How to Choose a Travel Photography Lens
- 3 Lenses Every Photographer Should Have in Their Camera Bag
- Want Ultra-Sharp Photos? Try These Lenses
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Hitting the road?
If so, you likely want a solid lens for tackling the varied subject matter you’ll encounter as you travel.
The question is, what lens is best for travel photography?
Learn how to choose a travel photography lens in this quick guide.
Editor’s Tip: Good lenses can be expensive, but don’t let that deter you. You want the best glass you can afford, and you can maximize your budget by buying a used lens. When looking for a good used lens, do your due diligence and ask questions of the seller: Is the lens in good working order? Are there any imperfections in the glass? Is there mold in the lens? Also be sure that the lens fits your camera!
How to Choose a Travel Photography Lens: Things to Consider
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Deciding what lens is best for travel photography can be a bit of a complicated undertaking.
After all, in addition to deciding what focal length is best for travel photography, you also have to consider the size and weight of the lens since you’ll have a finite amount of space in your bags for your camera gear.
So, you want something versatile from a focal length standpoint and something that’s small and lightweight.
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This begs the question, is a zoom lens better for travel photography or is it best to have a couple of prime lenses?
That’s a tough question to answer because the answer will be different from one photographer to the next.
On the one hand, some travelers swear by a single zoom lens - something like a 24-70mm - because it covers a good focal range and is relatively small and lightweight.
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However, other travelers prefer having a couple of fast prime lenses for travel photography like a 24mm f/1.4 and a 50mm f/1.8.
Both of these options are small and lightweight, and they offer versatility in that you can photograph a wide variety of subjects with either lens. I’ll dive into the zoom vs. prime debate more in a bit.
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Regardless of whether you get a zoom or a couple of prime lenses, one of the primary features you should look for is the size of its aperture.
Though lenses with large apertures like f/1.2, f/1.4, and f/1.8 tend to be more expensive, the performance upgrades they offer over lenses that have f/2.8 or f/4 apertures are worth it.
In addition to improving your ability to take quality photos in low-light situations, lenses with large apertures also more readily blur the background (all else being equal), so you can take beautiful portraits with nice bokeh.
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Of course, price is going to be a consideration as well.
The lens you use is much more important in terms of the quality of photos you take than your camera, so maximize your budget for your lens and buy the best you can afford.
I realize not everyone has $2,000.00 to spend on a lens, so keep your eyes out for bargains on used lenses.
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One piece of advice I would offer is to avoid buying lenses from the likes of Craigslist and eBay, and instead look for a travel photography lens on a website that specializes in lenses, like Lensfinder.
I’ve bought and sold lenses on Craigslist and eBay in the past, and it just wasn’t a good experience.
With Craigslist, there’s tons of scams, and on eBay, there’s high fees.
Lensfinder solves those issues by charging lower fees than eBay and they have built-in fraud protection so you can buy and sell with greater confidence.
What’s not to like about that?
Learn More:
How to Choose a Travel Photography Lens: Zoom vs Prime
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Clearly, a single zoom lens is a good travel photography consideration because it offers the most bang for your buck from a focal length standpoint.
And, as noted above, lenses like a 24-70mm zoom aren’t all that big or heavy, so you get the versatility aspect while also saving on weight and space in your bag.
Some 24-70mm zooms also have quite a large aperture of f/2.8, so you can capitalize on the benefits of having a large aperture as well.
photo by MarioGuti via iStock
Of course, it’s possible to get a little too crazy in the pursuit of focal length variability.
For example, a 28-300mm lens is overkill for the vast majority of us, not to mention that such lenses violate the “small and lightweight” requirement for travel lenses.
Along with that point is something else to consider…
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With a single 50mm lens, you can photograph much of the same subject matter just as effectively as you can with a 24-70mm zoom lens.
Additionally, prime lenses often make great lenses for video, so you can open up the possibility of getting stills and videos with the same prime lens.
And, as noted above, prime lenses tend to have larger apertures, which makes low-light photography, indoor photography, astrophotography, and so forth, a greater possibility.
photo by MarioGuti via iStock
At the end of the day, zooms and primes offer their distinct advantages for travel photographers, but they are very evenly matched in terms of their abilities in the field.
Choosing a travel photography lens will probably come down to your personal preference and your specific needs on your trip.
