Lens for a Sailing Trip

zack

I will be going on a sailing trip through the Greek Islands in three weeks time and will be bringing my new D5100. At the moment I only have the 18-55mm kit lens but would like to pick up one more before I leave. Any suggestions?

I was considering the 50mm f/1.8G but given the size of the boat (46'), I won't have much room to back up. Am I better off with the DX 35mm f/1.8G in this situation or should I be considering a longer zoom for more range? The lighting below decks is fairly poor and we will be in harbors every night with the opportunity for some nice street shots. I figured the larger aperture would come in handier than the ability to take a lot of photos of other boats and shoreline from a distance.

Moose

Howdy @zack - I would think the majority of your shots will be of the islands and beaches during the day. If that's the case, then I would go for the Nikon 55-300mm VR which would compliment your 18-55mm kit lens.

This lens is fantastic for vacations and travel photography (outdoors in bright light). The enormous zoom range, really opens up your creative freedom to compose a shot the way you see fit...whether you're shooting a boat 20 feet away or a distant shoreline.

You could also go with an all-in-one lens, like the Tamron 18-270mm, the Tamron 18-250mm or the Sigma 18-250mm, which would give you a zoom range similar to the kit lens and the 55-300mm combined without the need to change between lenses.

While I love the 35mm and 50mm f/1.8, I feel like you'll be very limited for the types of shots you can take...especially on a sail boat. Remember, these are "prime" lenses which means you can't zoom in or out. You're fixed at a given focal length.

To get a rough idea of how this works, zoom to 35mm or 50mm on your kit lens and take a couple shots in various situations. You'll be able to see the approximate field of view these lenses can capture.

Hope this all makes sense and happy shooting! :)

zack

Thanks!

I did order the 35mm f/1.8 just because I wanted to get some shots on board and below deck where the lighting may not be great (tiny LED pot lights), but I also sold my kit lens and bought the Tamron 18-270mm.

I should be covered now and won't have to do too many lens changes in an environment where I probably don't want to be doing that too often.

Moose

@zack - That's a great combo, I think you'll be very happy with both lenses. Have a great trip and please share some images when you get back. All the best!