European travel?

[fillkay]

Two tips for Prague: go to the cafe terrace on the top floor of 'U Prince' hotel near to the astronomical clock to get a great view of the old town square, especially at night; and to the south along the river there's the really interesting 'dancing house' (Tančící dům), designed by Frank Gehry. Be on the lookout for Art Nouveau and Art Deco details in buildings.

Although it was a few years since I was there, there was also a number of second hand photo shops with some interesting vintage kit to drool over.

Do beware of what happened to me in Slovakia: my one and only standard 17-85 lens went on the blink, and I wasn't able to get any kind of replacement so ended up having to use a point and shoot for standard shots. I wish I'd taken some alternative.

 

[serendipidy]

Many great suggestions above. Might also consider Rothenburg ob der Tauber, west of Munich, if you have the time. It is one of the best preserved medieval walled cities in Europe. In Paris, might also consider a trip to the Palace of Versailles. Market streets of Rue Montorgueill, Rue Mouffetard, or Rue Cler make for some interesting street scenes. I think there might be a recent French law about taking peoples photos in public. Last year, there were some people in Paris and Nice giving me nasty looks as I took some street scene shots. I was traveling very light and only took a pocket Canon SX230. I got some very nice photos but a DSLR would have had much better IQ. Have a great trip and post some of your results.

 

[Deva]

Forgot to mention - you might also consider the Pompidou centre in Paris. Unless you're into modern art (it is the largest museum for modern art in Europe), it's probably not worth going inside, but the building itself was ground-breaking when it was first constructed (with all its insides on the outside, as it were), is a magnet for street performers, and there are some very unusual sculptures in the Stravinsky Fountain nearby.

 

[Deva]

@Deva:
I generally agree with your comment regarding tripods, but for night time photography a tripod may come in quite handy, especially if used extensively for night time exposures.

If there is no opportunity for night time photography, then a tripod would indeed be a waste of space and effort, but things look differently, if there are lots of opportunities. Not everyone will bring in a 1D-X and f1.4 and f1.2 lenses for night time photography and there are also limits to the usefulness of shallow depth of field in those circumstances.

I myself have often enjoyed the opportunity of loaning a tripod locally. This is a much better option than bringing your own.

You may enjoy reading Ken Rockwell's view on the need (or not) for tripods with modern digital cameras: www.kenrockwell.com/tech/digital-killed-my-tripod.htm