Macro lens in London: for the serious photographers on this list: would you leave a favorite lens at home to make your camera bag lighter?
 

I'm trying to finalize my kit for London and I've hit a snag. I'm taking a wide-midrange zoom, a fisheye, and a couple of teleconverters. Now I'm thinking about taking my macro lens, because I have room for it and i didn't think I would. I put it in the bag and it makes it significanly heavier, and I'll have to lug it around everywhere for a week. But I'm afraid that I'll regret it if I leave it at home, since it's one of my most-used lenses.

I can kind of cover the macro with all the other stuff I'm bringing, but this macro lens is such a great piece of glass...so what would you do? I've already had one friend tell me to bring as little gear as possible. Any and all input would be appreciated!

What is the mid-range and the teleconverters?

I'd personally probably take the macro over an extra teleconverter -- or instead of the fish eye. I love using a macro especially in all the gardens . . .

Last year I had my usual burden of photo equipment. In Wales my shutter broke beyond immediate repair.
I got home, no pictures, and not many feelings of regret. I did not have to walk around lugging that stone and I actually had more fun.

I think travel photography can become something of a COD.
I have thousands of slides I never look at.

Leave the macro.

Take the videocam.

And the cannoli...

Janis, the mid-range is a 28-75mm. The TCs are 1.4x and 2x. I don't know how much I'll really use them, but they weigh next to nothing and I figured I could stack them if necessary. I've found the fisheye to be quite a versatile creative tool, plus I can de-fish in Photoshop, making the lens a very useful ultrawide. I wouldn't be caught without one in a city. :)

You're right about the gardens; that's what I'm thinking of for the macro. I figured I could just use the 1.4x TC for that, but I'm not impressed with my test shots from it.

Bob Brown, your point is well taken. That is what I'm worried about. Maybe I'll take Janis' advice and leave one of the TCs at home. What do you mean by COD?

How would a macro shot of an English flower be different than a flower any where else in the world?

London only? Are you planning to turn this into a phototrip or do you want to experience citylife?

I'ld leave the macro at home. Fisheye could be nice and together with a good super-zoom and a small tele you'ld do just fine. Travel light and your shoulders will thank you at the end of the day...

Hi S,

I am reminded of the gentleman I met on a train one evening. Along with his wife, younger daughter, older daughter and SIL and their infant, all with associated luggage; he had a complete Hasselblad system.

Take all of the lenses you think you will need.

((I))

Sorry, but I have to ask...are you going to visit London or to photograph it?

If the purpose is to visit (and actually experience) the city, consider unburdening yourself from the big camera kit entirely, taking a compact all-in-one digital camera, and trying to see the city other than through a viewfinder.

But for serious photographers, this is probably heresy ;-)

I can't speak to the intricacies of the various pieces of equipment and the advantages or disadvantages of which ones to take. However, I can relate to you as a serious photographer.
A previous poster asked.,.."are you going to visit London or photograph it?" My answer would be, "Both." A good part of my experience is the taking of the photographs. Do I spend too much time looking through the viewfinder? I think not, knowing that when I return home, I will look at the photographs over and over again! And, as the years pass, I still review the albums and the vividness of the trip remains.
I don't think that a non-serious photographer can really relate to your dilemma.
When people say, "But a postcard is a better [or prettier] showing of the site/sight," I respond, "But, it wasn't my moment!"
I say all of this to "justify" my recommendation: Take whatever equipment you feel will enable you to capture the best memories of your trip!

It's difficult for me to read the words "serious photographer" in the same sentence as the words "fisheye" and "zoom." No serious photographer I know uses such things.

For the sake of creativity and tastefulness, a macro lens far outweighs the usefulness any fisheye might offer.

I do not define a serious photographer by the words he/she uses, but rather by the results of his/her work!

I didn't acquire lenses so I could leave any of them home. I bought them so I could make the pictures I want to under a wide range of lighting conditions and viewpoints. The weight of my camera bag is inconsequential.

But sunny16, why would you leave one of your most-used lenses at home anyway?

Thanks for the responses so far! I think HowardR nailed it WRT the issue of whether I'm going to London to experience it or to photograph it. I'm doing both!

Robespierre, your point is well taken about not leaving one of my most-used lenses at home. That would probably be a bad move. I'm thinking about leaving one or both of the TCs at home instead.

NYCFoodSnob, I'm sorry I'm making things difficult for you this morning. I suggest you expand your horizons and try meeting other photographers who don't take themselves so seriously. ;)

No need to apologize to me, dear. I like people who make me chuckle.

As for expanding horizons, I don't know a single art director who considers ultra-wide angle images particularly useful. But, to each his own. Planning a trip into space, are you?

And most amateurs know that zoom lenses aren't as sharp or distortion-free as fixed-focal but I'm sure, as a serious photographer with expanded horizons, you already knew that. Happy shooting!

Oops, I forgot, at 10G a day, if I don't take myself seriously, who will?

I think Robespierre has made a good point
As for some of the other comments......hey, that's easy. Ignore the ones that you don't care for!

The nice thing is that the rest of us don't have to take folks seriously.

Take what you want... If you meet someone as rude as some of these posters, use the heavy lens to hit them in the head.

I am actually downsizing and not taking my zoom this trip, but that is because my bag will now be full of permission slips, health forms, and other data required to chaperone 8 kids around Europe who aren't related to you!

From another photographer who both photographs and visits London:

Take both! If it gets to heavy, leave it in the hotel safe for the day. Then, when you realize you could have gotten so many shots with it, bring it back out the next :)

I have recently gotten into photography not just for the joy of it, but also as a business, selling prints of my photos. As such, I need more than the 'generic point and shoot', as I need photos with enough resolution to print up to size. Also, stock photography requires particular sizes as well.

NYFoodSnob, Food ain't the only thing you're snobby about, evidently :P

Remember that galleries with snobby art directors that care about terminology aren't the only venue for photography.

Hi sunny! Let me approach this from a slightly different angle. Are you using a standard type camera bag? If so, you might want to look into a LowePro backpack camera bag. They make a number of different sizes. This has the enormous advantage of being a lot easier on your shoulders and back, even with an extra lens in there.

To answer your actual question: I might, but Phil Flash never would. That's the difference between us -- he's the pro.

The fisheye might never produce something that will be sold for publication or in a gallery, but it CAN be a lot of silly fun.