# Which lens for city shots.. ?



## arian29 (Dec 14, 2011)

Which lens is better to take along for city shots (people, structures,  monuments etc..) the 18-55mm, 50mm 1.8 or the 55-200.. which lens would  be most appropriate ?


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## Buckster (Dec 14, 2011)

If I could only take one of those three for city shots that includes structures and monuments, I'd personally take the 18-55.  I shoot a lot of cityscapes, bridges, and so forth, and I use the wider end of my lenses a lot more than anything else for that sort of thing, otherwise it doesn't fit until I get so far away that I can't get a shot because there's too much other stuff in the way.

I refuse to travel that light (one lens) and limit myself though, so it's not something I think much about.  When an opportunity presents itself, I like to be able to reach into my bag and pull out the appropriate tool for the job and get to work.


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## KmH (Dec 14, 2011)

Yep, me too - 18-55 for in the city.

For that kind of a shooting day I carry a backpack and have with me;
 2 camera bodies (both w/grips)
4 lenses (12-24 mm, 24-85 mm, 50 mm, 80-200 mm)
2 speedlights.
1 tripod
1 monopod w/legs (to mount a speedlight on)
extra memory cards
extra batteries
radio triggers
model and property release forms


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## imagemaker46 (Dec 14, 2011)

Just pick one and work with it, my dad, who is also a professional photographer, used to send me out with a lens he would choose and tell me to just shoot.  It was a great way to understand what each lens could do.  Having only one option makes you really think about how to shoot.


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## matthewo (Dec 14, 2011)

I like wider angles for city shots.

I did go shooting with just a 35mm prime. But i was constantly finding myself needing a wider angle.

Not that you cannot find things to shoot with a prime, you just going to be somewhat limited for all purpose shooting.

There is a reason primes are used for portraits.  You  can usually put the people where you want them or get the right distance away.  And they make great fast lens that can capture indoor lighting at higher shutter speeds as we all know people are not always still.


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## thierry (Dec 14, 2011)

Definetly go with the 18-55. That would be my choice.


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## CanonEOS (Dec 14, 2011)

arian29 said:


> Which lens is better to take along for city shots (people, structures,  monuments etc..) the 18-55mm, 50mm 1.8 or the 55-200.. which lens would  be most appropriate ?



As others have said the 18-55mm but for me i take he 18-135mm with the 60D for a reason not to take two lenses and extra gear i like travel light but that's just me.


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## dianrizalni (Dec 14, 2011)

If it was up to me, I'd take Canon 15-85 or Sigma 17-70 OS on crop sensor. Focal length was good enough, although both have variable aperture. Those wide angle-mid zoom is good for walkaround lens. If you shoot FF, just take 24-105L any day.


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## matthewo (Dec 14, 2011)

Now i just carry my two main zooms.  My 24-70 2.8, and my 70-300 4.5-5.6.  Those are enough for me to capture most anything


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## Dao (Dec 15, 2011)

OP, if I want to travel light, I will just pick the kit lens together with the 50mm since it doesn't take up a lot of room and it quite light in weight.

And that is what I usually do with I walk around the city.   I usually pack the Tamron 17-50mm as the main lens and one extra.  It is usually a prime.  And sometimes, maybe a telephoto zoom if I want to find and take some bird photos on that day.


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## kidone (Dec 15, 2011)

I'm new to this but maybe a 18-200mm/3.5-5.6 and a 35mm/1.8 prime for darker shots? At least that's what i did when I did some urban photography. Those sculptures and clocks on top of buildings are fun to catch sometimes!


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## Joey_Ricard (Dec 23, 2011)

Remember though, the wider lens you use, the more distortion you will get, especially if you are not shooting level.
In the middle of your 18-55, you shouldn't see as much. I do a lot of Architectural images for my business and I do use wide lenses, but I correct distortion in post processing. 50mm is good but you might find that you have to back up to get the full subject you want in the image. If you can stitch side by side shots in post processing, even better.


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## 2WheelPhoto (Dec 23, 2011)

For student and general purposes I've found my Nikkor 24-70 and 70-200 VRII that both live in my bag work well in both studio and downtown (day or with tripod at night ).


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## DannyD (Dec 24, 2011)

The 18-55 is a good choice ! This is a trans-standard lens with a wide angle, standard and short tele lens possibilities ! You can't go wrong with it !


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## Draco (Dec 26, 2011)

18-55 is a good fit if you are planning on walking around taking photos. If you have a place near you where you can try to rent a lens, try picking up something like 10-22mm if you want super wide shots. I typically take the following with me:

10-22mm F2.8
24-70mm F2.8
70-200mm F4
1x4 converter
Tripod
Graduated ND/ ND Filters


I get most of what I need from those lenses. for the most part though I keep my 24-70 on my camera 90% of the time. It's a good walk around lens. The others I use when I want to try a couple different types of shots or maybe need something a little wider or if I want a narrow depth of field.


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## Iron Flatline (Dec 26, 2011)

24mm TS-E, on a tripod.


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