Going to Sedona and Grand Canyon in the Spring and trying to pack as little as possible. I’ll be with my family so not much dedicated time for photography.

I’m planning to take one lens (24-70 2.8) due to weight (arthritis) and dust concerns. My main concern is if I’ll significantly miss out without a wide angle or telephoto zoom?

1-2 nights of Astro: 24mm f2.8 is decent, hard to justify a specialty lens

Family pics: 24-70 is perfect Canyons/hikes: is 24mm with pano enough?

Lookouts: Is 70mm significantly limiting reach?

  • FmesonBEnglish
    1·
    11 months ago

    My main concern is if I’ll significantly miss out without a wide angle or telephoto zoom?

    Do you need to take every possible photo? You’ll never run out of great photos, and you’ll never be able to capture them all. You miss out on thousands of great photos every day on a trip simply because you aren’t taking photos 24/7!

    I highly suggest shifting your mindset from “how do I take every picture” to distilling what you actually want out of your trip. What photos will actually matter to you?

    Like, for me, I find I don’t value photos at highly photographed overlooks unless I plan on doing them really well. If I want to see a picture of the grand canyon, I can find some great ones online.

    Instead, I like finding unique photos that show a place in a way not typically seen, so I would just sit back and enjoy the view rather than snapping some photos.

    And for family pics, I’d probably just use my phone. Easier for sharing.

    So I might just end up bringing a 100 mm macro or something and shooting compressed landscapes, cool rock formations, add to my leaf photo collection, and other interesting details.

    But, that’s just me. Obviously, there is nothing wrong with wanting photos from overlooks if that’s what you value! My point is you should think about what will bring you the most joy and don’t stress about the photos you could take.