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Top 3 lenses for traveling
Reading time: 5 minutes - June 12, 2023 - by Markus Igel

Top 3+3 travel lenses for your next trip

Anyone who enjoys traveling and has a camera with an interchangeable lens mount. They enjoy a freedom that allows them to give free rein to their creativity even on vacation. This is where most photographers' opinions differ and fundamental discussions arise about the perfect equipment. Minimalists only take one lens with them, they live with the restriction in order to take in new perspectives, which can be particularly interesting for photographers who are currently in a phase of reinvention. Pancake lenses, which imitate the street look & cell phone look but guarantee a better resolution of the camera, are perhaps particularly interesting here.

Because limitation promotes creativity. If you want to be prepared for every situation, you may find the perfect universal lens here in this article, which will end up in your photo case or, better still, your photo backpack for your next trip. Of course, the question is always in which area you take photos yourself.

22.2x zoom - one lens for everything: Tamron 18-400 mm Di II VC HLD

Megazoom lenses are said to be particularly suitable for traveling. And rightly so, because they ensure that you don't have to take lots of different lenses with you. With a focal length of 18-400 mm, the Tamron AF 3.5-6.3/18-400 Di II VC HLD covers an enormous zoom range and is therefore a wonderful travel lens. From the wide-angle of 18 mm (approx. 28 mm converted to 35 mm) to the incredible telephoto range of 400 mm (approx. 620 mm converted to 35 mm), you have a huge 22.2x zoom here. No other interchangeable lens for SLR cameras currently offers this much.

The great advantage of packing just one lens means you don't have to lug around several lenses and constantly change lenses, which can be annoying and time-consuming, especially with frequently changing subjects on a trip. The lens also impresses with its built-in image stabilizer and HLD motor for fast and precise autofocus. It is available for Canon EF-S or Nikon DX SLR cameras.
There are also plenty of megazoom lenses for other mounts, albeit with a smaller magnification. For example, the Sony SEL 3.5-5.6/18-135 mm OSS for Sony E-mount or the Panasonic AF 3.5-5.6/14-140 Var. OIS II for Micro Four Thirds.
Such megazoom lenses are ideal for all beginners and intermediates who are looking for ambitious, but not highly professional image quality. Because a large zoom is packed into a lens, it is not possible to achieve the same quality in every focal length range as with a good shorter Zoom lens or a Fixed focal length. The recommendation here therefore goes to all those for whom weight and zoom are important, but for whom good image quality is also sufficient. The big bonus is having a lens for almost everything Canon EF-S mount
Nikon DX mount
Sony FE mount

Tamron AF 18-400mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD

  • gigantic 22.2x zoom
  • world's first ultra-telephoto megazoom with a maximum focal length of 400mm (May 2017)
  • unique, lightweight and compact design in this focal length range
  • Outstanding image quality
  • precise AF thanks to HLD motor
  • built-in image stabilizer
  • weatherproof design

Luminous intensity, sharpness, conscious photography: Compact fixed focal lengths

Optimized for exactly one focal length Fixed focal lengths. As a result, they generally offer more sharpness and can be built to be faster. When traveling, however, they have the major disadvantage that you have to take more lenses with you and constantly change them. Nevertheless, many photographers do not use zooms even when on vacation. Many even only take a single fixed focal length with them, as this forces them to photograph much more deliberately. With the non-changeable image section, you have to decide how to use it depending on the subject and whether it makes a difference to take a step forwards, backwards or to the side. This allows you to concentrate on the essentials, whereas with a zoom you are more inclined to simply pull the trigger after changing the framing with a slight rotation. Since we are talking about travel photography, we would like to recommend light and compact fixed focal lengths. Most major manufacturers offer very fast 50 mm normal focal lengths at a relatively low price, which can also be used for beautiful portraits and pictures in difficult lighting situations when not traveling. In detail, these are the following lenses: Canon EF 1.8/50 STM
Canon RF 1.8/50 STM
Nikon AF 1.4/50 D
Pentax DA 1,8/50 SMC
Sony AF 1,8/50 Prime FE-Mount
Sony AF 1.8/50 SAM DT Sony A-Mount

Tamron 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD Sony FE mount

A brute focal length of over 350mm zoom range is what the Tamron lens currently offers for the Sony FE mount. But it also has a really cheeky closest focusing distance of 2cm and is therefore also suitable for macro use. Of course, this lens is not the best lens for dark situations in terms of aperture, but it is a lens that serves virtually all areas of application and makes many lenses redundant in your luggage. If you combine this with a wide-angle zoom, you have everything you need for your next trip with 2 lenses. If you are really crazy, you can pack a fixed focal length to capture the dark moments of the trip or for that extra bit of freedom.

Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD

Whether for Fujifilm or Sony, the Tamron 17-70mm is also a perfect companion for city tours and landscape shots where it doesn't have to get particularly close. For example, it is also a conceivable addition to the previously mentioned Tamron 50-400mm with significantly more light intensity. Over the entire focal length, you have an aperture of 2.8 at your disposal, with which you can also work very well in low-light situations.

Important information about the 17-70mm It is a pure APSC lens and would therefore not cover 100% of the sensor on a Sony Alpha 7.


We hope you found some inspiration and look forward to seeing your photos from your trip. Simply use the #fotokoch in your social media accounts and link us on Instagram with @fotokochde or on Facebook with @fotokoch!


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