Is my Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 lens overkill for Petra?
 

I don't want to drag it all the way from Canada if it's not necessary. We have a great 'walk around' lens, the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 that I'm thinking might be sufficient but I'd hate to need the other one and not have it.

Any thoughts?

The 17-55 is what you'll use. The 70-200 maybe so, maybe not at all.


regards - tom

When I go on vacation I always find that there are lenses that I wish I had with me; The reality is, however, you will always be able to make do with the current lenses that you do have.

When was the last time you brought the 20-200mm f/2.8 on vacation with you? How often did you use it? I think past experiences will give you a good indicator if you'll be fine with or withou it.

Personally, I would try to bring at least one zoom beyond the standard zoom if possible though.

We mostly go on safari for vacation so we always take our 70-200mm and our 100-400mm, since you never know how close you'll get to the animals. We didn't use any zoom lenses at all in Egypt and I'm guessing we'll be able to get as close to everything in Petra as we did in Egypt...am I right?

I have a point-and-shoot digital with a 12x zoom, which is the equivalent of over 400 mm and I'm pretty sure I used the zoom at Petra (for the results see http://tinyurl.com/2ddm2uq ). If you're just going to walk into the Treasury and back out you likely don't need it, but if you're hiking around I'd want the zoom.

loru100, have you taken your trip to Petra and have you decided to take along your 70-200mm?

thursdaysd, did you have to go extremely wide to take in the entire image of the Treasury?

Axel - I use point-and-shoot so I have no idea...

Actually, the Treasury is taller than it is wide, but smugmug says I shot it at 36mm (if you mouse over a photo and click on the "i" you'll get some basic camera info).

Ok, great. Thanks thursdayd.

I was debating whether I should try to get an extra wide angle lens for my trip, but I think I'll save the weight and just use my goto lens of 24-105mm.

loru,

I you haven't travelled to Petra yet then your EF-S 17-55mm should be just fine. I barely used my 70-200mm at all; In fact the only times I used it were two times to take pictures of the lizards there (There's a very pretty blue lizard at Petra). Man, what I wouldn't do to have had the 17mm focal length when I was at Petra last week. My 24mm length is just isn't wide enough to capture some of the specatular scenary at Petra.

Not sure how long you plan to spend at Petra, but defintely try to do the climb toward the Place of Sacrifice. The view as you go upward is quite beautiful. The way down on the other side of it is also stunning, in particular the lion fountain that is carved into side of the mountain. The climb up toward the Monatasary is quite scenic also if exhausting. I was there for 3 days and still could've spent at least one more day to do more trekking around the area. I thought the Petra the area was stunning.

I bought a 55-200 for our trip to Egypt/Jordan. The ones with the 55-200 got really close to the Treasury and are some of my favorite pictures. Worth the weight

Sorry I just realized that this post was active again. We went in October and brought the lens with us, just in case, but didn't have any need for it. Actually a wide angle lens would come in handy compared to a zoom.

And yes I agree the Monestary climb is exhausting! I actually ended up with a stress fracture in my foot from all the climbing and hiking in Petra.

When I saw the donkeys at the Monestary climb I said they were necessary for my grandkids....great for me as well. My son-in-law ran up but he does Ironman triathalons. Glad to hear others found it "exausting" plus all the other walking there. Very, very scenic!!

I hired a cart & a donkey for the ride in to the Treasury-my husband found out he needed 2 surgeries and I had been planning this trip for 2 years. Just riding the donkey cart was hard on his back. I would have liked to have seen more but glad he made it OK. I kept telling the guy to slow his donkey down-it was jaring my husbands back-I said I would tip him more-I didn't want to take my husband out on a stretcher

I never go without my 80-200 F2.8, but I have a friend that has the same lens that hardly uses it. It so depends on how you like to use your gear. I use it to take portrets for instance, which you also can do with another lens and getting closer. Just a matter of preference...

Elaine... I only made it half way up the monastry. I stopped and waited the hour for hubbie to come back! One of my favourite sights was a girl climbing up the stairs in pink Hello Kitty crocs... ah..the footwear of stair climbing athletes!