Camera lenses for photography in Italy

A wide-angle lens would help with some of the buildings, maybe one that is wider than a standard zoom lens? Although if you go too wide-angle the vertical elements lean in.

Lynda, I'd ask at the photography store where you bought your camera equipment! They are professionals and should be able to suggest the best lens lengths.

That being said, I have a digital with a 12x zoom, and I use it all the time to get great details on buildings/duomos, etc. I also use a circular polarizer filter for better contrast. The sky is usually hazy in Italy, this helps to get better color saturation in your photos.

I agree with the previous poster, a wide angle is needed...my camera only goes to 48mm...not nearly wide enough!

Ive taken my DSLR and a super all-purpose lens - 18-200mm. Its quite a bit heavier than the 24-80mm that came with it - but this way you have all you need from wide to telefoto. Id agree again with the folks above - to check at your trusted pro-camera shop. They can help you find the right one that meets your needs and budget. But that said - Id think 2 lens should be more than enough. You pay quite a premium for the all in one, so a 24-80 and 80-200 or something like that should suite you well. If you are in the cities - the wider will be more use than a telefoto. Keep in mind you may want to be careful changing the lenses a lot all day long risking dust and dirt inside.

two more tips: 1. always have at least a "sky-light" or UV filter on each of your lenes to protect it - usually under 20$ each. A circular-polarizer (more $) is great for more contrast and depth of color when used correctly. 2. Bring an extra battery or 2, and an extra SD-card!

I took an 18-55 and a 55-200 lens. The majority of the time I used the 18-55 but there were times when the 55-200 was useful and I was glad I took it. Tom's advice of taking the 18-200 is a good idea as that lens would cover just about all of your situations. That is my plan for my next trip which will lighten the load plus give the same range as I had with the two lens. Also, the chance of getting dust on the sensor is lessened by not having to change lenses.

Ditch the UV and skylight filters and spend the money on a circular polarizing filter and learn how to use it before going. This single filter can mean the difference between having the beautiful cirrus clouds show up crisply against a deep blue sky--or not. It can also be used to show what is in the shop window or screen out what is in the shop window. Taking a photo of a babbling brook? Turn the filter to see different views of the same brook without moving--seeing through the water or seeing the ripples and eddies. It will intensify blues and greens and help sharpen contrast. I hate the fact that my little point-and-shoot digital doesn't take filters or I would have a circular polarizer on it. Get one. It well worth the expense.

Lynda, when I was in Italy last year, I travelled with 3 lenses: 17-85 "walkabout", 10-22 wide angle and 70-300 zoom. I used the 70-300 only occasionally, but was still glad that I'd packed it. This year I took a 24-105 as the "walkabout", and that's likely what I'll be using from now on.
There were also several 4GB memory cards, two CP Filters to fit the Lenses and of course spare batteries, charger & plug adapter and Lens cleaning kit. From my experience so far, I've found that the wide angle and medium range zoom seem to cover the majority of shots.

I'm considering adding a Tripod to the kit, however there are a lot of sites in Europe that won't allow these. However, I found on my trip to England & Ireland last month that there were a few times that a Tripod would have been useful. If I do buy one, it will have to be small enough and light enough to fit into the Backpack.

Good luck and happy travels!

Did you have any fear about getting your SLR's stolen in Italy? I keep reading about all the crooks there. I was thinking of leaving my Olympus SLR home in favor of a smaller point-and-shoot Canon I can pocket.

I use the sky filter AND a polorizer filter.

I carry the standard lense that came with my Rebel and a telephoto/zoom. The Telephoto is heavy. I left it home this year. I hope to get one of the newer very lightweight ones before I travel again.

I have travelled with my camera gear all over the world. (including a backpack tri-pod from REI)

I have never had fear of it being stolen. But I keep it with me all the time.

Robert, there's always a risk that Camera gear can be stolen, but I'm not too concerned. I'm fairly careful about how I carry the Camera, especially on Subways, and so far I haven't had any problems. During the day I usually have the dSLR with me, and if I go out at night I take a smaller P&S Camera. In cities where I'm staying in a Hostel, I usually leave the dSLR at the front desk for safekeeping (unless they have fairly robust lockers - I use my own high security Padlock).

I've found on many occasions that having a dSLR is essential in getting great travel shots, so there's NO way I will travel without it (even though there is a slight risk of theft or damage). It is a lot more trouble to pack around the Camera, Lenses and related kit, but well worth it IMO.

Cheers!

I use a Nikon D200 and a 18-200 VR lens. It is a bit heavy but it is a superb combination specially is you have to take pictures in side churches and other darker places. The 1600 ISO (over that will give you lots of noise) is really useful. I try to avoid using any flash to give much better results. A lot of museums in Italy do not allow cameras. Most churches are O.K. but you cannot use tripod. That makes the D-SLR with higher ISO handy.