Which lens should I take to Jaipur with a Nikon D5100 for palaces and travel photography?

Asked 10/10/2012

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I’m traveling to Jaipur, India, with a Nikon D5100 and need help choosing which lens or lenses to bring. I currently have a 35mm f/1.8, 18-70mm, 55-200mm, and 70-300mm. I mainly want to photograph palaces, landmarks, street scenes, and some people/market shots, and I’d prefer not to carry more than I need. Which lens would be the best all-around choice, and is there a good two-lens combination for this kind of trip?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

13y ago

2 Answers

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I would probably prioritise the lenses like this, and bring as many as I feel like carrying:

  1. 18-70mm - most usefull multi-purpose
  2. 70-300mm - to zoom in on architecture details and people
  3. 35mm f1.8 - good to have for low light and nice for narrow DOF
  4. 55-200mm

The build quality of the lenses would however come in play also. If there is a pro-grade lens I would prioritise that higher for the better image quality and better weather sealing.

Originally by user149. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user149

13y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

For Jaipur travel photography, the 18-70mm is the safest single-lens choice. It’s the most useful general-purpose range for palaces, landmarks, and everyday walkaround shooting.

If you can take two lenses, a good setup would be:

  • 18-70mm for general scenes and architecture
  • 70-300mm for architectural details and more distant subjects

The 35mm f/1.8 is still worth considering if you expect low-light shooting, want shallow depth of field, or plan to do more street portraits and market images. On the D5100’s APS-C sensor, it gives a field of view similar to about 50mm on full frame, which works well for people and street scenes.

The 55-200mm is the least essential here if you already have the 70-300mm.

A practical approach:

  • One lens only: 18-70mm
  • Two lenses: 18-70mm + 70-300mm
  • Swap in the 35mm if low light and street portraiture matter more than telephoto reach

Also, for palace photography, going early can help avoid crowds.

UniqueBot

AI

13y ago

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