Packing small with primes. Advice needed please!

[Leopard Lupus]

I have been given the opportunity to go on a trip this next week as a holiday gift. Only issue is I must pack minimally. I will be photographing for general use and no real specific project which will be a nice change. However, I am a man who loves his prime lenses but here is the downside.
I would like to only take 2. In my kit, I currently have:
Canon 35mm L f/1.4
Canon 50mm L f/1.2
Canon 85mm f/1.8
Canon 135mm L f/2

I will be shooting with my 5D mk ll

Any advice would be great!

 

[Loswr]

...a trip...

A bit vague. Paris vs. Patagonia might get different recommendations...

 

[branden]

Were I in your spot, I would, without question or doubt, take only the 35mm and the 85mm lenses. They are the classic photojournalism focal lengths, and honestly will cover nearly every situation.

If you have to take just one, take the 50mm lens.

I routinely travel with just one or two prime lenses. On my next trip I'm taking a 50mm and a 21mm lens only.

 

[Blaze]

I second branden. For general use, the 35mm and 85mm are a great combo.

If you have a wide angle like the 24mm L, that might be handy instead of the 35mm, especially for shooting buildings.

 

[pwp]

How can we say? Responses will be based on what an individuals personal taste and shooting style will direct.
Ask a dozen different photographers and you may get a dozen different answers. All perfectly valid!

I'd say trust yourself, know your shooting preferences and go with your own lens selection.

When I travel and have tight constraints on what equipment I take, it's fascinating how you adapt to what you've got. Without the full bag of lenses it forces you to think outside the square and come up with unfamiliar ways of composing a shot.

Paul Wright

 

[Zuuyi]

Seeing that you didn't provide with what type of trip or what type of photography you plan on doing. Here is my suggestion.

1) 35L & 135L - maximum coverage with two lenses.

 

[wickidwombat]

take the 50 and the 135

if you get a stunning vista shoot a panorama with the 50mm in portrait and stitch it the 135 will give you good reach and slamming portraits and on the 5d the 50 will be enough for group shots.

now go pack

 

[alipaulphotography]

You are on holiday! Take a break. Don't go around changing lenses. If it is too far away, then get closer or don't worry about it. Just take a 50mm and relaaaaaxxx.

 

[TexPhoto]

For me 35mm + 135mm. Easy.

First the wide end is the most important, and 35mm is not that wide, but that's the choice your giving me. From there, the 135 for the long side. 85mm is cool, but I'll go 135 in this case, and the 135 f2 is awesome.

 

[Leopard Lupus]

Thank you all for the input! As far as where I am going... California. Not that exciting so I didn't feel the need for details, but for me it is a ways away.

 

[pj1974]

Hi Leopard Lupus

I can understand the appreciation of using primes. As you've indicated you'll be using a full frame (5D mk II) - if it were 2 of your primes lenses to take, I would probably take the 35mm and 135mm from your collection, OR the 35mm and 85mm. As others have already indicated, it mainly depends on a) your photographic style (and interest) as well as b) your intended location (ok... you've now written California, but what part - city, rural, mountain, seaside, etc).

At the same time, if it was just 1 lens, I'd probably either take just the 35mm or the 50mm. Depends depends. I echo what was previously written - 'relaxxxx... you're on a holiday'. Perhaps the 50mm helps being close to the 'natural eye' equivalent in that regard. But it's hard when you want to go wider...

FWIW, I've just come back from a short holiday interstate to Western Australia - and visited friends in Perth and nearby. I captured various types of photos (city scape scenes, parks, flower details, children of friends, random animals). I took the 15-85mm zoom on my 7D. While the optical quality of a zoom is not quite there with an L prime (but it's about the same as most L zooms) - the convenience and flexibility it provides (equivalent from 24mm to 136mm in FF format) were invaluable to me.

When I was in Thailand last year (from seaside Phuket to Bangkok days after the red-shirts protest escalated / ended) - my 15-85mm zoom was my most used lens. January this year I went interstate to visit my family and too k my 15-85mm zoom and my 100mm USM macro (for portraits). I don't think I'll ever travel without a zoom... it's just too 'handy' for my needs while travelling (keeping 1 lens on all the time - that's why I have basically decided to do a 1 body, 1 zoom kit for nearly all my 'general' travels).

Best wishes for your decision.

Paul

 

[Leopard Lupus]

Thank you, pj1974!

With those words in mind, and a lack of funds, would anyone recommend the EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS?

 

[Harley]

Really interesting for me to hear all the opinions, particularly since we had very little info to go on as to the destination. More consistent responses than I might have imagined.

As for me, I'd have to agree. Shooting FF, go with the 35mm and either the 85mm or the 135mm depending on your interest. If choosing only one lens, it's got to be the 50mm.

 

[pwp]

With those words in mind, and a lack of funds, would anyone recommend the EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS?

Don't even think about this lens on a FF body. It's ancient history. I had one for a week....straight back to eBay.

Paul Wright

 

[Fandongo]

I second branden. For general use, the 35mm and 85mm are a great combo.

If you have a wide angle like the 24mm L, that might be handy instead of the 35mm, especially for shooting buildings.

It's a trap! Clearly the best answer is 24L + 85L.
Achieve even greater versatility by picking up a t2i.

There are plenty of them sitting in the streets at this point =)

 

[7enderbender]

I've actually done that many times back in the days when I had access to two lenses: 50mm and 135mm. It never felt like I missed anything. And the two L versions of these lenses must be some of the best SLR lenses ever. I personally can easily live without a wide angle lens and the 85mm range is too "in-between" for me. Depends on your subject matter and personal preferences of course.

 

[funkboy]

Seeing that you didn't provide with what type of trip or what type of photography you plan on doing. Here is my suggestion.

1) 35L & 135L - maximum coverage with two lenses.

I'll second that. My travel kit is often the 135L, 20mm Voigtänder Color Skopar, and the plastic fantastic 50. If the 35L is the widest prime you've got then go for it.

 

[niccyboy]

I'd definitely take the 50 1.2... it's such a nice lens on the 5d2.

I'd also take the long lens for more portrait style shots