New York 2024

[Proud2btaff]

So will be going to NY in less than a month (1/2/24) and starting to get frustrated, I was going to be purchasing a Nikon 24-120 f4 but due to some emergency vet bills this has now gone out the window, also was going to get a lighter backpack but will have to do with my current one (Hopefully that changes). Due to this I now only have the following options available to me

Nikon 50mm f1.8
nikon 18-35mm f3.5-4.5
Sigms 105 f2.8

i also have a 70-200f2.8 but that is staying at home as its heavy.

of those lens which one would be on the camera the most. I may only take to 105 so I can do some macro shots in Central Park if it comes too it other than that it will be buildings and possibly people and if I can convince the missus a morning shot of the skyline and an evening(may end up on my own for these lol)

 

[PhotoVanGogh]

So will be going to NY in less than a month (1/2/24) and starting to get frustrated, I was going to be purchasing a Nikon 24-120 f4 but due to some emergency vet bills this has now gone out the window, also was going to get a lighter backpack but will have to do with my current one (Hopefully that changes). Due to this I now only have the following options available to me

Nikon 50mm f1.8
nikon 18-35mm f3.5-4.5
Sigms 105 f2.8

i also have a 70-200f2.8 but that is staying at home as its heavy.

of those lens which one would be on the camera the most. I may only take to 105 so I can do some macro shots in Central Park if it comes too it other than that it will be buildings and possibly people and if I can convince the missus a morning shot of the skyline and an evening(may end up on my own for these lol)

I always have a hard time, I'm an all gear all the time kind of guy. But the older I get the more I think about that mentality. What do you like to shoot? If you want the skyline and park views the wider is better. If you're taking pictures of your wife and or street photography then the 50mm. I was just in the city last week. Enjoy your trip

 

[1dmouse]

It may just come down to your expectations. What type of photography do you want to do whilst there i.e street candid or general touristy type of images?
I went to Tokyo in November which was a heavy photography trip and bought a new RF 24-70mm f2.8 L lens which I managed to drop two weeks before my visit. I took my EF 24-105mm f4 lens which worked before I went away but as soon as I put it on the dreaded error code appeared. So I could only use 24mm on the RF lens and had to work with what I had.
I was hoping to come away with one or two images worthy of printing and getting framed and not being a regular street shooter and not used to getting close up to people it was surprisingly easy. Perhaps it's because Tokyo is a big city with thousands of tourists the locals didn't care and a few encouraged it.
I had to work with what I had so I'd say the 18-35mm and the 50mm for low light stuff but whichever you choose you won't be able to cover everything.
I hope you have a great trip.

 

[Don Fischer]

Nice walk around I had was a Nikon 18-140! Right now using a Tamron 18-200 and like it.

 

[ancient_mariner]

Crop or FX? I'd use the 18-35 as my walkabout lens, but you might also want to see if you can get a kit lens cheap: 18-55/70 for crop or an old plastic fantastic 28-80/100 for FX. Some of the older sigma 28-200s were ok on FX and cheap, but not good enough for Dx.

 

[pentaxpete]

I went to NY for my 80th B Day and although it was APRIL so COLDS I got pneumonia - had a Hospital stay ! Luckily as ambulance men found out I was Ex- British Soldier they didn't charge for the Ambulance ! I had to stay in BED and missed the trip to Statue of Liberty which Wife and Kids went. I took PENTAX ME SUPER for C41 Colour Neg and Pentax P30n for B&W and most used lens was my 24mm f2.8 prime but also used a SMC Pentax -A 28-80mm f3.5-4.5 a lot .
SMC Pentax-A 28-80mm f3.5-5.6 from moving bus
Times Square area by Peter Elgar, on Flickr
24mm f2.8 Carl Zeiss Prime
Times Square from Big Bus tour by Peter Elgar, on Flickr
SMC Pentax-A 28-80mm f3.5-5.6
NYC -Protesters by Peter Elgar, on Flickr
Pentax P30n + 24mm f2.8 Carl Zeiss prime
NYC from 'Big Bus' tour by Peter Elgar, on Flickr

 

[PhotoVanGogh]

Sorry you were sick, Some great images though

 

[Kell]

Interested in this as I'm going back this year.

Last time I went I had a crop sensor camera and took both my 18-135 and a 24-70.

I took the 18-135 as I was worried about 24 being too tight in the city (being equivalent to 38mm FF).

Pretty sure I used the 18-135 much more often.

Now I have a FF, I'm thinking about if I can be bothered to lug it around, especially as I was toying with the idea of switching back to a film camera.

And am debating lens choice. I have a few primes, but am still leaning towards a zoom for flexibility, then maybe a prime for evenings.

In preparation, I've been shooting some stuff in London, and do feel like the 50mm is tight, but the f/1.4 is useful. Whereas the 28 is better, but when it starts to get dark, the f/2.8 struggles.

Primes	Zooms
Minolta 50mm f/1.7	Minolta 28-70 f/3.5 to 4.8
Minolta 50mm f/1.4	Minolta 35-70 f/3.5
Minolta 35mm f/1.8
Minolta 28mm f/2.8
Minolta 135mm f/3.5

I *think* what I'm going to do is take the 35-70 (as it's universally acknowledged to be 'better' glass. Maybe then take the 35mm too.
But take it alongside my small Canon G5 X - it's a 24-100mm 1" sensor PAS.

 

[Willi]

I went in May 2009 with my D80 and the 18-135mm kit lens. What I would have liked was a better photographer taking the pictures!
Looking at my photos most were shot @ 18mm in portrait to get the height of the buildings in as they're close together.

 

[Craikeybaby]

@Proud2btaff is probably back by now - how did you get on?

When I went, in 2013, I took my 5D and 24-105mm. I'm not sure if I took any other lenses, but if I did, I didn't use them.

 

[Kell]

This will be my 4th time.

The first couple of times I went, I wasn't really that much into taking pics.

The first time was in 2000. I had a PAS Pentax Espio 140. I just had to google the specs, but that had a 35-140mm lens.

Was fully automated - so no control over anything other than the zoom.

Back then, i might have only taken a couple of rolls of film, so didn't have much to choose from when I got back. But got a couple of shots I'm happy with still - despite them not having any PP.


Radio City, September 2000 by Kell, on Flickr

Deli, Corner of 5th and E32nd, 2000 by Kell, on Flickr

The second time was in 2003, I had another PAS - this time digital. A Pentax Optio 550. This had a 37.5-187.5mm lens on a 35mm camera.

Got maybe one of two shots I liked from that trip. Back then memory was still expensive, so I still didn't take that many shots. And worst of all, I had to save them back to something like 70% quality to get them to fit on floppy disc to store them. There's a whole other thread about that camera HERE.

Last time I went, was in 2018. I then had a Canon 600D and the lenses I mentioned above. This is where the bulk of my 'nice' shots came from, purely because you get the option to shoot loads these days.

Couple of favourites - these were both shot on the 24-70.

Brooklyn Bridge by Kell, on Flickr

Washington Street by Kell, on Flickr



What’s the point of this post?

I suppose it was to confirm that all three cameras (without me realising till now) had a max wide angle of around 37mm. Apart from the 600d with the 18mm. Which translates to around 28mm FF.

Each time I’ve been I’ve felt the wide is where I needed a little more, rather than the long end.

The final thing to add, is that I’ve been testing my film camera around London with some of the new lenses and have come to realise that I much prefer a cross-body style bag to keep lenses in (rather than a rucksack) as I think it makes it easier to swap them out.

With a rucksack, I find there’s too many things in your hands while trying to swap a lens on the street. This is a personal opinion, as I’m a clumsy t*** and it feels much more likely that I’ll drop something.