the lenses caused the sensor to get some dust which probably stuck because of the humid climate and he couldn’t get rid of them with non invasive methods.

 

So, he came back with a pile of images most of which need retouching. He’s been working on that for the last month or so.

Listen to this. After a trip to India I can swear that lots of moisture in the air will spot your sensor when you change lenses, even indoors. In rain you can't change them at all. There's a reason why working pros us sealed zooms. If you want to shoot a prime rent an X-100 and keep it in a pocket. The 16-56 WR is as sharp as the primes anyway. Rent that too if necessary. Rental costs are a fraction of travel costs. The right tools for the environment will save headaches.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Just been in Thailand for a month. Was in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. It didn't rain once, and I had no real humidity issues. That said, I have had condensation build ups on previous occasions there.

I think the ideal is two bodies - x100 plus change lens body.

On my xe2 (which is out of action at Fuji service centre after overheating) I mainly used the 35mm. I shot some with the 55-200 as well. My 56mm got no use for street stuff, though I shot a fashion job with it.

Re a one body setup....what Milandro said.

Link to post
Share on other sites

16, 35, 90 if I owned your lens lineup.

 

I'm planning a trip to Vancouver next month and only taking my 14, 35, and 60 (poor man's prime set up), and will be focusing on much the same subject matter as you are.

 

I was in Bangkok and Ayutthaya as well as some beaches a few weeks ago and for the whole 10days just had 1 Xt1 , 12mm samyang, 35f2 WR and 60mm ( Poorer mans setup :-)  and all that did exceptionally well , i changed lenses alot i have a small shouder bag and can just grab whichever prime stick the camera in the bag and change lens , i didnt experience too much dust on my sensor,  you can always get a few aps-c sensor swaps to pack with you if your worried about that :-)

 

Just have fun shooting and try to be as light weight as possible - If i had only 1 lens i would just bring the 23mm f1.4 ( I need to buy that ) or the 10-24 ( want that one too but more heavy ) but as of now i carry around the xt1 and 35f2 daily so lightweight i dont even bother with a bag :-)

 

Enjoy

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 3 years later...

If you are still reading OP, what did you take? Any regrets?

I'm also going to Thailand: Bangkok, Khao Lak Phuket and am in the same pickle with much the same lenses, plus a couple more - every lens I buy I promise to sell one, never happens!

12mm 2.0 rokinon

16mm 1.4

23mm 1.4

35mm 1.4

56mm 1.2

80mm 2.8

90mm 2.0

55-200mm 

I'll have a young family (3 kids), too. So portraits are also important.

At home I love my 16mm, gets used by far the most. I also love the pictures from the 23mm but find they are all from group events, so not used too much. 80mm is amazing but too heavy and I'm thinking of selling - which is why I got the 90. My one lense set up is usually the 35mm, but I like a challenge and went out in the forest with the family and 90mm only to test drive it. I need to get used to the lack of ois at that focal length - the sharpness is not forgiving! It worked nicely, but I did find myself 30m behind my family a lot! For me personally, I don't have a lot of fun with the 55-200, I guess I'm just a primes guy as I will just use it as. 200mm!

I'm considering the 23mm for everyday and environmental portraits, moderate wide for landscape and documenting. 90mm for those long shots, portraits, compressed landscape. And maybe my rokinon instead of my 16mm. Not sure I won't regret it though. And that's quite a gap between 23mm and 90mm.

 At the moment I'm going out with one lens set ups - deliberately mismatching the lens for the location and event - partly as a challenge, partly to see how pissed off I'll get!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Ji- saidIMHO prime lenses are more flexible than zoom lenses due to wider aperture possibilities on the field. I won't bother with heavier zoom (just my opinion and taste).

IMHO, I think exactly the same. The problem with zoom is that they tend to give you a "lead as", moving the focal barrel and not moving your feet ... and with it changing the perspective of your sight. For me, moving my body favorises stronger images ... as long as you're not so customised with focal angles of view of lenses to consider a zoom as a distributor of lenses.

So I usually go away with 2 lenses (when it's not with only one, then a 27mm on my XE2): usually a 23 and a 35 or 50mm, sometimes a 18 instead of the 23. And I move as largely as it's necessary to get the image I've in my mind. Yes, sometimes I can't succeed, but it's very rare. In the other way, my images are largely more different and efficient with a prime. And with the times, I've learned that contraints in gear make me more creative. When I had 6 or 8 lenses in my bag, I always was measuring what kind of lens I would use ... and forget to be creative in my OWN way making images I saw everywhere, not inventing them. And series done with one focal lens are more homogenous.

A very interesting study I red many times: by Thom Hogan from his Nikon site:

http://dslrbodies.com/lenses/lens-articles/choosing-lenses/choosing-a-simple-prime-kit.html

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...