Nikon Lens for Backpacking South America?

Hey everybody,

I will be going to South America at the end of next month, starting in Uruguay, travelling my way up to Venezuela eventually. If you had to choose one lens to take to South America which would it be?

I have the Nikon 5100, and the 18-55mm, 55-200m, and the 35mm. I am thinking of taking the 35mm, but I feel like it has its constraints. It would be interesting though to capture the whole trip (3 months) through the eyes of just a 35mm (kind of retro). But do let me know what you guys think?

Thanks!

Also, if there is a different lens you guys recommend, I have about $400-500 that I can put towards a lens.

Also, if there is a different lens you guys recommend, I have about $400-500 that I can put towards a lens. I was thinking about the 18-105mm.

Edited by: jotaelhombre

I use an old autofocus 24-120, which won’t work on your camera but look at the AF-S 18-105 it’s not very expensive. I think you would kick yourself not having more reach than the 35 (or the 18-55 which I find restrictive). The 18-105 makes a great people lenses. Take the 35 for indoors and low light. I use the 24-120 and a 50 1.4f as my smallest kit.

Buy a 18-200 VR for a bit more. That and your 35 make a nice economical combo for travel.

I agree with joe....the 18-200VR, coupled with your 35 fixed are good choices.

Brian

Edited by: rockrug

I once upon a time recommended the Nikon 18-200 and 50 1.4 as the best travel set but have quit doing so as I have seen many picture ruined by the 18-200. Photographers not watching crank the lenses out without thinking it through (the stabilization is good but not 4-5 stops good). The 200 is a 350 and must be shot 1) at 500 sec or better or 2) at 1600 ISO or 3) at 3.5f or 4) on a tripod if a mix of the first 3 can’t be achieve, the glass is good, using it take some knowledge and forethought.

I know it’s a great auto lenses on a sunny day but shooting on the street in lower light on auto and its gets soft and or blurs from hand/mirror motion and frustrates the photographer. It is easy to crank it to max to capture something and end up shooting at 1/30 sec, 3.5f at the 350 end, we all know that is not going to work unless on a tripod and of a stationary subject.

Now I recommend the 18-105 or 24-120 and a fast prime which maybe the 50 1.8.

I agree with you NWdiver. As of right now I think I am going to get the 18-105mm, and take my 35mm as I love it. I believe the 18-200mm will fustrate me, as I don't even use my 55-200mm that much, as I find it to be blurry and not what I want in lower light areas. The 24-120mm seems like a perfect fit, but it is soo expensive.

Of course, some recommendations (maybe unfairly) assume that the user understands the constraints of a 350mm lens and the limitations of VR.

Brian

A friend is less than a friend these days because I strongly recommended the 18-200 for a once in a life time African safari, I spent allot of time showing them how to use it on A and explaining the limitations, well they thought the lenses was bad as on AUTO it was mostly blurry, hand shake and moving subjects. I still take heat for it, thus don’t recommend it anymore. I use the older 80-200 2.8 when I want a 200 otherwise, the 2.8 give more light but it’s not a hand held lenses except in bright light, I use it for street shots during the day.

nwdiver, when you say 'crank' the lens do you mean attempt to use it at its maximum focal length? If you are using it on P (Nikon mode) besides auto, and watch the shutter speed, does it still produce sharp images? It sounds like people are unaware of shutter speed being too low? Thanks.

personally i wouldn't blame the lens - but the operator ... Google Gary Ardnt - the majority of his photos' were taken with the 18-200 vr - and he just started taking pictures 5 years ago ...

Yes it's operator error, many people don’t understand the relationship between aperture and shutter speed and ISO, at the “cranked out” end of the 18-200mm on a Nikon DX camera it is a 350mm, which must be shot at a shutter speed of 350 or faster, it often isn’t, especially when at 18mm end 60 or 90 is fine. Someone has the camera at 90 and cranks it out to 350mm without changing the shutter speed, not even the best can hand hold a 350 at 90, even with VR systems.

I always shoot on A as I control my depth of field and everything else follows, this is a holdover from film, but now we can change ISO shot to shot, but still I shoot on A.

True dat ... i love my tripod.

Thanks! I'll keep these ideas in mind when I'm taking pictures with a 18-270 zoom lens!