Trip to Thailand - Focal lengths?

[Iscariot]

Hello

Im going to Thailand in a week or so and will be going to Chaing Mai and Bangkok. Planning on doing a fair few tours visiting villages, temples etc.

In two minds about what gear to take.

I'll definately be taking my gripped D800 and my 14-24

Just not sure about what prime to take for city walk around and maybe some people shots. I am tossing up between the Sig 85 and 35.

Im leaning more towards the 85 for two reasons:

1) In crop mode the 14-24 gets me around the 35mm mark and again with Crop mode the 85 presents a little reach if needed.

Anyone have any thoughts? If you were going or have been what would you take? Dont worry about what I have just drop some ideas on me.

Cheers.

[ameerat42]

Question:

Hello

Im going to Thailand in a week or so and will be going to Chaing Mai and Bangkok. Planning on doing a fair few tours visiting villages, temples etc.

In two minds about what gear to take.

I'll definately be taking my gripped D800 and my 14-24

Just not sure about what prime to take for city walk around and maybe some people shots. I am tossing up between the Sig 85 and 35.

Im leaning more towards the 85 for two reasons:

1) In crop mode the 14-24 gets me around the 35mm mark and again with Crop mode the 85 presents a little reach if needed.

Anyone have any thoughts? If you were going or have been what would you take? Dont worry about what I have just drop some ideas on me.

Cheers.

Answer: pretty much as above.
Am.

[Rattus79]

take the 85, no question.

But

if you dont' take the 35, you'll be kicking yourself for missing out on some amazing street scenes, particularly at night when the wide aperture will come into it's own.

Whilst in Cambodia, My 50 and the 70 - 200 were the main lenses used when I wasn't in a temple.

[Darey]

I have been to Thailand a few times now and i have found that my 17 - 50mm f2.8 rarely comes off my D7000.
Converting to your D800 I reckon a 24 - 70 f2.8 would be an excellent travel lens.
I also agree with the others that a fast 35mm would be a good street lens.
Have fun over there.

[Iscariot]

take the 85, no question.

But

if you dont' take the 35, you'll be kicking yourself for missing out on some amazing street scenes, particularly at night when the wide aperture will come into it's own.

Whilst in Cambodia, My 50 and the 70 - 200 were the main lenses used when I wasn't in a temple.

Both the 85 and 35 are 1.4 which is why one of them need to come just not 100% on which one.

I have been to Thailand a few times now and i have found that my 17 - 50mm f2.8 rarely comes off my D7000.
Converting to your D800 I reckon a 24 - 70 f2.8 would be an excellent travel lens.
I also agree with the others that a fast 35mm would be a good street lens.
Have fun over there.

24-70 is create and I love it but its big. I only want to take 2 with me and as then 14-24 is huge sadly it rules the 24-70 out.

[Rattus79]

If you forced me to have only 1 lens to choose, it would undoubtedly be the 35 mm

It's just such a useful focal length, and with stitching can double as a UWA


You could always just buy a bigger camera bag when you get there

[sufran]

I was in Thailand earlier this year. I used a 1.6 crop camera and two zooms - for versatility. I had a 10-20 for landscape shots, and 24-70 was my main lens for portraiture type shots. These lenses worked really well for me.

[Iscariot]

Ended up going with the 85 and the 14-24. No regrets. Didnt use the 85 much but when I did it worked well. Still processing the images so will post some soon.

[Iscariot]

Finally finished processing. Here are some of the results. Mix of both the 85 and the UWA

1)

DSC_6179-Edit by Iscariotau, on Flickr

2)

DSC_5956 by Iscariotau, on Flickr

3)

DSC_5903-Edit by Iscariotau, on Flickr

4)

DSC_5414-Edit by Iscariotau, on Flickr

5)

DSC_5408-Edit by Iscariotau, on Flickr

6)

DSC_5308 by Iscariotau, on Flickr

7)

DSC_5449 by Iscariotau, on Flickr